Effective Listening Habits

Listening is more than merely hearing words. Listening is an active process by which students receive, construct meaning from, and respond to spoken and or nonverbal messages (Emmert, 1994). As such, it forms an integral part of the communication process and should not be separated from the other language arts. Listening comprehension complements reading comprehension. Verbally clarifying the spoken message before, during, and after a presentation enhances listening comprehension. Writing, in turn, clarifies and documents the spoken message.

Teachers can help students become effective listeners by making them aware of the different kinds of listening, the different purposes for listening, and the qualities of good listeners. Wolvin and Coakley (1992) identify four different kinds of listening.

• Comprehensive (Informational) Listening---Students listen for the content of the message.
• Critical (Evaluative) Listening ---Students judge the message
• Appreciative (Aesthetic) Listening---Students listen for enjoyment.
• Therapeutic (Empathetic) Listening---Students listen to support others but not judge them.
  

Traditionally, secondary schools have concentrated on the comprehensive and critical kinds of listening. Teachers need to provide experiences in all four kinds. For example, listening to literature read, listening to radio plays, and watching films develop appreciative in addition to comprehensive and critical listening. When students provide supportive communication in collaborative groups, they are promoting therapeutic listening. For example, the listening behaviour can show understanding, acceptance, and trust, all of which facilitate communication.

Students benefit from exposure to all four types of listening. Listening is a general purpose in most learning situations. To be effective listeners, however, students need a more specific focus than just attending to what is said.
In my next post we will see a chart that contrasts effective and ineffective listening habits.

By the way hope when you hear the word Christmas, your listening is Aesthetic (Appreciative) and not Evaluative (Critical).