TYPES OF LISTENING SKILLS

Active Listening: This is the most fundamental listening skill. It involves giving your
full attention to the speaker, maintaining eye contact, and using verbal and
nonverbal cues to show that you are engaged in the conversation.
Reflective Listening: Reflective listening involves paraphrasing or summarizing
what the speaker has said to confirm your understanding. It can help validate the
speaker's feelings and show that you are actively engaged in the conversation.
Empathetic Listening: Empathetic listening goes beyond understanding the words
spoken. It involves trying to understand the speaker's emotions, perspectives, and
feelings. It's about connecting with the speaker on an emotional level.
Analytical/Critical Listening: Critical listening involves evaluating and analyzing the
information presented by the speaker. It's often used in situations where you need
to make decisions, solve problems, or assess the validity of an argument.
Discriminative Listening: Discriminative listening is the ability to distinguish
between different sounds and tones in speech. It's essential for understanding
accents, identifying emotions in someone's voice, and recognizing subtle cues.
Comprehensive Listening: This type of listening focuses on understanding the
overall message. It involves grasping the main points and key details without
necessarily delving into nuances.
Appreciative Listening: Appreciative listening involves listening for enjoyment and
pleasure. It's common in activities like listening to music, storytelling, or enjoying a
favorite podcast. It's about appreciating the speaker's creativity or performance.
Selective Listening: Selective listening is when you focus on specific parts of a
conversation while ignoring or filtering out the rest. This is common in noisy or
distracting environments.
Informational Listening: Informational listening aims to gather and retain
information. It's often used in educational settings, during lectures, or when
receiving instructions or guidance.
Sympathetic Listening: Sympathetic listening involves showing compassion and
understanding to someone who is sharing their problems, worries, or concerns. It's
about providing emotional support and comfort.
Problem-Solving Listening: In problem-solving listening, you actively listen to
someone's issues or concerns with the goal of finding a solution or providing
assistance. It often involves asking clarifying questions and offering suggestions.
Inferential Listening: Inferential listening is about drawing conclusions or making
inferences based on the information provided by the speaker. It involves reading
between the lines and understanding the speaker's underlying message.
Advisory Listening: Advisory listening involves offering advice or guidance based
on what you've heard from the speaker. It's often used in mentoring or counseling
situations.

Listening Skills Activity:

Instructions: For each question, identify the type of listening skill described in the
scenario.
1. During a therapy session, the therapist provides advice and guidance to the
client based on the client's feelings and concerns. What type of listening is this?
Reflective Listening
Advisory Listening
Empathetic Listening
Problem-Solving Listening
Answer: [ ] Advisory Listening
2.You're at a concert, fully immersed in the music and appreciating the artist's
performance. What type of listening are you engaged in?
Comprehensive Listening
Selective Listening
Appreciative Listening
 Informational Listening
Answer: [ ] Appreciative Listening
3. While taking notes during a lecture, you're trying to understand and retain the
information presented by the professor. What type of listening is this?
Informational Listening
Critical Listening
Problem-Solving Listening
Inferential Listening
Answer: [ ] Informational Listening
4. You're in a crowded room, and you're trying to focus on a friend's conversation
while ignoring the background noise. What type of listening are you using?
Discriminative Listening
Selective Listening
Comprehensive Listening
Reflective Listening
Answer: [ ] Selective Listening
5. Your friend is sharing their problems and worries with you, and you respond
with empathy and understanding. What type of listening is this?
Problem-Solving Listening
Advisory Listening
Sympathetic Listening
Inferential Listening
Answer: [ ] Sympathetic Listening
6. You're listening to a political debate and analyzing the arguments presented by
each candidate. What type of listening is this?
Critical Listening
 Problem-Solving Listening
Inferential Listening
Empathetic Listening
Answer: [ ] Critical Listening
7. Your colleague is explaining a complex project to you, and you paraphrase the
key points to ensure you understand. What type of listening is this?
Discriminative Listening
Comprehensive Listening
Reflective Listening
Advisory Listening
Answer: [ ] Reflective Listening
8. You're watching a foreign film and trying to understand the actors' emotions
and the storyline without subtitles. What type of listening are you using?
Discriminative Listening
Inferential Listening
Empathetic Listening
Appreciative Listening
Answer: [ ] Empathetic Listening
9. In a team meeting, you're actively listening to your colleague's concerns with
the aim of providing suggestions and solutions. What type of listening is this?
Critical Listening
Problem-Solving Listening
Sympathetic Listening
Advisory Listening
Answer: [ ] Problem-Solving Listening
10.You're trying to understand the nuances and details of a legal document during
a meeting with your lawyer. What type of listening is this?
Comprehensive Listening
Informational Listening
Selective Listening
Reflective Listening
Answer: [ ] Informational Listening