LISTENING SKILLS
LISTENING
• Listening is an active process by which we make sense
of, assess, and respond to what we hear.
• The psychological process of receiving, attending to,
constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken
or nonverbal messages
PROCESS OF LISTENING –
HURIER MODEL
This model was developed by Judi Brownell:
• Receiving – it refers to the response caused by sound waves stimulating the sensory receptors
of the ear; it is physical response.
• Understanding – it is the stage at which you learn what the speaker means-the thoughts and
emotional tone.
• Remembering – it is important listening process because it means that an individual has not
only received and interpreted a message but has also added it to the mind's storage bank.
• Interpreting - Interpretation of the message builds on, and enhances,
understanding. Interpretation means considering factors such as the context in which the
message was sent. Importantly, here the listener also needs to be aware of, and avoid, any
preconceptions or biases that they may hold that may affect how the message is interpreted.
• Evaluating – it consists of judging the messages in some way. At times, you may try to evaluate
the speaker’s underlying intentions or motives.
• Responding – this stage requires that the receiver complete the process through verbal and/or
nonverbal feedback; because the speaker has no other way to determine if a message has
been received . This stage becomes the only overt means by which the sender may
determine the degree of success in transmitting the message.
LISTENING TYPES:
The two main types of listening - the foundations of all listening sub-
types are:
Discriminative Listening
Comprehensive Listening
DISCRIMINATIVE LISTENING
Discriminative listening is first developed
at a very early age – perhaps even before
birth, in the womb. This is the most
basic form of listening and does not
involve the understanding of the
meaning of words or phrases but merely
the different sounds that are produced.
In early childhood, for example, a
distinction is made between the sounds
of the voices of the parents – the voice
of the father sounds different to that of
the mother.
COMPREHENSIVE LISTENING
Comprehensive listening involves
understanding the message or
messages that are being
communicated.
Discriminative Listening Comprehensive Listening
Discriminative listening refers to translating In contrast, comprehensive listening means
sounds into words and sentences. making meaning out of words and
sentences rather than translating only.
On the other hand, it is about using
It is all about assuming meaning from the knowledge and vocabulary to understand
tone and body language. the speaker’s speech.
Discriminative listening is a process of In contrast, comprehensive listening is a
hearing but not listening. style of listening rather than just hearing.
For example, it identifies a boy and a girl For example, understanding what the boy
based on the sound of the voice. and girl are talking about is.
SPECIFIC LISTENING TYPES
The three main types of listening most common in interpersonal communication
are:
Informational Listening (Listening to Learn)
Critical Listening (Listening to Evaluate and Analyze)
Therapeutic or Empathetic Listening (Listening to Understand Feeling and
Emotion)
INFORMATIONAL LISTENING
• Informational listening is listening with the goal of learning,
understanding, and grasping information. Informational listening is
distinguished from several other forms of listening, such as relational,
appreciative, critical, discriminative, and inspirational listening.
Informational listening is considered a passive form of listening
because the listener is not judging, critiquing, or evaluating the
message. They're just listening to understand it.
CRITICAL LISTENING
• Critical listening is listening to evaluate the content of the message.
As a critical listener you are listening to all parts of the message,
analyzing it, and evaluating what you heard. When engaging in critical
listening, you are also critically thinking. You are making mental
judgments based on what you see, hear, and read. Your goal as a
critical listener is to evaluate the message that is being sent and
decide for yourself if the information is valid.
EMPATHIC LISTENING
• Empathic listening involves attempting to understand the feelings and emotions
of the speaker – to put yourself into the speaker’s shoes and share their
thoughts.
• Empathy is a way of deeply connecting with another person and therapeutic or
empathic listening can be particularly challenging. Empathy is not the same as
sympathy, it involves more than being compassionate or feeling sorry for
somebody else – it involves a deeper connection – a realization and
understanding of another person’s point of view.
• Counsellors, therapists and some other professionals use therapeutic or empathic
listening to understand and ultimately help their clients. This type of listening
does not involve making judgments or offering advice but gently encouraging the
speaker to explain and elaborate on their feelings and emotions.
Listening Tips
1. Demonstrate Your Listening Skills By Paraphrasing
2. Make Consistent Eye Contact
3. Adopt An Open Posture
4. Ask Open Questions
5. Remember Past Details
6. Show You’re A Good Listener By Nodding
7. Communicate Active Listening With Mirroring
8. Listen To Understand
