Teaching of Aural-Oral Skills: Effective Listening

1. Effective Listening

2. What is Effective Listening
 Definition:
Absorbing information
Showing that you are listening and interested
Providing feedback.
 Involves:
Choice of the right words & Nonverbal Cues.
 Effective listeners - let speakers know they have
heard and understood the speakers.

3. 6 Sources of Difficulty by the Listener:
1. Being preoccupied and not listening.
2. Being so interested in what you have to say that you
listen mainly to find an opening to get the floor.
3. Formulating and listening to your own rebuttal to
what the speaker is saying.

4. 4. Listening to your own personal beliefs about what is
being said.
5. Evaluating and making judgments about the speaker
or the message.
6. Not asking for clarification when you know that you
do not understand.

5. 3 Basic Listening Modes
 Competitive or Combative Listening which takes
place when we are more interested in upholding our
own point of view rather than in trying to make sense of
or exploring someone else’s view.
 Passive or Attentive Listening where we are attentive
and passively listening because we are truly interested
in hearing and understanding the other person’s point of
view.
 Active or Reflective listening (most practical and
important) where we are also genuinely interested in
understanding what the other person is thinking, feeling,

6. 4 Techniques for Effective Listening
 Reflecting
- Letting the other party know that what they are saying
to us is being heard.
 Probing
- Asking for additional information.
 Deflecting
- Shifting the discussion to a different topic.
 Advising
- Giving advice.