Unit - 2
Basics of Effective Communication (Listening and Speaking)
Definition and Process
The process of listening is receiving a language through the ears. It involves the identification of the sounds of speech and processing them into words and sentences. Listening is the ability to precisely receive and interpret messages in the communication process.
Listening is one of the most important factors to all effective communication. Without effective listening ability, messages may be easily misunderstood. Therefore, as a result, sometimes communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated.
While listening, we use our ears to receive individual sounds (letters, stress, rhythm and pauses) and our brain converts these into messages that mean something to us.
Listening, like any other communication skill such as reading, writing or speakinge requires focus and attention. It is a skill that some people need to work at harder than others. People who have difficulty concentrating are typically poor listeners. Listening in a second language requires even greater focus.
Importance of Listening Skills
It is often contested that speaking as a skill is more important than listening which is a common misconception. Listening is as important a skill as speaking if not more, as it is only by listening one can learn proper pronunciation and intonation of words which allows him to speak fluently.
Oral language skills including listening comprehension also are important for writing development. Although oral language skills aren't explicitly laid out in the developmental models of writing, they are essential component skills as writing requires generation of ideas, which then need to be translated into oral language.
Below are some areas where listening skills can prove to be extremely important:
Academic Purpose
When one focuses on the material presented in a classroom, they will be able to identify not only the words used in a lecture but their emphasis and their more complex meanings. They will take better notes, and will more accurately remember the instructor’s claims, information, and conclusions. Many times, instructors provide oral cues about what is likely to appear in an examination, specific expectations for assignments and instructions on specific study material, hence active listening can be extremely beneficial.
Social Purpose
In a social setting, if a person genuinely listens to other people, they are often considered to be a good friend. Most people prefer "good listeners" over people who won't stop giving advice without even listening to a word the speaker is saying. Many people just wait for their turn to speak instead of trying to understand what someone is saying to them. Therefore, listening skills also help with one's social relationships.
Perceptual Purpose
A person who has the ability to listen properly is often considered an intelligent person. It is essential to let someone finish their thoughts before giving voice to one's own opinions. Listening silently while someone is speaking gives them a sign that they are being heard. This creates an image of a smart individual in the mind of the speaker.
Important for Public Speaking
When one listen's well to others without interrupting, they begin gathering up on more impressive ways to organize and present arguments. Which helps one understand how people think and what are the factors that influence them. While speaking publicly this can be helpful as one can assume how people will react to a certain argument. This also helps in connecting with people in general and potentially influencing them.
Types of Listening
There are a few different methods of effective listening, and each one is suited to specific circumstances. Here are descriptions of the main types of listening and the scenarios in which you would be likely to use them:
1. Discriminative listening:
Discriminative listening is the first form of listening humans develop as babies. This type of listening does not focus on words but rather the tone of voice and other subtleties of sound to understand meaning and intention. Babies don’t understand words, but they rely on their discriminative listening to understand who is speaking and what mood is being communicated. As an adult, you may find yourself relying on discriminative listening when people around you are speaking a foreign language that you don’t understand. Though you may lack the language skills to understand the words being spoken, you can rely on the tone of voice and inflection to derive a vague meaning. When you can only rely on discriminative listening, you may turn to visual stimuli. The mannerisms, facial expressions, and body language of a speaker help clue you in to the speaker’s message.
2. Comprehensive listening:
Comprehensive listening is the next level of critical listening skills that humans usually develop in early childhood. Comprehensive listening requires language skills and a grasp of basic vocabulary to understand what is being communicated through by the speaker. Comprehensive listening covers most other forms of listening that critical listeners utilize. Through the course of their day-to-day lives, people use comprehensive listening paired with verbal cues to understand what messages are being communicated to them.
