LISTENING SKILLS

Course Code : 1118

Subject : Functional English
Course instructor : Ms Hafiza Saba
What is Listening Skill?

• Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process.
Listening is key to all effective communication. Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are
easily misunderstood. ... Effective listening is a skill that underpins all positive human relationships.
Listening or Hearing

• Hearing is an accidental and automatic brain response to sound that requires no effort. We are surrounded
by sounds most of the time. For example, we are accustomed to the sounds of airplanes, lawn mowers,
furnace blowers, the rattling of pots and pans, and so on. We hear those incidental sounds and, unless we
have a reason to do otherwise, we train ourselves to ignore them. We learn to filter out sounds that mean
little to us, just as we choose to hear our ringing cell phones and other sounds that are more important to
us.
Purpose
• Listening, on the other hand, is purposeful and focused rather than accidental. As a result, it requires
motivation and effort. Listening, at its best, is active, focused, concentrated attention for the purpose of
understanding the meanings expressed by a speaker. We do not always listen at our best, however, and
later in this chapter we will examine some of the reasons why and some strategies for becoming more
active critical listeners.
Benefits of Listening:

• Listening should not be taken for granted. Before the invention of writing, people conveyed virtually all
knowledge through some combination of showing and telling. Elders recited tribal histories to attentive
audiences. Listeners received religious teachings enthusiastically. Myths, legends, folktales, and stories
for entertainment survived only because audiences were eager to listen. Nowadays, however, you can
gain information and entertainment through reading and electronic recordings rather than through real-
time listening. If you become distracted and let your attention wander, you can go back and replay a
recording. Despite that fact, you can still gain at least four compelling benefits by becoming more active
and competent at real-time listening.
Types of listening

• Here are some types of listening, starting with basic discrimination of sounds and ending in deep
communication.
Discriminative listening

• Discriminative listening is the most basic type of listening, whereby the difference between difference
sounds is identified. If you cannot hear differences, then you cannot make sense of the meaning that is
expressed by such differences.
• We learn to discriminate between sounds within our own language early, and later are unable to
discriminate between the phonemes of other languages. This is one reason why a person from one
country finds it difficult to speak another language perfectly, as they are unable distinguish the subtle
sounds that are required in that language. Likewise, a person who cannot hear the subtleties of emotional
variation in another person's voice will be less likely to be able to discern the emotions the other person
is experiencing.
• Listening is a visual as well as auditory act, as we communicate much through body language. We thus
also need to be able to discriminate between muscle and skeletal movements that signify different
meanings.
Comprehension listening

• The next step beyond discriminating between different sound and sights is to make sense of them. To
comprehend the meaning requires first having a lexicon of words at our fingertips and also all rules of
grammar and syntax by which we can understand what others are saying.
• The same is true, of course, for the visual components of communication, and an understanding of body
language helps us understand what the other person is really meaning.In communication, some words are
more important and some less so, and comprehension often benefits from extraction of key facts and
items from a long spiel.
• Comprehension listening is also known as content listening, informative listening and full listening.
Critical listening

• Critical listening is listening in order to evaluate and judge, forming opinion about what is being said.
Judgment includes assessing strengths and weaknesses, agreement and approval.This form of listening
requires significant real-time cognitive effort as the listener analyzes what is being said, relating it to
existing knowledge and rules, whilst simultaneously listening to the ongoing words from the speaker.
•
Biased listening

• Biased listening happens when the person hears only what they want to hear, typically misinterpreting
what the other person says based on the stereotypes and other biases that they have. Such biased listening
is often very evaluative in nature.
Evaluative listening

• In evaluative listening, or critical listening, we make judgments about what the other person is saying. We seek
to assess the truth of what is being said. We also judge what they say against our values, assessing them as
good or bad, worthy or unworthy.
• Evaluative listening is particularly pertinent when the other person is trying to persuade us, perhaps to change
our behavior and maybe even to change our beliefs. Within this, we also discriminate between subtleties of
language and comprehend the inner meaning of what is said. Typically also we weigh up the pros and cons of
an argument, determining whether it makes sense logically as well as whether it is helpful to us.
• Evaluative listening is also called critical, judgmental or interpretive listening.
Appreciative listening

• In appreciative listening, we seek certain information which will appreciate, for example that which
helps meet our needs and goals. We use appreciative listening when we are listening to good music,
poetry or maybe even the stirring words of a great leader.
Sympathetic listening

• In sympathetic listening we care about the other person and show this concern in the way we pay close
attention and express our sorrow for their ills and happiness at their joys.
Empathetic listening

• When we listen empathetically, we go beyond sympathy to seek a truer understand how others are
feeling. This requires excellent discrimination and close attention to the nuances of emotional signals.
When we are being truly empathetic, we actually feel what they are feeling.
• In order to get others to expose these deep parts of themselves to us, we also need to demonstrate our
empathy in our demeanor towards them, asking sensitively and in a way that encourages self-disclosure.
Therapeutic listening

• In therapeutic listening, the listener has a purpose of not only empathizing with the speaker but also to
use this deep connection in order to help the speaker understand, change or develop in some way.
• This not only happens when you go to see a therapist but also in many social situations, where friends
and family seek to both diagnose problems from listening and also to help the speaker cure themselves,
perhaps by some cathartic process. This also happens in work situations, where managers, HR people,
trainers and coaches seek to help employees learn and develop
Dialogic listening

