Listening Skills-

Communication Skills-Report
Communication and Presentation Skills
Acharya Nagarjuna University
23 pag.

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Table of Contents
1 Introduction to Listening Skills ................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Definition of Listening ...................................................................................................... 1
1.2 The Need for Better Listening .......................................................................................... 1
1.3 Fallacies about Listening .................................................................................................. 2
1.3.1 Listening Is Not My Problem .................................................................................... 2
1.3.2 Listening and Hearing Are the Same ........................................................................ 2
1.3.3 Good Readers Are Good Listeners ........................................................................... 2
1.3.4 Smarter People Are Better Listeners ....................................................................... 3
1.3.5 Listening Improves With Age ................................................................................... 3
1.3.6 Listening Skills Are Difficult To Learn ....................................................................... 3
2 Materials and Methods ............................................................................................................ 3
2.1 The Process of Listening................................................................................................... 3
2.1.1 Receiving .................................................................................................................. 4
2.1.2 Attending ................................................................................................................. 5
2.1.3 Understanding ......................................................................................................... 5
2.1.4 Responding............................................................................................................... 6
2.1.5 Remembering........................................................................................................... 6
2.1.6 Listening Barriers ..................................................................................................... 7
2.1.7 How to Overcome Listening Barriers ....................................................................... 7
2.1.7.1 Prejudice .................................................................................................................. 7
2.2 Types of Listening ............................................................................................................ 9
2.3 Informative Listening ....................................................................................................... 9
2.3.1 Vocabulary ............................................................................................................... 9
2.3.2 Concentration ........................................................................................................ 10
2.3.3 Memory.................................................................................................................. 10
2.4 Relationship Listening .................................................................................................... 11
2.4.1 Attending ............................................................................................................... 11
2.4.2 Supporting .............................................................................................................. 11
2.4.3 Empathizing............................................................................................................ 12
2.5 Appreciative Listening .................................................................................................... 12

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2.5.1 Presentation ........................................................................................................... 13

2.5.2 Perception .............................................................................................................. 13
2.5.3 Previous experience ............................................................................................... 13
2.6 Critical Listening ............................................................................................................. 13
2.7 Discriminative Listening ................................................................................................. 14
2.7.1 Hearing ability ........................................................................................................ 14
2.7.2 Awareness of sound structure ............................................................................... 14
2.7.3 Integration of nonverbal signals ............................................................................ 15
3 Results and Discussions ......................................................................................................... 15
3.1 How to Be an Effective Listener ..................................................................................... 15
3.1.1 What You Think about Listening ............................................................................ 15
3.1.2 What You Feel about Listening .............................................................................. 17
3.1.3 What You Do about Listening ................................................................................ 18
4 Summary and Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 19
5 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... 20

List of Figures
Figure 1 The process of listening ..................................................................................................... 4

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Abstract
Though it’s perhaps the most important of our communication skills, listening is one of
the most neglected. Listening encourages open and healthy communication. Everyone
can be a better listener. Hard work and devotion is required for this purpose. Listening
helps eliminate communication issues and decreases misunderstandings. In our daily life
we cannot make difference between ‘hearing’ and ‘listening’. But listening mean s
interpretation of hearing. That is it involves understanding of a message. Thus it can be
stated that listening starts with hearing and ends with interpreting and evaluating the
message.

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1 Introduction to Listening Skills

1.1 Definition of Listening
Listening is the active procedure of receiving and responding to spoken (and sometimes
unspoken) messages. In the words of Ricks and Gow – ―Listening involves decoding the
message so that its content can be used.‖ Thill and Bovee said, ―Listening involves five
steps: sensing, interpreting, evaluating, remembering and responding.‖ Thus it can be
stated that listening starts with hearing and ends with interpreting and evaluating the
message. Listening is not just hearing, rather it is a chronological process. [1]

1.2 The Need for Better Listening

Listening is the ignored communication skill. While all of us have had education in
reading, writing, and speaking, few have had any formal education in listening. This void
in our education is especially interesting in light of research showing that most of us
devote seven of every 10 minutes we are awake in some form of communication activity.
Of these seven minutes (or 70 percent of the time we are awake), 10 percent is consumed
on writing, 15 percent reading, 30 percent talking, and 45 percent listening. Think of it!
We spend nearly half of our communication time listening, but few of us make any real
effort to be better listeners. For those who do, however, the effort pays great bonuses:
increased safety, higher efficiency, faster learning, and better relationships. Any
professional psychoanalyst will tell you that one of the major problems they see among
their clients is poor listening skills. People get into distress in their relationships because
they have not advanced their skill to listen and communicate. Active communication
exists between two people when the receiver reads and understands the sender‘s message
in the same way the sender intended it. There is no question but that listening is both vital
and neglected. The first step in becoming a better listener is to identify certain false
philosophies that many people grasp about listening. Recognizing these errors will help
us to avoid being stuck by them.

