INDEX

TOPICS PAGE NO

Meaning 1

Process of listening 2-3

Types of listening skills 4-6

8-10
Features on listening

Meaning & Barriers EFFECTIVE 11-12

LISTENING

Tips of Effective listening 12

Conclusion 12

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Communication Skills Profile

Communication Order Learned Extent Used Extent Taught

Listening First First Four

Speaking Second Second Third

Reading Third Third Second

Writing Fourth Fourth First

Meaning of listening

 Receiving information through ears & eyes.

 Giving meaning to that information.
 Deciding what you think or feel about that information.
 Responding to what you hear.

According to Dulay and Burt (1975, p.109) the listening experiences that help
students lessen their anxiety about listening will generally be beneficial, and also is
so important learner´s motives and attitudes about listening, the instructor can better
select input or point learners to the best resources and opportunities for appropriate
input.

I think Listening is the language skill which learners usually find the most difficult; this
often is because they feel difficult to understand every word. To achieve the aims
related to this skill.

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Process of listening

Listening is a complex process—an integral part of the total communication process,

a part often ignored. This neglect results largely from two factors.

 Hearing
 Focusing on the message
 Comprehending and interpreting
 Analyzing and Evaluating
 Responding
 Remembering

HEARING - it refers to the response caused by sound waves stimulating the sensory
receptors of the ear; it is physical response; hearing is perception of sound waves;
you must hear to listen, but you need not listen to hear (perception necessary for
listening depends on attention

ATTENTION- brain screens stimuli and permits only a select few to come into focus-
these selective perception is known as attention, an important requirement for
effective listening; strong stimuli like bright lights, sudden noise…are attention
getters; attention to more commonplace or less striking stimuli requires special effort;
postural adjustments are aided by physical changes in sensory receptor organs;
receptor adjustments might include tensing of the ear´s tympanic muscle for better
response to weak sounds

UNDERSTANDING- to understand symbols we have seen and heard, we must

analyze the meaning of the stimuli we have perceived; symbolic stimuli are not only
words but also sounds like applause… and sights like blue uniform…that have
symbolic meanings as well; the meanings attached to these symbols are a function
of our past associations and of the context in which the symbols occur; for
successful interpersonal communication, the listener must understand the intended
meaning and the context assumed by the sender

REMEMBERING- it is important listening process because it means that an

individual has not only received and interpreted a message but has also added it to
the mind storage bank; but just as our attention is selective, so too is our memory-
what is remembered may be quite different from what was originally seen or heard.

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EVALUATING- it is a stage in which active listeners participate; it is at these point
that the active listener weighs evidence, sorts fact from opinion, and determines the
presence or absence of bias or prejudice in a message; the effective listener makes
sure that he or she doesn’t begin this activity too soon beginning this stage of the
process before a message is completed requires that we no longer hear and attend
to the incoming message-as a result, the listening process ceases

RESPONDING- this stage requires that the receiver complete the process through
verbal and/or nonverbal feedback; because the speaker has no other way to
determine if a message has been received , this stage becomes the only overt
means by which the sender may determine the degree of success in transmitting the
message.

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Types of Listening

Here are six types of listening, starting with basic discrimination of sounds and
ending in deep communication.

Discriminative listening

Discriminative listening is the most basic type of listening, whereby the difference
between difference sounds is identified. If you cannot hear differences, then you
cannot make sense of the meaning that is expressed by such differences.

We learn to discriminate between sounds within our own language early, and later
are unable 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
perfectly, as they are unable distinguish the subtle sounds that are required in that
language.

Likewise, a person who cannot hear the subtleties of emotional variation in another
person's voice will be less likely to be able to discern the emotions the other person
is experiencing.

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

language. We thus also need to be able to discriminate between muscle and skeletal
movements that signify different meanings.

Comprehension/ Informative listening

The next step beyond discriminating between different sound and sights is to make
sense of them. To comprehend the meaning requires first having a lexicon of words
at our fingertips and also all rules of grammar and syntax by which we can
understand what others are saying.

