Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Maragondon, Branch
Maragondon, Cavite

A Module on
“The Nature and Process of Listening”

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in

‘’ENGL3413: The Teaching of Listening and Reading’’

Submitted by:

Aguilar, Maricris D. Consigna, Jennifer P

Anglo, Angelica G Consumo, Regino Jay
Angon, Mike Angel H. Delos Reyes, Chimberly
Arce, Lawrence John Diego,Ivy May
Castillo, Armin S. Esteban, April Ann
Celis, Gayle Gabrielle I. Galit, Richelle
Centeno, Camille Illustrisimo, Jerlito
Cerrado, Jelly S. Imperial, Connie
Inonog, Jaycelyn
...............................................Section Break (Continuous).............................................
Submitted to:
Prof. Eric A. Joya
July 15, 2019
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ..............................................................................
Definition of Listening ..............................................

Lesson 1 : History of Listening ...................................................

Lesson 2: Listening Process .......................................................

Receiving ................................................................
Understanding ........................................................
Remembering .........................................................
Evaluating ...............................................................
Responding .............................................................
Formative Feedback .........................................................
Summative Feedback ........................................................

Lesson 3 : Active Listening vs. Passive Listening ………………….

Difference between
Active & Passive Listening ……………………………..

Lesson 4 : Types of Listening .....................................................

General Types of Listening
Discriminative Listening
Comprehensive Listening
Specific Listening Types
Informational Listening
....................................
...................................
.................................
.........................................
..........................................
 Critical Listening .....................................................
Therapeutic or Empathic Listening ...................................
Other Listening Types ............................................
Appreciative Listening .................................................
Rapport Listening ........................................................

Lesson 5 : Critical Listening Skills ..............................................

Lesson 6 : Barriers to Listening .................................................

Lesson 7 : Effective Ways of Listening ......................................

7 Steps to Effective Listening ...............................

Lesson 8 : Advantage & Disadvantage of Listening ..................

Lesson 9 : Importance of Listening ...........................................

Lesson 10: Why is Listening a Valuable skills...............................
 WHAT IS LISTENING?

Listening is receiving language through the ears. Listening involves identifying

the sounds of speech and processing them into words and sentences.

Listening is the cognitive process

whereby we use our auditory to interpret
messages. It is a way of acquiring meanings
and sentences by the brain. People who
have difficulty concentrating are typically
poor listeners. Listening in a second
language requires even greater focus.
Listening is not just about being quiet while
someone else is speaking.
 Listening is the process of receiving, constructing meaning
from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages.
 Listening is an active process.
  Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the
communication process.

 Listening is key to all effective communication. Without the ability to listen

effectively, messages are easily misunderstood. As a result, communication
breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or
irritated.

If there is one communication skill you should aim to master, then listening is it.

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-skills.html
 Lesson 1
History of Listening

Listening is not a passive phenomenon but the fundamental creative energy of

which musical cultures are made. He discusses musical listening across times and
places from our deep past to our digital present. ... Our music and our listening have
been in a symbiotic round-dance ever since. First lecture series as Gresham Professor of
Music retells the story of musical cultures from the perspective of their listeners. Listening
is not a passive phenomenon but the fundamental creative energy of which musical
cultures are made. He discusses musical listening across times and places from our deep
past to our digital present.

What does it mean to listen to music? How might the concepts and practices of
‘listening’ and ‘music-making’ have first emerged in the story of human development? We
journey back in time, to the origins of human society - in the company of research like
Steven Mithin’s book The Singing Neanderthals - and to the origins of our hearing, to the
mechanisms of how our bodies and auditory systems are designed to receive and
interpret sound waves. Our music and our listening have been in a symbiotic round-dance
ever since.
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/series/history-of-listening/
 Lesson 2
LISTENING PROCESS

Receiving

Receiving is the first stage of listening process ,the intentional focus on hearing a
speaker’s message. This process involves hearing and attending. It is the physiological
process of registering sound waves as they hit the ear drum.

