| |
|
|
Active, effective listening is a habit,
as well as the foundation of effective communication.
What affects
listening?
|
What do you think of the subject matter?
Is it new or have you a lot of experience with it?
Will it be difficult to understand, or simple?
Is it important to you, or just fun?
|
Is the speaker experienced or nervous?
What are the non-verbal cues of the speaker?
What frame of mind is he or she?
How personable, threatening, intelligent, etc.?
|
|
|
|
Is the message illustrated with
with visuals or examples?
Is technology used effectively?
Are concepts introduced incrementally, or with examples?
|
Is the space conducive to listening?
or to interaction or exchange with the speaker?
Are there avoidable distractions?
|
Described above are the external factors.
Now: what about you, the center, the listener?
Prepare with a positive,
engaged attitude
-
Focus your attention on the subject
Stop all non-relevant activities beforehand
to orient yourself
to the speaker or the topic
-
Review mentally what you already know
about the subject
Organize in advance relevant material in
order to develop it further
(previous lectures, TV programs, newspaper articles, web sites, prior
real life experience, etc.)
-
Avoid distractions
Seat yourself appropriately close to the speaker
Avoid distractions (a window, a talkative neighbor, noise, etc.)
-
Acknowledge any emotional state
Suspend emotions until later, or
Passively participate unless you can control your emotions
-
Set aside your prejudices, your
opinions
You are present to learn what the speaker has to say,
not the other way around
Actively listen
-
Be other-directed; focus on the
person communicating
Follow and understand the speaker as if you were walking in
their shoes
Listen with your ears but also with your eyes and other
senses
-
Be aware: non-verbally acknowledge points in the
speech
Let the argument or presentation run its course
Don't agree or disagree, but encourage the train of thought
-
Be involved:
Actively respond to questions and directions
Use your body position (e.g. lean forward) and attention to
encourage the speaker and signal your interest
Follow up activities
|
One-to-one
|
In a group/audience
|
Give the speaker time and space
for rest after talking
Express appreciation for the sharing
to build trust and encourage dialogue
Check if you have understood
- Restate
key points to affirm your understanding
& build dialogue
- Summarize
key points to affirm your understanding
& build dialogue
- Ask (non-threatening) questions
to build understanding
Continue dialogue:
- Reflect on your experience
to demonstrate your interest (feedback)
- Interpret
after you feel you have grasped content
- Apply what you have learned
to a new situation
|
Give the speaker space to regroup,
to debrief after talking
During Q & A
If posing a question
- Quickly express appreciation
- Briefly summarize a preliminary point
- Ask the relevant question
If making a point
- Quickly express appreciation
- Briefly restate the relevant idea
as presented
- State your idea, interpretation, reflection
- Invite a response
Continued development
- Get contact information
for later reference
- Invite friends/colleagues/etc.
for discussion afterward
- Write out a summary with questions
for further review
|
Feedback to improve
this page
(please specify which page)
The Study Guides and Strategies web site was created and is
maintained by Joe
Landsberger,
academic web site developer at the University
of St. Thomas (UST), St. Paul, Minnesota. It is collaboratively
maintained across institutional and national boundaries, and last revised
September 04, 2002 .
Permission is granted to freely copy, adapt, print,
transmit, and distribute
Study Guides in settings that benefit learners. On the WWW, however, please link
rather than put up your own page since pages are frequently modified and
improved in consideration of educational research. No request to link is
necessary. Additional contributions and translations are warmly
received.
|
 |