The same is true, of course, for the visual components of communication, and an
understanding of body language helps us understand what the other person is really
meaning.

In communication, some words are more important and some less so, and
comprehension often benefits from extraction of key facts and items from a long
spiel.

Comprehension listening is also known  as content listening, informative listening

and full listening

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Critical listening

Critical listening is listening in order to evaluate and judge, forming opinion about
what is being said. Judgment includes assessing strengths and weaknesses,
agreement and approval.

This form of listening requires significant real-time cognitive effort as the listener
analyzes what is being said, relating it to existing knowledge and rules, while
simultaneously listening to the ongoing words from the speaker.

Biased listening

Biased listening happens when the person hears only what they want to hear,
typically misinterpreting what the other person says based on the stereotypes and
other biases that they have. Such biased listening is often very evaluative in nature.

Evaluative listening

In evaluative listening, or critical listening, we make judgments about what the other
person is saying. We seek to assess the truth of what is being said. We also judge
what they say against our values, assessing them as good or bad, worthy or
unworthy.

Evaluative listening is particularly pertinent when the other person is trying to

persuade us, perhaps to change our behavior and maybe even to change our
beliefs. Within this, we also discriminate between subtleties of language and
comprehend the inner meaning of what is said. Typically also we weigh up the pros
and cons of an argument, determining whether it makes sense logically as well as
whether it is helpful to us.

Evaluative listening is also called critical, judgmental or interpretive listening.

Appreciative listening

In appreciative listening, we seek certain information which will appreciate, for

example that which helps meet our needs and goals. We use appreciative listening
when we are listening to good music, poetry or maybe even the stirring words of a
great leader.

Sympathetic listening

In sympathetic listening we care about the other person and show this concern in the
way we pay close attention and express our sorrow for their ills and happiness at
their joys.

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Empathetic listening

When we listen empathetically, we go beyond sympathy to seek a truer understand

how others are feeling. This requires excellent discrimination and close attention to
the nuances of emotional signals. When we are being truly empathetic, we actually
feel what they are feeling.

In order to get others to expose these deep parts of themselves to us, we also need
to demonstrate our empathy in our demeanor towards them, asking sensitively and
in a way that encourages self-disclosure.

Therapeutic listening

In therapeutic listening, the listener has a purpose of not only empathizing with the
speaker but also to use this deep connection in order to help the speaker
understand, change or develop in some way.

This not only happens when you go to see a therapist but also in many social
situations, where friends and family seek to both diagnose problems from listening
and also to help the speaker cure themselves, perhaps by some cathartic process.
This also happens in work situations, where managers, HR people, trainers and
coaches seek to help employees learn and develop.

Dialogic listening

The word 'dialogue' stems from the Greek words 'dia', meaning 'through' and 'logos'
meaning 'words'. Thus dialogic listening mean learning through conversation and an
engaged interchange of ideas and information in which we actively seek to learn
more about the person and how they think.

Dialogic listening is sometimes known as 'relational listening'.

Relationship listening

Sometimes the most important factor in listening is in order to develop or sustain a

relationship. This is why lovers talk for hours and attend closely to what each other
has to say when the same words from someone else would seem to be rather
boring.

Relationship listening is also important in areas such as negotiation and sales, where
it is helpful if the other person likes you and trusts you.

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FEATURES OF LISTENING

Focus on Listening

Listen to yourself!
Before you can be an effective listener you have to ensure you are ready to listen.

Assess your mental, physical and emotional states.

Remember you are there to listen!

Many times people in crisis need to talk through their problems, not get advice on
how to solve their problems.

If you aren’t sure if the person wants you to “just” listen or give advice ASK them!

Focus on their concerns

Focus on the person’s train of thought.

Avoid thinking about your response or other non-related things until the person is
finished speaking.

Remove distractions.

If there is a distraction (TV, music, someone else in the room) remove the distraction
if possible so you can focus.

If you can’t remove the distraction, schedule a time when you can focus on their
concerns.

Silence & Body Language

Silence isn’t bad!

Don’t always rush to fill in gaps in conversation. These gaps can be important for the
individual to gather their thoughts or express themselves emotionally.

