Improve listening skills means that I need to create a commitment, meaning words in my head, a cognition, to repeat the speakers words in my head, in order to pay appropriate attention. Otherwise, I will day dream or formulate my "smarter" retort for interjection at the first available second. Then I need to check out whether my hearing is accurate by repeating back what I heard, and asking if I am accurate. If the speaker reports I am not accurate, then we do it again, because my commitment is to listening, not being right or wrong.
