What is "active listening"

n. The process of attending carefully to what a speaker is saying, involving such techniques as accurately paraphrase the speaker's remarks.

Active listening is a communication technique used in counseling, training, and conflict resolution. It requires that the listener fully concentrate, understand, respond and then remember what is being said. This is opposed to reflective listening where the listener repeats back to the speaker what they have just heard to confirm understanding of both parties.