DR.

MUHAMMAD FARAZ

Assignment No: 4

English Composition & Comprehension

Prepared By: FARHED ALI

SAP ID: 47541
(BSSE-1A)

Date: 05-01-2023
 LISTENING SKILLS

Definition:
Listening skills are the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication
process. This involves paying attention to the speaker, comprehending the information being conveyed,
and responding thoughtfully. Good listening skills involve being present and engaged in the
conversation, not interrupting, and providing feedback to show that you understand what is being said.
Effective listening skills can help build trust, respect, and understanding in relationships and can lead to
more effective communication.

How to practise active listening skills

Active listening is a combination of techniques that include careful listening, observation and non-verbal
clues. Below are seven skills that can help you improve your active listening abilities:

1. Limit distraction
An important part of active listening is limiting distraction so you can gather all the necessary
information and details of your speaker's message. Limiting distraction could mean putting your phone
away before entering into a conversation, having important conversations in a quiet, private space or
allowing yourself a brief pause to ensure you fully understood the message of your speaker before
responding.

2. Practice objectivity
Practising objectivity and ensuring you receive all information without bias can help you remain open to
the messages and perspectives of your speaker. Even if you have a strong opinion about the topic of
conversation, setting aside your opinions in order to receive your speaker's message without judgement
can help you consider new possibilities and innovative perspectives.

3. Reflect
Reflecting refers to mirroring your speaker's message in order to convey that you understand their
message. Reflecting can help assure speakers of your comprehension and can indicate your engagement
in the conversation. This type of active listening skill can be especially helpful when engaging in
therapeutic communication. For example, if your speaker says, "I'm tired of working late to make up for
others who don't complete their tasks," you could say, "It sounds like you're feeling frustrated and
overlooked."

4. Clarify
An important part of active listening is asking questions when you need clarification. Clarifying aspects
of the conversation can indicate you're intently listening and provide you with an opportunity to confirm
your understanding. To clarify, you may use specific, simple questions that require a "yes" or "no" as a
response or you may ask more general, open-ended questions that require more elaboration from your
speaker.

5. Summarise
Restating key themes and summarising content is an effective skill that can contribute to your ability to
practice active listening. In the workplace, summarising can help both parties confirm they understand
next steps and responsibilities. To summarise, consider offering a brief statement that describes the
primary message or key theme of your speaker's message.

6. Use body language

Using body language to demonstrate your level of engagement is another important part of active
listening. You can use your body language to indicate your understanding by nodding, making eye
contact and responding with appropriate facial expressions. Body language may be especially important
for professionals who use therapeutic listening to complete their daily duties.

7. Share
Sharing involves expressing your own thoughts, feelings and experiences to relate to your speaker. This
active listening technique can help you contribute to the conversation and align expectations for the next
steps, deliverables and responsibilities. You can also use sharing to offer suggestions for improvement,
build trust and maintain positive workplace relationships.

8. Give your full attention

Distractions can make it difficult to focus on the things a speaker is telling you. In order to become a
good listener, limit as many distractions as possible and provide the speaker with your undivided
attention. This includes silencing your phone, turning off your computer and avoiding the urge to
multitask by checking emails or giving your attention to other tasks. This can help you focus on the
speaker and make sure that you are taking in everything that they are saying. Managing your time
correctly can also help you make sure that you can limit distractions while you are listening.

9. Pace the conversation

Being a good listener often includes opening a dialogue and allowing for a conversation to start between
you and the speaker. Pace the conversation by determining the goal of the speaker's message and
evaluating their body language to decide when it is appropriate for you to respond with your own input.
Instead of rushing to fill silences, provide time for the speaker to finish their thoughts and acknowledge
their message accordingly. This will also give you the time to absorb their message and process what
they are saying before it is time for you to respond.

10. Ask meaningful questions

Once it is time to open up a dialogue, the questions you ask should be meaningful and establish your
investment in the speaker's message. Ask questions that can help both you and the speaker reflect on
what they said as well as elaborate any points that may need extra clarification. The questions might
help the speaker remember other things they wanted to say or open up a new line of dialogue that will be
worth exploring.

11. Recall previous information

Recalling information that the speaker has already discussed as well as summarising the points they
made in your responses can help you become a more effective listener. Doing this will not only show
the speaker you understand what they said, but it will also ensure that they can clarify any
misunderstandings and confirm the key points they discussed.
Some major types of listening skills

Deep listening
Deep listening occurs when you're truly committed to understanding the speaker's perspective and
message. Deep listening includes paying attention to verbal and non-verbal cues in order to gain a full
understanding of the speaker's experiences, thoughts, feelings and objectives. This type of listening is
especially useful when building relationships, establishing trust and fostering rapport with co-workers,
customers, clients or vendors.

Full listening
Full listening includes trying to fully comprehend the practical content of a speaker's message. This type
of listening often involves active listening skills, like paraphrasing and asking clarifying questions. Full
listening can be particularly helpful when interpreting directions, learning new material or developing
new skills.

Critical listening
Critical listening involves using logic and reasoning to separate opinion and fact when listening to a
speaker's message. Critical listening usually involves using your previous knowledge or experiences to
identify factual content in communication. Critical listening can be especially important in professions
that use persuasive speaking, debating or investigatory skills.

