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Tip 1< LISTENING FOR UNDERSTANDING: Students have the wrong idea that they have to comprehend every single word uttered by a speaker (professors, partners, etc.), and this is not true. Communication is based on the understanding of a message, not of individual words. Students need to learn to extract the global meaning of an explanation in class, or a listening task. Vocabulary can be dealt differently in some other occasion to benefit listening. Listening for understanding is the first key towards attentive listening. Tip 2< CLARIFICATION: Whether its a cultural condition, or not, many students are afraid of asking for clarification. And they forget that a good language teacher does not complain because students ask, but s/he simply explains again. Clarification is necessary since a second explanation or repetition can be the difference between understanding or remaining with a gap in ones learning. So, if we are listening for understanding, and something is not clear to us, its always a good idea to ask the speaker to clarify for us. This behavior also reflects ones search for attentive listening and that one is interested in the topic being discussed. Tip 3< BODY LANGUAGE: At times students tend to forget that communication is not only verbal; they forget that we also communicate nonverbally. Body language is also important in becoming a good listener since what is being said is usually accompanied with facial gestures and hand movements. Decoding these gestures can definitely enhance peoples understanding of the message that is being conveyed. By asking for repetition when necessary and by reading peoples body movements, we
also develop our attentive listening to turn into a better decoder of messages. Tip 4< OPEN-MINDEDNESS: To become a good listener, the student needs to be curious, and thats why being open-minded is a must. While listening, we become receptive for new ideas and different points of view other speakers are willing to share with us. And its also necessary not to be biased, because prejudice will somehow diminish your listening potential. As it can be seen, open-mindedness is another key element in becoming focused and attentive listeners. Tip 5< THE ENVIRONMENT: A crucial element in developing ones listening skill is your surroundings. In todays world, there are plenty of distractors that hinder ones listening potential. For that reason, one has to stop what one is doing. Text-messaging with friends in class, listening to your music by having your earphones on, or surfing the Web in your phone or other device affect your listening. Noise is another element to take into account. If practicing your listening, it is always a good idea to look for a quiet place where you can minimize background noise. This will allow you to focus and listen attentively. As it can be seen, good listening skills dont just depend on listening per se. There are external elements that need to be considered and improved to be a much attentive, active listener. What you have been provided here is just a collection of tips I give my students at the university. However, there are more extensive lists of recommendations to explore and practice. Please, explore these two collections of tips that can also help your students become better listeners. Kay Lindahls Top Ten Powerful Listening Practices Barbara Brays 10 Tips for Active Listening
To fully develop and comprehend this teaching issue, its advisable to research and expand these areas: 1 2 3 4 5 Steps to effective learning The art of listening Hearing vs. listening Learning to listen Listening training skills Professor Jonathan Acua-Solano ELT Instructor & Trainer based in Costa Rica Curricular Developer at CCCN Senior ELT Professor at Universidad Latina Freelance ELT Consultant for OUP in Central America For further comments or suggestions, reach me at: @jonacuso Twitter jonacuso@gmail.com Gmail Other blogs I often write for my students at the university are: 1. http://bin-02.blogspot.com/ 2. http://bin-04.blogspot.com/ 3. http://bin-06.blogspot.com/
- Bray, Barbara (2012) 10 Tips for Active Listening. Rethinking Learning. Published at http://barbarabray.net/2012/01/10/10-tipsfor-active-listening/ - Horowitz, Seth S. (2012) The Science and Art of Listening. The New York Times: Nov 9, 2012. Published at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/opinion/sunday/why-listeningis-so-much-more-than-hearing.html?_r=2 - Lindahl, Kay (2009) Top Ten Powerful Listening Practices. The Listening Center. Published at http://www.sacredlistening.com/tlc_topten.htm