Which skill among the four is primarily about interpreting messages and feedback?

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Interpreting messages and feedback relies on listening. Active listening isn’t just hearing words; it’s understanding what the speaker means, picking up on tone, pace, and emphasis, and noticing any feedback they give—questions, clarifications, or corrections—that signal whether you’ve understood correctly. This process of decoding spoken content and the responses you receive is what lets you grasp intent, identify what’s being asked or corrected, and shape an appropriate reply or action.

Thinking involves processing information, but the primary task there isn’t to decode the message from someone else. Speaking is about delivering your own message, not interpreting others’ communications. Nonverbal signals are part of how messages are conveyed, but interpreting the conveyed meaning and feedback most directly comes from listening.