The document discusses the importance of active listening. It explains that listening is one of the hardest communication skills to learn. Active listening requires focusing on the speaker, using body language to show attention, listening without judgment, asking questions, reflecting on what was said, and using encouraging responses. Some things to avoid are interrupting, interrogating, thinking of your own response, changing the subject, and being judgmental. Poor listening styles include spacing out, pretend listening, selective listening, word listening, and self-centered listening.

1. Are You REALLY
Listening?
Of all the component skills of
communication (speaking, writing,
reading, listening), for most people,
LISTENING is the hardest skill to learn.
Andyet…. By:-
Manoj Singh
Professor – Technical English (AKTU)
MCSGOC

2. • Sometimes we may hear what
someone is saying without really
listening.
• In youropinion, what’s the difference
between hearing and listening?

3. • Successful communication requires
ACTIVE LISTENING.
• What’sthe difference between
passive listening and active
listening?

4. How to be an ACTIVE
Listener:
• 1. Be attentive. FOCUS on the speaker.
• 2. Use nonverbal actions to show you are
listening.
– relaxed posture
– head-nodding
– facial expression
– relaxed body expression
– eye contact
• 3. Listen with an accepting attitude.

5. • 4.Ask some questions to demonstrate that
you are sincerely interested.
• 5. Use reflections and restatements
frequently to try to communicate to the
person what you think they are saying and
test for understanding.
• 6. Practice “mirroring.”

6. • 7. Use encouraging words to show
you are listening and to invite speaker
to continue.
– "I see."
– "Right."
– "Uh, huh.”
– "Tell me more."
– "Sounds like you have some ideas on
this."
– "I'm interested in what you have to say."
– "Let's talk about it."

7. THINGS TO AVOID
While Being an Active
Listener
1. DO NOT INTERRUPT!!!
2. Do not interrogate. Limit the number of
questions you ask so that you are not
"drilling" them.

8. 3. Do not try to think of your response in
your own head while you are listening.
4. Do not change the subject.

9. 5. Do not be judgmental. Avoid
phrases like:
– "Are you sure?"
– "You shouldn't feel that way."
– "It’s not thatbad."
– You're making something out ofnothing.”
– "That's adumb question.”

10. • According to Sean Covey, author of The7
Habits of Highly Effective Teens,there are
five different poor listening styles.
1. Spacing out
2. Pretend listening
3. Selective listening
4. Word listening
5. Self-centered listening
• Judging
• advising
• probing

11. • 1. Spacing out occurs when we are so
tuned out to what someone is saying it’s like
we’re in another world.

12. • 2. Pretend listening happens when
someone is not really listening but acts
like they are because they make
comments once in awhile as the speaker
is talking by saying things like “yeah,” “uh-
huh,” “awesome.”

13. • 3. Selective listening means that the
listener is only paying attention to the
parts of the conversation that interest
him.

14. • 4. Word listening means that you pay
attention only to the words that
someone is saying, and not to their
body language.

15. • 5. Self-centered listening happens when we
hear everything from our own point of view,
not the point of view of the speaker.
• There are three types of self-centered
listening:

16. • judging – sometimes we make
judgments about the speaker instead
of listening

17. • advising – sometimes we give advice
instead of just listening

18. • probing – this happens when we question
and try to dig up emotions before the
speaker is ready to share them
• Do your parents ever do this to
you? 