CHAPTER 5
Listeners and Speakers
CHAPTER CONTENT OUTLINE
I. Recognize the centrality of listening.
A. Hearing is the physiological, passive process of perceiving sound.
B. Listening is the conscious act of receiving, comprehending, evaluating, and responding to
II. Recognize that we listen selectively.
A. In any given situation, no two listeners process information in exactly the same way.
B. People pay attention selectively to certain messages and ignore others, known as selective
perception.
2. People pay attention to information that touches their experience and background.
3. People sort and filter new information on the basis of what they already know.
C. As a speaker, identify what’s important to your listeners, show them early on what they
III. Anticipate obstacles to listening.
A. Minimize external and internal distractions.
1. A listening distraction is anything that competes for the attention a listener is trying to
give something else.
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B. Refrain from multitasking.
C. Guard against scriptwriting and defensive listening.
2. Defensive listening occurs when listeners decide they won’t like what a speaker is
1. Cultural barriers, including differences in dialects, accents, nonverbal cues, gestures,
word choice, and physical appearance, negatively impact listening.
IV. Practice active listening.
A. Set listening goals.
1. Identify your listening needs.
3. Make an action statement (goal).
4. Assess goal achievement.
B. Listen for main ideas.
1. Listen for introductions, transitions, and conclusions.
2. Take notes on the speaker’s main points.
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V. Strive for the open and respectful exchange of ideas.
A. Dialogic communication is the open sharing of ideas in an atmosphere of respect to
achieve understanding.
B. Speakers and listeners are always responding to each other.
C. The continual adjustment between speaker and listener is called the feedback loop.
VI. Evaluate evidence and reasoning.
A. Evaluate the evidence in terms of accuracy and credibility.
B. Analyze assumptions and biases.
VII. Offer constructive and compassionate feedback.
A. Be fair and honest in your evaluation.
B. Adjust to the speaker’s style.
KEY TERMS
hearing the physiological, largely passive process of perceiving sound
listening conscious act of receiving, comprehending, interpreting, and responding to messages
selective perception psychological principle that posits that listeners pay attention selectively to
certain messages and ignore others
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defensive listening poor listening behavior in which the listener reacts defensively to a speaker’s
message
active listening listening that is focused and purposeful
CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE
I. SUMMARY QUESTIONS
What is listening, and why is it important?
Rather than being a reflexive response, listening is a complex, learned behavior. Listening is
What are the major obstacles to active listening?
Obstacles to active listening include cultural barriers; environmental, emotional, and
What steps can you take to become a more active listener?
Monitor your listening to avoid the poor listening habits noted previously. As you listen, do so
consciously, and try to apply these steps: set listening goals; listen for the speaker’s main points
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How can you evaluate evidence and reasoning while listening?
Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate claims on the basis of well- supported reasons. It
involves both a set of skills and the willingness to use these skills in the service of objective
II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss what it means to listen responsibly.
Listening responsibly means refraining from disruptive and intimidating tactics such as
heckling, name-calling, or interrupting that are meant to silence those with whom we disagree.
2. Do you think that some people are natural-born listeners?
Some people naturally listen well. What qualities make natural-born listeners different
3. Name some famous people or individuals you know whom you believe to be good
listeners.
Reasons for selecting these people should include their ability to minimize or avoid
barriers, evidence of active listening, and evidence of understanding people’s messages and
CONTENT PRESENTATION IDEAS
I. STUDENT ACTIVITY
1. Bring in examples of speeches seen on television or heard on the radio.
The proportion of the audience who listen attentively may depend on the type of audience
for the speech. Who was the intended audience? Was the topic of the speech appropriately
II. GROUP ACTIVITIES
1. In a small group, brainstorm some songs that have memorable lyrics. Discuss the types of
messages in the lyrics that cause listeners to pay close attention and remember better. Bring
examples to class to support your ideas. What elements of song lyrics that make them
interesting and memorable could be transferred to public speeches?
2. As a team, conduct a search of the internet using the keyword listening. Look for sites that
report both problems and solutions associated with listening. Bring the results of your search to
class, and share them with your classmates.
Suggest that students search online for organizations that promote listening (such
organizations may encourage effective listening in organizational settings and within personal
3. Form a group of four to six people. Devise a “Listening Challenge,” much like Jeopardy,
College Bowl, or Twenty Questions, that focuses on listening. Create the rules, procedures,
questions, answers, and so on. Have your classmates act as participants. Make it challenging so
III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may be used by instructors to help illustrate important points in the
chapter and to facilitate students’ learning of this material. These questions can be used as:
Homework questions
Quizzes
1. Listening involves selective perception, which is influenced by several factors. List and define
these factors.
Selective perception: process by which people pay attention to certain messages and
ignore others
People pay attention to information they feel is important.
2. List and explain the barriers to active listening.
Listening distraction: external distractions and internal distractions
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Scriptwriting and defensive listening: thinking about what you will say next and
deciding that you won’t like what the speaker is going to say
Laziness and overconfidence: thinking that you already know, or don’t need to know,
3. What are the strategies for active listening?
Set listening goals.