3. Informational listening:
Informational listening (or informative listening) is the type of listening practices during the process of learning. Informational listening builds upon basic comprehensive listening and requires a high level of concentration and engagement to understand new concepts and comprehend technical jargon. Informational listening has less to do with the emotional content of what is being communicated and more to do with critical thinking and following a logical sequence as it is communicated. When you try to learn important skills that are being taught to you, it’s vital that you pay attention and use informational listening skills.
4. Critical listening:
Critical listening is the style of listening people use when they are trying to analyse and judge complex information that is being communicated to them. You might use critical listening if you’re problem-solving on the job and trying to decide if you agree with a proposal being floated by one of your co-workers. The word “critical” has multiple meanings, but in this case it simply means that you are evaluating information—not necessarily passing judgment.
5. Biased listening:
Biased listening (or selective listening) is a type of selective listening where the listener only tries to understand what they want to hear. Biased listening is different from critical listening because the listener is not actually listening to the speaker's opinions but instead trying to confirm their own opinions. People generally do not realize that they are using a biased listening process. Biased listening can lead to a falsification of facts in the mind of a listener who is not in harmony with to what a speaker intends to communicate.
6. Sympathetic listening:
Sympathetic listening is an emotionally-driven type of relationship listening, wherein a listener processes the feelings and emotions of a speaker and tries to provide support and understanding in return. You might use sympathetic listening when a child tells you about trouble they had at school. In this case sympathetic listening is used to make the child feel heard and provide them with comfort and support. Sympathetic is useful in trying to establish a deep connection with another person, especially when that person is experiencing adversity.
7. Therapeutic listening and empathetic listening:
Therapeutic or empathetic listening is a listening process wherein a listener tries to understand the point of view of a speaker and imagines themselves directly in the speaker’s position. Empathetic listening (sometimes referred to as empathic listening) goes a step further than sympathetic listening in that an empathic listener will relate to the speaker’s experience as if it were their own.
Tips for Effective Listening
There are two ways in which a person can listen to something being said to them – active and passive. Passive listening is listening without giving the speaker your full attention. Passive listening is like not listening at all therefore one must always give the speaker their full attention and practice active listening in order to fully grasp the meaning of what the speaker wants to say.
Below are some ways in which one can improve their listening comprehension skills:
1. Listening to Podcasts and Audio Books
One can start listening to podcasts or audio books with comprehensible difficulty level, meaning the ones which one can already understand 60-80%. This is necessary as listening to material far above one’s skill level will only leave them dazed and confused.
2. Listening to the Appropriate Material
Listening to what one enjoys is also important. It would build up motivation to continue exercising their listening skills. If you are interested in a particular genre of a book or a particular speaker then try listening to them first as they would be able to keep you more interested and engaged in the subject.
3. Entertainment is a Good Source of Learning
One should start watching English content beginning with short clips and move on to full movies and shows in English along with subtitles. This will help them get familiar with native pronunciation and syntax of different kinds of sentences. While watching with subtitles one should always avoid reading the subtitles beforehand and should read them as the words are being spoken.
4. Listen and Re-listen
Native English is fast spoken. Therefore, it is necessary to acquaint oneself with different speeds in spoken English. To do this, one should listen and re-listen the same material at different speeds while trying to focus on the different sounds, words and their meanings.
5. Taking Notes
When listening to an audio, it is often helpful to take notes.
While practicing listening, the following steps will help to understand the content more clearly:
Step 1: Write down the topic of the audio
Step 2: If there are multiple speakers, their names are to be written down (e.g. Speaker 1, Speaker 2)
Step 3: Write down the crux of what each speaker is trying to convey. It is even better to use points for their central ideas.
Step 4: If you frequently hear a word you do not understand, try to write it down so you can look it up later
Step 5: If there's a word or sentence you find interesting, write it down so that you can practice using it in your own conversations.
6. Conversing with Native Speakers
If possible, try talking to native speakers as they will have good pronunciation and intonation. At first it would be difficult to understand because of their accents and word stress but with more practice you will be able to successfully communicate with them. Conversing also has another additional advantage, it will not only help with your listening comprehension but will also help you learn how to speak the language with proper pronunciation.
