Listening Skills Lecture Notes PDF

LISTENING SKILLS Listening is the active process of receiving and responding to spoken messages. It is the ability to understand spoken language, including distinguishing individual sounds, words, and phrases and involves identifying the sounds of speech and processing them into words and sentences...

LISTENING SKILLS Listening is the active process of receiving and responding to spoken messages. It is the ability to understand spoken language, including distinguishing individual sounds, words, and phrases and involves identifying the sounds of speech and processing them into words and sentences. Listening in any language requires focus and attention. It is a skill that some people need to work at harder than others. It is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are easily misunderstood. As a result, communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated. According to Oxford Living Dictionaries, to listen is to give attention to sound or action. When listening, one is hearing what others are saying, and trying to understand what it means. It is the ability to receive meaningful sounds, to understand the sounds received, to interpret the sounds and respond to the demands expressed in the sounds received. It is a complex process which requires active action in order to understand what is being said. Listening is a very useful skill for effective communication in all spheres of life. This is because effective communication requires both the ability to produce well-articulated speeches as well as the ability to receive messages accordingly. The International Listening Association defines listening as the process of receiving, constructing meaning from and responding to spoken or non-verbal messages. The first communication skill we engage in the moment we are born is listening. It is how we learn and acquire language. Speaking and listening, then, are always interrelated. However, although it is our first communicative behavior, listening is usually our most underdeveloped communication skill. Because we cannot physically shut down our auditory perceptions, it might be easy to assume that we are always in a state of listening. Individuals, however, have the ability to appear to be listening when they are actually just hearing. Listening is Not the Same as Hearing because Hearing refers to the sounds that enter your ears. It is a physical process that, provided you do not have any hearing problems, happens automatically. Listening, however, requires more than that: it requires focus and concentrated effort, both mental and sometimes physical as well. 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. In other words, it means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and understand these messages. Listening is not a passive process. In fact, the listener can, and should, be at least as engaged in the process as the speaker. The phrase ‘active listening’ is used to describe this process of being fully involved. The basic difference is that hearing is passive while listening is active. Effective communication often requires not just hearing, but active listening to ensure that messages are accurately received and understood. Listening and hearing are often used interchangeably, but they are distinct processes in communication. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HEARING AND LISTENING HEARING LISTENING Hearing is a natural and passive Listening is an active deliberate and process which requires little or conscious process no conscious effort Listening is an active mental process Hearing is not a mental process Listening is profound. It takes a conscious effort Hearing is superficial, you can hear in passing Listening is an intentional and active process that involves understanding, Hearing is a natural and passive interpreting, and engaging with the process of perceiving sound, information conveyed through those sounds. Listening is a linear process and there are 3 basic steps to the act. They are Hearing, Understanding and Judging. Hearing means knowing that a sound has been made. It is the first step in listening. You cannot listen without the ability to hear. It is the sensory act of perceiving auditory stimuli. Understanding deals with your ability to comprehend what has been said in a way that is not in conflict with the speaker’s intent. In this step, you go beyond simply hearing the words or sounds. You process the information, decipher the meaning, and make sense of what is being said. This may involve decoding the language, recognizing the context, and understanding the speaker's intentions. Judging and Responding is the evaluation of what has been said. After having comprehended what you just listened , you evaluate whether it makes sense or not. This involves retaining the information and then deciding how to respond or react to what you've heard. While listening is an active task which requires mental ability to understand the message carried by the sound waves, hearing on the other hand is a passive reception of sound waves. The ears play an active role during listening hence the listener must be well positioned. LISTENING/COMMUNICATION SETTINGS These are the situations in which listening occurs. 1. INTERACTIVE SETTING; this involves active participation between the listener and the audience. It is called participatory listening where the listener takes an active role during the period of the interlocution by requesting clarification or providing feedback during the discourse for a more effective communication. This often takes place in person-person communications or telephone conversations. These kinds of interactions often allow the listener to interrupt for more clarification when necessary. Interactive listening situations include face-to-face conversations and telephone calls, in which we are alternately listening and speaking, and in which we have a chance to ask for clarification, repetition, or slower speech from our conversation partner. 2. NON-INTERACTIVE SETTING: In this case the listener has no contribution and no means of seeking clarification midstream in the course of the discourse. The level of attention in this instance is very high and more demanding than the interactive setting. Examples include listening to the radio, TV, films, lectures, or sermons. In such situations, we usually don't have the opportunity to ask for clarification, slower speech or repetition. There is, however, a 3rd listening setting which is often referred to as Partial Setting where the listener is only allowed at certain intervals of the discourse to ask questions. In this case, for effective listening to occur the listener often would need to take notes of the points to be addressed at the appropriate time. This type of setting also requires more focused attention as in the non-interactive setting. This setting often occurs in seminars, lectures and public speaking.  TYPES OF LISTENING There are 2 main types of listening: Active and Passive listening. Active listening is listening with a purpose, it is an attentive listening aimed at garnering information and knowledge. Active listening is more than just listening to what is being said, it is listening to the unspoken also. It provides us with the cues to read between the lines. In other words, you engage all your senses, attitudes, thoughts, feelings and intentions in the communication process. Active listening, also known as reflective listening, is the skill of listening closely and reflecting back the information to the speaker. Such listening behavior greatly reduces miscommunication and errors in perception by clarifying the message and creating common ground. Active listening is a highly engaged form of listening where the listener gives their full attention to the speaker, providing verbal and nonverbal feedback to show that they are actively processing and understanding the information. Active listening often involves asking questions and seeking clarification to ensure a deep understanding of the speaker's message.  