ACTIVITIES
The Telephone Game
Purpose: This traditional children’s game can be used to illustrate the complexity associated with
listening to a message and then passing it on. Poor listening skills hinder the accurate reception of
a message.
Instructions: Instructors can use the entire class for this activity or select ten to fifteen students to
participate. The students should stand or sit in a line. The instructor should come to class with a
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Example Story 1: Due to the rapid rate of Sam’s speech, the confused class failed to follow his
unusual idioms, let alone distinguish the sources of his statistics.
Example Story 2: Students find statistics rather sadistic because of all the formulas they need to
Discussion: How does the final version differ from the original message? Where did the
breakdown in communication take place? The instructor might ask each student what was said to
Additional Instructions: After discussing active listening skills, students can repeat the activity.
The instructor can use another story and see if students tell a more accurate final version.
Listening Actively
Purpose: To illustrate the importance of listening actively and of refraining from making
unsubstantiated inferences.
Story: At 5:00 P.M. on Saturday evening at the corner of Washington and Jefferson streets, a man
came staggering out of a bar. A second man approached the first, apparently to inquire whether
there was a problem. An argument ensued. The second man pushed the first man. A crowd
1. What time did the man come out of the bar?
2. Which man had been drinking?
3. Who started the fight? Who shoved whom first?
4. What were the two men arguing about?
Source: Kearney, P., & Plax, T. G. (1996). Public speaking in a diverse society. Mountain View,
CA: Mayfield.
Semantic Barriers to Listening
Purpose: To help students understand how attitudes about certain topics affect listening.
Instructions: Below is a list of words to which some people may have strong reactions. In the
space provided, indicate your own reaction to or first impression of each of those words or phrases.
Record your first response; work through your list quickly. Use the following scale: (5) highly
favorable, (4) favorable, (3) neutral, (2) unfavorable, or (1) highly unfavorable.
____________Animal rights
____________ College tuition
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Discussion
1. To what extent do you think your reaction to each of these phrases would affect your ability to
concentrate fully and listen actively to a speaker’s message?
3. What other words or phrases could a speaker use to replace or neutralize these phrases?
4. List alternatives next to each phrase.
Source: Adapted from Bethea, L. S., & Morris, M. M. (1996). Public speaking in a diverse society:
Student workbook. Dallas, TX: Alliance Press.
I Spy: Identifying Good Listeners
Purpose: To identify effective and ineffective listening in the real world.
Instructions: Students should complete this assignment outside class. The teacher should instruct
students to (1) attend a speech or presentation in person, (2) observe individuals engaged in
Students should answer the following questions:
1. Whom are you observing and in what type of situation?
2. Does the person appear to be an effective or an ineffective listener? List the specific
qualities, both verbal and nonverbal, that make the person a poor listener or a good listener.
Discussion: Have students report their findings to the class and then discuss some of the more
interesting and relevant ones. Instructors should focus the discussion on good and poor listening
behaviors.
Additional Instructions: This assignment may also be used as a semester-long project. Students
Mystery Sounds
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to practice being active listeners and to help them
improve their listening skills.
Materials: An audio recorder or a computer with speakers, and a little imagination.
Instructions: Play out loud, ten to fifteen sounds that you hear every day. You may want to record
the sounds yourself, using an audio recording device, or play some sounds from a free online
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that students can check theirs. Although it will be hard for the instructor to grade this type of
assignment, the student with the most correct answers could be rewarded in some way.
What Color Do You Hear? Learning to Listen Using Color
Purpose: To help students practice active listening.
Materials: Flashlights, colored cellophane or plastic wrap, music, and something with which to
play music
Developing Our Critical Thinking Skills
speeches that might work for this assignment. After viewing the speech in class, ask students to
answer the following six questions:
1. What is the speaker saying?
2. Is the evidence credible and accurate?
Discussion: After students answer these questions, have them discuss their responses with another
student or in a small group. Students will likely encounter responses different from their own,
discussion about the importance of critical thinking and ethical public speaking.
The Invisible Gorilla
Purpose: To provide an experience in which students are confronted with evidence of selective
perception.
Instructions: Show the “Invisible Gorilla” video, available online at
www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/videos.html. Approximately half of the students will not notice the
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RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES
Adler, M. J. (1997). How to speak, how to listen. New York, NY: Macmillan.
Anastasi, T. E. (1982). Listen! Techniques for improving communication skills. CBI series in
management communication. Boston, MA: CBI.
approach. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
Brownell, J. (2009). Listening: Attitudes, principles, and skills (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Cichon, E. J. (2001). Practicing active listening. Communication Teacher, 16(1), 11–14.
Donoghue, P. J., & Siegel, M. E. (2005). Are you really listening? Keys to successful
communication. Notre Dame, IN: Sorin Books.
Eve Diamond, L. (2007). Rule #1: Stop talking! A guide to listening. Silicon Valley, CA: Happy
About.
Fritz, P. A., & Weaver, R. L. (1986). Teaching critical thinking skills in the basic speaking course:
A liberal arts perspective. Communication Education, 35(2), 174.
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SUGGESTED WEBSITES
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