Understanding

The understanding stage, is the same as comprehension. We try to understand the

meaning of the message it is the stage were the listeners determine the sense of the
words which is not always easy. For one thing, if a speaker does not enunciate clearly, it
may be difficult to tell what the message was—did your friend say, “I think she’ll be late
for class,” or “my teacher delayed the class”? Even when we have understood the words
in a message, because of the differences in our backgrounds and experience, we
sometimes make the mistake of attaching our own meanings to the words of others. For
example, say you have made plans with your friends to meet at a certain movie theater,
but you arrive and nobody else shows up.

Remembering
Remembering what you hear is key to productive listening. If you can’t recall
something that was said, you probably not have been listening effectively. Wolvin and
Coakley note that the most common reason for not remembering a message after the fact
is because it wasn’t really learned in the first place. Wolvin, A., & Coakley, C. G. (1996).
Listening (5th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. However, even when you are listening
attentively, some messages are more difficult than others to understand and remember.

Evaluating

The fourth stage in the listening process is evaluating, or rate the value of the
message. We might be thinking, “This makes sense” or, conversely, “This is very odd.”
Because everyone embodies biases and perspectives learned from widely diverse sets
of life experiences, evaluations of the same message can vary widely from one listener
to another. Even the most open-minded listeners will have opinions of a speaker, and
those opinions will influence how the message is evaluated.

Responding

Responding—sometimes referred to as feedback. Is the fifth and last stage of the

listening process. It’s the stage where you do something as a reaction in something that
you heard. Almost anything you do at this stage can be interpreted as feedback. For
example, you are giving positive feedback to your instructor if at the end of class you stay
behind to finish a sentence in your notes or approach the instructor to ask for clarification.
The opposite kind of feedback is given by students who gather their belongings and rush
out the door as soon as class is over.

 Formative Feedback

Not all reaction occurs at the end of the message. Formative feedback is a
natural part of the continuing transaction between a speaker and a listener. while
the speaker delivers the message, a listener signals his or her involvement with
focused attention, note-taking, nodding, and other behaviors that indicate
agreement or failure to understand the message. These signals are important to
the speaker, who is interested in whether the message is clear and accepted or
whether the content of the message is meeting the resistance of preconceived
ideas

 Summative Feedback

Summative feedback is the result given at the end of the communication.

When you attend a political rally, a presentation given by a speaker you admire,
or even a class, there are verbal and nonverbal ways of indicating your
appreciation for or your disagreement with the messages or the speakers at the
end of the message. Maybe you’ll stand up and applaud a speaker you agreed
with or just sit staring in silence after listening to a speaker you didn’t like. In
other cases, a speaker may be attempting to persuade you to donate to a charity,
 so if the speaker passes a bucket and you make a donation, you are providing
feedback on the speaker’s effectiveness. At the same time, we do not always
listen most carefully to the messages of speakers we admire. Sometimes we
simply enjoy being in their presence, and our summative feedback is not about
the message but about our attitudes about the speaker. If your feedback is
limited to something like, “I just love your voice,” you might be indicating that you
did not listen carefully to the content of the message.

Key Takeaways

 The receiving stage of listening is the basic stage where an individual hears a
message being sent by a speaker.
 The understanding stage of listening occurs when a receiver of a message
attempts to figure out the meaning of the message.
 The remembering stage of listening is when a listener either places information
into long-term memory or forgets the information presented.
 The evaluating stage of listening occurs when a listener judges the content of the
message or the character of the speaker.
 The responding stage of listening occurs when a listener provides verbal or
nonverbal feedback about the speaker or message.
 During the responding stage of listening, listeners can provide speakers with two
types of feedback designed to help a speaker know whether a listener is
understanding and what the listener thinks of a message. Formative feedback is
given while the speaker is engaged in the act of speech making. Summative
feedback is given at the conclusion of a speech.

Exercises

1. Make a list of some of the abstract words you have misunderstood. What were
the consequences of the misunderstanding?
2. Reflect on your listening in class or in other settings where remembering
information is important. What keeps you from remembering important
information accurately?
3. Give an example of a time when you felt that your message was misunderstood
or treated with shallow attention. How did you know your message had been
misunderstood or rejected? What does this mean you must do as a student of
public speaking?

https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_stand-up-speak-out-the-practice-and-ethics-of-public-
speaking/s07-04-stages-of-listening.html
 Lesson 3
Active Listening vs. Passive Listening

What is Active Listening?

