1. Hearing vs. Listening

2. Hearing- sense that allows you to
perceive sound; physical act- only
requires reception of sound waves
Listening- mental process that
requires concentrating on
sound, deriving meaning
from it, and reacting to it

3. Listening Process

4. 1. Sensing (hearing) what was said (pick up
sound waves through ears)
2. Interpreting what was meant
(make decisions…Example: scream
- fun, fear, or anger?)
3. Examining the statement (how message
relates to you)
4. Responding to it appropriately (decide how to
respond- feedback)

5. Purposes of Listening

6. Listening for enjoyment- easiest of all (music, TV, radio); requires little mental involvement
Listening for information- requires more concentration; expected to retain info.
Critical listening- listening for information as well as analyzing and evaluating it

7. Precision listening- listening with attention to details that give you clues to the speaker’s emotion or state of mind
Empathic listening- highest level; requires concentration, retention, and judgment as well as empathy

8. Barriers to Listening

9. Barriers keep you from
understanding the
speaker’s message
They create interference
There are external
distractions-outside
of yourself (sirens, spider on
wall, loud truck, construction,
etc.)
There are internal
distractions- inside
your mind (thinking about
other things, planning your
weekend, daydreaming, etc.)

10. Your desire to talk- most people would rather talk than listen; planning our response
Personal biases- being for or against an idea and letting that opinion form the basis of your thinking (adults about teenagers; culture- accents)
Conflicting demands- doing too many things at one time; can’t give all your attention on one thing if it’s focused on two or three (eating and watching TV while talking on phone)

11. Improving Listening Work on concentration Practice good listening
Prepare yourself to listen
Listen for key words
Take notes

12. Work on concentration
Practice good listening
Prepare yourself to listen
Listen for key words
Take notes