TYPES OF ACTIVE LISTENING Critical listening is listening to distinguish between facts and fallacy or between logic and emotional arguments. It involves carefully analyzing and evaluating the content of the speaker's message. It includes assessing the accuracy of information, the strength of arguments, and the credibility of the source. Critical listening is often used in academic and professional contexts. Relational or dialogic listening, also a type of active listening, takes into account the whole listening environment and seeks to enhance personal relationships. Relationships are built through conversations, and relational or dialogic listening seeks to learn about and from the other individual in the relationship in order to further enhance mutual understanding and communication. Discriminative listening involves one’s efforts to differentiate between the sights and sounds of a language. From an early age we are able to differentiate the different sounds in our language but may be unable to decipher the specific sounds in another language. That is why the Igbo would mispronounce a Hausa or Yoruba name and vice-versa. Example Nairobi. In this case one is listening for something specific i.e. tonal inflections.  Appreciative Listening is listening for pleasure. It is entertaining oneself with what the speaker is saying without much reflection on the message. It dwells more on sharing of personal experiences within an informal context. Appreciative listening is when you listen for enjoyment or entertainment. This type of listening is common when listening to music, watching a movie, or attending a performance. The goal is to appreciate and enjoy the content rather than critically analyze it. Passive Listening is a negative listening behavior in which the hearer is seemingly uninterested in the discourse. There is little or no personal involvement in the communication process. ​It occurs when someone listens without actively engaging in the conversation. They may hear the words but not fully process or respond to them. Passive listening is common when listening to background noise or when not fully focused on the speaker. Certain behaviors create the tendency to misinterpret or lose information that could be otherwise beneficial to the listener. These are negative listening habits which should be addressed for remedy.  EFFECTIVE LISTENING SKILLS Don't Show Negative Body Language :As the saying goes, ‘the first impression is the last impression’, hence you should always be careful when it comes to body language. It is said that a typical communication consists of more than 50% non-verbal communication, which includes body language. So if your body language is sending negative signals to the other person, the communication will probably break down in the process. Do Not Interrupt the Other Person: It is very rude to interrupt a person while they are speaking. Nobody likes to be interrupted because it hampers the thought process and it is disrespectful. If you have to make an interruption and it is necessary for you to speak at the exact moment, then you need to make gentle interruptions. Ask the person if you can interrupt him or her and say sorry, and whatever you wanted to say must justify your interruption. Think Before You Speak: Another adage that perfectly describes this point is ‘look before you leap’. You should think how your words are going to affect the person with whom you are communicating before making any comments. That means you should try to connect with the feelings of the other person in order to show that you genuinely care about the conversation that is going between the two of you. Don't be Defensive– Be Neutral: Some people tend to get defensive or attacking during conversations. You do not have to get overexcited when someone points out your mistakes and get defensive or attack them. Be neutral and transparent so that you can understand what is actually being discussed. Always maintain the balance in the conversation so that everyone involved in the discussion has a fair part in it. Avoid distractions Secure a comfortable position THE TEN PRINCIPLES OF LISTENING Effective listening involves several key principles that are essential for facilitating clear communication and understanding between individuals. A good listener will listen not only to what is being said, but also to what is left unsaid or only partially said. Effective listening involves observing body language and noticing inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal messages. For example, if someone tells you that they are happy with their life but through gritted teeth or with tears filling their eyes, you should consider that the verbal and non-verbal messages are in conflict, they may don't mean what they say. Stop Talking: “If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and one ear.” Mark Twain. Give Your Full Attention: Listening requires your full, undivided attention. Minimize distractions, such as phones or other devices, and focus on the speaker. This demonstrates respect and shows that you value the speaker's message.  Be Nonjudgmental: Avoid making judgments, forming opinions, or jumping to conclusions while listening. Reserve judgment until you have a complete understanding of what the speaker is saying. Avoid Interrupting: Refrain from interrupting the speaker, even if you have a strong urge to respond or share your thoughts. Allow the speaker to finish before you respond. Show Empathy: Empathize with the speaker's feelings and experiences. Try to understand their emotions, concerns, and perspective. Expressing empathy helps build trust and rapport. Use Nonverbal Cues: Nonverbal cues, such as maintaining eye contact, nodding, and using appropriate facial expressions, signal to the speaker that you are actively engaged and receptive to their message. Reflect and Clarify: Periodically reflect on what you've heard by paraphrasing or summarizing the speaker's words. This can help confirm your understanding and provide the speaker with an opportunity to correct any misunderstandings. Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage the speaker to share more by asking open-ended questions that invite elaboration and deeper discussion. These questions typically begin with "what," "how," or "why."  Listen to the Tone: Volume and tone both add to what someone is saying to keep an audience attentive to understand the emphasis of what is being said. Listen for Ideas, Not Just Words: Get the whole picture, not just isolated bits and pieces. With proper concentration, letting go of distractions, and focus this becomes easier. Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication: Gestures, facial expressions, and eye-movements are important. We don’t just listen with our ears, but also with our eyes to pick up the information from non-verbal communication. Respect Cultural Differences: Recognize that cultural differences can impact communication styles and expectations. Be sensitive to cultural nuances and adjust your listening approach accordingly. Practice Patience: Be patient when listening. Some people may take more time to express their thoughts or emotions. Allow them the space to do so without rushing the conversation. Avoid Assumptions: Avoid making assumptions about what the speaker is saying. Seek clarification if something is unclear or ambiguous rather than making assumptions.  CONCLUSION Listening is the 1st essential language skill. It is an essential language skill because we learn by listening , then we speak and read and, finally, write. It is the foundational basis for the other three language skills. Listening skills are necessary to improve communication, interpersonal relationships, emotional intelligence and self-analysis. Strong listening skills are not only essential for effective communication but also for building trust, resolving conflicts, and developing meaningful relationships with others. Effective communicators adapt their listening style based on the context and their goals, using the appropriate type of listening to facilitate better understanding and communication.