Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Listening Skills

- “ I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most of the people never listen.”
- Ernest Hemingway
Ø Hearing: Physiological activity
Ø Listening: Mental activity & requires effort from mind, means gathering information & systematic process.
Ø Person- hearing- filtering- interpreting- responding- remembering

How can be an active listener?:
1. Due attention should be paid:
-Look at speaker directly, Body language.
-Avoid distracting thoughts, negative approach, environmental factors, noisy atmosphere.
• 2Show that you are listening:
-Use your gestures and body language.
-Nod occasionally, give Smile and other facial expressions.
-Use verbal comments to encourage speaker.
Like: yes, no, uh huh.
3)Feedback:
-Ask question for clarification or doubts.
-Summarize speaker’s comments periodiqally
4)espond(Respond appropriately:
-Be candid, open, and honest in your response.
-Assert your opinion respectfully.
5)Defer judgment:
- Don’t interrupt , avoid counter arguments.
- Allow speaker to finish, because it frustrate speaker

Types of Listening:
Relationship Listening:
-Purpose either to help an individual or to improve relationship among people.
-Can also be used when you listen to friends and allow them to “ get things off their chests.”
-E.g. A doctor to his\her patient.
Informative Listening:
-When primary concern is to understand the message.
-Found in our everyday life in learning process.
E.g. Students listen their teachers.
- Be careful in informative listening otherwise it leads to misunderstanding of information.
-Three keys: Vocabulary, Concentration and memory.

Critical Listening:
-Ability to listen critically is essential in democracy.
-In every place you find it like in Politicians, the media, advocates,
-Our financial, emotional physical, intellectual needs requires us to critical listening and the thinking that accompanies it.
Appreciative Listening:
- Includes music for enjoyment, speakers as you like them.
-It is the response of listener and the source of the message.
-It may provide different things to different persons.
E.g. Old songs
- The quality of it depends on: presentation, perception and previous experience.

Active Listening V/S Passive Listening :

Passive listening: occurs when a listener doesn't verbally respond to the speaker. E.g. listening music, television.
Listener responds through non-verbal messages, not verbal.
Appropriate when you want ease back mentally and be entertained.
Mistake to interpret when your speaker relates a joke or story.
Active listening: involves verbal feedback & questioning.
Also can be identified by perspective listening.
Ask for additional information. e.g. What do you mean ?
Paraphrasing: You demonstrate that you have understood your men tee's concerns.

Traits of Good Listener

Adequate hearing
Recognition of problems that affect listening
Knowledge specific kind of listening.
Relationship between listening and vocabulary
Judging well that is heard
Ability to discriminate between sounds and ideas
Readiness to listen others
Ability to relate meanings and sounds
Evaluating medium and manner of speaking
Willingness to disregard prejudices

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