EFFECTIVE LISTENING AND INTERACTION PORTFOLIO

I. CONTENTS
A. Course assignments (20 points):
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. '5 Ways to Listen Better' vs. 'The Art of Listening' Pronunciation teasers: 'Poem of English' Cash needs Stressing and Chunking The power of intonation Not the Queen's English Richards vs. Goleman: From empathy to compassion and back 'Asclepius and the Two Travellers' Filter spotting Ron Gutman and the power of smiling

10. 10 good listening habits

B. Self-assessment assignments (20 points):

1. A listening log 2. A listening diary 3. A listening/communication assessment list 4. A listening/communication SWOT analysis 5. A self-assessment report

II. INSTRUCTIONS:
A. Course assignments:
1. '5 Ways to Listen Better' vs. 'The Art of Listening'
Watch and listen to the presentation available at http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/julian_treasure_5_ways_to_listen_better.html

and read the article from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/11/opinion/sunday/in-africa-the-art-of-listening.html . In about 100 words, compare and contrast the main ideas presented by the two authors. Include your own opinion expressing your agreement/disagreement on the matter and specifying to what extent you would be willing to follow their advice.

2. Pronunciation teasers: 'Poem of English'

Write the correct pronunciation of the following words taken from the poem included in the second handout. corpse __________ plaque__________ aisles__________ billet__________ clamour__________ gouge__________ zephyr__________ debt__________ corps __________ ague__________ similes__________ tomb__________ gauge__________ succour__________ sword __________ cloven__________ anemone__________ comb__________ mirage__________ indict__________ sward__________ receipt__________ lichen__________ privy__________ gauze__________ victual__________ ration__________

viscount__________ fiend__________

advertisements____________________

3. Cash needs Stressing and Chunking

Read the script below. Max Cash, a venture capitalist, meets with two business partners and tells them what they have to do to attract investors. Underline the words you think Max will stress most and mark the pauses within sentences with //. The first sentence has been marked as an example. OK. I've heard your proposal // and this is what I think. You have an excellent product here. It's something different, something special. And that's a huge point in your favour. But - and that's a big 'but' - can you sell this product and make a profit? It's the market for the product that's important and at the moment we simply don't know if there is a market out there. As an investor, what I want to know is: who are you planning to sell to? Why will these people want to buy your product? How many people will buy it? And what price will they pay? Market research should be your absolute priority now.

4. The power of intonation

Read the following statements and decide what intonation should be used in each case to express the suggested feeling: rising or falling. 1. You already! (surprise) 2. You already! (annoyance) 3. You shouldn't have! (criticism) 4. You shouldn't have! (pleasure) 5. You must be joking! (disbelief) 6. You must be joking! (irony)

7. I don't think I will. (disagreement) 8. I don't think I will. (uncertainty) 9. You know best, don't you? (real question) 10. You know best, don't you? (unreal question)

5. Not the Queen's English

Go to http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds. On the 'Sounds familiar?' homepage you will find an interactive map of accent and dialect varieties in the British Isles. Choose one of the varieties suggested below, listen carefully, and list at least three features that you consider most important in distinguishing the chosen accent/dialect from Received Pronunciation/Standard English. The site also features transcripts and additional phonological, lexical and grammatical information. Suggested varieties (in alphabetical order): Belfast, Byker, Cardiff, Glasgow, Lerwick, Sheffield, Slough.

6. Richards vs. Goleman: From empathy to compassion and back

Watch and listen to the presentation made by Sam Richards available at http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/sam_richards_a_radical_experiment_in_empathy.html and follow the speaker's instructions. Then watch and listen to the presentation made by Daniel Goleman available at http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/daniel_goleman_on_compassion.html and answer these questions: 1. What is empathy according to Richards? 2. What is empathy according to Goleman? 3. What are the three prerequisites of compassion according to Goleman? 4. What prevents people from empathizing and from feeling/showing compassion according to both speakers? 5. Did Richards' experiment work on you?

7. 'Asclepius and the Two Travellers'

Read the story below and summarize its moral in one sentence. Asclepius was once walking in the countryside outside Athens. At noon the sun was high in the sky and Asclepius had been walking since dawn. As the sun beat down, he became aware that he was feeling decidedly hot and thirsty. Then nearby he heard a most welcome sound - the sound of trickling water. He followed the sound and came across the source - a small stream. He sat down thankfully in the cool shade and gratefully rinsed his hands in the water. Just at this point where it rose out of the ground, it felt refreshingly cold, almost icy. He cupped his hands together, filled them with the pure water and raised it to his lips. Nothing had ever tasted so wonderful. Just at that moment a traveller came by. 'Excuse me,' said the man, 'I'm going to Athens and I've never been there before. Have you any idea what it's like?' 'Where have you come from?' asked Asclepius. 'Piraeus,' said the man. 'Well, what's that like?' asked Asclepius. 'Oh, it's a dreadful place,' said the man. 'Full of traffic and noise and dirt and unfriendly people. It's a terrible place.' 'Well, I expect you'll find Athens just the same,' said Asclepius. 'Oh dear,' said the man, and he walked slowly on his way.

Asclepius realised that he was feeling quite hungry after all his walking. Out of his pack he took the food he had brought with him. First there was a hunk of bread, freshly baked that morning. He took a deep breath and enjoyed the smell of it for a moment. Then white, sharp feta cheese made from his own goats' milk, and big black olives. And to follow, a large sweet juicy orange. His mouth was watering with anticipation, when he was interrupted by another traveller. 'Excuse me,' said the second man. 'I'm going to Athens and I've never been there before. Have you any idea what it's like?' 'Where have you come from?' asked Asclepius. 'Piraeus,' said the second man. 'Well, what's that like?' asked Asclepius. 'Oh it's a wonderful place,' said the man. 'Full of life and gaiety and colour and friendly people. It's a fantastic place.' 'Well, I expect you'll find Athens just the same,' said Asclepius. 'Oh good,' said the man, and he walked briskly on his way. Asclepius smiled and bit into his bread. It was delicious.

