1. Improving Your Listening
Skills
How to be an Active Listener

3. Active Listening
► Good listening skills are important in
 school
 the workplace
 day-to-day living
► Yetmost of us receive very little training in
effective listening.

4. ► Take the Effective Listening Quiz!

5. Good Listeners:
► Minimize or remove any barriers to communication that may threaten their
effectiveness.
► Physically face towards and pay attention to the speaker.
► Listen for and verbally confirm the speaker's intent or purpose.
► Confirm the content or the speaker's request (the who, what, where, when, why
and how).
► Clarify the degree of importance of the request to the speaker. What is the
reason, need or urgency of the request?
► Recognize the level of emotion demonstrated by the speaker.
► Summarize and share their understanding of what is being requested.
► Indicate the level of response they will be able to provide.

6. Factors That Hinder Listening
► Many factors hinder our listening. Here are
a few examples:
 Daydreaming.
 Preparing our responses ahead of time.
 Thinking about other people, places or things.

7. 7 Ways to Improve Your Listening
► Hereare 7 strategies and suggestions to help you
improve your listening skills.
 1.) Increase your listening span:
► Try to resist the temptation to interrupt.
► Make sure the speaker has had a complete chance to make his
or her point before you speak.
► If you don't get the whole message, ask the speaker to repeat
what they said.

8. Ways to Improve Your Listening
► 2.) Take time to listen:
 Don't put obvious limitations on your listening
time - the speaker will feel rushed.
► 3.) Listen between the lines:
 Don't just listen to what is being said.
 Try to understand the attitudes, needs and
motives behind the words.

9. Ways to Improve Your Listening
► 4.) Give your full attention:
 Nodding or interjecting occasionally to clarify a
point lets the speaker know you are interested.
 If the speaker pauses briefly, don't rush to fill
the silence.
 Use open-ended questions to encourage
elaboration.

10. Ways to Improve Your Listening
► 5.) Restate the message:
 When you are sure that the speaker has
finished, restate the main points.
 This is a good organizing strategy for you.
 It also gives the speaker assurance that the
message has been received.

11. Ways to Improve Your Listening
► 6.) Listen for ideas as well as facts:
 A good listener makes an effort to understand what the
facts add up to.
► 7.) Don't monopolize:
 Resist the urge to dominate a situation or to feel that
you know everything about a situation.
 Be open to new ideas and allow the speaker to have his
or her say.