Functional English HS -111 Asma Ashraf

Listening Skills

What is listening:

Listening is the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or non-
verbal messages.

Listening is a key component of effective communication skills . Regardless of the type,

listening is key to understanding what other people are really trying to say. Without listening, it's
easy to get something wrong and make assumptions. On the other hand, when you actively
listen, you can fully communicate with someone else. 

Listening is the most important part of communication. That’s because it allows you to come up
with a substantial and meaningful response. You can pick up on subtleties you wouldn’t have
otherwise, especially with body language . If something isn’t clear, you can ask clarifying
questions. This is something you might not have done without active listening.

At work, communication is an important soft skill. According to LinkedIn's 2019 Global Talent
Trends report, 80% of companies say that soft skills are increasingly important to their success.
Listening is also important for productive collaboration .  According to the same LinkedIn
report, collaboration is the third most important soft skill companies need.  Imagine trying to
collaborate if you can’t actively listen to your colleagues. Information gets lost, and
misunderstandings occur. The same can happen if everyone on the team uses different levels of
listening. Some people will be more engaged than others. Not everyone will get the same
understanding of the same conversation.  You can avoid this if everyone actively listens to each
other.
Plus, when you actively listen, your colleagues and your superiors will notice that you come up
with meaningful responses.  Listening is also crucial if you want to learn effectively.
Without attentive listening, it can be easy to miss small details that make a difference in your
learning.

Effective Listening

Effective Listening Is:  

 actively absorbing the information given to you by a speaker
 showing that you are listening and interested
 Providing feedback to the speaker so that he or she knows the message was received. 
 Effective listeners show speakers that they have been heard and understood.  
Communication Facts

 Listening: Learned first, used most (45%), Taught least.

 Speaking: Learned second, Used next most (30%), Taught next least
 Reading: Learned third, Used next least (16%), Taught next most
 Writing: Learned fourth, Used Least (9%), taught most.

The Process of Listening

Listening is not a process of transferring an idea from the mind of a speaker to the mind of a
listener. Rather it is a process of speaker and listener working together to achieve a common
understanding. The listening process is a circular one. The responses of Person A serve as the
stimuli for Person B, whose responses in turn serve as the stimuli for Person A, and so on.

i. Receiving:

Listening begins with receiving messages the speaker sends. Here you receive both the verbal
and the nonverbal messages. You should maintain your role as listener and avoid interrupting
the speaker until he or she is finished.

ii. Understanding:

The understanding must take into consideration both the thoughts that are expressed as well as
the emotional tone that accompanies these thoughts. For improved understanding, you should
see the speaker’s messages from the speaker’s point of view; avoid judging the message until
you have fully understood it – as the speaker intended it.

iii. Remembering:

Messages that you receive and understand need to be retained for at least some period of time.
You should identify the central ideas in a message and the major support advanced for them.

iv. Evaluating:

Evaluating consists of judging the messages in some way. Often this evaluation process goes on
without much conscious thought. You should identify any biases, self-interests, or prejudices
that may lead the speaker to slant unfairly what is presented.

v. Responding:

Responding occurs in two phases: (1) responses you make while the speaker is talking and (2)
responses you make after the speaker has stopped talking. In responding try to be supportive of
the speaker throughout the speaker’s talk by using and varying back channelling cues (I see, yes,
uh-huh) and express support for the speaker in your final responses.

Barriers to Effective Listening

Physiological Barriers:
Hearing Problems
Hearing deficiencies,
Difficulties like auditory discrimination, sequencing, memory.
Environmental Barriers:-
Physical Distractions
Problems in the Communication Channel

Cultural Barriers:-
Accents
The assumption that anyone with an accent is less intelligent,
The “noise” of misunderstanding due to accent.
Time – the amount of time that is spent listening varies culturally

Gender Barriers:-
Women listen for relational subtext, men for content
Men & women listen for different reasons

Language Problem:-
For effective listening language is important
Better to use simple words and avoid unfamiliar words

Nonverbal Distractions:-
Use of sign language.

Strategies for Improving Listening Skills

• Stop talking.
• Control your surroundings.
• Be receptive and keep an open mind.
• Listen for main points.
• Capitalize on lag time.
• Listen between the lines.
• Judge ideas, not appearances.
• Avoid interrupting.
• Take selective notes to ensure retention.
• Provide feedback and confirmation.