Public speaking can be defined as a presentation which is given in front of a live audience. It is a performance-based art. The goal of public speaking may be to educate, influence or entertain the audience.
Public speakers often implement visual aids such as power-point presentations; relevant objects etc. to get their content across more easily.
Public speaking is different to an online presentation is the sense that an online presentation is made as per the viewer’s discretion whereas public speaking is performed at a specific time and place.
Public speaking consists of five main elements:
- The source of the message – The speaker
- The content or information to be delivered – The message
- To whom the message is addressed – The audience
- The medium of the message – Speaking
- The reaction of the audience – The Effect
It is significant to note that one of the most important rules of public speaking is to know one’s audience. In other words, the speaker must know how to talk to and influence his audience, to know which words will carry more effect, how his audience will react to a certain idea, what is the knowledge base or background of his audience etc.
Below are some reasons why the skill of public speaking is important and should be incorporated in one’s skillset:
- It is a self-confidence booster. By speaking publicly one can overcome their fear of inferiority.
- Public speaking improves speaking skills in general allowing one to be comfortable around others.
- It can help one make an impression and win over crowds in both formal and informal settings.
- Influential public speaking can motivate others to change or grow.
- Didactic public speaking can help inform people about various topics and ideas they were previously unfamiliar with.
- It is one of the most effective ways to get one’s message across large audiences.
- One is required to speak publicly at some point in their lives. Therefore, it is advisable to hone one’s skill beforehand.
- It allows one to demonstrate their knowledge and introduce radical ideas.
- Public speaking helps one garner people’s admiration which can be helpful in one’s career and social life as well.
- Public speaking can help advance one’s career and social life.
Guidelines for practicing public speaking:
- Staying True to Oneself:
Watching other efficient public speakers is a good way to learn and practice but everybody is different. That means that there aren't any rules for what makes an efficient orator. Part of being an authentic orator is knowing the way to be yourself when underneath the spotlight. Acting like yourself instead of trying to imitate somebody else allows you to behave more organically, which may be a boon when attempting to connect with an audience.
- Knowing the Purpose of the Speech:
One should always know whether they want to influence, educate or inspire the audience and depending upon that one should decide how to formulate their speech.
- Expanding Knowledge Base, Presentation tools and Vocabulary:
Reading about various topics is a great way to expand one’s horizons. ‘Always keep learning’ should be the motto of every public speaker. The speaker should be updated with current affairs and should have a vast vocabulary to incorporate within his speeches. One should also learn how to use electronic slideshows and other presentation tools as they provide an edge to the speech.
- Playing to One’s Strengths:
Some people are good at storytelling others are good at using information to influence people. One should find out his strengths and practice them time and time again. The most efficient speakers are ready to effectively identify their strengths and use those strengths as tools to make a presence that's authentic and relatable.
- Improvisation:
While speaking it is rare that things go exactly as planned. Therefore, one should practice how to improvise when he fumbles or goes blank. Sometimes the presentation tool may malfunction, a listener may ask a question that the speaker is not prepared to answer or the speaker may simply forget one of their points, in situations like these, improvisation helps to get back on track and prevents the audience from losing interest.
- Audience is the Center
The speaker is not the focus of the event, the audience is. All good orates cares more about the audience than themselves. This can be difficult if one has speech anxiety, which tends to fill them with bursts of anxiety and self-consciousness. However, focusing fully on the audience lifts a tremendous burden from your shoulders in terms of worrying about your performance.
One should practice taking the audience’s reactions into notice.
- Using Body Language and Gestures:
Body language and gestures say as much as the words themselves. One should practice employing gestures as much as possible while speaking. Smiling and being active in general is useful for keeping the attention of the audience on the speaker.
