Business and Professional Communication, 3rd edition
Kelly M. Quintanilla, Shawn T. Wahl
Chapter 3: Listening
Chapter Activities
Activities to Illustrate Key Concepts
Activity 1: Audio Hearing Test
Description: This is a class activity that initially, or on its face, is an audio hearing test. The
test will be used as a springboard for class discussion. It is designed as a discussion learning
opportunity.
Directions:
1. Explain to the class that you are doing an audio hearing test to conduct a group hearing
5. As you go through the test, the class should note their results in rela.on to the class for
each test.
6. A0er the hearing test, have the class discuss the results. Who was the best at hearing,
and did anyone discover they had a hearing problem?
Activity 2: Role-play/Drama
Description: This is a small-group role-play/drama activity. The role-play/dramas performed
by class members should stimulate students to think when they are using selective hearing
and how this can impact work performance.
Directions:
1. Divide the class into groups of four people.
2. Share with students that this is a small-group role-play/drama ac.vity and each group
will need to do two things: decide on a professional business situa.on where listening is
involved and come up with a 2 to 4 minute drama to illustrate how the listener involved
has used selec.ve hearing and a poor outcome occurs.
3. Not all of the people have to appear in the actual drama, but all must par.cipate in the
development of the drama.
Activity 3: Individual Re+ection Writing
Description: This is an individual reflection writing assignment that should be connected to
the teaching of the HURIER model of listening. The teacher can assign participation points
for completion of the activity. As this is a subjective journaling activity, the only rubric would
be the completion of the activity as assigned.
Directions:
1. Have the students refer to the sec.on of the textbook that discusses the HURIER model
of listening as a reference for the comple.on of this assignment.
2. Instruct the students that this assignment is a journaling re@ec.on ac.vity.
3. Each student should reflect on which of the six HURIER listening behaviors have given
them the most diAculty in the past and what speci&c steps they can take to correct this
in the future.
Activity 4: Feedback Activity
Description: This is a skills practicing activity giving students an opportunity to demonstrate
pro&ciency using active listening. The teacher can assign participation points for completion
of the activity. As this is a subjective journaling activity, the only rubric would be the
completion of the activity as assigned.
Directions:
1. Divide the class into groups of two.
2. Have the partners quickly list six topics that are of interest.
3. One student should be the listener and the other the speaker. A0er comple.ng the &rst
round, the roles will be reversed.
4. Time the class as the speakers discuss a liCle bit about each of the six topics. The
listener should be prac.cing ac.ve listening skills.