Listening skills

TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction

Definition of listening

Listening skills

Process of listening skills

Importance of listening

Basic modes of listening

Types of listening

Barriers to affective listening

How to listen effectively

Benefits of effective listening

Introduction

Listening is a language modality. It is one of the four skills of a language i.e. listening,

speaking, reading and writing. It involves an active involvement of an individual. Listening

involves a sender, a message and a receiver. It is the psychological process of receiving,

attending to constructing meaning from and responding to spoken and/or non verbal

messages.

Listening comprises of some key components, they are:

• discriminating between sounds

 • recognizing words and understanding their meaning

• identifying grammatical groupings of words,

• identifying expressions and sets of utterances that act to create meaning,

• connecting linguistic cues to non-linguistic and paralinguistic cues,

• using background knowledge to predict and to confirm meaning and

• recalling important words and ideas.

Definition of Listening

Listening is the first skill and basic ability in learning a new language that beginners have to

learn. It is a receptive skill meaning that the language learning beginners receive new words

from what they have heard or listened to. The ability to receive will affect the ability to

produce. If they are good at listening; as a result, they will understand and even have a good

competency in productive skills namely speaking and writing.

There are some definitions given by linguists and the following :

a. According to Brown listening is a spoken or written response from the student that

indicates correct (or incorrect) auditory processing. In order to become better listeners,

the learners must think actively when they are listening. Listening is involved in many

language-learning activities, both inside and outside the language classroom. The

improvement in listening will provide a basis for the development of other language

skills.
 b. Nation and Jonathan “Listening is the natural precursor to speaking; the early stages of

language development in a person’s first language (and in naturalistic acquisition of other

languages) are dependent on listening.

c. Brown defines listening is a complex activity, and we can help students comprehend what

they hear by activating their prior knowledge. The next section will consider another way

teachers can help ease the difficulty of listening: training students in different types of

listening.

d. According to Lorena Manaj listening is yet another necessitate in language. The more

efficient a listener you are the more successful and satisfied you will be. Listening is not

merely hearing: it is a state of receptivity that permits an understanding of what is heard

and grants the listener full partnership in the communication process.

What is listening skills

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. Listening involve receiving sound, understanding the

message conveyed in the sounds you hear, evaluating the message, and responding to it. People

with good listening skills are able to comprehend what they hear and respond appropriately.

Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. An active process of getting

information, ideas.

Strategies of Listening
 Listening strategies are techniques or activities that contribute directly to the comprehension

and recall of listening input. Listening strategies can be classified by how the listener

processes the input.

Top-down strategies are listener based. The listener taps into background knowledge of the

topic, the situation or context, the type of text, and the language. This background knowledge

activates a set of expectations that help the listener to interpret what is heard and anticipate

what will come next. Top-down strategies include

• listening for the main idea

• predicting

• drawing inferences

• summarizing

Bottom-up strategies are text based; the listener relies on the language in the message, that
is, the combination of sounds, words, and grammar that creates meaning. Bottom-up
strategies include

• listening for specific details

• recognizing cognates

• recognizing word-order patterns

The listening process are categories into five (5) different stages which are;

Stage 1
Receiving

(Hearing)

Stage5
Stage 2
Responding Understanding
(Learning)
(Answering)
 Stage 4 Stage 3
Remembering
Evaluating
(Recalling)
(Judging )

1. Receiving

2. understanding

3. Remembering

4. Evaluating

5. Responding

1. Receiving

Hearing also it is referred to the response caused by sound waves stimulating the sensory

receptors of the ear; it is a physical response; hearing is the perception of sound waves; you

must hear to listen, but you need not listen to hear (perception necessary for listening

depends on attention). Brain screens stimuli and permits only a select few to come into focus-

this selective perception is known as attention, an important requirement for effective

listening Is the intentional focus on hearing a speaker’s message. This stage is represented by

the ear because it is the primary tool involved with this stage of the listening process.