Active listening is the intent to listen for meanings. It is a form of listening

communication where listeners actively listen and respond to the speaker. It is a skills
that can be acquired and develop through practice. It is not necessary that when two
persons are communication, they are listening each other actively. Half listening and half
thinking are common distractions that occur. In both personal and professional life,
listening is one of the most skills that a person must have. It can impact on your job
effectiveness and the quality of relationships with others. To improve the level of active
listening, you must pay attention to the other person. Make it sure you are trying not to
distract easily. Business analyst suggests that if you want to increase your concentration
level on what is saying on by the speaker, then he must try repeating speaker’s words
mentally as he says them – this will reinforce his message and help you stay focused. To
enhance the listening or active listening skills, you need to allow the other person that you
are listening to him. Active listening not stands for focusing on what speaker is speaking
about but also actively showing verbal and non-verbal signs of listening.
What is Passive Listening?

Passive listening is the type of listening whereas it may create confusion in the
mind of the speaker about the listener’s true intention. A listening where a person although
listen to the others but not with full attention, he often distract himself from the ongoing
discussion. He is sitting quietly without responding to what speaker is saying. A common
example of passive listening is listening to music or radio when you are doing something.
In this scenario, although the music is running listener is paying full attention to other
work. To get engage with speaker, quite often passive listening may require a few open-
ended replies from the listeners, however, this technique requires focused concentration
and minimal verbal feedback from the listener. Passive listening occurs when the listener
has low self-motivation level, low engagement and avoids responsibility for learning and
problem solving. In passive listening, the listener accepts and retain information as-is with
no intention to question or challenge the idea for improvement. He disconnects himself
from others or shows minimum interest. Overall, passive listening requires the listener to
sit back quietly and absorb information contrasting active listening that requires
engagement with the speaker as well.

Difference between Active and Passive Listening

The main difference between two types of communication; active listening and
passive listening is that in active listening, listener pays full attention to the speaker and
his word while in passive listening, listener acts passively by receiving the message only
without giving further external indications.

Basis of Distinction Active Listening Passive Listening

Definition
Connectivity Level
Self-Responsibility
Mental Approach
Self-Motivation Level
Engagement Level
Active listening means mindful
and actively hearing and
attempting to comprehend the
meaning of the speakers.
Listener connects with the
world and actively participates
with the goal of problem-
solving
Take responsibility for their own
learning and growth
Sharp mind, alert to explore,
reflect on information
Strong
High
Passive listening means showing
like listening to the speaker but
not making an attempt to
comprehend the meanings.
Listener disconnects himself
from the outsiders and has
minimal interaction with others
Avoids responsibility for
learning and problem-solving
Accepts and retain information
as-is with no intention to
question or challenge the idea
for improvement
Weak
Low
 Will-Power Strong willed, interested in new Narrow-minded, low or no will
ideas, open minded power, unreceptive to new
ideas

https://diffzi.com/active-listening-vs-passive-listening/

Enrichment Acvtivity :
Give at least 5 examples of Active & Passive Listening.

ACTIVE LISTENING PASSIVE LISTENING

 Lesson 4
TYPES OF LISTENING

General Types of Listening

The two main types of listening - the foundations of all listening sub-types are:

1. Discriminative Listening
2. Comprehensive Listening

 Discriminative Listening

This type of listening develops through childhood into adulthood. As people

grow older, and have been through many experience, at that particular time their
ability to determine different sounds improved.

 Comprehensive Listening
 Comprehensive listening involves understanding of what the message is, or
messages that are being communicated. Like discriminative listening,
comprehensive listening is fundamental to all listening sub-types. Comprehensive
listening is complemented by sub–messages from a non-verbal communication,
such as the tone of voice, gesture and other body language.

Comprehensive listening is complimented by sub-messages from non-

verbal communication, such as the tone of voice, gestures and other body
language. These non-verbal signals can greatly aid communication and
comprehension but can also confuse and potentially lead to misunderstanding.