Listen with your eyes!

People communicate information through behaviors in addition to what they say.

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Pay attention to body language to help understand their feelings.

Empathy
Refrain from being judgmental.

Empathy doesn’t mean you agree with the person, just that you have identified and
understand how they are feeling.

Uncomfortable conversations.

If you have difficulty keeping your beliefs from interfering with your ability to listen, let
the person know the topic is too sensitive for you.

Find someone else that can listen.

Convey You Are Listening

Maintain eye contact when it seems appropriate.

Use minimal encouragers such as “Uh huh” and “I see” to communicate you are
paying attention.

Paraphrase what the person has said to you and ask questions to fill in gaps.

This will not only help you understand, but help the person think through their
concerns and express their emotions more effectively.

Acknowledge that you understand their thoughts as well as their feelings.

Problems with Communication

Identify problems you have understanding the person.

If something is preventing you from understanding their concerns, don’t be afraid to

bring it out in the open.

Use phrases such as “Help me understand” or “Tell me more”

If in a confrontational conversation, acknowledge the difficulty to get past the

impasse.

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Personal Boundaries

Be aware of your own need for boundaries.

Pay attention to situations when you lose energy, feel a knot in your stomach, want
to cry or become angry.

These signals are ways your mind and body tell you your personal boundaries have
been crossed.

Boundary Bill of Rights:

 to say NO without feeling guilty

 to ask for what you want and need
 to express your feelings and opinions
 to change your mind
 to feel good about yourself no matter what others say
 to act in your own best interest as long as you do not violate others in the
process

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Effective Listening

• Effective listening is actively absorbing the information given

to you by a speaker.

•   Effective listeners show speakers that they have been heard

and understood.

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING

A) Physiological Barriers
1) Hearing Problems – hearing deficiencies, auditory-processing difficulties like
auditory discrimination, sequencing, memory
2) Rapid Thought – the brain is able to process at 500 wpm, but people speak at 125
wpm, leaving a lot of free time to drift

B) Environmental Barriers
1) Physical Distractions
2) Problems in the Communication Channel – face-time is far more accurate than
any other type
3) Message Overload – coping with a deluge of information

C) Attitudinal Barriers
1) Preoccupation – what else do you have to think about?
2) Egocentrism – “My opinion is worth more”; rates lower on the social attractiveness
scale; “Nobody ever listened himself out of a job.”
3) Fear of Appearing Ignorant
D) Faulty Assumptions
1) Assuming that Effective Communication is the Sender’s Responsibility – both
speaker and listener share the burden of reaching an understanding
2) Assuming that Listening is Passive – can be hard work, you may nee to ask
questions or paraphrase the statements to ensure your understanding
3) Assuming that Talking has more Advantages than Listening – “Big people
monopolize the listening, small people monopolize the talking.”

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E) Socio cultural Differences

1) Cultural Differences
(a) Accents – the assumption that anyone with an accent is less intelligent, the
“noise” of misunderstanding due to accents
(b) Time – the amount of time that is spent listening varies culturally
(c) Silence – the length of silences also varies culturally

2) Gender Differences
(a) Women listen for relational subtext, men for content
(c) Men & women listen for different reasons
(d) “All else being equal, women are not as likely to be listened to as men,
regardless of how they speak or what they say.”

Tips for good listening:

Take notes

Listen now, report later

Be present

Become whole body listener

Build Rapport by pacing the speaker.

Conclusion:
Communication skills are the ability to listen impartially, to try to absorb the essence
of what the other person is saying, and to really understand their point of view.
These are the skills that will make us better communicators, better friends and
partners, and certainly help our overall happiness and success.

The importance of listening in communication is often well illustrated when we

analyze our listening skills with those closest to us. In particular I am referring to our
spouse, partner, children or friends. Pay attention to the everyday conversations we
have with these people with whom we think we communicate well. communication is
something worthwhile to consider. Good listeners are often some of the best
speakers because they have taken the time to find out what people are truly
interested in. If we understand what is important to people than we understand how
to reach them. Listening is a gift give generously

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