1. EMPATHY An Effective Communication Skill

2. Listening with understanding means to see the expressed idea and attitude from the other person's point of view; to see how it feels to that person, and to achieve the frame of reference concerning the subject. Another word for this process of listening with understanding is empathy.

3. ACTIVITY – HOT TOPICS Put yourself in a group with two of your classmates Pick a topic of mutual interest from the board Each person in the group should assume one of the following roles: Speaker #1; Speaker #2; Observer

4. Speaker #1 has one minute in which to express his/her views on the chosen topic. During this time, Speaker #2 and the Observer listen. Once Speaker #1 stops talking, Speaker #2 must summarize the key statements made, withholding his or her point of view on the topic The role of the Observer is to ensure that Speaker #2 accurately summarizes what Speaker #1 has said before the activity continues Speaker #2 now takes one minute in which to express his/her own views on the same topic, after which Speaker #1 summarizes key points that were made. The observer now takes on the role of one of the speakers, and one of the speakers becomes the observer. Select a new topic and repeat the same process.