Summary (^55)
- Practice the nonverbal skills of active listening in one of your courses. That is, use
posture, space, eye contact, and movement to help focus your attention on the lecture.
Afterward, evaluate how much your nonverbal behaviors helped you pay attention and
recall the class material. - Verbally interact with one of the speakers in the next round of classroom speeches.
During the speech, jot down several comments or questions to ask during the
question-and-answer period. Use the D-R-E (Describe-Respond-Evaluate) method
to give written feedback after a classmate’s speech.
CRITICAL ThInKInG ExERCISES
- Listening skills are important in thousands of jobs, ranging from academic advisers or
financial aid officers on campus to hairstylists and real estate agents. Tell of a time
when someone really listened to you while performing his or her job, and then tell of a
time when someone failed to listen well. What was the outcome in each case? - Copy the Chinese symbol that stands for listening (see Figure 4.1), looking closely at
each element. In what way do you use your ears, eyes, and heart when you listen to
your classmates? Your professors? People at work? A speaker whose ideas support
your own opinions? A speaker with whom you fundamentally disagree? - To face receiver apprehension head on, listen to a speaker who makes you anxious
because he or she takes a position that differs dramatically from your views. You may
find the person on radio, television, or the Internet (for example, a person whose
lifestyle differs from yours, one whose views on a social issue, such as capital
punishment, diverge from yours, or a person with different religious beliefs). Describe,
respond to, and evaluate the content and delivery, and then assess how your appre-
hension affected your listening. - Watch a video of your choice from the Ted Talk site. As you listen, take notes on the
speech content and jot down some personal responses and observations on the
effectiveness of the speech. Then write a critique that (1) describes, (2) responds to,
and (3) evaluates the speech. Discuss this critique with a group of classmates.
APPLICATIon ExERCISES
- Be quiet for thirty seconds and listen to what’s going on around you. What sounds
can you hear (such as traffic in the background) that you’re not really listening to?
Choose one of the sounds and really listen to it, keeping in mind the five elements
of listening. - Using the diagrams in Figure 4.2 as models, draw a diagram that depicts your listening
pattern during the most recent lecture you heard. Next, draw a diagram that depicts
your listening pattern during the last conversation you had with your best friend. Draw
a third diagram that shows your listening pattern during your last major conversation
with a family member. Compare the three. What conclusions can you draw about your
listening in various contexts? - The Utah State University Academic Resource Center provides many student aids.
Under “Idea Sheets” link to “Note Taking and Listening.” There you’ll find three espe-
cially helpful worksheets: (1) “Note taking: Cornell method,” (2) “Listening skills for
lectures,” and (3) “Effective note taking strategies.” Use the suggestions in these
handouts to create your Listening Skills Development Plan under your online resources
for Chapter 4.
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