English: Listening and Analytical Thinking

➢ Are you listening?

➢ Are you with me?
➢ Do you get my point?

These are questions commonly asked to affirm if you are really listening to someone. Most of the time, you hear this
from your teachers inside of a classroom. As students, you are exposed to many kinds of messages. You listen to so many
things in school, such as:

 Academic Information
 Rules Instructions
 Warnings
 Advertisements
 Gossip
 Jokes
 Song Lyrics
 Text Messages
 Invitations
 Web Links
 etc.

Analytical listening is about the ability and the capacity to properly analyze what is being said. This not only means
understanding what the other person is saying and what they mean to say but also being able divide difficult questions into
separate parts in order to get to the core.

Analytical listening sounds easier than it is. Distinguishing between central and peripheral issues is very exquisite. Apart
from that, common listening techniques help.

The objective of analytical listening is to quickly see logical connections, as well as detecting possible gaps in all the
information.

LSD Technique
This technique comes handy when it comes to analytical listening. It stands for listening, summarizing, and dig deeper.

Listening is actually hearing what the other is saying. This means full concentration on the other stories needed, as well
as thorough sinking in of the information. Briefly summarizing what the other is saying is useful enough to get to know the
core. Moreover, it causes the other to feel like they are being heard and able to offer additions if the summary is not yet
complete. By giving a short summary, the listener gives them some time to let the information sink in and understand what
they just heard. This is followed by digging deeper to get down to the core.

Among of the 4 Macro skills; of course, we have the listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Listening It is the first one must learn but you have to perfect them in order to use your English language properly.
 You should understand the main ideas of most speech in a standard dialect.
 You should demonstrate an emerging awareness of culturally implied meanings beyond the surface meanings of the
text.

Speaking
 You should be understood without difficulty by natives, and converse in a clear and participatory fashion.
  You should be able to initiate, sustain, and bring closure to a wide variety of communicative tasks.
 You should be able to narrate and describe concrete and abstract topics using sustained, connected discourse.

Reading
 You should easily follow the essential points of written text.
 You should be able to understand parts of texts which are conceptually abstract and linguistically complex.

Writing
 You should be able to address a variety of topics with significant precision or detail.
 You should be able to write competently about topics relating to particular interests and write clearly about special
fields of competence.
 You should be able to organize writings with a sense of theoretical structure.

Listening is a familiar part of your everyday experience. Actually, most people will spend a large part of their waking hours
listening. However, despite the importance of listening, it is not given the attention it deserved. As a matter of fact, many
researchers claim that listening is a neglected skill. Due to inability to listen efficiently, communication break down occurs.
Because many fail to listen critically and analytically, miscommunication leads to other serious problems. Given the scenario,
it is truly important, that in order for problems to be solved, analytical listening must be developed and practiced.

As a matter of fact, there are four (4) different ways on how people listen.
 Appreciative Listening
 Emphatic Listening
 Comprehensive Listening
 Critical Listening

Appreciative Listening
When you listen for appreciation, you are listening for enjoyment. Think about the music you listen to. You usually
listen to music because you enjoy it. The same can be said for appreciative listening when someone is speaking. Some
common types of appreciative listening can be found in sermons from places of worship, from a motivational speech by people
we respect of hold in high regard, or even from a standup comedian who makes us laugh.

Empathic Listening
When you listen empathically you are doing so to show mutual concern. In this type of listening, you are trying to
identify with the speaker by understanding the situation in which he/she is discussing. You are stepping into the other’s shoes
to get a better understanding of what it is he/she is talking about. Usually, during this type of listening, you want to be fully
present in the moment or mindfully listening to what the speaker is saying. Your goal during this time is to focus on the
speaker, not on yourself. You are trying to understand from the speaker’s perspective.

Comprehensive Listening
If you are watching news, listening to a lecture, or getting directions from someone, you are listening to understand
or listening to comprehend the message that is being sent. This process is active. In class, you should be focused, possibly
taking notes of the speaker’s main ideas. Identifying the structure of the speech and evaluating the supports he/she offers as
evidence. This is one of the more difficult type of listening because it requires you not only to concentrate but to actively
participate in the process. The more you practice learning to comprehend, the stronger listener you become.

Critical Listening
 Have you been asked to buy some expensive items? You probably did some research beforehand and listen closely to
the salesperson when you want to compare brands. Or perhaps, your best friend tell you about some medical test he/she
recently had done. You listen closely so that you can help her.

Critical listening is listening to evaluate the content of the message. As a critical listener you are listening to all parts
of the message, analyzing it, and evaluating what you heard. When engaging in critical listening, you are also critically
thinking. You are making mental judgements based on what you se, hear, and read. Your goal as a critical listener is to
evaluate the message that is being sent and decide for yourself if the information is valid.

5 Ways to Improve Your Critical Listening Skill:

 Stay away from distractions. Being attentive plays a pivotal role in critical listening. But while doing so, stay relaxed.
Sometimes, you may look away but stay focused. Don’t lose track because of distractions.
Mobile phones, television, laptop are the biggest hurdles while striking communication. If you wish to
undertake critical listening, then stay away from these distractions. Also, your thoughts, feelings, or judgment can
turn into a distraction. So, be attentive while listening to every word. Besides, maintain eye contact for effective
communication. This proves that you are focused on what the speaker is saying.
Also, do not pay attention to the person’s mannerism, body language, accent, tone, facial expression or
gesture. They can distract you from listening.