Specific Listening Types

Discriminative and comprehensive listening are prerequisites for specific listening
types. Types of listening can be defined by the goal of the listening. The three main types
of listening most common in interpersonal communication are:
1. Informational Listening (Listening to Learn)
2. Critical Listening (Listening to Evaluate and Analyze)
3. Therapeutic or Empathetic Listening (Listening to Understand Feeling and
Emotion)
4. In reality you may have more than one goal for listening at any given time – for
example, you may be listening to learn whilst also attempting to be empathetic.

Informational Listening
When you listen to learn something, you also involved yourself in informational
listening. This is true in many day-to-day situations, in education and at work, when you
listen to the news, watch a documentary, when a friend tells you a recipe or when you are
talked-through a technical problem with a computer – there are many other examples of
informational listening too.

In spite of the fact that all types of listening are ‘active’ – they need a deep
concentration and a conscious effort to understand. This kind of listening is less active
than many of the other types of listening. When we’re listening to learn or be instructed
we are taking in new information and facts, we are not criticizing or
analyzing. Informational listening, especially in formal settings like in work meetings or
while in education, is often accompanied by note taking – a way of recording key
information so that it can be reviewed later.
 Critical Listening
When the goal is to evaluate or scrutinize what is being said, we are engaging in
critical listening. Critical listening involves analysis, critical thinking and judgment. It is a
much more active behavior than informational listening and usually involves some sort of
problem solving or decision making. Critical listening is same as critical reading; both
involve analysis of the information being received and alignment with what we already
know or believe. Whereas informational listening may be mostly concerned with receiving
facts and/or new information - critical listening is about analyzing opinion and making a
judge.Critical listening means engaging in what you are listening to by asking yourself
questions such as, ‘what is the speaker trying to say?’ or ‘what is the main argument
being presented?’, ‘how does what I’m hearing differ from my beliefs, knowledge or
opinion?’. Critical listening is, therefore, fundamental to true learning.

Making judgement during listening is often considered as a barrier to understand

the person. Our opinions, values and beliefs are based on our ability to process
information and formulate our own feelings about the world around us as well as weigh
up the pros and cons to make an informed decision. It is often important, when listening
critically, to have an open-mind and not be biased by stereotypes or preconceived ideas.

Therapeutic or Empathic Listening

Therapeutic listening is comprehensive, multi-faceted sound-based approach that
involves much more than just the ears. It involves attempting to understand the feelings
and emotions of the speaker empathy is a way of deeply connecting with another person
and therapeutic or empathic listening can be particularly challenging. Empathy is not the
same as sympathy, it involves more than being compassionate or feeling sorry for
somebody else – it involves a deeper connection – a realization and understanding of
another person’s point of view.

Other professionals use therapeutic or empathic listening to understand and

ultimately help their clients. This type of listening does not involve making judgements
or offering advice but gently encouraging the speaker to explain and elaborate on their
feelings and emotions. We are all capable of empathic listening and may practise it with
friends, family and colleagues.
Other Listening Types
Although usually less important or useful in interpersonal relationships there are
other types of listening, these include:

 Appreciative Listening

Appreciative listening is a kind listening for enjoyment. Listening to music,

is one of a good example of appreciative listening especially as a way to relax.

 Rapport Listening

Rapport listening engage in a type of listening that encourages the other

person to trust and like us. A salesman, for example, may make an effort to listen
carefully to what you are saying as a way to promote trust and potentially make a
sale. This type of listening is common in situations of negotiation.

 Selective Listening

When listeners only take in bits and pieces of information and dismissing
the rest that is selective listening was. This is a more negative type of listening, it
implies that the listener is somehow biased to what they are hearing. Bias can
be based on preconceived ideas or emotionally difficult communications. It is
also known as a sign of failing communication. If you are reinforce strengthen
your bias communication, you cannot understand what it was said.

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-types.html
 Lesson 5
Critical Listening Skills

 What is critical listening skills?

