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Study Guide & Strategies
Active Listening
A good listener tries to
understand thoroughly what the other person is saying.
In the end he may disagree sharply, but before he disagrees, he
wants to know exactly what it is...
Kenneth A. Wells,
American
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
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Focus your attention
on the subject
Stop all non-relevant
activities beforehand to orient yourself
to the speaker or the topic
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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.)
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Avoid distractions
Seat yourself appropriately
close to the speaker
Avoid distractions (a window, a talkative neighbor, noise, etc.)
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Acknowledge any
emotional state
Suspend emotions until later, or
Passively participate unless you can control your emotions
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Set aside
your prejudices, your opinions
You are present to learn what the
speaker has to say,
not the other way around
Actively listen
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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
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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
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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
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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
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