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1.3 Fallacies about Listening [1]

Among the great difficulties to effective listening are the fallacies that people hold about
listening. These false ideas frequently cause people to have magnified opinions of their
own listening routine. Considering that they have no problem with listening, they make
no effort to progress. Indeed, why should they? Not knowing that their listening skill is
―poor,‖ they see no need to ―repair‖ it. As a result, they don‘t take steps to improve.
Knowing about these fallacies will support you in avoiding this deception. Here, then, are
numerous of the collective ones.

1.3.1 Listening Is Not My Problem

People usually believe they are better listeners than those around them. It is the people
they work for, the ones who work with or for them, their family members, and their
friends who have a problem in listening effectively, not them. The fact is simply this. The
people around us believe that we have more of a problem listening effectively than they
do. This should tell us something. Listening is not just someone else‘s problem—it‘s
ours.

1.3.2 Listening and Hearing Are the Same

The dissimilarity between hearing and listening can be specified this way: Hearing is the
reception of sound, listening is the addition of meaning to the sound. Hearing is passive,
listening is active. Understanding the difference between hearing and listening is an
important requirement for listening effectively. Simply having good hearing does not
make one a good listener. In fact, many people who have perfectly good hearing are not
good listeners. Having good hearing does aid one‘s sensitivity of sound; but good
listeners don‘t simply hear words, they focus on the significance. We communicate
effectively with each other insofar as we share meaning.

1.3.3 Good Readers Are Good Listeners

This declaration is often false, even though both reading and listening depend on the
conversion of words into meaning. Because of the common translation function, there is
understandably some kind of relationship between reading and listening; the problem is,
many people erroneously believe that all good readers are essentially good listeners.

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1.3.4 Smarter People Are Better Listeners

Obviously, aptitude plays a role in a person‘s ability to listen. Persons with limited
intelligence will be limited in their capability to process the information confined in
messages they receive. Equally, those having high intelligence ranks will own a greater
processing capacity. Yet, the faith that ―smarter people are better listeners‖ is often
incorrect. In fact, evidence suggests that the reverse is often true.

1.3.5 Listening Improves With Age

Surely, the capacity or ability to listen and assign suitable meaning to messages develops
with age and experience, at least in the early years and at least to some point. But
although listening skill increases, listening performance generally falloffs at some point.
But this doesn‘t have to be the case. The difference between listening ability and listening
performance is often due to our having learned bad listening traditions.

1.3.6 Listening Skills Are Difficult To Learn

In fact, the skills themselves are not all that tough, and initial progress is fast. But
learning to apply the skills constantly does take solid work. And becoming really skillful
takes much time and training, a lifetime to be precise. But the struggle is definitely
valuable.

2 Materials and Methods

2.1 The Process of Listening
We said earlier that the first step in listening effectively is to spot certain fallacies or false
concepts. The next phase is to understand the process.

Through the years, various definitions of listening have been suggested. Possibly the
most useful one describes listening as the process of receiving, attending, and
understanding auditory messages; that is, messages transmitted through the medium of
sound. Often, the steps of responding and remembering are also included. The process
might be diagrammed as shown in figure 1.

The process moves through the first three steps—receiving, attending, and understanding,
in order. Responding and/or remembering may or may not follow. For example, it may be

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necessary for the listener to respond instantly or to remember the message in order to
reply at a later time.

Figure 1 The process of listening [1]

At times, of course, no response (at least no oral response) is essential. And the act of
remembering may or may not be required. For example, if someone tells you to ―watch
your step,‖ you have no need to remember the message after you have finished that step.

Consider the following similarity between the listening process and the electronic mail
(E-mail) system. Suppose that you are the sender of a message and I am the intended
receiver.

