Week 5ish
Ch. 4 Listening Effectively
Listening is one of the first skills we gain as infants, and surprisingly, the last sense we lose when we near death. In chapter 4, we learn that there are many types of listening. For example:
Appreciative listening-listening for entertainment or pleasure purposes. This is the type of listening we employ listening to music, watching a movie or tv.
Critical listening-when we are listening, aiming to gain information with which we will evaluate a speaker, or product or proposal the speaker is endorsing. This is often employed when we are looking to make choices, or find points of disagreement with a speaker.
Empathetic or therapeutic listening- (one of my favorite types of listening)- a level of relationship listening that aims to help the speaker feel heard and understand.
Relational listening- (one of my favorites as well) the active and involved listening we do with people we love and care about. This is listening where we acknowledge our sympathy for the speaker, encourage them to tell more, and build trust with friends or family members by showing interest in their concerns.
And much more.
One thing that stuck out at me was nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is physical behaviors that communicate the message or the feedback from the listener. These include leaning in, nodding one's head, maintaining eye contact, crossing arms in front of the body, and offering sounds of agreement or dissent. Reminds me of one of the times I attended my annual conferences in Chicago. I was so excited for one person in particular that came out from UC Berkeley and I made sure to get front row seat. Although I was fascinated by his appearance, I could not help myself and kept yawning through out his speech. I was very much focused in on what he had to present but sometimes I tend to do things that I absolutely have no control over. For instance during our zoom meetings. When I put my hand on my cheek, it is not out of boredom or no intention of disrespect. I never know where to place my hands for 3 hours. This is definitely something I need to work on as an individual. I would never want a speaker to think that they are boring when in actuality I am enjoying their presence.
I really like how you specified a lot of different types of hearing. I feel like I personally do a lot of empathetic listening, especially now when it seems like the world is falling apart. I also really liked how you included nonverbal communication. I really need to work on it too, but that's okay.
ReplyDeleteRuba, It isn't easy to stay energized for a three-hour class or even during a speech; especially if the room is warm! Sometimes we have those listening difficulties that we have to fight--noise, physical (dis)comfort, having something else on our mind, etc. Being an active listener takes practice, and it's something that we all have to work on!
ReplyDeleteThank you for going over the 4 main types of listening! It's important to be reminded of different types of listening we can engage in. I like how you described nonverbal communication. I agree that sometimes when I'm focusing really hard, I actually look more bored than interested! That is so strange... maybe it isn't our faults, maybe science just hasn't looked into it.
ReplyDeleteRuba, I like how you explained all the different types of listening. Nonverbal stuck out to me as well as I find this to be extremely important when your giving a speech. Noticing and picking up on certain cues the audience provides you with can either help sway your confidence during your speech one way or the other.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you explained the 4 types of listening, for me, relational listening was the easiest one to understand because is the one that I practice the most, and I try to empathize with people as I would like them to empathize with me.
ReplyDelete