CMST&220 (South Puget Sound Community College)
Listening
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” – Ernest Hemingway
Why is listening important?
Listening is important for public speaking because without listeners, public speaking
would not exist.
What is listening?
-Listening is the ability or the attempt to pay close attention to and
comprehend what is heard. Information provided by a speaker is being processed.
-Listening is being able to accept information with an open mind.
Hearing vs Listening:
-Hearing is the vibration on the ear drums and the firing of electrochemical
impulses in the brain. It has nothing to do with comprehending and processing
information.
-It is possible to HEAR but not LISTEN.
Barriers to listening for an audience-things to watch out for when actively listening:
-Not concentrating: Being there physically, but not mentally
-Jumping to conclusions: Having a bias/preconceived opinion about the speech
before it concludes
-Listening too hard: Overanalyzing minutiae details and missing the big
picture, or giving too much weight to every sentence instead of only what is important
-Focusing on delivery/appearance of the speaker: Evaluating the speaker more so
than the content
Types of listening:
-Appreciative Listening-Listening for pleasure or enjoyment
Examples: Theatre, Podcasts, Music
-Empathetic Listening-Listening to provide emotional support for the speaker
Examples: Support Group, Healthcare, Friendship, Familial Relationship
-Comprehensive Listening- Listening for the message or lesson
Examples-Class, directions/instructions, Museum/Tour Guide
-Critical Listening- Listening to form an opinion; to reject or accept a
message
Examples-Politics, debate, sales, Job interview
What is active listening?
Active Listening Is giving full and undivided attention to the speaker to understand
their point of view. Demonstrating active listening is important to comprehend the
speech and to show respect to the speakers.
Show undivided attention though body language, such as eye contact, positive
facial expressions, facing the body toward the speaker, and engaging with content
where appropriate
How can speakers help listeners?
-Avoid lofty, elevated language, and avoid jargon or pretentious diction as use
can make the speech less accessible to a wider audience and can reduce audience
attention.
-Talk with appropriate tone, volume, enunciation, and tempo for your audience,
location, and purpose
Listening
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” – Ernest Hemingway
Why is listening important?
Listening is important for public speaking because without listeners, public speaking
would not exist.
What is listening?
-Listening is the ability or the attempt to pay close attention to and
comprehend what is heard. Information provided by a speaker is being processed.
-Listening is being able to accept information with an open mind.
Hearing vs Listening:
-Hearing is the vibration on the ear drums and the firing of electrochemical
impulses in the brain. It has nothing to do with comprehending and processing
information.
-It is possible to HEAR but not LISTEN.
Barriers to listening for an audience-things to watch out for when actively listening:
-Not concentrating: Being there physically, but not mentally
-Jumping to conclusions: Having a bias/preconceived opinion about the speech
before it concludes
-Listening too hard: Overanalyzing minutiae details and missing the big
picture, or giving too much weight to every sentence instead of only what is important
-Focusing on delivery/appearance of the speaker: Evaluating the speaker more so
than the content
Types of listening:
-Appreciative Listening-Listening for pleasure or enjoyment
Examples: Theatre, Podcasts, Music
-Empathetic Listening-Listening to provide emotional support for the speaker
Examples: Support Group, Healthcare, Friendship, Familial Relationship
-Comprehensive Listening- Listening for the message or lesson
Examples-Class, directions/instructions, Museum/Tour Guide
-Critical Listening- Listening to form an opinion; to reject or accept a
message
Examples-Politics, debate, sales, Job interview
What is active listening?
Active Listening Is giving full and undivided attention to the speaker to understand
their point of view. Demonstrating active listening is important to comprehend the
speech and to show respect to the speakers.
Show undivided attention though body language, such as eye contact, positive
facial expressions, facing the body toward the speaker, and engaging with content
where appropriate
How can speakers help listeners?
-Avoid lofty, elevated language, and avoid jargon or pretentious diction as use
can make the speech less accessible to a wider audience and can reduce audience
attention.
-Talk with appropriate tone, volume, enunciation, and tempo for your audience,
location, and purpose