2.1.1 Receiving
This step is easily understood. You may send a message to me by E-mail. It may be
delightfully poised and flawless. You may have used effective procedures to unite and
support your message. The subject may be one of great concern to me. Visualize further
that I both admire and respect you, and that I like to receive E-mail from you. In short,
you have completed a good work and I want to receive the message. But if I don‘t turn on
my computer, I won‘t receive it. The message remains someplace between your computer
and mine, between sender and receiver.

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Much human listening flops for the same reason. Receivers simply are not linked or
―tuned in‖ to the senders. Sometimes, the problem is a physiological one; for example,
the receiver has a hearing deficiency due to a natural or inherited weakness. Or maybe the
deficiency caused from a mishap, a disease, or persistent exposure to loud sounds.
Sometimes the problem can be fixed through the use of automated devices that restore
hearing damage, or through hearing utilities that magnify sound. Scientists and engineers
are constantly developing new products designed to correct and help specific types of
hearing damage.

Remember that hearing and listening are not the similar. Hearing is the reception of
sound; listening is the attachment of meaning. Hearing is, yet, a necessary criterion for
listening and an essential sector of the listening process.

2.1.2 Attending
Let‘s carry on with the E-mail analogy. When I turn my computer on, it will receive the
message that you sent. But I must do more: I must attend to the message if the process is
to continue. Maybe I received a phone call just after I turned my computer on and had to
move away from my desk; I do not know that you have sent a message. Or possibly I
don‘t have a chance to read my E-mail that day.

Suppose that I am working on something else when the message arrives. My computer
signals that I have mail from you. I want to read it, but I decide that I will do it later. I
continue to stay busy on another job, however, and forget to read the message. Later, I
may erroneously ―delete it‖ without ever reading it. Whatever the situation, I don‘t attend
to the message. Likewise human listening is often unproductive, or does not happen, or
related causes. Receiving take place, but attending does not.

2.1.3 Understanding
Someone has said, ―Communication begins with understanding.‖ How factual! A
message may have been sent and received, and the receiver may have attended to the
message so far, there has been no effective communication. Effective communication
depends on understanding; that is, effective communication does not take place till the

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receiver understands the message. Understanding must result for communication to be

effective.

Receiving, attending, and understanding are all vital if effective listening is to take place,
for communication can precisely be defined as the sharing or understanding of meaning.
Time and again, however, the stages of responding and remembering are fragment of the
listening process. Responding and remembering are pointers of listening precision.

2.1.4 Responding
The listening process may close with understanding, since effective communication and
effective listening may be defined as the precise distribution or understanding of
meaning. But a response may be desirable or at least supportive. And there are different
types of responses. [1]

1. Direct verbal responses. These may be oral or written. Let‘s last with the E-mail
analogy. After I have received, attended to, and understood the message you sent,
I may respond verbally. I might type a answer on my computer and reply to you.
2. Responses that seek clarification. I may use E-mail to ask for further information,
or I may talk to you either on the phone or face-to-face. I may be very straight in
my request, or I may just say, ―Tell me more about it.‖
3. Nonverbal responses. Many times, a nonverbal response is all that is compulsory;
certainly, it may even be the desired type of response. The knowing nod of the
head, an understanding smile, or a ―thumbs up‖ may communicate that the
message is understood.

Responding, then, is a form of feedback that completes the communication operation. It

lets the sender know that the message was received, attended to, and understood.

2.1.5 Remembering
Memorization of realities is not the key to good listening. However memory is time and
again a compulsory and fundamental fragment of the listening process. Some would go
so far as to say, ―If you can‘t remember it, you weren‘t listening.‖ This declaration is
often false. Think for example, of the times you heard a good joke but can‘t recall it long
enough to get home and tell it; or the number of times you have gone to the grocery store

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and couldn‘t remember what you were requested to purchase. And the most annoying
state of all, you were introduced to someone and can‘t remember the name five minutes
later. We frequently say, ―I can remember faces, but I can‘t remember names.‖

At times, something will ―nudge‖ our memory, such as hearing another joke, seeing a
similar product on the grocery store shelf, or meeting someone else with the same first
name.