• The word 'dialogue' stems from the Greek words 'dia', meaning 'through' and 'logos' meaning 'words'.
Thus dialogic listening mean learning through conversation and an engaged interchange of ideas and
information in which we actively seek to learn more about the person and how they think.
• Dialogic listening is sometimes known as 'relational listening'.
Relationship listening

• Sometimes the most important factor in listening is in order to develop or sustain a relationship. This is
why lovers talk for hours and attend closely to what each other has to say when the same words from
someone else would seem to be rather boring.
• Relationship listening is also important in areas such as negotiation and sales, where it is helpful if the
other person likes you and trusts you.
False listening

• False listening occurs where a person is pretending to listen but is not hearing anything that is being said.
They may nod, smile and grunt in all the right places, but do not actually take in anything that is said.
• This is a skill that may be finely honed by people who do a lot of inconsequential listening, such as
politicians and royalty. Their goal with their audience is to make a good impression in very short space of
time before they move on, never to talk to that person again. It is also something practiced by couples,
particularly where one side does most of the talking. However, the need for relationship here can lead to
this being spotted ('You're not listening again!') and consequent conflict.
Initial listening

• Sometimes when we listen we hear the first few words and then start to think about what we want to say
in return. We then look for a point at which we can interrupt. We are also not listening then as we are
spending more time rehearsing what we are going to say about their initial point.
Selective listening

• Selective listening involves listening for particular things and ignoring others. We thus hear what we
want to hear and pay little attention to 'extraneous' detail.
Partial listening

• Partial listening is what most of us do most of the time. We listen to the other person with the best of
intent and then become distracted, either by stray thoughts or by something that the other person has said.
• We consequently dip inside our own heads for a short while as we figure out what they really mean or
formulate a question for them, before coming back into the room and starting to listen again.
• This can be problematic when the other person has moved on and we are unable to pick up the threads of
what is being said. We thus easily can fall into false listening, at least for a short while. This can be
embarrassing, of course, if they suddenly ask your opinion. A tip here: own up, admitting that you had
lost the thread of the conversation and asking them to repeat what was said.
Full listening
• Full listening happens where the listener pays close and careful attention to what is being said, seeking
carefully to understand the full content that the speaker is seeking to put across.
• This may be very active form of listening, with pauses for summaries and testing that understanding is
complete. By the end of the conversation, the listener and the speaker will probably agree that the
listener has fully understood what was said.
• Full listening takes much more effort than partial listening, as it requires close concentration, possibly for
a protracted period. It also requires skills of understanding and summary.
Deep listening

• Beyond the intensity of full listening, you can also reach into a form of listening that not only hears what
is said but also seeks to understand the whole person behind the words.
• In deep listening, you listen between the lines of what is said, hearing the emotion, watching the body
language, detecting needs and goals, identifying preferences and biases, perceiving beliefs and values,
and so on.
• To listen deeply, you need a strong understanding of human psychology (which this site seeks to give
you) and to pay attention not just to the words by the whole person.
• Deep listening is also known as 'Whole person' listening.
Techniques for effective Listening
• 1. Decide to listen.
• Listening is a choice. So deciding to stop talking and start listening is an important first step.

• 2. Let go of your own personal agenda.

• To truly hear someone, you need to let go of your own agenda, and prejudices. Focus your attention by clearing away
all distractions and any preconceived notions, so that you can be fully present and create space in your mind for
different views.

• 3. Be curious.
• Effective listening requires you to be curious about how other people see the world. Seek to understand all you can,
ask open questions and try to see the world through the other person’s perceptual lens.

• 4. Listen with your eyes.

• Maintain eye contact with the speaker and pay attention to all the visual clues. People will appreciate your attention
and be better able to communicate with you. With practice, you will become more able to read the signs and
understand the meaning of what is being communicated.
• 5. Listen for the whole message.
• Make sure you hear and understand the whole message before you respond. A common bad habit is to only hear
what you expect to hear, and then begin rehearsing your response, ready to pitch in as soon as the dialog has
stopped. (Or worse still, interrupting with a response to what you think you are likely to hear.)
•
• 6. Be patient.
• Some people take longer to fnd the right words, to make a point or clarify an issue. Leave time for them to think
and complete their message. Wait, and then wait some more.
•
• 7. Listen with respect.
• Respecting the right to differ is a key concept that is especially important when you are listening. Differences
may lie in the opinions being expressed, or in the communication style that is being used. Remember that even
when you are not communicating verbally, your own non-verbal cues speak for you. Listen to understand, not to
judge.
•
• 8. Feel empathy.
• This is particularly important when people communicate something personal or painful. Empathy is more then
feeling sorry for someone. Empathy requires you to frst understand and feel others’ emotions and feelings so
that you can then acknowledge the message and share your new understanding.

• 9. Manage your own emotions and reactions.

• If what others are saying creates an emotional response in you, be attentive to listen for the intent and full
meaning of their words. Don’t allow others to blow wind into your sails. Remember you have control of your
reactions. You cannot stop the wind, but you can choose to let it spill off your sails! Maintaining your calm,
even when you feel like your ‘buttons’ are being pushed, is a powerful skill that will help you achieve your
goals in all aspects of your life. Getting defensive and angry makes it difficult to impossible to listen.

• 10. Test for understanding.

• Periodically summarize what you have heard to test your understanding. Also, by asking questions to clarify
your understanding, you will draw out a clearer picture of what is being said.
Thank you