Critical listening is a form of listening which
includes analysis, critical thinking and
knowledge. It is a rational process of
evaluating arguments put forward by
others. Making judgments during listening
is often considered as a barrier to
understand a person, and there's a lot of
truth in that.
However, critical listening occurs when you
still want to understand what the other
person is saying, but also have some
reason or responsibility to evaluate what is being said to you and how it is being said.

For example, if there's an upcoming election and you need to decide who to vote for, you
probably use some form of critical listening when you watch a televised debate. You listen,
AND you evaluate.

http://work911.com/communication/listencritically.htm
 Lesson 6
Barriers to Listening

Culture
Cultural differences between listeners and speakers can create barriers to effective
communication.
Keeping an Open Mind to Cultural Differences

Handshake: Different cultures can have different methods of communication.

Different culture affects listening due to misunderstanding of different language and

dialect it also includes race, nationality, and ethnicity, but it goes beyond those identity
markers as well. When we talk about culture, we are referring to belief systems, values,
and behaviors that support a particular ideology or social arrangement. The following are
various aspects of our individual identity that we use to create membership in a shared
cultural identity: race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, and class. Culture
guides language use, appropriate forms of dress, and views of the world.
Gender
All of us can and do speak the language of multiple gender cultures, and we can
use this knowledge to communicate effectively.

Gender and Culture

Invisible Couple: Differences in

gender communication styles can
sometimes lead to less effective
communication.

In our society, we often

use the gendered terms
“women” and “men” instead of
“male” and “female. ” What’s the
difference between these two
sets of terms? One pair refers to
the biological categories of male
and female. The other pair, men
and women, refers to what are now generally regarded as socially constructed concepts
that convey the contextually fluid cultural ideals or values of masculinity and femininity.
Gender exists on a continuum because feminine males and masculine females are not
only possible but common, and the varying degrees of masculinity and femininity we see
(and embody ourselves) are often separate from sexual orientation or preference.

Gender and Speech

Starting in childhood, girls and boys are generally socialized to belong to distinct
cultures and thus, speak in ways particular to their own gender’s rules and norms
(Johnson, 2000; Tannen 1986, 1990, 1995). This pattern of gendered socialization
continues throughout our lives. As we’ve previously discussed, culturally diverse ways of
speaking can cause miscommunication between members of each culture or speech
community. As such, men and women often interpret the same conversation differently.
“Masculine” and “Feminine” Communication Styles
For those socialized in a feminine community, the purpose of communication is to
create and foster relational connections with other people (Johnson, 2000; Wood, 2005).
On the other hand, the goal for typically masculine communication is to establish
individuality. This is done in a number of ways, such as indicating independence, showing
control, and entertaining or performing for others.
Technology
In our new generation technology plays a big role in the society. It can assist the
audience with listening, but it will also cause a distraction at the same time.

Technological Distractions

Lasers: If a speaker uses technology, they

must get their message across without
distracting the audience.

Everyone have experienced the

benefits technology can provide to
the listening experience. Hearing aid
technology can help those who are
hard of hearing more easily engage
in a conversation or listen to a lecture.
Electronic presentations can
incorporate photographs, sounds,
charts, guided outlines, and other features to help maintain audience attention and clarify
or demonstrate complicated ideas. An engaged audience member is more likely to pay
attention to the material and therefore listen more actively to a presentation.
Technology can become a barrier to effective listening when not use properly. Poor
or outdated equipment can malfunction, causing disruptions to the listening process. If a
conversation is taking place via an electronic medium, problems with technology (like a
buzzing phone line or slow Internet connection) can likewise limit communication. In a
non-virtual setting, excessive or unnecessary audio/visual components to a technological
presentation can become distracting, particularly if they are directly related to the
message being communicated by the person making the presentation.

