Listening plays a very important part in the second-language acquisition, to the point that certain methodologies have been built on this fact. Two examples are Total Physical Response and Natural Approach. In addition, of the total time spent on communicating, listening __50__ 40-50%; speaking, 25-30%; reading, 11-16%; and writing , about 9%. What is more, a survey of 454 students in an intensive ESL program showed that the students themselves clearly recognized the importance of listening, and expressed the desire that more of it __51__. Listening comprehension is so important because when listening, listeners often have no control over what will be “coming at” them, particularly in one-way communication situations, as in a lecture. Listeners have no control over what is going to be said, how it is going to be said, and how quickly it is going to be said. In two-way communication, as in dialogue, the listener’s responses and reactions do influence the speaker. The situation is quite different with speaking, where the speaker can __52__ meaning across with limited proficiency by judicious use of communication strategies. Even with reading, there is not the same time pressure, and readers can go back over what they have read, and __53__ a dictionary if they wish to. In listening, the transient spoken word “comes at” listeners very fast and is gone!