Listening skills

Topics
• Types of listening Active vs.
passive, Empathetic,
• Traits of a good listener,
• barriers in effective listening
• Tips for effective listening
 Listening
• Defn: Listening is a process of receiving,
interpreting and reacting to a message from
the speaker
• No communication process is complete
without listening
 Listening
• Listening is an important skill. Listening is quite similar
to reading as it involves decoding of the verbal
message from the other person. The following example
illustrates importance of listening
• In a biology class teacher asked the students to refer to
a book titled “ Origin of Species”
• One of the student sincerely went to library searched
to the catalogue of library, looking for book named
“Orange and Peaches” but he could not find it. When
he approached the teacher he found that the book was
entitled Origin of Species. This is what happens when
there is lack of concentration in listening
 Listening vs. Hearing
• Hearing and listening are not the same. People
may often use these words interchangeably. In
fact, hearing depends on the ears, is a physical
act, everyone can hear without effort. Hearing is
merely vibration of sounds on the ear drum
followed by electrochemical response.
• On the other hand listening requires voluntary
attention and then making sense of what is being
said
Listening vs. Hearing

vs.
 Types of Listening
• There are various forms of listening.
These are as follows:
• !) Casual Listening: Casual listening is
to listen to someone or something
without much attention and
concentration. This type of listening
has no specific purpose.
• 2) Focused listening: Focused listening
is intentional and systematic process.
The listener gives his full attention and
concentration on what the speaker is
saying to get information, knowledge
and ideas. This type of listening is also
considered as “ Intensive Listening”
• Other types of listening:
• 1)Active listening also called as
attentive listening. Active listening
involves attention, careful
consideration , concentration of the
speaker’s Ideas. The listener
Participates in communication process
actively and attentively.
• The listener nods his head, leans
forward or show positive body
language, which supports and
encourages the speaker to
communicate more enthusiastically.
This is positive type of listening
• Passive Listening:
• This type of listening may create confusion in
the mind of the speaker about true intention
of the listener. The listener shows serious
expressions, surroundings all gestures that
are used in active listening. Sometimes
passive listening is used to show status of the
listeners.
• Critical listening: Critical
listening can also be called as
‘evaluating listening’
• This type
Of listening involves critical
Evaluation of the speaker’s
thoughts and ideas. The listener
assesses speaker’s depth of
knowledge, choice of words,
tone and style of the Speaker.
• This type of listening is used in
seminars, conferences, group
discussions, and other formal
type of interactions
• Appreciative listening: This type of
listening appreciates and supports the
speaker. The listener encourages and
motivates the speaker to speak more
and more
• Pretentive Listening: Pretentive
listening is also called as ‘False
Listening” .The Listener pretends as if
he is listening attentively to the
speakers. Whereas. The listeners is not
paying attention to the speaker.
• Even listener may nod his head, smile
at the speaker, lean forward, or he will
pretend to write down something. The
speaker is under false impression that
Listener is paying attention
• Empathetic listening:
• This Type of listening exercises
emotional influence on the
listener not only understands
the literal message but also
understand the feeling,
emotions, and the world view of
the speaker.
• Selective Listening: In This type
of listening the listener listens to
only important and specific
information. Thelistener does
not pay need to other topics or
issues in the speech
• Assertive Listening: In this
type of listening, the listener
allows the speaker to express
his ideas freely and frankly.
The listener respects the
speaker’s right to speak
Assertive listening encourages
the speak to communicate his
ideas in an open environment.
 Traits of a good listener
• Being non evaluative:
• If you are an active listener your verbal and non-
verbal behavior should suggest the speaker that
he is being properly heard and understood. It
should not indicate what you think about a
person. The purpose is to communicate
overlooking the qualities of the speaker.
• The behavior of the listener should convey the
impression that you accept the person without
making judgment of right or wrong, good or bad,
suitable or unsuitable.
• Paraphrasing (summarize)
• If you wish to clarify a point, you can simply
summarize what the speaker has said and
enquire the speaker whether you have heard
it accurately or not.
 Reflecting Implications (suggestions)
• In order to persue the speaker ( to motivate the
speaker) to extend his ideas, the listener has to
reflect eagerness and willingness to learn more
by using expressions like nodding or through
verbal means, thereby giving positive feedback.
• This technique is can used by listener to get
more information from the speaker in the area of
interest of the listener.
 Reflecting Hidden Feelings
• Sometimes the listener have to go beyond the
general feeling and contents of what is being
said to unravel the underlying feeling,
intentions, beliefs that may influence the
speaker’s words .This would make the
speaker evaluated.
• Acceptance is conveyed more by listeners
manner and tone than by the words.
 Inviting Further Contribution
• In a situation where listener haven’t heard
or understood enough. The listener can
respond with empathy and understanding,
prompt the speaker to give more information
• The idea here is to get a better understanding
of the subject by asking questions. But the
questions should be for seeking information
not to interrogate or challenge the speaker.
 Responding Non-Verbally
• Listener can present a role as
that of a active listener by
adopting certain postures, and
sending non verbal signal which
communicates the listeners
interest in what the speaker is
saying. This may include eye
contact, Leaning forward
towards the listener, head
nodding.
• Listener can also use some
receptive utterances like ‘yes’
‘un-hum’ to indicate that
message of speaker is being
understood.
 Barriers to effective listening
• The factors which are creating barriers in
effective listening are as follows:
• Environmental Condition:
• Environmental condition like humidity,
temperature, atmospheres limits the
listeners span of listening. Cloudy
atmosphere may cause the listener to
sleep.
• Space Distance: Distance between the
speaker and the listener from long
distance may effect the listening process.
If the speaker is speaking from long
distance, the listener may struggle to
grasp what the speaker is speaking.
• Omniscient attitude of the
listener:
• Many people considered
themselves as ‘know all’. They
think that they have perfect
knowledge of everything in the
world. According to them
listening to others is pure waste
of time. They are not listening to
the speakers because they think
that they already know what he
is going to say.
• Infrastructure: Poor Infrastructure may effect
listening process. Lack of proper ventilation, light,
acoustics can act as a barrier to listening
• Speed of the speaker:
• Speed of the speaker can act as a barrier to
listening. If the speaker is speaking too speedily,
the listeners have no other alternative left than
watching speaker. The Human brain receives
sounds at a specific speed. If this speed is not
maintained properly, the listener’s may get
distracted.
• Speakers' Non-verbal communication:
• Speaker’s not using of facial expression,
gestures, body language, eye contact and other
factors can create barriers to listening. If the
speaker relies only on verbal expressions, the
listener will be tired of constant words and
verbal expressions.
• Voice and tone of the speaker: the listener will
feel bored and tired to listen to continuous
speech. If the speaker’s voice is not audible, the
listener may not listen to it attentively.
• On the contrary, many speaker’s maintain a
unchanging tone which irritates the listener.
• Lack of Concerned Information : Many Times
listener do nor listen attentively and carefully
because he does not find any Concerned
information in the speech
• Language of the speaker: If the speaker is
using high technical words and difficult words
, the listener will be clueless about the
meaning of those words. They will try to find
meaning of those words instead of listening to
the speaker.
•
• Span of the Speech: The process
of listening can take place for a
limited period of time. If the
speaker is speaking for hours
together.
 Techniques to Improve listening skills

