I thought that "oír" was rather close to "to hear" in English and that "escuchar" was rather close to "to listen". And that is how I use these words. But sometimes I hear them used in the opposite way than I would expect.
For example, I was doing a sentence in my workbook and I found the following:
La chica está
oyendo la radio.
Why is it "oír" instead of "escuchar"? Is "oír" the verb typically used with what one does with a radio?
Another example:
My Peruvian friend will say something to her son, which he promptly "ignores" (he's 10 ... all ten-year-olds try to get away with simple stuff like that...). Anyway, she'll say something once and if he doesn't respond in a timely manner, she will say "¿¡Escuchaste!?"
Well, when English-speaking mothers say something that is promptly ignored, they'll follow up with "Did you hear me?" When I think about that, it's often almost sarcastic because it is usually said at a time when the physical act of hearing in that situation is not in question. I know that some people might say "Are you listening?", but that is in the present tense, and doesn't really seem to convey the meaning that my friend is emphasizing with her son.....
I KNOW that there is not a one-to-one correlation between languages. I would just like a little bit more insight into the not-so-obvious differences between these two words.
Thanks!