Transcript Listening vs. Hearing

Did you know that we listen at 90-200 words
per minute, but think at 500-600 words per
minute.

What’s the difference between hearing
and listening?

You hear things all the time: your
classmates rustling paper, your friend’s
TV during a phone conversation.

Hearing is passive--- you hear even
when you don’t want to.

Listening, however, is an intentional act
and an active process.

Active listening requires that you
concentrate on what you are hearing,
attach meaning to it, and react to it.

Without active listening you can’t
understand the message and can’t give
feedback.
Sensing: or simply hearing the words
 Interpreting: or deriving meaning from the
words
 Evaluating: or judging what the message is
about in context
 Responding, or turning listening into a two
way process. Allows for feedback, advice so
that you have a successful communication


In any given situation, no two audience members will process the
information in exactly the same way.

People pay attention selectively to certain messages while ignoring others.
Several factors influence what we listen to and what we ignore.
› -we pay attention to what we hold to be important
› -we pay attention to information that touches our experiences and
backgrounds
› -we sort and filter new information on the basis of what we already
know (i.e., one way we learn is by analogy.)
With these principles in mind, try to:
1.
Identify what’s important to your listeners, including their interests,
needs, attitudes, and values.
2.
Show them early on what they stand to gain from listening to you.
3.
Touch upon their experiences and backgrounds.
4.
Use analogies to help listeners learn new ides.
5.
Build repetition of key ideas into the speech.
6.
When appropriate, use presentation aids to visually reinforce your
message




Identify need: “ I must know Suzanne’s speech thesis,
purpose, main points, and type of organization in order to
complete and hand in a written evaluation (next three
speeches)
Indicate performance standard: I will get a better grade on
the evaluation if I am able to identify and evaluate the major
components of Suzanne’s speech.
Make action statement (goal): I will minimize distractions and
practice the active listening steps during Suzanne’s speech. I
will take careful notes during her speech and ask questions
about anything I do not understand.”
Assess goal achievement: Before I leave the classroom, I will
review my notes carefully to make sure that I covered
everything.

As you listen to speeches, use your critical faculties to do
the following:

1. evaluate the speaker’s evidence. Is it accurate? Are the
sources credible?

2. analyze the speaker’s assumptions and biases. What lies
behind the speaker’s assertions? Does the evidence
support or contradict these assertions?

3. Assess the speaker’s reasoning. Does it betray faulty
logic? Does it rely on fallacies in reasoning?

4. Consider Multiple perspectives. Is there another way to
view the argument? How do other perspectives compare
with the speaker’s?

5. Summarize and assess the relevant facts and evidence

Be honest and fair in your evaluation

Adjust to the speaker’s style. Don’t judge the content
of a speaker’s message by his or her style.

Be compassionate in your criticism. Always start by
saying something positive, and focus on the speech,
not the speaker.

Be selective in your criticism. Make specific rather
than global statements. Rather than statements such
as, “ I just couldn’t get into your topic,” give the
speaker something he or she can learn from: “ I
wanted more on why the housing market is falling…”

As listeners, we are ethically bound to refrain
from disruptive and intimidating tactics.

Try not to be a defensive listener. Remind
yourself that effective listening precedes
effective rebuttal. Try waiting for the speaker to
finish before devising your own arguments

Never assume that you already know exactly
what a speaker will say; you’ll seldom be right.

Work to overcome cultural barriers such as
dialects, non-verbal and physical
appearances.