Listening What is the difference

+ Listening

+ What is the difference between Hearing and Listening? Hearing: a biological process in which sound waves are picked up and transmitted to your brain. . . it is a constant process. n Listening: a SKILL that involves hearing with attention and concentration. n n n A good listener must understand interpret sound in a meaningful way. Statistics show the average person misses about 75% of what s/he hears.

+ Reasons for Learning Effective Listening • Avoid misunderstandings • Get along better with others • Learn more about the world • Be more successful in school or on the job

+ Four Types of Listening 1. Informative: basis for all listening – with all listening you are obtaining some form of information. Listening to a teacher lecture 1. Sensitive: involves listening to another person’s feelings. Listening to a friend talk about their bad day 1. Critical: examining a persuasive message and making a decision. Listening to an infomercial and deciding whether or not to buy the product 1. Creative: using active imagination as you interpret a message (involves visualizing). Listening to the radio and imagining what the DJ looks like

+ Types of Listeners 1. Skilled (good) listeners 1. Non-attender: does not pay attention/daydreams 1. Word-picker: only listens sporadically, picking out a few words and assuming the rest. 1. Assumer: tunes out after the beginning of the discussion, assuming the rest

+ Barriers to Listening External Barriers: Environment – temperature, place, noises, colors, distractions (you may or may not have control over these) n

+ Speaker Barriers Conflicting demands – if the speaker is saying something you don’t believe in/agree with n Speaker’s Credibility – how well-known, believable, trustworthy a speaker is. (Credibility is obtained by introducing the speaker by telling the audience his/her credentials or the speaker cites sources) n Speaker’s style – the way s/he delivers the speech, mannerisms & appearance n

+ Barriers to Listening n Daydreaming: n n n The average speaker emits 150 words per minute. The average listener comprehends 380 words per minute. We can understand faster than anyone can talk, so we encounter “dead space”. n Close-mindedness n Overemphasizing the Source n Listening only to what is easy to understand