Active listening requires full concentration from the listener to understand, respond to, and remember what is being said. It is a two-way communication where the listener provides feedback to the speaker. In contrast, passive listening only requires the listener to sit quietly and hear what is being said without responding, such as when listening to music. The key difference between active and passive listening is that active listening engages the listener fully in a two-way dialogue with the speaker, while passive listening provides less attention and is a one-way communication without responses from the listener.