Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
Effective speaking depends on effective listening. It takes energy to concentrate on hearing and concentrate on understanding what has been heard.
Incompetent listeners fail in a number of ways. First, they may drift. Their attention drifts from what the speaker is saying. Second, they may counter. They find counter arguments to whatever a speaker may be saying. Third, they compete. Then, they filter. The exclude from their understanding those parts of the message which do not readily fit with their own frame of reference. Finally, they react. They let personal feelings about speaker or subject override the significance of the message which is being sent.
What can a listener do to be more effective? The first key of effective listening is the art of concentration. If a listener positively wishes to concentrate on receiving a message his chances of success are high. It may need determination. Some speakers are difficult to follow, either because of voice problems, or because of the form in which they send a message. There is then particular need for the determination of a listener to concentrate on what is being said.
Concentration is helped by alertness. Mental alertness in helped by physical alertness. It is not simply physical fitness, but also positioning of the body, the limbs and the head. Some people also find it helpful to their concentration if they hold the head slightly to one side. One useful way for achieving this is intensive note-taking, by trying to capture the critical headings and sub-headings the speaker is referring to.
Note-taking has been recommended as an aid to the listener. It also helps the speaker. It gives him confidence when he sees that listeners are sufficiently interested to take notes; the patterns of eye-contact when the note-taker looks up can be very positive; and the speaker’s timing is aided- he can see when a note-taker is writing hard and can then make effective use of pauses.
Posture too is important. Consider the impact made by a less competent listener who pushes his chair backwards and slouches. An up-right posture helps a listener’s concentration. At the same time it is seen by the speakers to be a positive feature amongst his listeners. Effective listening skills have an impact on both the listener and the speaker.
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary.
Ans. Title: Effective Listening
1. Eff. Spk. Rely on
(i) E.L.
(ii) energy to conc. on hearing
(iii) conc. on und. what has bn. heard.
2. Causes of failure for incomp. list.
(i) Drift in Att.
(ii) Face argum.
(iii) Complete
(iv) Reaction/React.
3. Factors affecting listening
(i) Art of conc.
(a) Alertness (b) Positioning of body (c) note taking
(ii) Determination
(iii) Voice Prob.
4. Imp. of Note taking
(1) Helps the speaker
(i) Gives Confi.
(ii) Develops
(iii) ve eye contact
5. Imp. of Post.
(i) Dev. int.
(ii) Increase level of conc.
(iii) Dev. (+) ve feature
Abbreviations used:
confi. → confidence
imp. → importance
dev. → develop
(+) ve → positive
int. → interest
(b) Write a summary of the passage in not more than 80 words using the notes made and also suggest a suitable title.
Ans.
SUMMARY
Effective speaking and effective listening goes hand in hand. It is an art which depends upon a lot of factors like concentration, determination and clarity of voice. Incompetent listeners foul due to lack of attention, counter arguments, competition etc. Alertness is a mental state of mind which plays a pivotal role in this. Note taking which include eye contact is another important factor. The way a person maintains his/her posture is equally important to leave an important impact on both the speaker and listener.