Speakers can avoid distractions caused by technology by doing the following:

1. Before the presentation, the speaker should silence his or her cell phone or any other
device that might make noise and provide an interruption.
2. The audience should to do the same. The speaker has the right to request that the
audience comply with his or her desire to have a distraction-free environment.
3. If using technology as part of the presentation, the speaker should do a test run to
make sure that everything is set up properly to avoid malfunction later during the
speech.
4. If possible, the speaker should do a sound check. Amplified or not, at the beginning
of the speech, the speaker should ask, “Can you hear me in the back? ” or
something to that effect.
5. The speech should not include too many sources of visual stimulation such as visual
aids, PowerPoints, charts, laser pointers, etc. This can actually cause a message
overload for the audience as they try to divide their attention between what they hear
and what they see.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-communications/chapter/barriers-to-listening/

Common Barriers to Listening

There are many things that get in the way of listening and you should be aware of these
barriers, many of which are bad habits, in order to become a more effective
listener. Barriers and bad habits to effective listening can include:

 Trying to listen to more than one conversation at a time, this is when you try to
listen to different variety of n includes having the television or radio on while attempting
to listen to somebody talk; being on the phone to one person and talking to another
person in the same room and also being distracted by some dominant noise in the
immediate environment.
 You find the communicator attractive/unattractive and you pay more attention to
how you feel about the communicator and their physical appearance than to what they
are saying. Perhaps you simply don't like the speaker - you may mentally argue with
the speaker and be fast to criticize, either verbally or in your head.

 You are not interested in the topic/issue being discussed and become bored.
 Not focusing and being easily distracted, fiddling with your hair, fingers, a pen
etc. or gazing out of the window or focusing on objects other than the speaker.
 Feeling unwell or tired, hungry, thirsty or needing to use the toilet.
 Identifying rather than empathizing - understanding what you are hearing but
not putting yourself in the shoes of the speaker. As most of us have a lot of internal
self-dialogue we spend a lot of time listening to our own thoughts and feelings - it
can be difficult to switch the focus from 'I' or 'me' to 'them' or 'you'. Effective listening
involves opening your mind to the views of others and attempting to feel
empathetic.
 Sympathizing rather than empathizing - sympathy is not the same as empathy,
you sympathize when you feel sorry for the experiences of another, to empathise
is to put yourself in the position of the other person.
 You are prejudiced or biased by race, gender, age, religion, accent, and/or past
experiences.
  You have preconceived ideas or bias - effective listening includes being open-
minded to the ideas and opinions of others, this does not mean you have to agree
but should listen and attempt to understand.
 You make judgements, thinking, for example that a person is not very bright or
is under-qualified so there is no point listening to what they have to say.
 Previous experiences – we are all influenced by previous experiences in life. We
respond to people based on personal appearances, how initial introductions or
welcomes were received and/or previous interpersonal encounters. If we
stereotype a person we become less objective and therefore less likely to listen
effectively.
 Preoccupation - when we have a lot on our minds we can fail to listen to what is
being said as we're too busy concentrating on what we're thinking about. This is
particularly true when we feel stressed or worried about issues.
 Having a Closed Mind - we all have ideals and values that we believe to be correct
and it can be difficult to listen to the views of others that contradict our own
opinions. The key to effective listening and interpersonal skills more generally is
the ability to have a truly open mind - to understand why others think about things
differently to you and use this information to gain a better understanding of the
speaker.

Non-Verbal Signs of Ineffective Listening

Although with all non-verbal signals a certain amount of error has to be

expected, generally signs of inattention while listening include:

 Lack of eye contact with the speaker – listeners who are engaged with the speaker
tend to give eye contact. Lack of eye contact can, however, also be a sign of shyness.
 An inappropriate posture - slouched, leaning back or ‘swinging’ on a chair, leaning
forward onto a desk or table and/or a constantly shifting posture. People who are
paying attention tend to lean slightly towards the speaker.
 Being distracted - fidgeting, doodling, looking at a watch, yawning.
 Inappropriate expressions and lack of head nods - often when a listener is
engaged with a speaker they nod their head, this is usually an almost subconscious
way of encouraging the speaker and showing attention. Lack of head nods can mean
the opposite – listening is not happening. The same can be true of facial expressions,
attentive listeners use smiles as feedback mechanisms and to show attention.

