découte

Découte, a term usually written l’écoute in standard French, denotes the act or process of listening: paying attention to sounds, speech, or music, and interpreting them. It encompasses not only the ability to hear but also the cognitive and emotional engagement involved in understanding and responding. In everyday use, listening is considered a skill and a practice essential to communication, empathy, and learning. The distinction is often drawn between écouter (to listen) and entendre (to hear), the former implying intention and interpretation.

Etymology: The word derives from Old French escouter, from Latin auscultare, meaning to listen attentively. Over time, the spelling evolved to écouter, while the noun takes the form l’écoute. In legal and journalistic contexts, the plural écoutes or the compound écoutes téléphoniques refers to intercepted communications, i.e., wiretaps or listening-in operations.

Contexts and applications: In interpersonal communication, l’écoute active is a widely described practice that involves paying full attention, withholding judgment, reflecting, and clarifying. In education and psychotherapy, listening supports understanding, rapport, and effective feedback. In culture and media, listening relates to the cognitive engagement with music, speech, or sound design, requiring concentration and discernment. In law and security, une écoute denotes an interception of communications, conducted under formal authorization and subject to privacy and legal controls.

See also: écouter; écoute active; écoute téléphonique; listening in a communicative and ethical context.