1. ACTIVE
LISTENING
Barbara
Roche

2. Aim: to promote insight into effective listening skills
Objectives:
To identify the feelings associated with poor listening techniques
To analyse elements of effective listening
To practice and evaluate participants’ personal skill sets

3. I know you believe you understand I am not sure you realise
what you think I said
but
I am not sure you realise
that what you heard
is not what I meant

4. © 1996-2003 American Student Achievement Institute
ACTIVE
LISTENING
© American Student Achievement Institute
• May be reproduced with proper citation for educational purposes.

5. Qualities of Active Listeners
Desire to be “other-directed”
No desire to protect yourself
Desire to imagine the experience of the other
Desire to understand, not critique

6. Skills for Active Listening
Examples:
Sitting forward
Eye contact
Nodding head
Open gestures
Mirroring
ATTENDING
Explanation:
Providing verbal and non-verbal awareness

7. Skills for Active Listening
Examples:
So what I hear you saying is . . .
PARAPHRASING
Explanation:
Restating the person’s basic verbal message.

8. Skills for Active Listening
REFLECTING FEELINGS
Examples:
You’re feeling ___.
It makes you (feeling) that . . .
Explanation:
Reflecting feelings that have been heard or perceived through cues.

9. Skills for Active Listening
Examples:
What happened after that?
Who was there?
What did they do?
How did that work?
PROBING
Explanation:
Questioning in a supportive way. Ask for more info or clarification
Open-ended

10. Skills for Active Listening
CHECKING PERCEPTIONS
Examples:
It seems to me like you’re pretty ____.
So, you were taking some risks when you . . .
Explanation:
Finding out if interpretations are accurate.

11. Skills for Active Listening
Examples:
Count to yourself.
Don’t try to fill every silence.
BEING QUIET
Explanation:
Giving the other time to think as well as to talk

12. Skills for Active Listening
Examples:
You told off the teacher and now you’re scared . . .
You’re feeling on top of the world because you got an A!
SUMMARIZING
Explanation:
Bringing together in some way experiences and feelings.

13. Trying It Out SPEAKER LISTENER OBSERVER
Tell about some success you’ve had recently.
SPEAKER
LISTENER
Practice skills
Make note of active listening skills being used. Feedback.
OBSERVER

14. Trying It Out SPEAKER LISTENER OBSERVER
What is the biggest challenge of working in education?
SPEAKER
LISTENER
Practice skills
Make note of active listening skills being used. Feedback.
OBSERVER

15. Qualities of Active Listeners
Desire to be “other-directed”
No desire to protect yourself
Desire to imagine the experience of the other
Desire to understand, not critique

16. ACTIVE
LISTENING