2.1.6 Listening Barriers [2]

There are some good causes why many people are less-than-effective communicators.
These are the most common reasons:

 Lack of ability; not knowing how

 Not taking the time to think through what one wants to say
 Not taking the time to anticipate what another person might be thinking and
feeling
 Anxiety of revealing too much of oneself
 Being scared of another person‘s anger
 Not wanting to hurt another person‘s emotional state

2.1.7 How to Overcome Listening Barriers [3]

Listening is a vibrant piece of effective communication. However, it is easy to bump into
hurdles to effective listening. Here are some of the more common ones and strategies for
overwhelming them.

2.1.7.1 Prejudice
You may conclude, either before or during the speaker's comments that the speaker has
nothing important to say. The motives for such prejudice are many. They may comprise
the speaker's look, age, movements, expression, race, religion and nationality. All of us
carry around petty biases. It's easy to say that we should get clear of them, but prejudices
are emotional, not sensible, and they can be insidious. It's best to overcome our
prejudices, but while we're overwhelming them we must learn to overrule them when our
best interests are involved. You do this by taking control of your opinions. Force yourself
to try to find out the worth in what is being said. When you're lost and asking for

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guidelines, you don't let your devotion lost because the person giving directions is
wearing overalls instead of a business suit. You listen for the information you need to get
to your journey's end. When you're inclined to adjust out a speaker because of some
prejudice, remind yourself of the purpose of the discussion. Keep that purpose in
observance, and listen for the arguments that stand on that purpose. [4]

2.1.7.2 Jumping To Conclusions

You may choose that what the speaker is saying is too awkward, too trite, too dull, or
otherwise unsuited to your wants. Therefore, you feign attention while your mind is
somewhere else. When you run into this condition, fetch your mind back to the here and
now. Take the challenge of drawing from the speaker some ideas and information that
will be valuable to you personally. If the message is too stale or too dull, use questions to
probe for more interesting and stimulating material. If the information is too difficult, ask
the speaker to make things easier. Just say, "You're a pro at this, and I'm not. Give it to
me in layman's terms." Then don't be scared to ask questions for interpretation. The
speaker will be pleased by your interest and will be keen to help you understand.

2.1.7.3 Assumptions
You may assume that you by this time know what the speaker is going to say, so your
attention floats elsewhere. As a consequence, you miss any fresh information the speaker
may provide. When you find yourself thinking this way, make it a game to stare for
something different to take away from the discussion.

2.1.7.4 Selective Listening

You may well sometimes hear only what you want to hear. Once again, the key is to
evaluate and interpret. Look for information and philosophies that contest your own
ideas. Link them with what you know and what you sense. Think about how you might
deal with this information or these philosophies. Should you reassess your own situation?
Should you develop new tactics in light of the information?

2.1.7.5 Lack of Empathy

Good listeners attempt to see things from the speaker's viewpoint. If you listen firmly
from your own perception, you may miss out on the significance of what is being said.
The speaker's vantage point is an essential part of the message.

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2.1.7.6 Fear
When you uncertain that what is about to be said will replicate harshly upon you, fear
may result. Many people will stop listening then and find ways to start arguments, or use
some other means of escape.

2.2 Types of Listening

Different circumstances require different kinds of listening. We may listen to obtain
information, develop a relationship, gain gratitude for something, make perceptions, or
involve in a critical assessment. While certain skills are elementary and necessary for all
types of listening (receiving, attending, and understanding), each type needs some special
skills. But before we can entirely appreciate the skills and apply the procedures, we must
understand the different types of listening.

2.3 Informative Listening

Informative listening is the term we give to the state where the listener‘s major concern is
to recognize the message. Listeners are successful insofar as the meaning they allocate to
messages is as close as possible to that which the sender planned.

Informative listening, or listening to understand, is set up in all areas of our lives. Much
of our learning arises from informative listening. For example, we listen to lectures or
guidelines from teachers, and what we learn depends on how well we listen. In the office,
we listen to understand new practices or processes, and how well we perform depends on
how well we listen. We listen to instructions, sessions, reports, and speeches; if we listen
below par, we aren‘t armed with the information we need.

There are three important variables connected to informative listening. Knowing these
variables can help you begin to advance your informative listening skills; that is, you will
become progressively successful in understanding what the speaker means.

