Active listening skill

Active listening is the practice of preparing to listen, observing what verbal and non-verbal
messages are being sent, and then providing appropriate feedback for the sake of showing
attentiveness to the message being presented.[1] This form of listening conveys a mutual
understanding between speaker and listener. Speakers receive confirmation their point is coming
across and listeners absorb more content and understanding by being engaged. Active listening
was introduced by Carl Rogers and Richard Farson.

Nature and purposes of listening

Listening is the cognitive process whereby we attach meanings to aural signals. It is the active
intellectual process of decoding, interpreting, understanding and evaluating messages. It is a
mode of communication just as important as the other modes like speaking ,reading, and writing.
It is sad to note, however, that this mode has been observed to be the most neglected area in
teaching English towards communicative competence. This is lamentable considering that we
spend most of our waking hours communicating, the greatest portion of which is spent in
listening. In today’s world, which is fast turning into a global village and where communication is
highly developed, the demand to sharpen our listening power is high.

Listening Comprehension and sub-skills in listening

First what is comprehension?

Comprehension is the complex cognitive process involving the intentional interaction between
reader and text to extract meaning.

What is Listening Comprehension?

✔Listening comprehension is more than just hearing what is said.

✔Listening is a process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken

and/or non-verbal messages.

✔Listening is an Active process

Sub skills in listening:

listening often presents the greatest challenge for students. However, most learners see the
value of doing listening practice. They usually find the more they practise, the more they can
understand. 

In listening lessons, core listening sub skills that learners can practise are:

– listening for gist                      – listening to infer information (e.g. the speaker’s point of view)
– listening for detail                   – listening for text or discourse patterns
– scan listening                          – listening for language items

Listening techniques and strategies

Effective Listening Is

 Absorbing not just hearing what the speaker is saying

 Showing genuine interest in the conversation

 Providing the speaker with feedback

 Eliminating or Minimizing distractions

 Understanding different points of view

Effective Listening Isn’t

 Changing the subject

 Giving advice

 Dividing your attention

 Arguing your point of view

 Making judgments about the speaker

To become an effective listener, you need to make a conscious effort to attend to a conversation.
You also need to be willing and able to put aside personal bias and listen to the point of view you
may not agree with yourself. It requires self-discipline not to interrupt, and wait to speak until the
other speaker has made their point.

Active listeners pay attention to more than the speaker’s words. To fully understand the
information they are receiving, they also pay attention to the speaker’s tone and body language.
Many times, a speaker’s nonverbal communication helps reinforce what they are saying.

The most effective listeners seek clarity. They don’t fill in gaps in the information they receive
with their own opinions and ideas — people who listen well know how to engage a speaker to
learn more details.

1. Know your own listening needs

If you want to be an active listener, you need to be self-aware. Some people can block out
background noise and disruptions without a lot of effort; others cannot. If you are somewhere that
has a lot of background noise and you are having trouble focusing on what a speaker is saying,
don’t be embarrassed to suggest you move to a quieter area so you can hear better.

2. Don’t be tempted by distractions

In today’s world, we have instant access to a wealth of information, but this constant state of
connectivity also means we have many things competing for our attention at the same time.

When you are having a face-to-face conversation with someone, it’s imperative to resist the urge
to check your phone, computer, or TV screen. If you’re checking your social media or streaming
videos, your attention is not entirely on the person who is speaking. You can miss information
they are saying or miss non-verbal cues that would help you comprehend their words.

3. Be Aware of Body Language

A person’s facial expression, posture, physical proximity, and gestures all can support the words
they are speaking, or even give you insights into what they might not express verbally. It may
seem strange, but effective listening involves seeing as well as hearing what a person is saying.

Smiling, frowning, raising eyebrows, nodding or shaking of the person’s head are all powerful
indicators of a person’s feelings about the topic. Active listeners pay attention to these non-verbal
cues, along with the words the person is saying.

4. Remember Conversations Are Exchanges of Ideas

A key factor in active listening is reminding yourself what the point of any conversation is. A
discussion is not a debate; it’s an exchange of ideas. Whether you agree with the other person or
share their same interests and background, you need to keep an open mind and not make it all
about you.

Effective listeners allow the speaker to express their ideas fully before asking questions or
presenting counter-points. Keep your questions in mind and wait for a natural break in the
conversation before asking them.

5. Ask for Clarification

If you don’t understand what a person is saying, speak up rather than trying to create meaning
based on what you think the person is saying. While this can sometimes feel awkward, it’s vital to
do. Many times people feel like they should automatically understand what someone is saying
and feel as if it’s a negative reflection on them if they don’t. However, this could not be further
from the truth.

A well-thought-out question shows intelligence, interest, and respect for the other person’s ideas.
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you can still miss information. By asking for clarification,
you can get a second chance at absorbing the information you missed. Asking for clarification
can also help ideas stick, so you remember them later.

6. Rephrase what the person is saying

Besides asking for clarification directly, rephrasing also helps promote active listening. When you
are trying to listen carefully to what someone is saying, it sometimes helps to reiterate it in your
own words.

Rephrasing accomplishes two things. First, it reinforces that you are listening to the speaker.
Second, it helps you check your understanding. The process of taking information in, analyzing it,
putting it in words that make sense to you personally, and saying it back reinforces the
information to help it stick.

7. Take notes if appropriate

While note-taking won’t lend itself well to casual social interactions in a business or academic
setting, it is entirely appropriate. In your notes, put stars or highlight ideas that seem unclear or
that you have questions about. When the speaker pauses, go back to the notes you marked and
ask your questions.

By making notes about the conversation and going back to them later, you can get the
explanations you need without disrupting the flow of the conversation. Making quick notes also
makes it easier to remember what questions you have without having to keep them in your head
while trying to pay attention to the rest of the conversation.

8. Don’t Give Advice

Many times when someone is talking to you about a problem your automatic response is to offer
advice. As well-meaning as the advice may be, giving unwanted advice can damage your
relationship with the person you’re speaking to.

Most people value their problem-solving ability. When you give unwanted advice, it can be
insulting to that person. It can also provide the wrong impression and make you appear arrogant
and send the message that you think you are better and more capable than the other person.

9. Give Feedback

Although you want to avoid giving advice or making judgments, you do need to provide feedback
to the speaker. If you don’t offer some kind of feedback, a conversation can become a
monologue, and the person who is speaking may feel like you’re not interested in what they are
saying.

The best listeners are those who are actively engaged in the discussion. To be actively engaged
in a subject, you need to reflect on what the other person is saying. When you give occasional
verbal feedback, it assures that you continue to stay focused on the speaker and keeps your
mind fr

10. Visualize what the person is saying in your mind

Active listening is about paying attention not just to the words spoken but the meaning of those
words. If the speaker is telling a story or explaining a situation, try to picture it in your head. By
visualizing it in your mind, it will help make the words seem less abstract and help your brain
focus on what the speaker is saying.

When listening to a discussion, try to make a mental outline of keywords and points, the person
is trying to emphasize. When it’s your turn to speak, you can use your mental framework as a
way of focusing further discussions on a topic. Mental notes that you make can serve as cues
about what concepts have been touched upon and help you frame your response accordingly.

om wandering.