• Motivate yourself to listen

• Listeners should motivate their mind to listen
to the speaker carefully. They should prepare
themselves to listen to others willingly.
Listening cannot be forced or imposed on the
person. Individual should know the value and
importance of listening.
• Respect the speaker: Listeners should have
respect for the speaker. They should not
underestimate the speaker’s ideas and thoughts.
• Even if, the listener disagrees with some of the
ideas of the speaker, they should show their
disagreement positively
• Positive body language:
• Listener should maintain positive body
language like nod of head, leaning forward,
maintain erect postures, during
communication.
• Moreover listener should not create any type
of distractions by using unnecessary body
language. Many listeners revolve pen,
notebook, or any other object in their hand.
• Do not Interrupt: Listeners should not
interrupt the speaker unnecessarily.

•
• Voice modulation: The speaker should
modulate his voice and use different tones
while speaking. It creates interesting
atmosphere in the audience and they pay
more attention to the speaker. It creates an
environment for effective listening
• Use Simple style: Speaker should use simple
expressions that can be understood easily by the
listeners. The speaker should keep one thing in
mind that he should speak to ‘express’ and not
impress. Use of heavy technical words, may
divert the listeners concentration.
 Benefits of Listening
• Effective listening at all level is very important for the successful
running of an organization.
 Good listening skills make workers more productive.
 The ability to listen carefully will allow you to:

• Better understand assignments and what is expected of you.

• Build good sense of understanding with co-workers, boss, and

clients.

• Work better in a team-based environment.

• Resolve problems with customers, co-workers, and boss.

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