2.3.1 Vocabulary
The exact relationship between vocabulary and listening has never been determined, but
it is clear that increasing your vocabulary will raise your potential for better
understanding. And it‘s never too late to develop your vocabulary. Having a genuine
attention in words and language, making a sensible effort to learn new words, breaking

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down unaware words into their components, all these things will aid you improve your
vocabulary. Another noble way to improve your vocabulary is to be sensitive to the
perspective in which words are used.

2.3.2 Concentration
Concentration is hard. You can think of times when another person was not focused on
what you were saying, and you perhaps can remember times when you were not directed
on something that someone was saying to you. There are many reasons people don‘t
focus when listening. Sometimes listeners try to distribute their devotion between two
conflicting stimuli. At other times, listeners are concerned with something other than the
speaker of the moment. Sometimes listeners are too ego-involved, or too anxious with
their own desires to focus on the message being conveyed. Or maybe they lack curiosity,
energy, or attention. Many people merely have not learned to concentrate while listening.
Others just reject to discipline themselves, missing the inspiration to accept responsibility
for good listening. Concentration needs discipline, motivation, and acceptance of
responsibility.

2.3.3 Memory
Memory is an especially vital variable to informative listening; you cannot process
information without carrying memory into play. More precisely, memory helps your
informative listening in three ways.

a. It allows you to recall experiences and information necessary to function in the

world around you. In other words, without memory you would have no
knowledge bank.
b. It establishes expectations concerning what you will encounter. You would be
unable to drive in heavy traffic, react to new situations, or make common
decisions in life without memory of your past experiences.
c. It allows you to understand what others say. Without simple memory of the
meaning of words, you could not communicate with anyone else. Without
memory of concepts and ideas, you could not understand the meaning of
messages.

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2.4 Relationship Listening

Sometimes the most important feature in listening is in order to develop or endure a
relationship. This is why lovers talk for hours and join closely to what each other has to
say when the same words from someone else would seem to be relatively uninteresting.
[5]Relationship listening is also significant in areas such as negotiation and trades, where
it is helpful if the other person be keen on you and beliefs you.

The purpose of relationship listening is either to aid an individual or to advance the

relationship between people. Therapeutic listening is a distinctive type of relationship
listening. Therapeutic listening carries to mind situations where analysts, medical
personnel, or other specialists allow an upset person to talk through a problem. But it can
also be used when you listen to friends or associates and allow them to ―get things off
their chests.‖ Although relationship listening requires you to listen for information, the
stress is on understanding the other person. Three behaviors are secrets to effective
relationship listening: attending, supporting, and empathizing.

2.4.1 Attending
Much has been said about the prominence of ―paying attention,‖ or ―attending‖ behavior.
In relationship listening, attending manners indicate that the listener is concentrating on
the speaker. Nonverbal signals are critical in relationship listening; that is; your
nonverbal conduct indicates that you are attending to the speaker or that you aren‘t!

Eye contact is one of the most important attending behaviors. Looking properly and
easily at the speaker sends a message that is unlike from that sent by a regular shift of
gaze, staring, or watching around the room. Body positioning communicates acceptance
or lack of it. Slanting forward, toward the speaker, reveals interest; leaning away
communicates deficiency of interest.

2.4.2 Supporting
Many responses have a adverse or non-supportive effect; for example, disturbing the
speaker, altering the subject, turning the discussion toward yourself, and representing a
lack of concern for the other person. Giving advice, attempting to influence the

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discussion, or representing that you consider yourself superior are other behaviors that
will have a hostile effect on the relationship.

Sometimes the best reaction is silence. The speaker may need a ―sounding board,‖ not a
―resounding board.‖ Intelligent relationship listeners know when to talk and when to just
listen, and they usually listen more than they talk.

Three features describe supportive listeners: (1) discretion—being cautious about what
they say and do; (2) belief—expressing assurance in the ability of the other person; and
(3) patience—being keen to give others the time they need to express themselves amply.

2.4.3 Empathizing
Risk is involved with being an empathic relationship listener. You cannot be an active
empathic listener without becoming involved, which sometimes means learning more
than you really want to know. But leaders can‘t command effectively, supervisors can‘t
supervise skillfully, and personalities can‘t relate interpersonally without empathy.
Abraham Lincoln is reported to have said, ―I feel sorry for the man who cannot feel the
stripes upon the back of another.‖ Truthfully, those who cannot sense with another person
are at a disadvantage in understanding that person.