2. Understanding

Understanding (Learning) this step helps to understand the symbols we have seen and heard,

we must analyze the meaning of the stimuli we have perceived; symbolic stimuli are not only

words but also sounds like applause and sights like blue uniform that have symbolic

meanings as well; the meanings attached to these symbols are a function of our past

associations and of the context in which the symbols occur. For successful interpersonal

communication, the listener must understand the intended meaning and the context assumed

by the sender.

In the understanding stage, we attempt to learn the meaning of the message, which is not

always easy. Deciding what the message means to you.

3. Remembering

Remembering is an important listening process because it means that an individual has not

only received and interpreted a message but has also added it to the mind”s storage bank.

Listening to our attention is selective, so too is our memory- what is remembered may be

quite different from what was originally seen or heard.

Remembering begins with listening; if you can’t remember something that was said, you

might not have been listening effectively. However, even when you are listening attentively,

some messages are more difficult than others to understand and remember. Highly complex

messages that are filled with detail call for highly developed listening skills.
 4. Evaluating

The fourth stage in the listening process is evaluating (Judging). only active listeners

participate at this stage. At this point the active listener weighs evidence, sorts fact from

opinion, and determines the presence or absence of bias or prejudice in a message; the

effective listener makes sure that he or she doesn’t begin this activity too soon ; beginning

this stage of the process before a message is completed requires that we no longer hear and

attend to the incoming message as a result, the listening process ceases.

Evaluations of the same message can vary widely from one listener to another.

5. Responding

Responding sometimes referred to as feedback is the fifth and final stage of the listening

process. Your reaction to the message can be emotional and intellectual. For example, you

are giving positive feedback to your instructor if at the end of class you stay behind to finish

a sentence in your notes or approach the instructor to ask for clarification. The opposite kind

of feedback is given by students who gather their belongings and rush out the door as soon as

class is over.

This stage is represented by the lips because we often give feedback in the form of verbal

feedback; however, you can just as easily respond nonverbally.

Importance of Listening Skill

Good listening skills make workers more productive. The ability to listen carefully will allow a

person to:

• understand assignments in a better way and find and what is expected from him.

• build rapport with co-workers, bosses, and clients;

 • show support;

• work better in a team-based environment;

• resolve problems with customers, co-workers, and bosses;

• answer questions

• find underlying meanings in what others say.

Basic modes of Listening

 Active listening

 Selective listening

 Emphatic listening

 Ignoring listening

1. Active Listening

Active listening is when the person is present, asking open-ended questions and engaged with

the entire conversation. Active listening is about making a conscious decision to hear what

people are saying. It's about being completely focused on others. their words and their

messages without being distracted.

It is the single most useful and important listening skill. In active listening, the listener is

genuinely interested in understanding what the other person is thinking, feeling, wanting or

what the message means. The person is active in checking his understanding before he respond

with his new message. The listener restate or paraphrase our understanding of the message and

reflect it back to the sender for verification. This verification or feedback process is what

distinguishes active listening and makes it effective.

Benefits of Active Listening

 Active listening builds trust and strong relationships.

 Active listening can help you to resolve conflict.

 Active listening prevents you from missing important information.

 Active listening enables you to identify or anticipate problems.

 Active listening helps you to build more knowledge.

2. Selective Listening

Is when a person only listens to the part of a conversation that is important to them, and

blocks out the rest. it involves consciously or unconsciously choosing to listen to what is

relevant to u and ignore what isn't.

3. 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.

4. Ignoring Listening

Not listening at all. when we extend zero effort to listening. Is pretty insulting to others. It

can lead to strained relations.

Types of Listening
Based on objective and manner in which the Listener takes and rspond to the process of Listening,

different types of Listening are:

1 Active listening Listening in a way that demonstrates

interest and encourages continued

speaking.

2 Appreciative listening Looking for ways to accept and

appreciate the other person through what

they say. Seeking opportunity to praise.

Alternatively listening to something for

pleasure, such as to music.

3 Attentive listening Listening obviously and carefully,

showing attention.