Further Signs of Ineffective Listening

Other common traits of ineffective listening include:

 Sudden Changes in Topic: When the listener is distracted they may suddenly
think about something else that is not related to the topic of the speaker and
attempt to change the conversation to their new topic.
  Selective Listening: This occurs when the listener thinks they have heard the
main points or have got the gist of what the speaker wants to say. They filter out
what they perceive as being of key importance and then stop listening or become
distracted.
 Daydreaming: Daydreaming can occur when the listener hears something that
sets off a chain of unrelated thoughts in their head – they become distracted by
their ‘own world’ and adopt a ‘far-away’ look.
 Advising: Some people want to jump in early in a conversation and start to offer
advice before they fully understand the problem or concerns of the speaker.

Talking Points

1. How would you feel if you were a speaker in a lecture-forum and your audience were
not attentively listening to you?
2. Give instances on how your classmate will demonstrate each strategy of overcoming the
barriers to good listening.

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/ineffective-listening.html
 Lesson 7
Effective Ways of Listening
7 Steps to Effective Listening

In today’s high-tech communication listening lead us to great relationships and good

understanding. In many different aspect listening is serves as our weapons that can give
us positive outcome. Effective listening is the secret that saves jobs, marriages and
families from breakups and breakdowns.
Here are seven steps to effective listening:

1. Look the Speaker in the Eyes

Do your conversational partners the courtesy of turning to face them. This shows that
you’re being attentive and actually care about what they are saying. By no means should
you engage in other activities like texting, reading, writing or gazing at the television.

2. Avoid Interrupting and Wait to Interject at the Right Time

Let the speaker finish their point. Wait for a pause to interject or ask for more clarity. A
big mistake would be to jump in with an interruption, ask a question or make a comment
before the speaker is done speaking. This can be very frustrating and can cause the
speaker to lose sight of what they were trying to say. Interruptions can create a wall
between the speaker and listener, making it hard to communicate successfully.

3. Be Prepared to Listen
Relax your mind and body so that you can receive information objectively. Clear your
mind of distracting thoughts by breathing in deeply. (Inhale and exhale at least three
times.) Turn toward the speaker and sit up straight to show that you’re present and
attentive. Your physical engagement also sends a message to your mind to focus on the
speaker.

4. Learn to Keep Your Mind from Wandering

A untrained mind can easily be distracted by noises, random objects, background chatter
or your even own thoughts. You may find yourself thinking of what you should be getting
done in that moment. However, when you’re not focused on the conversation, it is evident
to the other person.
Journaling is the most effective way to train your mind to listen. Get quiet every day for at
least 20-30 minutes and tune out all noise and distractions. Then ask yourself a question
you want answered about your life or career. Sit, listen and record your response in a
journal. Soon you’ll learn how to effectively listen to both your inner thoughts and to
others.

5. Be Open-Minded
Always remember the three Js to being open-minded:
1. No Judging: Listen first and let the speaker end the sentence. Judging the matter
before you hear it all out can cause you to respond inappropriately.
2. No Justifying: If not needed, avoid to justify your own thoughts or beliefs on a
matter before listening to a person entirely. You’ll never really get to know what they’re
trying to say if you don’t allow a person to finish what they say.
3. No Jumping In: Remember that the speaker using language to represent the
thoughts and feelings inside their brain. Be patient and try not to figure out what you
think the speaker is trying to say by finishing their sentences or blurting out your thoughts.
The best way to learn exactly what they’re saying is by remaining quiet and listening
closely.

6. Practice the Art of Mirroring

If you listen to a person, you try to put yourself in their situation as well. A good listener
knows how to mirror the same energy or emotions as the speaker. Show that you’re
engaged by responding with matching expressions. Reflect their feelings by responding
with a smile when they smile and nod when they’re looking for clues that you’re getting
what they’re saying to you.

7. Give Positive Non-Verbal Feedback

Be sensitive enough how to make an expression. It is a clear indicator of your thoughts
and mood. Be conscious of your body language. Rolling eyes, slumping shoulders,
excessive fidgeting or sternness of face all show that you’re detached from the
conversation. To show respect in the speaker, face them at listen to what they say.

https://www.careerattraction.com/7-steps-to-effective-listening/
 Lesson 8
Advantage and Disadvantage of Listening

Advantages to listening are:

1. Listening involves active skills. In contrast to hearing, listening concentrates

on what is being listened to. This is especially advantageous when in a
conversation with another person or persons.
2. Actively listening can lead to understanding what another person is saying,
which will result in misunderstandings.
3. When truly listening, the listener can immediately ask for clarification of
anything that is not clearly understood.
4. Listening as someone speaks leads to real communication.

