Improving Your

Listening Skills
How to be an Active Listener
 Active Listening
► Good listening skills are important in
 school
 the workplace
 day-to-day living

► Yetmost of us receive very little training in

effective listening.
► Take the Effective Listening Quiz!
 7 Ways to Improve Your Listening

► Hereare 7 strategies and suggestions to help you

improve your listening skills.

 1.) Increase your listening span:

► Try to resist the temptation to interrupt.

► Make sure the speaker has had a complete chance to make his
or her point before you speak.

► If you don't get the whole message, ask the speaker to repeat
what they said.
 Ways to Improve Your Listening
► 2.) Take time to listen:
 Don't put obvious limitations on your listening
time - the speaker will feel rushed.

► 3.) Listen between the lines:

 Don't just listen to what is being said.

 Try to understand the attitudes, needs and

motives behind the words.
 Ways to Improve Your Listening
► 4.) Give your full attention:
 Nodding or interjecting occasionally to clarify a
point lets the speaker know you are interested.

 If the speaker pauses briefly, don't rush to fill

the silence.

 Use open-ended questions to encourage

elaboration.
 Ways to Improve Your Listening
► 5.) Restate the message:
 When you are sure that the speaker has
finished, restate the main points.

 This is a good organizing strategy for you.

 It also gives the speaker assurance that the

message has been received.
 Ways to Improve Your Listening
► 6.) Listen for ideas as well as facts:
 A good listener makes an effort to understand what the
facts add up to.

► 7.) Don't monopolize:

 Resist the urge to dominate a situation or to feel that
you know everything about a situation.

 Be open to new ideas and allow the speaker to have his

or her say.