Listening Skills: Importance and Effective Techniques
Listening is one of the essential skills in life. People listen to get the instructions so that they can fulfill a particular task accordingly. Listening requires an individual to concentrate on what the speaker says and process the information to understand the proper meaning. On the other hand, hearing is the process of perceiving sound. I have learned different ways of listening effectively without disruptions.
Effective Techniques for Listening
One should always maintain eye contact and face the speaker while listening. In most cases, the speaker uses non-verbal cues to communicate effectively with the audience. A person should always be attentive and ready to answer the questions posed by the speaker (Schilling). Additionally, one should remain open-minded and mark the most significant words used by the speech giver. Good listeners do not ask questions when the speaker is talking. Instead, they wait for the right time when the speaker pauses (Masalimova et al. 125). Questions foster proper understanding of technical areas. The audience should always give positive and regular feedback to the speaker.
Personal Growth in Listening Skills
Currently, I do not listen as I was taught in my childhood. I have learned proper listening skills. For instance, when I was young, the things happening around disrupted me and thus I would quickly lose concentration. In some cases, I did not pause playing when someone was addressing me. However, I have changed positively, and currently, I always pay attention to the speaker to acquire more information and process it correctly.
Conclusion
In conclusion, listening involves maintaining eye contact, remaining attentive and open-minded, and seeking clarifications at the right time. The listener should not interrupt the speaker. Generally, my listening skills have improved significantly compared to when I was a child.
Works Cited
Masalimova, Alfiya R., Galina V. Porchesku, and Tatiana L. Liakhnovitch. "Linguistic foundation of foreign language listening comprehension." International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education 11.1 (2016): 123-131.
Schilling, Diane. “10 steps to effective listening.” Forbes, 2012, www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2012/11/09/10-steps-to-effective-listening/#3f459cc83891. Accessed 16 Sep. 2018.
