To obtain a definition of "listening," open-ended interviews were conducted which began with the question, "What do you do when you listen?" The results were sorted into four contrastive types: indirective vs. directive, unfocused vs. focused, distant vs. intimate, and no-feel vs. feel. From these, four listening personalities were conceptualized and a composite ideal listening personality defined. These conceptualizations can be used in listening classes by grouping students according to their own listening profiles into clusters of like of different type. Through supervised tasks, games, and assignments, students can be guided to a better understanding of their own systems of operations, and these systems can be modified, bringing students closer to the ideal listening type.(JK)