LISTENING TECHNIQUES

1. Listen to difficult material -good listeners develop an appetite for variety of spoken messages 2. Determine the purpose of the speech and your subsequent role in listening e.g. if speech is persuasive informative 3. create an interest in the subject * the key to being interested in the subject is its relevancy and usefulness to you 4. Adjust to the speaker - dont allow distracting appearance or delivery to dominate ones attention and thinking NOTE: Aim is to find out what the speaker is saying; to find out what knowledge has that we need 5. Adjust to the physical situation - one should make it routine to sit where he/she can easily hear the speaker 6. Adjust to the physical situation - one should make it routine to sit where he/she can easily hear the speaker. With hold evaluation until comprehension complete. Avoid "DEAF SPOTS" -areas of greatest sensitivities (strongest values, convictions, prejudices 7. listen primarily for ideas and patterns of reasoning - effective listening is to attain the ability to recognize main points and central ideas -discriminate between fact and principle, idea and example, evidence and argument 8. use spare time wisely - ability to capitalize on thought-speed by: -listen "between the lines" - listening for hidden or unstated meanings