Therapeutic listening
Therapeutic listening is a more intimate type of listening that often involves receiving information from
a speaker about their challenges or emotional situations. In the workplace, this type of listening is often
an important part of succeeding in a career that deals with sensitive topics or emotional discussions.
Therapists, doctors and counsellors often benefit from developing their therapeutic listening abilities.

Why are listening skills important?

Developing skills that can help you become a better listener is important for several reasons, including:

Building relationships
Good listening can help you build and maintain positive relationships in the workplace. Showing
interest when communicating with others can help you build trust and develop long-term, mutually
beneficial professional relationships. Good listening can help you prevent misunderstandings between
co-workers, perform your duties accurately and anticipate the needs of your customers.

Learning new skills

Effective listening is an important way to help you learn new skills. In order to accurately follow
directions, it may be beneficial to develop skills and habits that contribute to the quality of your
listening. By listening closely to the advice, guidance and directions of your mentors or supervisors, you
may be able to learn new skills and advance your range of capabilities.

Performing effectively
Listening intently can help you accurately follow directions. By following directions exactly, you may
be able to improve your performance in the workplace. By listening closely to directions, guidelines and
requirements, you may be able to avoid errors and improve your processes.

Using mindfulness to improve listening skills

We can be more aware of obstacles to good listening while remaining open to the speaker’s thoughts
and messages if we listen mindfully. Mindfulness can help you to enhance your listening abilities.

What is mindful listening?

Mindfulness is the act of paying attention in a specific way – purposefully, in the present moment, and
without judgement. It is a particularly useful skill for improving romantic relationships, where we
are more likely to react reflexively and emotionally.
Mindfulness teaches you to be present in the moment and to let go of distractions as well as monitor
your physical and emotional responses to what others say to you. A lack of mindfulness will leave you
vulnerable to your own prejudices and can distract you from truly hearing what other people are doing
and saying.
Just a few minutes after a lecture, the average person can recall only 25 per cent of what was said. The
purpose of mindful listening is to drown out your own internal chatter so that you can truly understand
what the other is saying.

How to listen mindfully

The following tips will help you to bring mindfulness to your own daily interactions and so improve
your relationships with others.

Listen with intent

We frequently engage in activities and interact with others without giving it much thought. Mindful
listening is a process of “waking up” from that state of unconsciousness.
Mindfulness requires you to be “in the moment”, meaning you should completely focus on the person
you’re listening to. There are several ways to go about this:
 Allow yourself time: Before meeting with someone, take a minute or two to clear your head.
Before the conversation, practise a technique such as scanning down through your body and
releasing tension.
 Meditate: Meditation is a mindfulness technique that can assist you in learning to focus on the
present moment. When you clear your mind of mental clutter, you can make room for other
people’s perspectives. Meditation is similar to many other exercises in that the more you do it,
 the easier it gets. Meditation may be difficult to incorporate into a busy schedule, but even five or
ten minutes each day can help.
 Simplify your surroundings: Phones, computers, printers, and other technological devices are
common workplace distractions. Keep your workspace neat and your devices turned off.

Pay attention to your own “cues”

When we’re worried or irritated, our cues are the emotional and physical reactions we have that might
shut out ideas and viewpoints that we don’t like. Mindful listening can help us maintain awareness of
our cues and choose not to let them prevent us from communicating.
For example, if the other person says something you don’t like, you may notice your chest getting tight.
In the absence of mindfulness, you may react to this unpleasant physical sensation by saying something
you later regret. But when you practice mindfulness, you can observe the sensation impassively, without
reacting.
Pay close attention to what other people are saying. Don’t let other thoughts, such as what you’re going
to say next, distract you from paying full attention to the other person.

Listen empathetically
We frequently view the world through the prism of previous experiences and prejudices. When you’re
empathic, you may see things from another person’s perspective. You can, for example, legitimise the
other person’s viewpoint by acknowledging their point of view. You don’t need to agree with them; it
simply means you recognise that they have a different viewpoint to you.

Final thoughts
All of the techniques outlined above can be applied to both personal and professional situations.  Some
may be more relevant at certain times, but if you put them into practice, you will find that you are more
attentive and that people find you easier to talk to.
That being said, it’s important to keep an open mind about communication styles and how different
people approach them. In your work and personal life, you’re likely to encounter people with a broad
range of experiences and backgrounds, so it’s worth considering these when communicating with others.

Conclusion:
Listening is a valuable skill that helps us understand and learn from others. Good listening skills involve
paying attention to what is being said, showing interest in the conversation, and providing feedback.
Here are some tips for improving your listening skills:
1. Focus on the speaker: Avoid distractions and give the speaker your full attention.
2. Show interest: Use nonverbal cues such as nodding or making eye contact to show that you are
engaged in the conversation.
3. Avoid interrupting: Let the speaker finish their thoughts before speaking.
4. Clarify: If you are unsure about something that was said, ask for clarification.
 5. Reflect: Paraphrase or summarize what was said to show that you understood and to encourage
the speaker to continue.
By practicing these tips, we can become a better listener and improve our relationships with others.