8. Filter spotting
Read the following three passages and determine which filters each author is using (i.e. associated/dissociated, towards/away from, match/mismatch, big chunk/small chunk, past/present/future, activity/person/object/place/time). A. I'm someone who enjoys life to the full. I play tennis, I write, I work full time as a salesperson, and I have a young family who keep me busy in any spare time I have! I get a lot of satisfaction from what I do. I set myself goals and I know by my own standards when I have achieved them. I enjoy travel, particularly to Europe, and I love eating out. B. I can be a difficult person, or so others tell me. I can usually see the alternative point of view. I enjoy a good discussion, some would say argument. I like perfection. If something isn't quite right it irritates me. I spend a lot of time working and I am meticulous in the way I go about that. I am a programmer and the work I do requires attention to detail and the ability to see immediately if something is wrong. C. I am a good listener. People come to me with their problems. I have always had this sort of role, not only in my work life but also with my friends. I have spent most of my life in the same part of England. I have always liked people here. I can recall some very special occasions that I have spent with friends in the past. I have always been a bit indecisive about what I might do next. I have always let others push me into new situations or jobs, and have tended only to change if I have been dissatisfied with what I was doing at the time.
Activity inspired from Sue Knight (2002). 'NLP at Work'

9.

Ron Gutman and the power of smiling

Watch and listen to the presentation available at http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/ron_gutman_the_hidden_power_of_smiling.html . Answer these questions: 1. What are the effects of smiling mentioned by the presenter? 2. On average, how many times do you smile per day?

10. 10 good listening habits

Read the first two sets of habits and complete the third from your own standpoint. Avoid using negative language. A. 10 Irritating Listening Habits 1. Interrupting the speaker. 2. Not looking at the speaker. 3. Rushing the speaker and making him feel that he's wasting the listener's time. 4. Showing interest in something other than the conversation. 5. Getting ahead of the speaker and finishing her thoughts. 6. Not responding to the speaker's requests. 7. Saying, "Yes, but . . .," as if the listener has made up his mind. 8. Topping the speaker's story with "That reminds me. . ." or "That's nothing, let me tell you about. . ." 9. Forgetting what was talked about previously. 10. Asking too many questions about details.
Larry Barker & Kittie Watson, Listen Up

B. 10 Poor Listening Habits 1. Calling the subject uninteresting 2. Criticizing the speaker &/or delivery 3. Getting over-stimulated 4. Listening only for facts (bottom line) 5. Not taking notes or outlining everything 6. Faking attention 7. Tolerating or creating distractions 8. Tuning out difficult material 9. Letting emotional words block the message 10. Wasting the time difference between speed of speech and speed of thought
Nichols, R. G. and L. A. Stevens (1957). Are you listening? New York, McGraw-Hill.

C. 10 Good Listening Habits 1. _____________________________________ 2. _____________________________________ 3. _____________________________________ 4. _____________________________________ 5. _____________________________________ 6. _____________________________________ 7. _____________________________________ 8. _____________________________________ 9. _____________________________________ 10. ____________________________________

B. Self-assessment assignments
1. A listening log
Observe your listening experiences for a set period (at least one week) in your regular context (your workplace, your study group or your family). List your experiences in a log by time (approximate hour and duration), type of listening (see Listening_Types.doc) and intensity of listening (low, moderate or high). Analyse the overall results, and, if possible, convert the information into statistics.

2.

A listening diary

Recall five listening experiences that would correspond to the five levels of listening: Level 1 - Ignoring the speaker, Level 2 - Pretending to listen, Level 3 - Selective listening, Level 4 - Attentive listening, Level 5 - Empathetic listening. Describe each experience briefly, discussing how you responded as a listener, and detailing what you learned about yourself as a listener from that listening experience.

3.

A listening/communication assessment list

List all the listening/communication assessments that you have taken the instrument and your score. See especially ELI_Instruments.doc as well as class handouts or search for other psychometric tests yourself. The selection of instruments (in terms of type and number) is a matter of personal choice. However, the minimum requirement is that you respond to at least two questionnaires from ELI_Instruments.doc. Write a short interpretation of what each profile tells you about yourself as a listener/communicator.

4. A listening/communication SWOT analysis

Complete the following table with relevant information about the internal aspects of your listening/communication style and external factors that influence your listening/communication patterns in your regular context. I N Strengths Weaknesses T E Internal positive aspects Internal negative aspects R on which you may focus which you should minimise N A L E X Opportunities Threats T E Positive external conditions Negative external conditions R of which you can take advantage which you should avoid N A L

5. A self-assessment report
Compile your findings into a final self-assessment report of your listening/communication skills in the regular context you have chosen for observation. Guidelines: Write between 300 and 500 words Follow the short business report layout Use To/From/Subject/Date headings (a separate cover page is not necessary) Write an introductory paragraph stating the purpose and content of your report Present the terms of reference clearly in the introduction, i.e. how, where, when, for how long you observed yourself Group the information gathered as you wish under clear separate subheadings presenting and evaluating your communication patterns, with a focus on your listening and interaction habits Present both positive and negative features Write a final paragraph summarising the information and stating your opinions and/or resolutions Try to set goals and objectives for your improvement as a listener/communicator and elaborate a strategy plan for your professional development.