4 Biased listening Listening through the filter of personal

bias i.e the person hears only what they

want to listen.

5 Casual listening Listening without obviously showing

attention. Actual attention may vary a lot.

6 Comprehension listening Listening to understand. Seeking

meaning (but little more).

7 Critical listening Listening in order to evaluate, criticize or

otherwise pass judgment on what

someone else says.

8 Deep listening Seeking to understand the person, their

personality and their real and unspoken

meanings and motivators.

9 Discriminative listening Listening for something specific but

nothing else (eg. a baby crying).

10 Empathetic listening Seeking to understand what the other

person is feeling. Demonstrating this

empathy.

11 Evaluative listening Listening in order to evaluate, criticize or

otherwise pass judgment on what

someone else says.

12 Inactive listening Pretending to listen but actually spending

more time thinking.

13 Judgmental listening Listening in order to evaluate, criticize or

otherwise pass judgment on what

someone else says.

14 Partial listening Listening most of the time but also

spending some time day-dreaming or

 thinking of a response.

15 Reflective listening Listening, then reflecting back to the

other person what they have said.

16 Relationship listening Listening in order to support and develop

a relationship with the other person.

17 Sympathetic listening Listening with concern for the well-being

of the other person.

18 Therapeutic listening Seeking to understand what the other

person is feeling. Demonstrating this

empathy.

19 Total listening Paying very close attention in active

listening to what is said and the deeper

meaning found through how it is said.

Barriers to effective listening

A person with normal hearing is not necessarily a good listener. Many different things

can prevent a speaker’s message from being received. These are called barriers to listening.

Some common barriers in the process of listening are listed below.

1. Pre-judgments about the speaker.

2. Assuming that the speaker is going to give some unimportant information.

3. Arriving late for a speech, presentation or lecture.

4. Judging the speaker by his/her mannerisms, voice, appearance, accent, etc.

5. Lack of concentration/interest.

6. Avoiding listening to difficult, boring or complex information and selectively listening

only to what is considered interesting.

7. Speaker or listener being distracted by disturbances

Listening is not easy and there are a number of obstacles that stand in the way of

effective listening. These barriers may be categorized as follows.

1.Physiological Barriers: - some people may have genuine hearing problems or

deficiencies that prevent them from listening properly. It can be treated. Some people

may have problem in processing information or retaining information in the memory.

2.Physical Barriers: - These referred to distraction in the environment such as the sound

of an air conditioner, cigarette smoke, or an overheated room. It can interfere the

Listening process. They could also be in the form of information overload. For example,

if you are in meeting with your manager and the phone rings and your mobile beeps at

the same time to let u know that you have the message. It is very hard to listen carefully

to what is being said.

3.Attitudinal Barriers:- pre occupation with personal or work related problems can

make it difficult to focus one’s attention completely on what speaker issaying, even what

is being said is of very importance.

Another common attitudinal barrier is egocentrism, or the belief that the person have

more knowledgeable than the speaker, or that there is nothing new to learn from the

speaker’s ideas. People with this kind of close minded attitude are very poor listeners.
4.Wrong Assumptions :- The success of communication depend on the both the sender and

receiver. It is wrong to assume that communication is the sole responsibility of the sender or

the speaker and that listeners have no role to play. Such an assumption can be big barrier to

listening. For example, a brilliant speech or presentation, however well delivered, is wasted if

the receiver is not listening at the other end. Listeners have as much responsibility as

speakers to make the communication successful. The process should be made successful by

paying attention seeking clarifications and giving feedback.

5.Cultural Barriers :- Accents can be barriers to listening, since they interfere with the

ability to understand the meaning of words that are pronounced differently. The problem

of different accents arises not only between cultures, but also within a culture. For

example, in a country like India where there is enormous cultural diversity, accents may

differ even between regions states.

6.Gender Barriers :- communication research has shown that gender can be barrier to

listening. Studies have revealed that men and women listen very differently and for different

purposes. Women are more likely to listen for the emotion behind a speaker’s words, when

men listen more for the facts and the content.

