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CHAPTER 3
LISTENING
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Because listening is an essential skill for effective communication, Chapter 3 offers
strategies for improvement in the understanding and retention of speech material,
through effective listening and attention. Critical analysis and constructive feedback are
discussed in detail.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Introduction (p. 44): This chapter addresses the critical importance of listening on the
speech process and the strategies for its improvement.
I. What is listening? (p. 44)
A. Listening is the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and
responding to messages.
B. Listening consists of complex affective, cognitive, and behavioral
processes.
1.
Affective processes motivate us to attend to a message.
C. The type of listening we engage in varies based on the situation.
2.
In discriminative listening, the goal is to understand the speaker’s
meaning conveyed in other ways than the words themselves.
II. Listening challenges (p. 45).
A. Listening apprehension is the anxiety we feel about listening and tends
to increase when we are concerned about how the message may affect us
psychologically.
2.
People-orientated listeners focus on the feelings the speakers may
have about what they are saying.
4.
Time-orientated listeners prefer brief and hurried conversations.
C. Processing approach: people tend to listen in one of two ways based on
the rhetorical situation:
1.
Passively listening is a habitual and unconscious process.
III. Active listening strategies (p. 47).
A. Attending to the speech: intentionally perceiving and focusing on the
message (p. 47).
1.
Get physically ready to listen. Turn off electronic devices, alter posture,
3.
Hear the speaker out.
a. Instead of tuning out or getting ready to interrupt, work that much
4.
Find personal relevance.
a. As motivation, ask why and how the information might be
B. Understanding can help us accurately interpret a message—utilizing four
strategies that can improve our listening to understand (p. 48).
1.
Identify goal and main points. The speaker’s organization helps to
establish a framework for understanding and remembering.
3.
Silently paraphrase. Rather than simply repeating what has been said,
4.
Observe nonverbal cues. Notice where and how the speaker is
attempting to use tone of voice, facial expressions, and gestures to
1.
Repeat the information. Repetition promotes long-term memory of
information.
3.
Take notes. This method helps you take an active role in the listening
process.
D. Evaluating a speech. By critically analyzing what is said, you can
determine its truthfulness, utility, and trustworthiness (p. 49).
1.
Separate facts from inferences.
E. Responding means providing feedback (p. 49).
1.
Feedback usually occurs nonverbally through behaviors, such as
IV. Constructive critiques (p. 50).
A. A constructive critique comprises statements that evaluate content,
structure, and delivery.
B. Guidelines for constructive critique:
1.
Communicate specific observations.
perception, not “truth.”
C. Elements of constructive critiques:
1.
Comments on content focus on an analysis of the speaker’s goal, main
points, and supporting material used to develop them.
LECTURE IDEAS
1.
Offer students a situational look at the consequences of not listening, using the
following examples. Ask the students rhetorically, giving them time to mentally
answer, and then offer your own answer.
• What would happen if children did not listen to their parents about crossing the
street or talking to strangers?
2.
At some point in their academic career, students have encountered a “boring”
lecture; probably more times than not. Prepare a short faux-lecture, making sure to
be as stereotypically “boring” as possible. Halfway through the lecture, announce:
3.
It is useful for students to realize how important listening skills are to business
leaders. For a look at the value of listening in the business world, either incorporate
the following websites into an in-class lecture or direct students to them for pre-class
research:
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
What do you think is the cause of most listening problems? What roles do culture
and gender play in interpreting messages between speaker and listener?
CLASS ACTIVITIES
Activity 3.1: Memory Recall
Select an article to read aloud from a newspaper, preferably an international story or
Activity 3.2: Listening in Pairs
Pair students off and have both talk, simultaneously, for 30–60 seconds. Then, go
around the room and ask the pairs what the other person said. Note that listening
requires concentration; therefore during speeches, one cannot be talking, reading, or
attending to other things, while a speaker is speaking.
Activity 3.3: “Who Am I?”
Organize students into a line. Take a piece of paper, containing one word or picture,
and affix it to the students’ backs. Students must then ask their classmates questions in
order to determine “who” or “what” they are. Students cannot ask directly, “Who am I,”
but rather must ask questions that will hint at their identity, such as “Am I an animal or
vegetable?” Students should write their clues down, in order to create a profile. The goal
Activity 3.4: Practicing Effective Listening
This activity is an excellent opportunity for the instructor to demonstrate appropriate
WORKSHEET: Effective Listening Checklist
Check all items that were accomplished effectively.
CONTENT
1. Was the goal of the speech clear?
2. Did the speaker have high-quality information?
audience’s interests, knowledge, and attitudes?
ORGANIZATION
6. Did the introduction gain attention, create goodwill, set the tone, build
credibility, and lead into the speech?
7. Were the main points parallel, meaningful, clearly stated complete
sentences?
8. Did the transitions lead smoothly from one point to another?
9. Did the conclusion tie the speech together, summarize main points, and
end on a high note?
LANGUAGE
10. Was the language clear?
DELIVERY
14. Did the speaker sound enthusiastic?
15. Did the speaker show sufficient vocal expressiveness?
Activity 3.5: Team Listening Challenge
Divide students into teams. Each team is to build an exact duplicate of a project model
(you provide; could be anything; does not have to be complex) in the shortest time.