Disadvantages of listening

1. Listening do not have disadvantage except for the possibility that you
might hear something you would prefer not to, such as murmuring, and
different noise from the environment.
 Lesson 9
Importance of Listening
“ The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the
most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. “

- Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen

Importance
Listening has given so much help and benefits to us it’s been one of the unique
methods in the way of learning for a very long time specially in the field of education, it
helps people understand others better. Listening helps you become more aware of your
surroundings. By means of listening you can also show that you care. It builds trust and
also makes others feel important.

Goal
We can all set a different goal and perspective about listening. For example, others
goal in a listening situation is to Acquire information, Analyze and interpret information,
empathize with someone's feelings, emotions, or situation, some are to enjoy and
appreciate the speaker's message. Some people’s goal why they listen is to challenge
others ideas and provide feedback.

Nature of Listening
When people listening they improve their ability to understand, analyze, respect,
and appropriately respond to the meaning of another person’s spoken and nonverbal
messages.

Good listening skills also have benefits in our personal lives, including:

Listening can give us the benefits such as, improved self-esteem and confidence,
higher grades at school and in academic work, and even better health and general well-
being studies have shown that, whereas speaking raises blood pressure, attentive
listening can bring it down.

Listening is Not the Same as Hearing

Hearing refers to the sense that allows you to perceive the sounds that enter your
ears. It is a physical process that, provided you do not have any hearing problems
happens automatically.

Listening, however, requires more than that: it requires focus and concentrated
effort, both mental and sometimes physical as well.
Listening means paying attention not only to the story, but how it is told, the use
of language and voice, and how the other person uses his or her body. In other words, it
means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability to listen
effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and understand these
messages.

Listening is not a passive process. In fact, the listener can, and should, be at least
as engaged in the process as the speaker. The phrase ‘active listening’ is used to
describe this process of being fully involved.

We Spend a lot of Time Listening

Adults spend an average of 70% of their time engaged in some sort of communication.
 Of this, research shows that an average of 45% is spent listening compared to 30%
speaking, 16% reading and 9% writing. (Adler, R. et al. 2001). That is, by any standards,
a lot of time listening. It is worthwhile, therefore, taking a bit of extra time to ensure that
you listen effectively.

The Purpose of Listening

We all know that the role of listening gives us the big impact to be much better.
Effective listening is an extremely important life skill. Why is listening so important?

Listening serves a number of possible purposes, and the purpose of listening will
depend on the situation and the nature of the communication.

1. To specifically focus on the messages being communicated, avoiding distractions

and preconceptions.
2. To gain a full and accurate understanding into the speaker’s point of view and
ideas.
3. To critically assess what is being said.
4. To observe the non-verbal signals accompanying what is being said to enhance
understanding.
5. To show interest, concern and concentration.
6. To encourage the speaker to communicate fully, openly and honestly.
7. To develop an selflessness approach, putting the speaker first.
8. To arrive at a shared and agreed understanding and acceptance of both sides
views.
Talking Points

1. How would you define listening?

2. Why is listening vital in the language classroom?

3. Discuss the different kind of listening and explain each.

4. Give an instance where you may assume the role of a nonreciprocal listener. Is

this kind of listening effective? Why?

5. What is your role as an active listener?

6. Give an instance of how you may listen with all the three purposes of listening in

mind.

Often our main concern while listening is to formulate ways to respond. This is not
a function of listening. We should try to focus fully on what is being said and how it's being
said in order to more fully understand the speaker.

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-skills.html
 Lesson 10
Why is Listening a Valuable Skill

 Good listening reflects courtesy and good manners

 Listening carefully involves competence and performance
 Listening is a positive activity
 Good listening can improve social relations.

‘’When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know but when you listen,

you may learn something new’’

--- DALAI LAMA