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1. To identify and explain two important types of listening

2. To understand poor listening habits and reasons for not listening

3. To explore and understand different listening skills

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Listening is the process of hearing and focusing your attention to

understandunderstand and rememberremember an oral message

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• Four steps are required in the listening process

1. hearing- is a function of the ears, intake of information

2. focusing attention- concentrating on the speaker and what he/she says

3. understanding- attaching a meaning to the speaker’s message

4. remembering- accurately paraphrasing something you have just heard

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Two important types of listening

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• Typically occurs in a formal situation, such as school, interviews and work

• Allows listener to acquire information, solve problems and persuade/dissuade the speaker

• Requires complete attention on the speaker and strong listening skills

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• Typically occurs in an informal situation, such as when we are with our friends

• Includes listening for:– pleasure– amusement– recreation– relaxation

• Allows listener to relax and enjoy the conversation

• Sometimes called passive listening

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• To relax– such as listening to good music

• To obtain information– adults gain an estimated 90% of

information by listening

• To express interest– says the person you are listening

to is important

• To discover attitudes– helps identify the speaker’s true

feelings through nonverbal cues

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• Distracting interruptions• Thinking about something else• Disagreeing with the speaker• Assuming what the speaker will say• Having difficulty hearing or understanding

the speaker (e.g., foreign accent)• Misunderstanding the speakerCan you recall a time when you remember NOT

listening because of one of these reasons?

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• Stereotyping the speaker or message being delivered

• Dismissing subjects as uninteresting• Faking attention• Looking for disruptions• Listening for details

rather than main points• Failing to notice body

language and facial expressions

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• Sit up straight, do not slouch against the back of the chair

• Tilt face toward the channel of communication

• Maintain eye contact

• Ensure body language and facial expressions match the message you are trying to send

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• Listen to the speaker's message without stereotyping or judging

• Avoid analyzing the delivery– example: do not count the number of times

the speaker says “Uh”

• Pick out main points rather than getting bogged down in the details

• Ignore interruptions and distractions

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• Provide feedback conveying you are interested– examples: nod, facial expressions, body language

• Restate message for further clarification• Ask questions for further explanation• Remember:

– there is a reason you have one mouth and two ears– it is essential to improve your listening skills to

become an effective communicator

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• Based on what you have learned, make a list of your strengths and weaknesses as a listener

• How can you improve your listening skills?

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1. In what type of situation does active listening typically occur?

2. In what type of situation does casual listening typically occur?

3. (T/F) Casual listening requires the listener to pay more attention than active listening.

4. What is an example of a poor listening habit?5. List three reasons for not listening.6. Explain what you have learned about listening

skills, which will make you a more effective communicator.

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Alessandra, Tony, PhD. “Sixteen Commonsense Listening Tips”. Alessandra.com. http://www.alessandra.com/freeresources/16CommonSenseListeningTips.html

University of Minnesota Duluth. “Listening Skills”. http://www.d.umn.edu/student/loon/acad/strat/ss_listening.html

CEV00618 Are You Listening?

CEV00712 Just Between Us: Communication 101

International Listening Association. http://www.listen.org

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