Listening skills

Listening skills : 

Listening skills Listening is an active process. No oral communication can be effective without proper listening on the part of the receiver of the message. Poor listening may defeat the very purpose of oral communication. It requires serious efforts on the part of the listener to absorb what is being told.

Importance of listening : 

Importance of listening A number of benefits would accrue by cultivating this skill: Improves your intellectual ability to understand and evaluate the views and opinions expressed by others. Enable you to gather proper and accurate information, facilitating appropriate decision making. Assist you to establish rapport with co-workers quickly. Help the speaker give his/her best in group communication situations.

Listening Process : 

Listening Process Listening is a 4 stage self-generated activity:- Hearing Filtering & Interpreting Responding Remembering Hearing is a physiological process and a passive activity. Listening is a mental process and involves understanding and retaining the message.

PURPOSE OF LISTENING : 

PURPOSE OF LISTENING In the context of performance of our duties there are two specific purposes of listening. We listen to gain new information and ideas transmitted through both formal and informal channels. Listening enables us to participate effectively in discussions and other interactions.

Difference between hearing and listening : 

Difference between hearing and listening Listening is a purposeful hearing. In our day to day life we hear so many things but we don’t listen all we hear. All hearing is not listening. Hearing is a physiological process in which the sound waves emanating from animate and inanimate objects strike the eardrums. You sometimes have to hear what you don't want to hear. And certainly you don't try to interpret the meaning of everything that you hear.

Barriers in the Listening Process : 

Barriers in the Listening Process Aggressive and self-centered persons. The dislike for a person or topic. Noisy environment. Difficulties in understanding a particular language. The listener occupied with problem. Lack of previous knowledge.

Ways of improving listening skills : 

Ways of improving listening skills Prepare yourself to listen by gathering information about the settings, the topic and the speaker. Have a positive attitude towards both the speaker and the topic. Keep an open mind. First try to understand what is being said and then evaluate it with reference to the context. Concentrate on the matter being spoken, carefully identifying the main points.

Ways of improving listening skills : 

Ways of improving listening skills Observe the non-verbal clues such as twinkle in the eye, flourish of hands, shrugging of shoulders and facial expressions, i.e. listening with your eyes and not merely with your ears. Ignore distractions such as the gaudy dress or speech mannerisms of the speaker. Refrain from interruptions, premature comments. direct advice, especially in seminars and meetings. Wait till your turn comes or you are invited to comment and ask questions.

Ways of improving listening skills : 

Ways of improving listening skills Have patience while listening. The speed of thinking is much more than speed of speaking. The time lag between the two may lead to boredom or even daydreaming. Take notes systematically. Jot down not only the main points but also the gist of supporting evidence or arguments. Invent your personal abbreviations to record key words or phrases .it is advisable to do so because we tend to forget tomorrow what we hear today.