Active listening

Active listening is a deliberate effort to listen with concentration, attention and focus to understand the meaning being conveyed by the speaker. An active listener is content-oriented in that they listen to what the speaker says. They listen for information, ideas and explanations. Additionally, an active listener focuses on how the speaker conveys their message. They observe both verbal and non-verbal cues used by the speaker. Active listening will help develop your understanding of the content being presented and help you to understand its application to your learning.

Active listening is a purposeful choice that requires you to adopt conscious behaviours to enhance your listening experience. Active listening strategies fall into three categories:

State of mind active listening strategies relate to what is going on in your head while you are listening. Are you oriented to the subject under discussion or is your mind preoccupied with other matters? To have an active listening state of mind:
- Adopt an attitude of respect for the speaker and context.
- Make the decision to pay attention and develop awareness of the length of your attention span.
- Approach the speaker and context with an open mind and be aware of your assumptions, biases and prejudices and put them aside while you are listening.
- Understand that oral communications can have a varied pace which requires patience from the listener.
- Choose to ignore environmental distractions and draw your attention (including your eye focus) back to the speaker.
Non-verbal listening strategies are about what you do when you are listening and what you observe when you are listening. These also include body language. Are you upright and alert or are you slouched and sleepy? Use non-verbal listening strategies to demonstrate that you are actively listening. These also relate to what the speaker(s) does.
- Choose a position where you can hear and see the speaker(s) clearly.
- Adopt an alert body state. For example, sit up, lean slightly forward towards the speaker and face the speaker.
- Take notes throughout the presentation (see Master the art of note making for more tips).
- Observe any visual aids to assist your understanding.
- Avoid fidgeting. Fidgeting not only distracts your attention but also distracts that of the speaker and other audience members.
- Acknowledge the speaker by making appropriate eye-contact, smiling, nodding, etc.
- Observe the speaker’s non-verbal cues. Consider the messages being conveyed by the speaker’s body language, gestures, mood they radiate and how this adds to meaning.
Verbal active listening strategies are about consciously listening to the language used and the sound features employed by the speaker (e.g. the rising and falling of their voice, emphasis they put on certain parts of their speech). To engage actively in the listening process:
- Be content-oriented and listen for how the content is organised.
- Listen for key words.
- Listen for repetition. The speakers often repeat their key messages a few times (not necessarily in the same words though).
- Use a range of active listening phrases and expressions to demonstrate that you are engaged in listening.

Note

Not all of these behaviours will be relevant in every situation. You will need to develop a repertoire of active listening skills that you can apply as required.

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Student Academic Success

Active listening

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