LISTENING EFFECTIVELY is hearing and understanding what a speaker is saying and how it applies to you and then remembering it for future use and evaluation.

• 85% of what we know that we have learned by listening
• 75% of the time we are distracted, preoccupied or forgetful.
• 50% only do we usually recall immediately after we listen to someone talk.
• 45% of the time we spend listening.
• 20% do we remember of what we hear.
• less than 2% of us have had formal education about listening.
• We listen at 125-250 words per minute, but think at 1000-3000 words per minute.
• More than 35 business studies indicate that listening is a top skill needed for success in business.

Ways to Listen

• Concentrate. Become involved in what is being said. Be an avid listener. Constantly analyze what is being said. Ask “what’s in this for me”.
• Use positive body language
• Keep alert and have eye-contact with the speaker. This will help you listen more effectively. Sit up straight, keep hands away from your face. (Research shows this will make the speaker more interesting!)
• Read the speaker’s body language. 65 to 90 percent of every conversation is conveyed through body language.
• . (Research shows this will make the speaker more interesting!)
• Listen with the mind, not the emotions. Good listeners jot down something they disagree with to ask the speaker later, and then go on listening.
• Listen for central ideas not just facts. Don’t judge until comprehension is complete. See how the facts and examples support the speaker's ideas and arguments. Good listeners know that facts are important, because they support ideas.
• Judge the content - skip over the errors. Cut through (or screen out) distractions.
• background noise
• unusual accents, dialects, and language mistakes
• speaker disorganization, emotion, or habits
• superfluous material
• your own inner voice
• Understand and use the differential between the speed of speaking and the speed of thinking
• Try to anticipate the next point of the presentation.
• Evaluate what the speaker is using for supporting evidence.
• Summarize the lecture to yourself.
• Ask questions.
• Have several note-taking systems and write down only the important information. Remember that not all information is important.

Rosemary Horton Teacher Librarian

• Listening Skills Study Skills Online Northern Territory University
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• Making lectures and tutorials work for you Studytrekk Library and Information Services Curtin University
• Listening High School Study Skills Maryville High School
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• Classroom listening skills Southern Nazarene University
• Listening Academic Skills Center: Study Skills Library Patricia Stewart California Polytechnic State University
• Listening Skills Developing Communication Skills:Northeastern University, College of Business Administration Edward G. Wertheim
• Deep Listening American Personal Power Learning Experiences
• Active Listening Study Guides and Strategies Joe Landsberger
• Effective Listening Study Skills Helpline Learning Skills Center Kishwaukee College
• Listening for Main Ideas Note Taking Study Skills TASC Tutorial and Academic Skills Centre Western Washington University
• International Listening Association
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• Listening Skills Paul Treuer University of Minnesota
• Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab
• Reading & Listening Effectively The Space Within
• Listening Study Notes The difference between hearing and listening Speech Communication Class Laguna Blanca
• Learning from Lectures Darren Smith University of Guelph
• Effective Listening Skills Kenneth R. Johnson itmWEB
• Listening to Lectures Hongkong Polytechnic University
• Strategic Communication in Writing and Speaking Center for Communication in Science, Technology, and Management North Carolina State University
  • Listening Attentively
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• Empathetic Listening Beyond Intractability
• Compassionate Listening Project
• Listening And Empathy Responding Psychological Self-Help
• Listening Skills Self-Evaluation

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