Unit 2 Listening Skills

Unit 2
Listening Skills
Listening is a crucial aspect of effective communication. It involves paying

attention to the speaker, understanding their message, and responding
appropriately. Here are some reasons why listening is important in
communication:
1. Builds trust: When you listen actively, you show the speaker that you value
and respect their thoughts and opinions. This helps build trust and strengthens
relationships.
2. Clarifies misunderstandings: Listening carefully can help you understand the
speaker's intended message and clarify any misunderstandings.
3. Improves communication: Listening actively helps to ensure that messages
are conveyed accurately and effectively. It also helps to prevent
miscommunication and misunderstandings.
4. Encourages open communication: When you listen actively, you create a safe
and supportive environment where the speaker feels comfortable sharing their
thoughts and feelings.
5. Fosters empathy: Listening can help you understand the speaker's perspective
and emotions, which can foster empathy and a deeper understanding of their
needs.
6. Promotes problem-solving: Listening can help you identify the root causes of
a problem and come up with effective solutions.
7. Enhances learning: Listening can help you learn new things and gain new
insights.
8. Improves decision-making: Listening to different perspectives can help you
make more informed decisions.
9. Boosts self-esteem: When you listen actively, you show the speaker that you
value their input and opinions, which can boost their self-esteem and
confidence.
10. Saves time: Listening carefully can help you avoid misunderstandings and
miscommunication, which can save time and resources.
Overall, listening is a critical aspect of effective communication. By actively

listening to others, you can build trust, improve communication, foster empathy,
promote problem-solving, enhance learning, improve decision-making, boost
self-esteem, and save time.
To improve your listening skills, you can follow these tips:
 Be attentive: Pay attention to the speaker and avoid distractions.
 Show interest: Show interest in the conversation and ask questions.
 Provide feedback: Provide feedback to the speaker to show that you are
listening.
 Avoid interrupting: Avoid interrupting the speaker and let them finish
their thoughts.
 Be patient: Be patient and avoid jumping to conclusions.
Listening and Hearing
Hearing and listening are two different concepts. Hearing is the ability to perceive
sound waves and noise by ears, while listening is the learned skill of interpreting
and understanding the sounds we hear.
Hearing is a physiological process of attending to sound within one’s environment,

while listening is a focused, concentrated approach to understanding the message a
source is sending3. In other words, hearing is passive and automatic, while listening
is active and intentional.
Here are some key differences between hearing and listening:

Basis for
Hearing Listening
Comparison
Hearing refers to one’s Listening is something done

ability to perceive sounds, consciously, that involves the
Meaning
by receiving vibrations analysis and understanding of
through ears. the sounds you hear.
Nature Primary and continuous Secondary and temporary
Act Physiological Psychological
Receipt of message through Interpretation of the message

Involves
ears. received by ears.
Process Passive bodily process Active mental process
Occurs at Subconscious level Conscious level
Use of senses Only one More than one
We are neither aware nor

We listen to acquire knowledge
Reason we have any control over
and receive information.
the sounds we hear.
Concentration Not required Required

Hone your Listening Skills
Some techniques to hone your listening skills:
1. Active listening: This technique involves giving your full attention to the
speaker, maintaining eye contact, and asking clarifying questions to ensure you
understand their message.
2. Paraphrasing: Repeat back what you heard the speaker say in your own
words. This helps to ensure you understood the message correctly and it also
helps the speaker feel heard and validated.
3. Reflective listening: Reflective listening involves paraphrasing the speaker's
message and then reflecting back your understanding of their emotions and
needs. This can help to build trust and create a deeper connection with the
speaker.
4. Empathetic listening: Empathetic listening involves putting yourself in the
speaker's shoes and trying to understand their perspective. This can help to build
rapport and create a safe space for the speaker to open up.
5. Mindful listening: Mindful listening involves being present and fully engaged
in the conversation. It involves paying attention to the speaker's words, tone,
and body language.
6. Focused listening: Focused listening involves directing your attention to the
speaker and avoiding distractions. This can help to improve your ability to listen
actively and retain information.
7. Open-ended listening: Open-ended listening involves asking open-ended
questions that encourage the speaker to share more information. This can help to
create a deeper understanding of the speaker's needs and perspectives.
8. Non-judgmental listening: Non-judgmental listening involves setting aside
your own biases and assumptions and trying to understand the speaker's
perspective without judgment. This can help to create a safe space for the
speaker to open up and share their thoughts and feelings.
9. Summarizing: Summarizing involves summarizing the main points of the
conversation. This can help to ensure you understood the message correctly and
it can also help to reinforce the speaker's key points.
10. Practice, practice, practice: Listening is a skill that can be developed with
practice. Try to practice active listening in your daily conversations and you will
see improvement over time.
Remember, listening is a skill that takes time and practice to develop, but it is an
essential skill for building strong relationships and achieving success in both
personal and professional life.
Types of Listening
There are several types of listening, each with its own unique purpose and
techniques. Here are some of the most common types of listening:
1. Ignoring: This type of listening involves tuning out or disregarding the

speaker, often due to a lack of interest or relevance.
2. Selective Listening: This type of listening involves focusing on specific
information or details that are of interest, while ignoring the rest of the message.
3. Recall Listening: This type of listening is used to remember specific
information or details, often for later recall.
4. Attentive Listening: This type of listening involves giving the speaker your
full attention, focusing on the message, and actively trying to understand the
speaker's perspective.
5. Empathetic Listening: This type of listening involves understanding and
sharing the feelings of the speaker, rather than just hearing their words.
6. Critical Listening: This type of listening involves analyzing and evaluating
the speaker's message, often to identify errors or inconsistencies.
7. Creative Listening: This type of listening involves using your imagination
and creativity to understand the speaker's message and respond in a meaningful
way.
8. Informational Listening: This type of listening is used when you want to
learn something new. It requires a high level of concentration and critical
thinking to understand the new concept.
9. Comprehensive Listening: Comprehensive listening is used when we need
to understand the overall message of a conversation or presentation. It
involves paying attention to the main points and supporting details.
Differences between Types of Listening:
Here are some key differences between the different types of listening:
1. Ignoring Listening vs. Attentive Listening: Ignoring listening is passive and

disengaged, while attentive listening is active and engaged.
2. Selective Listening vs. Empathetic Listening: Selective listening is focused
on specific information, while empathetic listening is focused on understanding
the speaker's feelings.
3. Recall Listening vs. Critical Listening: Recall listening is focused on
remembering specific information, while critical listening is focused on
evaluating the speaker's message.
4. Creative Listening vs. Attentive Listening: Creative listening is imaginative
and creative, while attentive listening is focused on understanding the speaker's
message.

Unit 2 Listening Skills

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Unit 2 Listening Skills

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Unit 2 Listening Skills

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Unit 2

Listening is a crucial aspect of effective communication. It involves paying

Overall, listening is a critical aspect of effective communication. By actively

Listening and Hearing

Hearing is a physiological process of attending to sound within one’s environment,

Here are some key differences between hearing and listening:

Hearing refers to one’s Listening is something done

Nature Primary and continuous Secondary and temporary

Act Physiological Psychological

Receipt of message through Interpretation of the message

Process Passive bodily process Active mental process

Occurs at Subconscious level Conscious level

Use of senses Only one More than one

We are neither aware nor

Concentration Not required Required

1. Ignoring: This type of listening involves tuning out or disregarding the

Differences between Types of Listening:

1. Ignoring Listening vs. Attentive Listening: Ignoring listening is passive and

You might also like