Empathic manners can be learned. First, you must learn as much as you can about the
other person. Second, you must admit the other person, even if you can‘t agree some
characteristics of that person‘s behavior. Third, you must have the desire to be an
empathic listener. And you must remember that empathy is vital to effective relationship
listening.

2.5 Appreciative Listening

In appreciative listening, we pursue certain information which will appreciate, for
example that which helps come across our desires and aims. We use appreciative
listening when we are listening to decent music, poetry or maybe even the inspiring
words of a great leader. It is the reaction of the listener, not the source of the message that
defines appreciative listening. That which provides appreciative listening for one person
may provide something else for another.

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The excellence of appreciative listening depends in large part on three factors:

presentation, perception, and previous experience.

2.5.1 Presentation
Presentation covers many factors: the medium, the setting, the style and character of the
presenter, to name just a few. Sometimes it is our opinion of the presentation, rather than
the actual presentation, that most powers our listening pleasure or displeasure. Perception
is an important aspect in appreciative listening.

2.5.2 Perception
Perceptions and the hopes that drive them, have their basis in attitudes. Our attitudes
determine how we respond to, and cooperate with, the world around us. Perceptions
impact all areas of our lives. Certainly, they are essential determinants as to whether or
not we enjoy or appreciate the things we listen to. Noticeably, perceptions also determine
what we listen to in the first place.

2.5.3 Previous experience

The conversation of perception makes it clear that previous knowledge effects whether
we enjoy listening to something. In some cases, we enjoy listening to things because we
are specialists in the area. Sometimes, however, expertise or earlier experience prevents
us from enjoying a presentation because we are too sensitive to deficiencies. Previous
experience plays a huge role in appreciative listening. Usually, if we associate a sound or
other experience with pleasant memories, then we appreciate or enjoy it. However, if the
sound or experience is related with hostile memories, we probably will not appreciate or
enjoy it. We should not close our minds to the fact that we can learn to like, enjoy, and
appreciate new and changed things. We can learn to be improved appreciative listeners.

2.6 Critical Listening

The ability to listen critically is vital in a democracy. On the work, in the public, at
service clubs, in places of worship, in the family, there is virtually no place you can go
where critical listening is insignificant. Politicians, the media, salesmen, advocates of
policies and procedures, and our own financial, emotional, intellectual, physical, and
divine needs require us to place a premium on critical listening and the thinking that
escorts it.

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2.7 Discriminative Listening

Discriminative listening is the most elementary type of listening, whereby the difference
between different sounds is recognized. If you cannot catch differences, then you cannot
make sense of the meaning that is stated by such differences.

We learn to discriminate between sounds within our own language early, and later are not
capable to discriminate between the phonemes of other languages. This is one reason why
a person from one country finds it difficult to speak another language flawlessly, as they
are unable differentiate the delicate sounds that are necessary in that language.

Likewise, a person who cannot hear the subtleties of emotional deviation in another
person's voice will be less likely to be capable to distinguish the feelings the other person
is experiencing.

Listening is a visual as well as acoustic act, as we communicate much through body

language. We thus also need to be capable to discriminate between muscle and skeletal
actions that indicate different meanings.

Although discriminative listening cuts across the other four types of listening, there are
three things to consider about this type of listening.

2.7.1 Hearing ability

Understandably, people who lack the skill to hear well will have greater difficulty in
discriminating between sounds. Often this problem is more severe for some frequencies,
or pitches, than others. For example, a person may be less talented to discriminate when
the sound is coming from a bass voice than from a higher pitched one.

2.7.2 Awareness of sound structure

Native speakers become fairly capable at recognizing vowel and consonant sounds that
do or do not appear at the start, middle, or end of words. For example, a listener might
hear ―this sandal‖ when what the speaker said was ―this handle‖; but as English words do
not begin with ―sb,‖ one would not mistake ―this bean‖ for ―this sbean.‖

Attention to the sound assembly of the language will lead to more skillful discriminatory
listening. Recognition of the two meanings would cause the listener to seek clarification.

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2.7.3 Integration of nonverbal signals

Action, non-action, and vocal factors were important in understanding messages.
Nowhere is attention to these factors more important than in effective discriminative
listening. Words don‘t always communicate true feelings. The way they are said, or the
way the speaker acts, may be the key to understanding the true or intended meaning.