Each team is made up of a looker, a runner, builder(s), supplier, feedbacker, and
recorder/manager. The looker looks at the project model, and may only talk to the
Activity 3.6: Identifying Speech Organization
Play a video recording of a student speech you have in your collection. Consider playing
both a speech you consider effective and one you consider ineffective. Ask students to
GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS
action-oriented listeners: focus on the ultimate point the speaker is trying to make
content-oriented listeners: focus on and evaluate the facts and evidence
evaluating: critically analyzing the message
facts: statements whose accuracy can be verified as true
hearing: the physiological process that occurs when the brain detects sound waves
inferences: assertions based on the facts presented
listening: the cognitive process of receiving, attending to, constructing meaning from,
and responding to messages
passive listening: the habitual and unconscious process of receiving messages
people-oriented listeners: focus on the feelings the speakers may have about what
they are saying
question: a statement designed to clarify information or get additional details
time-oriented listeners: prefer brief and hurried conversations
understanding: accurately interpreting a message
TEST QUESTIONS
CHAPTER 3
Multiple Choice
1.
The cognitive process of receiving, attending to, constructing meaning from, and
responding to messages is called:
a.
hearing
b.
paying attention
c.
communicating
d.
listening
ANS: d SEE PAGE 44
2.
The physiological process that occurs when the brain detects sound waves is called:
a.
hearing
b.
paying attention
c.
communicating
d.
listening
3.
The first step to becoming a good active listener is to train ourselves to focus on,
or to what people are saying regardless of distractions.
a.
listen
b.
hear
c.
attend
d.
contemplate
4.
Altering posture, leaning forward, and establishing eye contact are all ways to
.
a.
get physically ready to listen
b.
adjust to the listening goals of the situation
c.
take good notes
d.
promote memorization of speech content
5.
listeners focus on and evaluate the facts and evidence of a speech, as well as ask
questions to get more information.
a.
people-oriented
b.
action-oriented
c.
content-oriented
d.
time-oriented
6.
When our goal is to understand, remember, and recall information, we engage
in .
a.
comprehensive listening
b.
discriminative listening
c.
appreciative listening
d.
empathic listening
7.
When you listen to your roommate complain about how hard his organic chemistry
class is, you are engaging in .
a.
comprehensive listening
b.
discriminative listening
c.
appreciative listening
d.
empathic listening
8.
What type of listening style favors brief and hurried conversations and often uses
nonverbal and verbal cues to signal that their partner needs to be more concise?
a.
action-oriented
b.
content-oriented
c.
people-oriented
d.
time-oriented
9.
The habitual and unconscious process of receiving messages is called
.
a.
retaining
b.
recoding listening
c.
passive listening
d.
active listening
10.
Tone of voice, facial expressions, and gestures are examples of a
speaker’s .
a.
delivery aids
b.
nonverbal cues
c.
character
d.
nervousness
11.
It is important to take notes of any questions you may have as you listen to a
speech so that you can .
a.
ask the questions during the question-and-answer period
b.
privately approach the speaker after the presentation
c.
do additional research about the topic later
d.
all of the above are correct
12.
The technique of associating a special word or very short statement with new and
longer information is called:
a.
critical analysis
b.
target analysis
c.
mnemonics
d.
repetitive listening
13.
The process of critically analyzing a message to determine its truthfulness, utility,
and trustworthiness is called:
a.
responding
b.
remembering
c.
understanding
d.
evaluating
14.
In a speech about hand-tossed pizza, a speaker presents a list of very detailed steps
to making a pizza by hand, and follows with precise examples. If a listener gives the
feedback “the clarity of the steps made them easy to follow and I feel confident that I
can duplicate the steps at home,” he/she is making a .
a.
content critique statement
b.
delivery critique statement
c.
statement of fact
d.
structure critique statement
15.
is a key to success in most occupations and one of the most
important skills needed in the corporate environment.
a.
Effective speaking
b.
Effective hearing
c.
Effective listening
d.
Effective planning
ANS: c SEE PAGE 44
16.
Which of the following does NOT constitute good note taking in a speech?
a.
a statement of the goal
b.
a list of main points
c.
detailed statements of supporting material
d.
a summary
17.
The deliberate and conscious process of attending to, understanding, remembering,
evaluating, and responding to messages is called:
a.
active listening
b.
passive listening
c.
content-oriented listening
d.
action-oriented listening
18.
A technique used to enhance our ability to remember information is called:
a.
nonverbal cues
b.
repetition
c.
evaluation
d.
reframing
19.
A listener was in the process of evaluating a speech and was trying to determine
facts from inferences. Inferences are .
a.
assertions based on facts
b.
statements that can be verified
c.
essential feedback
d.
specific statements that help a speaker improve
20.
Which of the following is an effective comment about the structure of a speech?
a.
“nice transitions”
b.
“boring introduction”
c.
“I like how you gestured”
d.
“I found it easy to follow your ideas” ANS:
True-False
21.
T F 50 percent or more of our communication time is spent speaking.
22.
T F Hearing and listening are the same.
23.
T F Our brains can process more words per minute than people can typically
produce by speaking.
24.
T F When we want to really understand and critically evaluate the worth of a
message, we engage in comprehensive listening.
25.
T F Asking yourself questions during a speech can distract you from learning its
key aspects.
ANS: F SEE PAGE 48
26.
T F Research suggests that we tend to process information in two ways—
passively or actively—based on the rhetorical situation.
ANS: T SEE PAGE 46
27.
T F The critical analysis of a speech will help listeners determine if they
believe what they have learned.
28.
T F Constructive critique statements should adopt a liberal use of “you” language,
so the speaker knows exactly what he/she needs to improve.
ANS: F SEE PAGE 51
29.
T F Constructive critique feedback should be as specific as possible.
30.
T F Constructive critiques of a speech’s structure focus on both macrostructure
and microstructure.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Lewis, T. D., & Graham, G. (2003). 7 tips for effective listening: productive
listening does not occur naturally. It requires hard work and
practice. Internal Auditor, 60(4), 23–26.
Pearce, C. G., Johnson, I. W., & Barker, R. T. (1995). Enhancing the student
listening skills and environment. Business Communication Quarterly, 58(4),
28– 34.
