ascolto

Ascolto is the act or practice of listening in Italian. It denotes both the physiological process of perceiving sounds through the ear and the cognitive and situational attention given to what is heard. The term is used in everyday language to refer to listening as a skill, a moment of attention, or the content received through listening.

Etymology: Ascolto derives from the verb ascoltare, to listen, which in turn comes from Latin auscultare, meaning to listen or to hearken. The noun form handles the idea of listening as an activity or experience rather than a mere sensation.

Uses and contexts: In ordinary speech, ascolto is simply listening. In fields such as psychology, education, and counseling, ascolto attivo or active listening describes a deliberate technique of fully focusing on the speaker, reflecting, and clarifying, to improve understanding and empathy. In media and broadcasting, ascolto refers to the audience of a program; gli ascolti are audience measurements often used to assess reach and popularity of radio and TV content.

In music and culture, ascolto also appears as the act of listening to music or sound art. Guided listening (ascolto guidato) is a method used in classrooms, museums, or therapy to help participants engage with sounds or musical works in a structured way.