BEST WAYS TO IMPROVE LISTENING SKILLS

‘Listening’ is a skill that is important to every individual. ‘Listening’ is not ‘hearing’. That you are hearing something does not necessarily mean you are listening to it. Listening as a skill has received a lot of importance of late. Research on the subject shows that listening can be improved. It has also been concluded to a certain extent that listening promotes communication skills. It means a person who can listen accurately can also speak effectively and precisely.

There are many physical and physiological barriers to listening. A sheer lack of objective and concentration could also prove a potential impediment to the listening process. As suggested earlier, research have proven that ‘listening’ is a skill and could be developed meticulously. In this article we are going to deal with five proven ways to improve listening skills. Do read them all carefully and comprehend the essence.

1.Tend to be objective during listening:  Please do not get carried away by the trivialities of the situation or idiosyncrasies of the teacher. Shift your focus away from these desultory aspects.  Pay attention to the content and content alone. Listen to the important aspects being disclosed. Note down the facts and arguments. This way, make the listening process more receptive and active.

2. Do not become opinionated during listening: Listen first. Jot down and understand all the points suggested. Then take your time to build your argument. Question only when you have understood the content thoroughly and need some genuine clarification. Do not just question for the sake of questioning.

3. Look at the speaker, and maintain eye contact during listening: This will certainly help you stay focused longer. A positive affirmation by means of a nod, a smile will encourage the speaker to share with your even more valuable information.

4. Forget about the world around you for a while: The entire world comes back to you once you are done with your listening. A complete attention of this kind will help you chisel your listening skills greatly.

5. Question yourself as you listen: This will help you refine your analytical skills. Ask yourself why? And How? Questions. These are some basic questions you need to ask yourself as you are listening to a piece of information or lecture. Mind you, this will make you an active listener too!

All these suggestions will help you process the required information while you are listening. Listening is an indispensable act to communicating effectively. Empathetic listeners make great communicators and vice-versa. If you feel that you have not done enough justice to this skill, no worries, you could always read this article and understand your own shortcomings.

If you are in possession of some more information pertaining to ‘listening’, do share with us here, beneath this article.

Wishing you Success!!

Source: developingcareer.com

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