A Review of Literature in Critical Listening Education

This paper reviews the literature on critical listening education. Broadly speaking, academic research in this field is often limited to qualitative descriptions of curriculum and studies on the effectiveness of technical ear training. Furthermore audio engineering textbooks often view critical listening as secondary to technical concepts. To provide a basis for the development of curriculum and training, this paper investigates both academic and non-academic work in the field. Consequently a range of common curriculum topics is advanced as the focus areas in current practice. Moreover this paper uncovers pedagogical best practice for training sequence and the use of sounds/sight within instruction. A range of specific instructional activities, such as technical ear training, is also explored, thus providing insights into training in this field. Beyond a direct benefit to pedagogues, it is hoped that this review of the literature can provide a starting point for research in critical listening education.