7.Lack of Training:- Listening is not an inborn skill. People are not born good listeners.

It is developed through practice and training. Lack of training in listing skills is an

important barrier.

8 Bad Listening Habits:- Most people are very average listeners who have developed

poor listening habits that are hard to said and that act as barriers to listening. For

example, some people have the habits of “faking” attention, or trying to look like a
 listener, in order to impress the speaker and to assure him that they are paying attention.

Others may tend to listen to each and every fact and, as a result, missed out the main

point.

Ways to improve Listening skill

Hearing and Listening are two diffrenet activity. Hearing is passive whereas Listenging is

active. Listening is a psychological process. It can therefore be improved by regular

practice. Listening is a very helpful skill. Active listening is really an extension of the

Golden Rule. Here are some of the tips which can help the person to improve his

Listening skill:

1. Face the speaker. Sit up straight or lean forward slightly to show your attentiveness

through body language.

2. Maintain eye contact, to the degree that you all remain comfortable.

3. Minimize external distractions. Turn off the TV. Put down your book or magazine, and ask

the speaker and other listeners to do the same.

4. Respond appropriately to show that you understand. Murmur (“uh-huh” and “um-hmm”)

and nod. Raise your eyebrows. Say words such as “Really,” “Interesting,” as well as more

direct prompts: “What did you do then?” and “What did she say?”

5. Focus solely on what the speaker is saying. Try not to think about what you are going to

say next. The conversation will follow a logical flow after the speaker makes her point.
 6. Minimize internal distractions. If your own thoughts keep horning in, simply let them go

and continuously re-focus your attention on the speaker, much as you would during

meditation.

7. Keep an open mind. Wait until the speaker is finished before deciding that you disagree.

Try not to make assumptions about what the speaker is thinking.

8. Avoid letting the speaker know how you handled a similar situation. Unless they

specifically ask for advice, assume they just need to talk it out.

9. Even if the speaker is launching a complaint against you, wait until they finish to defend

yourself. The speaker will feel as though their point had been made. They won’t feel the

need to repeat it, and you’ll know the whole argument before you respond. Research shows

that, on average, we can hear four times faster than we can talk, so we have the ability to

sort ideas as they come in…and be ready for more.

10. Engage yourself. Ask questions for clarification, but, once again, wait until the speaker has

finished. That way, you won’t interrupt their train of thought. After you ask questions,

paraphrase their point to make sure you didn’t misunderstand. Start with: “So you’re

saying…”

Benefits of Effective Listening

Learning the skill of effective listening benefits personal growth and development in the

following ways:
o Effective Communication – Clear and concise transmission of information is an

important component of effective human interaction. Though the onus is often placed on

presenting clear and concise written or spoken directions, the listener also bears a

responsibility to hear and understand messages.

o Fewer Misunderstandings – Regardless of the clarity of written or spoken messages, the

effective listener can prevent misunderstandings and salvage what otherwise might be a

mis-communication by practicing active listening skills.

o Improved Relationships – Relationships are damaged by misunderstandings that can

lead to unsatisfactory business transactions as well as hurt feelings in personal

relationships. Excellent listening practices tell others that they are important, special, and

what they have to say is valued. That is very attractive and contributes to strong

relationships.

o Personal Growth – A person learns and grows by listening and understanding other

viewpoints, differing ideas, and exploring conflicting viewpoints. Learning the skill of

active and effective listening not only adds a tool to the personal development portfolio,

but equips you to continue growing with tools for exploring new ideas.

o Enhances productivity

o Avoids conflicts

o Improves understanding

o Improves negotiation skills

o Adds to your Image & Personality

 conclusions

Listening is not just about being Quiet while someone else is speaking. Listening is with the

mind, hearing with the senses therefore to improve our interpersonal & oral exchange Just

listening to words is not enough; a good listener has to pay attention to the non-verbal

communication of the speaker.

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