3 Results and Discussions

3.1 How to Be an Effective Listener
The need for effective listening, fallacies about listening, the process of listening, and the
types of listening they provided the background you need to advance your listening skills.
Following are some applied suggestions on how to be a better listener.

1. What you think about listening.

2. What you feel about listening.
3. What you do about listening.

3.1.1 What You Think about Listening

Although thinking, feeling, and doing go hand in hand, the thinking (or cognitive) area of
learning is perhaps the best place to begin. After all, effective listening takes energy, it
requires maximum thinking command. Here are six suggestions.

3.1.1.1 Understand the complexities of listening

Most of us take decent listening for granted. Therefore, we don‘t work very hard at
refining. Knowing the fallacies about listening can retain you from being stuck by them.
Knowing that the course involves more than just receiving messages will help you
emphasis on not just receiving, but the other components as well. Identifying the five
major types of listening will help you to consciously direct your energies toward the type
of listening required for the circumstance of the moment. Listening requires an active
response, not a passive one. Effective listening doesn‘t just occur; it takes thought and
thinking can be hard work. But there is no other way to become an effective listener.
Think about the difficulties of listening, and work to understand them.

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3.1.1.2 Prepare to Listen.

Preparation consists of three phases long-term, mid-term, and short-term. We said earlier
that becoming an effective listener is a lifetime endeavor; in other words, expanding your
listening ability will be an ongoing task. But there are two things you can do to improve
your listening skills for the long term:

a) practice listening to difficult material

b) build your vocabulary

Too many people simply do not challenge their listening ability. Since most of today‘s
radio and television programs do not require concentrated or careful listening, your
listening skills do not improve through continued exposure to them. And you have to
stretch if you want to grow. Force yourself to listen carefully to congressional debates,
lectures, sermons, or other material that requires concentration.

Building your vocabulary will improve your conversational skills and your reading skills
as well as your listening skills. And the more words you learn, the better listener you will
become.

Mid-term preparation for listening requires that you do the necessary background study
before the listening begins. Background papers, pre-briefs, and an advance look at a hard
copy (or an electronic display) of briefing slides or charts will assist you in being ready to
listen.

Short-term preparation may be defined as an immediate readiness to listen. When the

speaker‘s mouth opens, you should open your ears. That is not the time to be hunting for
a pen, reading a letter from home, or thinking about some unrelated subject. Good
listeners, really good listeners, are in the ―spring-loaded position to listen.‖ It is important
to prepare to listen.

3.1.1.3 Adjust to the situation

Good listeners are never trapped into thinking that any communication transaction or
listening situation is exactly like any other. The Grecian philosopher Heraclitus said it
well: ―You can‘t step into the same stream twice.‖ Things change. By thinking about the

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unique factors of the situation, you can do your most effective job as a listener. Adjust to
the situation!

3.1.1.4 Focus on ideas or key points

At times, you may understand the process, you may have prepared well, and you may be
able to adjust to the situation, yet you fail as a listener. This failure results because you
didn‘t listen to the right things. For example, you may remember a funny story the
speaker told to make a point; but you missed the point.

3.1.1.5 Capitalize on the speed differential

Thought can operate much faster than speech. An average person may speak two or three
words a second—120 to 180 words a minute. In bursts of enthusiasm, we may even speak
a little faster. Most public speakers speak somewhat slower, especially to large audiences.
Yet most listeners can process up to 500 words per minute, depending on the nature and
difficulty of the material. Unfortunately, the differential between speed of thought and
speed of speech promotes daydreaming or concentrating on something other than what is
being said. This is not the case with good listeners, however; they use the time
differential to good advantage.

3.1.1.6 Organize material for learning

Obviously, speakers can enhance listening through careful organization and presentation
of ideas. And if questions are appropriate, you can seek clarification of any points you
fail to understand. Often, however, questioning is not permitted or, perhaps due to time
constraints or the size of the audience is inappropriate.

3.1.2 What You Feel about Listening

We began by discussing what you think about listening because effective listening
requires rigorous cognitive processing, or thought. But possession of the sharpest mind
will not make you a good listener if your feelings are wrong. In other words, what you
feel about listening is important. Here are six suggestions for improving your ―feel‖ for
listening.

