1. Welcome to ACDV 70B
Note Taking, Lecture 1
“The Art of Listening”

2. The Art of Listening To be a good note taker, you MUST be a good
listener.
Hearing vs. Listening: What’s the difference?
hearing=physical act
listening=concentrating on what you hear to
gain understanding
So…just because you can hear doesn’t mean you
are listening!!

3. Example of Hearing Vs. Listening
*Listening involves understanding what you
are hearing and attaching meaning to words.
Ex. If I were speaking
to you in Japanese,
you would hear me but
wouldn’t understand me
(so you really couldn’t
be listening to me).

4. Of the 4 communication skills
(listening, speaking, reading, and
writing), the listening skills of a
person in our society are often the
weakest…why?!!
What are some factors that might
influence your ability to be a good
listener?
Keep in mind…some factors can be
controlled while others cannot!

5. Factors that Can Influence Listening
(see page 1 of your packet, and add in the “C’s”)
Of these factors, which can you control?
Interest in topic
Attitude toward teacher
Rate of speech
Teaching/lecture style
Distractions of people nearby
Outside sounds
Familiarity with terminology
Length of sitting time
Quality of info. presented
Learning style
Personal emotional level
Cultural Background C
Attitude toward subject
Tone of voice
Speech patterns & mannerisms
Degree of organization of lecture
Room temperature or lighting
Number of interruptions in speech
Familiarity with topic
Level of difficulty of the course
Sitting posture during lecture
Personal health…sick or not?
Seating location in classroom
Personal background experiences C C C C C C C C

6. A I ttitude…a factor you CAN control!!
Positive attitude toward topic & instructor
enhance your listening ability.
Negative attitude shuts down auditory channels
necessary for good listening. I
nstructor…a factor you CANNOT control!
Some instructors are dull speakers…part of
real life
You must find ways to overcome these kinds
of barriers.

7. Learning Styles If you need more examples in a class, ask
instructor for further clarification.
Don’t assume instructor knows HOW you need to
receive information…he/she probably doesn’t.
Most teachers teach based on their own learning
styles…and forget that not all students learn that
way.
Right brain-dominant person…may struggle with
math/science classes
Left brain-dominant person…may have a hard time
with literature/poetry classes
You can take a neat Learning Styles Survey at:

8. Design for “Visual Listening”