Unit 3: Listening Skills

1. Introduction to Active Listening

Definition

Listening is an active, conscious process that requires the intellect to translate sound waves into meaningful information. Unlike hearing, which is a physiological process (the involuntary reception of sound), listening is a psychological and cognitive act that involves decoding, interpreting, and responding to messages.

Active Listening is a structured form of listening and responding that focuses the attention on the speaker. The listener must take care to attend to the speaker fully, and then repeat, in the listener's own words, what they think the speaker has said.

The Active Listening Process (HURIER Model)

1. Hearing: Perceiving the sound.
2. Understanding: Comprehending the symbols and tone.
3. Remembering: Storing the message for future recall.
4. Interpreting: Assigning meaning to the message based on context and non-verbal cues.
5. Evaluating: Judging the accuracy and intent of the message.
6. Responding: Giving feedback to the speaker (verbal or non-verbal).

Characteristics of an Active Listener

• Eye Contact: Maintains comfortable engagement to show interest.
• Non-Verbal Cues: Nods, leans forward, and mirrors the speaker's posture appropriately.
• Withholding Judgment: Listens to the whole message before forming a conclusion or interruption.
• Paraphrasing: Restates the speaker's thoughts to ensure understanding ("So what you are saying is...").
• Clarifying: Asks open-ended questions to clear up confusion.

2. Types of Listening

Listening styles vary based on the situation and the goal of the interaction.

A. Discriminative Listening

• Definition: The most basic type of listening; identifying the difference between sounds.
• Function: Differentiating between pitch, volume, and tone. It occurs before understanding the meaning of words (e.g., distinguishing a happy tone from an angry tone even if the language is foreign).

B. Comprehensive (Informational) Listening

• Definition: Listening to understand the message.
• Function: This is the primary type used in academic and professional settings (e.g., listening to a lecture, instructions, or the news).
• Key Skill: Focusing on the core message and vocabulary.

C. Critical (Evaluative) Listening

• Definition: Listening to judge or evaluate the content.
• Function: Used when we need to decide to accept or reject an idea. It involves critical thinking and logic analysis.
• Example: Listening to a sales pitch, a political debate, or a persuasive speech.

D. Empathetic (Therapeutic) Listening

• Definition: Listening to understand the feelings and emotions of the speaker.
• Function: The goal is to provide emotional support rather than to critique or solve a problem immediately.
• Key Skill: High emotional intelligence and the ability to suspend one's own ego.

E. Appreciative Listening

• Definition: Listening for pleasure or enjoyment.
• Example: Listening to music, poetry, or a comedy routine. The listener’s response is emotional rather than intellectual.

3. Listening for Structure

Effective listeners do not just listen for individual words; they listen for the architecture of the speech to anticipate what comes next.

Signposting and Discourse Markers

Speakers use specific words to signal the organization of their talk. Recognizing these markers allows the listener to categorize information mentally.

Identifying Structural Patterns

1. Thesis Statement: Usually found in the introduction; identifying this allows the listener to filter subsequent information as relevant or irrelevant.
2. Main Points vs. Supporting Details: Listeners must distinguish between the core argument (Main Point) and the evidence used to back it up (statistics, anecdotes, examples).
3. Vocal Cues: Speakers often pause, slow down, or raise their volume when delivering the most critical structural points.

4. Note-Taking Techniques

Note-taking is an external storage mechanism that aids retention and keeps the listener active.

A. The Cornell Method

• Structure: Divide the page into three sections: a narrow left column (Cue Column), a wide right column (Note-Taking Area), and a bottom section (Summary).
• Process:
  • Record: Write main notes in the right column during the lecture.
  • Question: After the lecture, write keywords or questions in the left Cue Column.
  • Summarize: Write a brief summary of the page’s content at the bottom.
• Best For: Reviewing and self-testing.

B. The Outline Method

• Structure: Uses indentation to show the hierarchy of information.
  • I. Main Topic
    • A. Sub-topic
      • 1. Supporting detail
      • 2. Supporting detail
    • B. Sub-topic
• Best For: Highly structured lectures where the speaker presents points logically.

C. The Mapping Method (Mind Mapping)

• Structure: A visual diagram. The main topic is in the center, with branches radiating out for sub-topics.
• Best For: Visual learners and lectures where the content jumps between topics or is non-linear.

D. The Charting Method

• Structure: Set up columns with headings before the lecture begins (e.g., Method | Pros | Cons | Cost).
• Best For: Comparative information, history (dates/events), or statistics.

5. Abbreviations and Symbols

To keep up with the speed of speech (approx. 125-150 words per minute) vs. writing speed (approx. 20-30 words per minute), shorthand is essential.

Common Symbols

• = : Equals, is the same as
• ≠ : Does not equal, different from
• > : Greater than, more than
• < : Less than, fewer than
• ↑ : Increase, rise, improvement
• ↓ : Decrease, fall, decline
• → : Leads to, causes, results in
• ∵ : Because
• ∴ : Therefore
• + : And, plus, also
• @ : At
• w/ : With
• w/o : Without

Abbreviation Techniques

1. Truncation: Using only the first part of a word.
   • Examples: info (information), intro (introduction), max (maximum).
2. Contraction: Removing vowels or the middle of the word.
   • Examples: bkgd (background), govt (government), mngmt (management).
3. Standard Acronyms:
   • Examples: eg (example), ie (that is), vs (versus), etc (et cetera/and so on).

Rule of Thumb: Always ensure your abbreviations are consistent so you can decode them later.

6. From Notes to Comprehending

Taking notes is only half the process. The "post-listening" phase is critical for long-term comprehension.

The "Edit and Revise" Phase

Ideally done within 24 hours of the listening event.

1. Fill in the Gaps: While the memory is fresh, clarify messy handwriting and finish incomplete sentences.
2. Highlighting: Use color to mark main concepts, vocabulary, and exam-relevant material.

Synthesis

• Connecting Ideas: Look for relationships between the notes taken today and notes from previous sessions.
• Summarizing: Attempt to summarize the entire lecture into one paragraph without looking at the detailed notes. This forces the brain to process and comprehend the "Big Picture."

Critical Reflection

Ask the following questions of your notes to move from passive recording to active comprehension:

• Is the evidence provided sufficient to support the main point?
• Did the speaker reveal any bias?
• How can I apply this information to a practical scenario?

Reconstruction

Using the Cornell Method Cue Column: Cover the main notes and look only at the keywords/questions on the left. Attempt to verbally reconstruct the lecture content. If you cannot explain it, you have not fully comprehended it yet.