- Recording and Reviewing:
One of the most effective public speaking practice techniques is to record oneself while speaking, preferably video recording. Although few people like their own voice, the audience’s viewpoint is more important. Are you gesturing with your hands too much? Is the intro too long? Should you include a story in the middle, so you hold the audience’s attention? All of these questions are important to answer, and it can be easiest to do so by seeing yourself.
- Practicing in front of Friends and Family:
Asking family or friends to be practice audience members is a good way to know where one is going right or going wrong. In most cases, these two groups of people know you better than anyone else in your life. That means that, although you may not want to hear it, they know your bad habits better than anyone.
In addition to your bad habits, your family and friends will also be able to tell you if you don’t quite sound like yourself.
Importance of Humour in Public Speaking
When used properly, humour is a powerful tool in any speaker’s arsenal and it can have tremendous benefits:
It creates a bond with the audience
A speaker who uses humour well comes across as more human, more likeable. This puts an audience at ease and makes people more receptive to your ideas. As British comedian John Cleese has said, “If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you more open to my ideas.”
It energizes people and keeps them engaged
When we laugh, there is a lot that goes on inside our body. Our heart rate increases and that keeps us stimulated and alert.
It can provide emotional relief for the audience
Many talks are serious and many talks are emotionally challenging for an audience. Well-placed humour can give your audience some much-needed relief in an otherwise serious talk.
It helps the audience remember your points
Laughter has been shown to improve memory and cognitive function. This helps the audience remember your ideas.
It leaves the audience with a good impression of the speaker
American poet, Maya Angelou, said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Importance of Emotions
Emotions make humans different from the rest. Having emotions distinguish us from robots. Having emotions is what makes us humans. Feelings make us feel alive. Having emotions helps us to know one another. Having an emotional impact on the audience will allow the following:
Emotions help the speaker to relate to the audience and make the audience understand the message.
The main reason for giving a speech is to induce the message across to your listeners; whether you want to educate, persuade or inspire them. When a speaker shares a true-life experience, a speaker tells a story. By telling the story with feelings, the audience will understand what the speaker went through and also the points that the speaker is trying to make. The speech message will get across to the listeners faster and more practical. Through understanding, the questions of why, how and what are often answered.
Emotions helps speaker to connect with the audience.
Every time you hear a speech, you're always trying to find something or someone who you'll be able to relate too. What's the purpose of listening to someone who that does not understand you? A speaker who speaks with feelings can connect easily with the audience.
Emotions move the audience.
The use of emotions is vital especially when you try to inspire and motivate your audience. You need to deliver your speech with enthusiasm and dynamism. The audience will be inspired and motivated by you. You'll be able to convince them, to move them and drive them towards changing their life and their mind-set. History has proven that powerful speeches changed the planet and the greatest speakers in history delivered their speeches with passion, intensity and filled with heart.
Emotions make the speech more interesting.
The audience will not be interested in the speech of a speaker who does not show emotions while speaking. These expressions allow the audience to relate to what is being said and develops a sense of empathy in them towards the speaker.
Key Takeaways
- Public speaking is a performance-based art
- It involves the speaker giving an oral presentation in front of a live audience
- Public speakers often implement visual aids such as power-point presentations; relevant objects etc. to get their content across more easily.
- The five main elements of public speaking are: the speaker, the message, the audience, speaking and the effect/feedback
- Implementing humour in public speaking creates a bond with the audience and energizes them while keeping them engaged in the speech
- Humour also helps the audience remember the main points of the speech and leaves a good impression of the speaker
- Emotions help the audience to relate to the message and understand it better
- Emotions are a helpful tool as they make the speech more engaging and interesting
References:
1. Communication Skills by Sanjay Kumar and Pushpa Lata, Oxford University Press.
2. Business Communication by Meenakshi Raman and Prakash Singh, Oxford University Press.
3. Technical Communication by Meenakshi Raman and Sangeeta Sharma, OUP.