Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Listening Process
Listening Process
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Critical listening or Evaluative listening:
We listen to messages of any kind. But when we listen critically to accept or
reject the message, we keep evaluating the message as we continue to listen to the
message. We evaluate the message critically and then decide to accept or reject the
message. When we listen to the politician or a salesperson, we critically listen and
evaluate the message and respond appropriately.
Attentive listening:
We need to be attentive when listening to classroom lectures, participate in group
discussions, conduct interviews and meetings. The listener cannot afford to miss any of
the details. For instance, when we seek assistance to be guided to a place, we listen to
attentively lest we should miss some important details.
Attentive listening results in productive interaction. When we listen the
instructions of our boss, or his suggestions we engage ourselves in attentive listening.
Characteristics of a good listener
Listen
- Listen to the verbal message following the characteristic traits of a good listener.
- Identify the modes/styles of presentation namely, a conversational style, a reading style,
a formal style, an informal style and so on.
- Find out the meanings of words from the context.
- Identify the key expressions of the topic of the lecture.
- Follow closely the rhythmic part of stress and intonation.
- Identify the non-verbal cues/elements.
Filter
- Take down only key words/phrases.
- Avoid redundancy/repetition.
- Follow signposts to identify the main points and trace the organizational structure.
- Identify the relationship among various parts of the lecture.
- Note down only key-words and phrases.
Remember
Remembering what we hear is the third activity involved in listening.
Unfortunately, we retain little of what we hear. We remember many of the comments we
hear in casual conversation for only a short time-perhaps for only a few minutes or hours.
Some we forget almost as we hear them, According to authorities, we even quickly forget
most of the message in formal oral communication, remembering only a fourth after two
days.
Paraphrase
- Listen to the lecture and try to rephrase restructure/rephrase suitably.
- Note down only main points.
- Do not write complete sentences.
Note-Taking
- Jot down important points.
- Employ appropriate reduction devices (make a clause, a phrase and a phrase, a word).
- Use numbers to clarify and arrange information in a logically presentable way.
- Develop the culture of using note-cards.
3.
Barriers to Effective Listening:
During the process of communication, there can be any number of factors, which
will act as barriers. The barriers to the listening process may be from the listener, speaker,
the medium, the message itself, the situation or the context or any number of factors.
Barrier
s to effective listening can be classified under four categories:
Physical: physical factors such as noise, physical discomfort, physical distractions,
physical disturbances and distance can affect the process of listening.
Psychological: psychological barriers can affect the process of communication.
Suppose someone is emotionally upset, the emotional disturbance can result in anger,
frustration, sadness, fear, disappointment, feelings of hatred and hostility. Consequently a
psychologically surcharged person may not be in a normal mood to receive/respond in
any context. Feelings of discomfort can become virtually a barrier.
Cultural barriers: in a cosmopolitan society and in the age of globalization, we will
have to live with people belonging to several communities who belong to different
cultures and practice different value systems. The listener must interpret the meaning
taking into account the cultural nuances, community norms and other set of values.
Otherwise, the cultural difference in perception will act as a definite barrier.
Improving your Listening ability:
Improving your listening is largely a matter of mental conditioning-of
concentrating on the activity of sensing. You have to improve it, for listening is a willful
act. If you are like most of us, you are often tempted not to listen or you just find it easier
not to listen. We human beings tend to avoid work, and listening may be work.
After you have decided that you want to listen better, you must make an effort to
pay attention. How you do this will depend on your mental makeup, for the effort
requires disciplining the mind. You must force yourself to be alert, to pay attention to the
word spoken.
8. Go easy on argument and criticism. Argument and criticism tend to put the
talker on the defensive. He or she then tends to clam up or get angry. Thus,
even if you win the argument, you lose. Rarely does either party benefit from
argument and criticism.
9. Ask questions. By frequently asking questions, you display an open mind and
show that you are listening. And you assist the talker in developing his or her
message and in improving the correctness of meaning.
5.
10. Stop talking! The last commandment is to stop talking. It was also the first. All
the other commandments depend on it.