3.1.2.1 Want to listen

This suggestion is basic to all others, for it simply says that you must have intent to listen.

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3.1.2.2 Delay judgment

There are times when you must be a critical or judgmental listener. You must weigh the
merits of what the speaker is saying.

3.1.2.3 Admit your biases

If you want to be an effective listener, you must know and admit your biases.

3.1.2.4 Don’t tune out “dry” subjects

Whenever you are tempted to ―tune out‖ something because you think it will be boring or
useless, remember that you cannot evaluate the importance of the message until you have
heard it.

3.1.2.5 Accept responsibility for understanding

Good listeners are good because they accept the responsibility for listening and
understanding.

3.1.2.6 Encourage others to talk

This point applies to those situations in which you find yourself ―one-on-one,‖ in a small
group discussion, or any other setting that requires exchanges of vocal communication.
But you can‘t listen if no one is talking.

3.1.3 What You Do about Listening

What we think about listening and what we feel about listening are both fundamental to
skillful listening. But the skills themselves are crucial. Skills form the ―doing‖, and
element of listening. Here are six crucial skills.

3.1.3.1 Establish eye contact with the speaker

Studies show that listening has a positive relationship with eye contact. In other words,
the better eye contact you have with the speaker, the better you will listen.

3.1.3.2 Take notes effectively

Some people recommend that you not take notes so you can focus your attention wholly
on what the speaker is saying. This practice works well for listeners who are blessed with
a great memory; most of us aren‘t. Taking notes will not only help you remember, it will
help you organize what the speaker is saying.

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3.1.3.3 Be a physically involved listener

As you have already seen, listening requires more than just hearing. You have also seen
that making eye contact and taking notes will help to keep you from becoming passive.
But there is more: Active listening takes energy and involvement.

3.1.3.4 Avoid negative mannerisms

Everyone has mannerisms. Watch anyone for a period of time and you will be convinced
of this fact. If your mannerisms do not cause a negative reaction, don‘t worry about them.
If a mannerism is positive or encouraging and brings a positive response, make a mental
note to do it more often. Unfortunately, some mannerisms are negative or distracting.
These should be avoided.

3.1.3.5 Exercise your listening muscles

Just as an athlete must work out regularly and a musician must practice daily, so you
must work consistently to be an effective listener.

3.1.3.6 Follow the Golden Rule

The central emphasis of all effective communication is ―other directedness.‖ There are
exceptions to most other listening rules.

4 Summary and Conclusions [6]

A listening process is an open commitment to engage dynamically in the world and
thought of the person or people to whom you are listening and a corresponding
commitment on the part of the other person or people to enter into yours. It does not
postulate agreement or disagreement; it postulates a striving for understanding. The
listening process is not a debate. It is not about persuading someone else that you are
right, nor is it about finding a compromise between two positions. One writer has said:
―Debate is too often about two opposing opinions, about making points that build up one
and demolish the other‖. There is a real distinction between merely hearing the words and
really listening for the message. When we listen effectively we understand what the
person is thinking and/or feeling from the other person‘s own perspective. It is as if we
were standing in the other person‘s shoes, seeing through his/her eyes and listening
through the person's ears. Our own viewpoint may be different and we may not

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necessarily agree with the person, but as we listen, we understand from the other's
perspective. To listen effectively, we must be actively involved in the communication
process, and not just listening passively. Listening skills are the building blocks of
effective communication. These skills enable you to demonstrate that you are interested
in what the other person has to say, as well as hearing and understanding the other
person.

5 Bibliography
[1] JOHN A. KLINE, Listening Effectively, 11th ed. Alabama, USA, 1996.

[2] Nancy Baker-Brown. (1996, june) villagecounselingservices. [Online].

http://www.villagecounselingservices.com/Excellent_Listening_Skills.htm

[3] Richard Whitaker. (2008, August) biznik. [Online]. http://biznik.com/articles/overcoming-

barriers-to-effective-listening

[4] Cheryl Bryan. (2010, january) leadonline. [Online].

http://www.leadonline.info/Newsletter/october2010-barriers.html

[5] (2010, August) Krystle Webb. [Online]. http://krystlewebb.efoliomn.com/types

[6] (2011) csbsju. [Online]. http://www.csbsju.edu/academic-advising/study-skills-

guide/effective-listening.htm

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