It's not enough to just hear someone speak, as this story from Mitch Albom's book, "Have a Little Faith," illustrates.
A little girl came home from school with a drawing she'd made in class. She danced into the kitchen, where her mother was preparing dinner. "Mom, guess what?" she squealed, waving the drawing. Her mother never looked up. "What?" the mother said, tending to the pots on the stove. The little girl asked again but Mom continued to fuss with the pots. The little girl then said, "Mom, you're not listening. I want you to listen with your eyes."
