Chapter 1. Listening
Listening: Overview
In this chapter, we will explore the world of listening skills for ESL/EFL learners. This chapter starts with a scenario describing a listening issue to encourage you to think and discuss before diving into the topic. We will explore strategies to become active listeners, learn how to receive and interpret the information we need, respond and take turns in conversations, and boost your overall English comprehension.
Scenario A: Lost in Conversation
Scenario SpotlightMoises is often accused of not listening. He disagrees. When others speak to him, he always makes a point of letting them talk and doesn’t speak himself. Still, he admits there was a time recently when he went to meet his friends for coffee and discovered everyone else had gone to a different coffee house. He realizes his romantic partner gets annoyed with him because he doesn’t remember things she has told him that she says are important. Despite these experiences, Moises feels he is a good listener and thinks the mix-ups and the misunderstandings lie with others.
1-1 Discussion
Instructions: Read Scenario A, think, and discuss with your classmates.
- What issues has Moises had?
- Why do you think this is happening?
- What are some possible explanations about his behavior?
- Moises believes he’s a good listener because he lets others talk without interruption. Do you think simply staying silent equates to good listening? Why or why not?
- What strategies could Moises implement to become a more effective listener?
Listening as Communication
Listening is a complex, active process of hearing, attending (paying attention), receiving, interpreting, and responding. Communication is a two-way street where two people are engaged in conversation; one person is speaking, and the other one is listening. This collaborative process is essential for successful communication in any situation. In Scenario A, was Moises hearing but not really listening? Let’s take a closer look at each of the components of effective listening:
- Hearing is a physical process that requires the parts of the ear to function correctly for an individual to receive auditory stimulation.
- Focusing or Paying Attention is the decision to focus on one source of sound, for example:
- focusing on the person you are with and tuning out all the chatter of people around you.
- paying attention to the background music rather than the person sitting next to you;
- eavesdropping on the couple at the next restaurant table rather than the group you are seated with;
- Receiving is the process of acquiring information the speaker is disclosing to you. Receiving includes not only the speaker’s words, but also nonverbal actions:
- the sound of the person’s voice,
- their facial expressions,
- whether the individual is making eye contact.
- Interpreting is the crucial task of decoding the message. It requires the listener to give meaning to the verbal and nonverbal symbols used by the speaker. This involves paying close attention to all the information received and piecing it together to grasp the intended message. Sometimes, additional information might be necessary to crack the code. This is where asking clarifying questions or paraphrasing what you heard in your own words comes in handy. These strategies ensure you have accurately interpreted the speaker’s message.
- Responding is the listener’s reaction to the speaker’s message. The response is important for two reasons:
- it allows the listener to check the accuracy of their interpretation of the speaker’s message (verbal and nonverbal);
- it allows the speaker to clarify or expand upon the message if there’s been a misunderstanding.
Scenario Resolution
In Scenario A, it seems that Moises was hearing other people’s speech as he stated that he kept quiet, and he was “letting them talk”. But have you ever zoned out when someone was talking? Or felt that you could hear them, but could not understand a word they were saying? This is likely due to Moises not being focused on the speaker’s message, for example, when he went to meet his friends in a different coffee house, he might not have paid close attention to the specific information that he needed (i.e., name of the coffee house) and he just focused, perhaps, on the meeting time. As English learners, we need to focus on listening to the main message or specific information that we want to understand from the speaker. For example, if you are an International Teaching Assistant (ITA), and you are talking to your student who needs your help with solving a certain issue, you need to focus on understanding what specifically they need your help with.
Moises also stated that his romantic partner gets annoyed with him because he does not remember things she said were important. Besides focusing on the message, you also need to receive the message and interpret the speaker’s nonverbal signals. Notice, is the speaker trying to emphasize something by using different intonation or body language? Does their voice sound excited when they are sharing something? All of this plays an important role in the process of listening. As an English learner, for example, when talking to your supervisor, you need to make sure you are paying attention to the parts they are trying to emphasize. It is also advisable to use clarifying questions or paraphrasing to ensure you understood the message correctly. The next section will provide activities to help you improve your listening comprehension by working on each of the above-described areas.
Glossary
- Active listeners: learners who go beyond simply hearing the speaker. They focus, engage, and try to understand the meaning by asking questions and showing they are following along.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools: Software programs designed to accomplish specific tasks using AI technology. AI tools can analyze data, identify patterns, and automate processes.
- Hearing: a physical process that requires the parts of the ear to function correctly for an individual to receive auditory stimulation.
- Paying Attention: the decision to focus on one source of sound.
- Receiving: the process of acquiring information the speaker is disclosing to you including nonverbal actions.
- Interpreting: the task of decoding the message that requires the listener to give meaning to the verbal and nonverbal symbols used by the speaker.
- Responding: the listener’s reaction to the speaker’s message.
learners who go beyond simply hearing the speaker. They focus, engage, and try to understand the meaning by asking questions and showing they are following along.
