A method for operating a hearing system for assisting the hearing of a user, having at least one hearing instrument worn in or on the ear of the user, - wherein a sound signal from an environment of the hearing instrument is recorded by means of an input transducer of the hearing instrument, - wherein the recorded sound signal is modified in a signal processing step to assist the hearing of the user, - wherein the modified sound signal is output by means of an output transducer of the hearing instrument, - wherein in an analysis step - foreign speech intervals are recognized, in which the recorded speech signal contains speech of a speaker different from the user, - various speakers are identified and recognized foreign speech intervals, and wherein each foreign speech interval is assigned to the speaker who speaks in this foreign speech interval, characterized in that - for each recognized foreign speech interval, the assigned speaker is classified in the course of an interaction classification as to whether this speaker is in a direct communication relationship with the user as a main speaker or whether this speaker is not in a direct communication relationship with the user as a secondary speaker, - in the signal processing step, the modification of the recognized foreign speech intervals takes place depending on the interaction classification, and - in the signal processing step - foreign speech intervals of the or each speaker classified as a main speaker are dynamically compressed to a greater extent than foreign speech intervals of the or each speaker classified as a secondary speaker, and/or - foreign speech intervals of the or each speaker classified as a main speaker are subjected to last noise reduction and/or feedback suppression than foreign speech intervals of the or each speaker classified as a secondary speaker. - wherein a sound signal from an environment of the hearing instrument is recorded by means of an input transducer of the hearing instrument, - wherein the recorded sound signal is modified in a signal processing step to assist the hearing of the user, - wherein the modified sound signal is output by means of an output transducer of the hearing instrument, - wherein in an analysis step - foreign speech intervals are recognized, in which the recorded speech signal contains speech of a speaker different from the user, - various speakers are identified and recognized foreign speech intervals, and wherein each foreign speech interval is assigned to the speaker who speaks in this foreign speech interval, - foreign speech intervals are recognized, in which the recorded speech signal contains speech of a speaker different from the user, - various speakers are identified and recognized foreign speech intervals, and wherein each foreign speech interval is assigned to the speaker who speaks in this foreign speech interval, - for each recognized foreign speech interval, the assigned speaker is classified in the course of an interaction classification as to whether this speaker is in a direct communication relationship with the user as a main speaker or whether this speaker is not in a direct communication relationship with the user as a secondary speaker, - in the signal processing step, the modification of the recognized foreign speech intervals takes place depending on the interaction classification, and - in the signal processing step - foreign speech intervals of the or each speaker classified as a main speaker are dynamically compressed to a greater extent than foreign speech intervals of the or each speaker classified as a secondary speaker, and/or - foreign speech intervals of the or each speaker classified as a main speaker are subjected to last noise reduction and/or feedback suppression than foreign speech intervals of the or each speaker classified as a secondary speaker. - foreign speech intervals of the or each speaker classified as a main speaker are dynamically compressed to a greater extent than foreign speech intervals of the or each speaker classified as a secondary speaker, and/or - foreign speech intervals of the or each speaker classified as a main speaker are subjected to last noise reduction and/or feedback suppression than foreign speech intervals of the or each speaker classified as a secondary speaker.