The document discusses listening skills and their importance in communication. It describes listening as an active process that requires focus and attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues. Effective listening involves accurately receiving, interpreting, and understanding messages. Some key benefits of strong listening skills include improved relationships, academic and work performance, self-esteem, health, and productivity. The document outlines various types of listening, signs of active listening, and techniques to improve listening abilities.

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LISTENING SKILLS

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LISTENING
 Arguably the most important communication skill.
 Listening is the ability to receive accurately and interpret
messages in the communication process.
 Listening is key to all effective communication.
 Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are easily
misunderstood – communication breaks down and the sender
of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated.

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LISTENING
 We probably spend more time using our listening skills than
other skills.
 Like other skills, listening takes practice.
 Real listening is an active process.
 Listening requires attention.

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LISTENING
 Listening is so important that many top employers provide
listening skills training for their employees.
 Better customer satisfaction
 Greater productivity with fewer mistakes
 Increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more
creative and innovative work.

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LISTENING
Good listening skills also have benefits in our personal lives:
 A greater number of friends and social networks
 Improved self-esteem and confidence
 Higher grades at school and in academic work
 Better health and general well-being
 *Speaking raises blood pressure; listening brings it down.

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Listening is not the same as
Hearing
 Hearing refers to the sounds you hear.
 Listening is hearing but with focus.
 Listening means paying attention not only to the story, but how
it is told, the use of language and voice, and how the other
person uses his or her body.
 Being aware of verbal and non-verbal messages.
 Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which
you perceive and understand these messages.

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We spend a lot of time listening
 Adults: 70% of their time spent in communication
 70% communication breakdown:
 45% listening
 30% speaking
 16% reading
 9% writing
 (Adler et al, 2001)

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We spend a lot of time listening

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EFFECTIVE LISTENING
 Effective listening is the process of analysing sounds,
organising them into recognisable patterns, interpreting the
patterns, and understanding the message by inferring the
meaning.
 Effective listening requires concentration and the use of your
other senses – not just hearing the words spoken.
 Listening is more than just the use of ears.

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Listening comes first
The first communication we learn in our lives is listening.
LISTENING
SPEAKING
READING
WRITING

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Basic communication skills profile

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10 Principles of Listening

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1. Stop talking
 Don’t talk; listen.

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2. Prepare yourself to listen
 Relax.

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3. Put the speaker at ease
 Help the speaker feel free to speak.

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4. Remove distractions
 Focus on what is being said.

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5. Empathise
 Try to understand the other person’s point of view.

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6. Be patient
 A pause, even a long pause, does not necessarily mean that
the speaker has finished.

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7. Avoid personal prejudice
 Try to be impartial.

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8. Listen to the tone
 Volume and tone both add to what someone is saying.

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9. Listen for ideas – not just words
 You need to get the whole picture, not just isolated bits and
pieces.

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10. Wait and watch for non-verbal
communication
 Gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements can all be
important.

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Tip:
Do not jump to conclusions about what you see and hear. You
should always seek clarification to ensure that your
understanding is correct.

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Types of Listening

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1. Appreciative listening
Listening for enjoyment.
Examples:
 Listening to music
 Listening to comedic jokes
 Listening to radio drama

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2. Discriminative listening
 Developed at an early age.
 This is the basic form of listening and does not involve the
understanding of the meaning of words or phrases but merely
the different sounds that are produced.
 Learning to distinguish differences
 Language, sounds, voices, tones, accents, etc.

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3. Comprehensive learning
 Involves understanding the message or messages that are
being communicated.
 The listener must have appropriate vocabulary and language
skills.
 Comprehensive listening is further complicated by the fact that
two different people listening to the same thing may understand
the message in different ways.
 Influenced by non-verbal communication (tones, body
language, gestures) and experiences and perspectives.

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4. Empathetic listening
 Empathetic listening involves attempting to understand the
feelings and emotions of the speaker – to put yourself on the
speaker’s shoes and share their thoughts.
 Empathy is a way of deeply connecting with another person. It
is a sharing of emotions.

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5. Critical listening
 Evaluating and scrutinising what one has said.
 Involves problem-solving and decision-making.
 Engaging of and analysis of information.
 What is the speaker trying to say? What are the main
arguments being presented? How are they different from my
current views and beliefs and knowledge?

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Active Listening
 Fully concentrating on what is being said rather than just
passively ‘hearing’ the message of the speaker.
 Listening with all the senses.

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Signs of active listening
Non-verbal signs:
 Smile
 Eye contact
 Posture
 Mirroring
 Distraction

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Signs of active listening
Verbal signs:
 Positive reinforcement (“very good”, “yes, indeed”, etc.)
 Remembering
 Questioning
 Reflection
 Clarification
 Summarisation

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Tip
 If you’re finding it difficult to concentrate on what someone is
saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say them –
this will reinforce their message and help you stay focused.

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Steps in Listening

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1. Hearing
 Perception of sound waves

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2. Attending
 Selective perception

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3. Understanding
 To understand symbols seen and heard
 Analysing the meaning of the stimuli perceived
 Example: Meaning of associated symbols such as applause

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4. Remembering
 Important to the listening process because not only is the
information received and interpreted a message but also is
retained in the person’s memory

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5. Evaluating
 The stage where active listeners participate
 Weighing evidence, differentiates fact from opinion, determines
the presence and absence of bias or prejudice in a message

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6. Responding
 Verbal or non-verbal feedback

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Listening Techniques

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1. Stay present
 Mentally present; not just physically present

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2. Make eye contact
 Eye contact is indicative of interest
 However consider if the speaker is socially anxious or shy; then
do not be aggressive with eye contact.

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3. Ask questions for clarification
 Get clear about what is being said.
 Do not mistake this to be the responding stage, however.
 Ask questions in a non-charged manner.

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4. Acknowledge feelings
 Even if you don’t agree to the feelings of the speaker,
acknowledge it.

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5. Restate or paraphrase
 For better recall and easier to understand and retain the
information

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6. Seek first to understand and then
to be understood
 Before you state your thoughts and ideas make sure you totally
understand and acknowledge the speaker’s thoughts.

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7. Give non-verbal feedback
 Smile, nod, frown, shrug, raise eyebrows, etc.

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8. Be silent

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9. Take in all the information both
verbal and non-verbal
 Focus on the meaning of what is being said and also what is
not being said.

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10. Get permission
 Sometimes people just want to be heard. At other times they
are seeking advice. Give advice only when requested and only
after the person has had a chance to give you the whole story.
If you are not sure, ask if the person is looking for your input.

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References
 Smileyriaz. Listening Skills.
http://www.slideshare.net/smileyriaz/listening-skills-
11545165?next_slideshow=1
 Listening Skills. http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-
skills.html
 Types of Listening. http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-
types.html
 Active Listening.
http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm