ART OF LISTENING

At the end of the lesson, the learners should

be able to:
1.define listening;
2.enumerate the types of listening; and
3.explain the different barriers to listening;
 LISTENING
● “Nature gave humans two ears but only
one tongue, which is a gentle hint that they
should listen more than they talk.”
● Robert Frost says: “Half the world is
composed of people who have something
to say and can’t, and the other half who
have nothing to say and keep on saying
it”.
 LISTENING
● It is the ability to understand and respond
effectively to oral communication.
● The basic principle of effective listening is
that unless the listener pays attention, has
concentration, and is seriously concerned
with the subject, he cannot understand the
message of the speech.
● Listening is a conscious, positive act
requiring will power.
● Active listening is “to listen to a person
without passing judgment on what is being
said, and to mirror back what has been
said to indicate that you understood what
feelings the speaker was putting across.”
 HEARING vs. LISTENING
● Hearing is picking up sound vibrations,
whereas listening is making a sense or
meaning out of what people hear.
● Hearing is a physical process, and
listening a mental one.
● Hearing is passive, listening is active.
 NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF
LISTENING:
● Listening is an art, a fine art. A patient and
attentive listening is a compliment to the
speaker.
● is the kingpin in the entire communication
process, to whom actually the message is
meant to understand, interpret correctly
and to act accordingly.
● Effective and true communication is
greatly dependent on the receptive side.
● Clear listening is necessary when
information is transmitted. Poor listening
may lead to gaps, conflicts and
resentment.
● It requires patience, presence of mind,
interest and attitude.
● Listening is not a trait, but a skill, which
can be taught, trained and improved.
 Reasons for poor listening:
● Lack of clarity
● Jargon
● Lack of unity
● Speed
● Distractions
 BARRIERS IN LISTENING:
● Distractions of mind
● Lack of motivation
● Jumbled and mumbled words
● Listening only for words
● Taking notes
● False listening or Pseudo Listening
● Monologue attitude
● Selective listening
● Listening defensively
● Deaf spots or emotional blocks
● Closed mindedness
● Lack of interest
 BAD LISTENING HABITS:
● Calling the subject uninteresting
● Tuning the speaker out because of his
delivery
● Getting over stimulated
● Faking attentiveness
● Allowing distractions to creep in
● Tuning out difficult or technical
presentations
 BEHAVIOURAL REASONS:
● Listening attitudes in early life
● Influence of parental models
● Powerless and submissive behavior
● Defense mechanism
● Practice of resistance
 ERRORS IMPEDING
UNDERSTANDING:
● Length of message
● Middle of the message
● Round off
● Hearing what one expects to hear
● Filtered listening
 WHO IS A GOOD LISTENER?
● Looks at the speaker while he is speaking
● Seeks clarifications by asking questions
● Repeats some of the things
● Does not rush
● Has poise and is emotionally controlled
● Reacts with a nod, a frown or a smile
● Does not interrupt
● Pays close attention
 PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD
LISTENING:
● Listen patiently
● Understanding speaker’s feeling
● Restatement and summary
● Avoid expressing views
● Less explanation
● Rapport
 GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE
LISTENING:
● Eye contact
● Bodily exhibitions
● Avoid distracting actions or gestures
● Ask questions
● Paraphrase
● Avoid interpreting speaker
● Do not overtake
● Put the speaker at ease
● Listen patiently
● Avoid premature arguments
● Stay objective
● Avoid mental rebuttals
● Remove distractions
● Indicate acceptance
● Hold your temper
● Respect pauses or silence
● Be honest with answer
● Listen between the lines
● Have an open mind
● Listen to total meaning
● Observe non verbal cues
● Avoid fake attention
● No personal bias
 TYPES OF LISTENING:
● Marginal listening
The listener has capacity to listen four times
faster than someone can talk. So they use
the extra time available to think about
other matters.
● Evaluative listening
while listening to a message, the listener
spares time in thinking, so he can judge
and evaluate what is said by the speaker,
and sometimes forms rebuttals to it.
● Projective listening
It is a process to observe and understand
what is said and to assimilate the
viewpoint of the speaker.
● Active listening
It is also called emphatic listening. It is
listening without passing judgment or
without mirroring back what is being said.
● Passive listening
It is listening without reacting: allowing
someone to speak, without interrupting.
Not doing anything else at the same time,
and yet not really paying attention to
what's being said.
● Deliberate listening
It is intended to comprehend the content of
the message and to understand the feeling
and context in which the communication is
taking place.
● Fake listening
It is fixing ones eyes on the speaker and
trying to project oneself as a good listener.
Fake listeners miss important points.
 LISTENING PROCESS
● Awareness: it involves getting the
attention of the audience so that they will
listen. Listeners should:
1. Look for area of interest
2. Look for benefits, a need fulfillment or an
objective
3. Look for new ideas
4. Note non verbal cues
● Reception: It is physical hearing with
attention that precedes listening. Sound
waves receive the attention of the
listener for interpretation and perception.
To be receptive:
1. Concentrate on ideas
2. Non verbal cues
3. Avoid mind wandering
4. Adjusting listening pace
●Perception: is the perceiving and
understanding of the message. Depends
upon factors like knowledge, age, emotion,
experience, attitude, values, etc.
The act of perception depends upon
interpretation – the process of attribution
of meanings which requires logical
reasoning and analysis of data.
 TYPES OF LISTENERS:
● The Sleeper:
(a) has no intention of listening
(b) Is irritated if there are disturbances
(c) Eyes are closed as he sits, or reclines in
his seat.
(d) Seeks a restful haven in a relatively
corner place.
 ● Eager Beaver:
(a) keeps smiling and nodding
(b) Eyes have a strange, out of focus
appearance
(c) Energies are directed to impress the
speaker with what a good listener he or
she is.
 ● The Tiger:
(a) Is ready to pounce on everything what
speaker says
(b) Is occupied with looking for trouble
(c) Has a crouching position, leaning
forward and eyes flashing
 ● The Shy, Bewildered:
(a) Has never quite found out what the
lecture is all about
(b) Pained, quizzical glances from him are a
constant reminder to the speaker that he
has to go slowly, repeating and
reinforcing information.
 ● The Frowner:
(a) His forehead has a perpetual furrow
(b) He seems to be always on the verge of a
question
(c) His expression is an accurate reflection
of his state of mind
 ● The Relaxed:
(a) Stares fixedly at some object or person
(b) There is little tension in them
(c) There are no visible means of reading
them
(d) Never seems to react to anything
(e) Is a real problem for the speaker
 ● The Busy bee:
(a) Listens and impresses by writing notes,
talking to neighbors, combing hair, etc.
(b) Not a listener in a true sense, but is a
potential audience
(c) Will motivate the speaker causing him to
try various devices to capture their
attention
 ● Two eared listener:
(a) Listens with ears and mind
(b) Actively participates
(c) Reacts objectively
(d) Decodes and evaluates carefully
(e) Eagerness is reflected in body posture
(f) Face reflects agreement, disagreement,
interest, question, approval resulting from
thoughtful, objective consideration of
messages.