 Don't make judgements. It is imperative to reason as you listen. While doing so, collect key information, concepts,
and categorize questions. Concentrate on facts and not assumptions.
Whatever the speaker says, do not make a judgment on half-baked knowledge. If something surprises you,
then keep it to yourself. But there’s no need to blurt it out which in turn insults the speaker. Remember, the speaker
has faced some situations. Innumerable thoughts and feelings are going on in his/her head. And their evaluation is
possible only with listening.

 Know their perspective. The words of the speaker might not interest you. But whatever they are saying, is important
for them as a person. Your listening skills might give them relief or help them solve a problem.
You might not agree with what the speaker is saying. You might have a conflict of interest. But it is important
to know their perspective. Try and keep yourself in their situation. Draw a picture of the information communicated
to you. Think about their life, challenges, and background to draw a better conclusion. If a speaker is sad, then convey
your feelings with appropriate expression. Empathy is an important skill for good listening.
At any point, you think you are getting bored. Then, immediately start refocusing to enhance your critical
listening skills.

 Don't bombard with senseless questions. It is rude to interrupt a speaker with baseless questions. This may send a
wrong message to the speaker about your intentions.
Do not ask unimportant questions. Questions are important to draw an accurate conclusion. But ask in a way
that they help you to boost your understanding of the situation. For example, if an employee is narrating about his/her
confrontation with the boss. Then don’t interrupt and start narrating about your family trip. It is baseless to drift a
conversation.
And if you are a good critical listener then make sure to get the conversation back on track. Amidst this, wait
for the speaker to take a pause and take your questions. With this, you will have room for shooting the right questions.
Focus on clarity. And for that ask questions till you achieve a clear understanding of the message. But let the
speaker finish his/her side of the story. Do not interrupt a conversation and form a conclusion beforehand.

 Give honest feedback. Feedback exhibits your listening skills. When your mind knows that you have to give feedback.
Then it becomes easier to focus on the speaker.
After the speaker winds up, give him/her honest feedback. Show them that you understand their feelings.
This assures the speaker, that you are a good listener. Moreover, take notes while hearing the conversation. It will
 help in assessing your understanding and in acknowledging any incomplete information. Also, while giving feedback,
summarize only the points that were mentioned. This will help in avoiding any confusion while making a decision.

Well, now you know ways to improve critical listening. So, let’s explore some examples to get clarity about critical listening.

How listening is connected to critical thinking?

Despite nodding, the speaker has to make sure the masses, “Are you listening to me?”. Though the masses agree,
some are clueless about the ongoing discussion and that's when critical thinking comes to the rescue.

Critical thinking takes place when the person wants to figure out what to believe. Furthermore, helping in taking an action
rationally and thoughtfully.

In critical thinking, a person subjectively and significantly evaluates the collected information. Thus, using the
information for problem-solving and producing a productive conclusion. But for this, a critical thinker should participate in
active listening. With such effective listening, they can comprehend, construe, and evaluate.

They can organize the information that they hear. They understand its background while separating unspecified
assumptions. Further, it also helps in making logical connections between concepts. Besides, helping in deriving truth for a
productive conclusion. Moreover, with effective listening, they can gather maximum relevant information. Thus, promoting
critical thinking which in turn helps for smooth communication.

In connection, these are the tips to improve your analytical thinking skills;

 Be observant. Take a walk outside or observe people in your school or at home. Use as many of your senses, see
what’s happening around you. Is there anything that interests you? Remember you have to actively engage your
mind.
 Read books. Once again, the key to improving your analytical thinking skill is to keep your mind active and running.
Read books and try to work on an active reading strategy: proactively read and digest and question what you’re
reading. You can highlight, raise questions, read aloud or make predictions to stay engaged with your reading
material.
 Learn how things work. Don’t just find the solution but know how exactly certain things work. By scrutinizing how
things work, you will have a better understanding of the process which is vital in stimulating your analytical skills.
 Ask questions. Did you know that curiosity makes us smarter? According to Neuroscientist Aracelli Carmago, “The
more curious we are about a subject, the more it engages our cognitive functions, such as attention and memory.”
With that said, asking more questions can help develop better problem-solving skills, retention, and memory of a
subject. So don’t be shy to ask questions, especially if your query is valid.
 Play brain games. If you want to improve your analytical thinking skills, it may be time to play Sudoku or other brain
games like puzzles, chess, or crosswords. The best part of working on brain games to develop your analytical skill set
is it is fun and doesn’t require a lot of motivation to get started.
 Practice your problem-solving skills. Keep in mind that for every problem, there is a solution. Visualize and be
articulate in the presentation of a particular concept. Prepare two, three or even more solutions to a problem. And, if
possible, do test runs on those solutions. See which one is the best and the most logical.
 Think about your decisions. Making important decisions is very common. Thus, think hard and rationalize your
decisions. What are the pros and cons of your decision? Ask for an expert opinion if available or do extensive research.
Ask yourself, is this the best solution for this problem? Take a step back to rethink it a bit more, and then you can
finally decide.

At the end of the day, like any skill development, you have to a lot of practice and application. Learn from your everyday
experiences. Then, practice your analytical skills until it comes naturally.