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A SPEAKER’S GUIDEBOOK
4TH EDITION
CHAPTER 4
Listening
Listening
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Hearing – physiological response
Listening – active, cognitive process
Feedback Loop — Successful
speakers adjust their
messages based on
reactions from listeners
in a circular response.
Competent Listeners
Have more successful relationships
 Experience greater professional success
 Are better problem solvers
 Are more engaged citizens
 Learn from listening to other speakers
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Components of the Listening Process
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Mindfulness
Physical reception of communication
Selective perception of communication
Organizing perceived communication
Interpreting communication
Responding to others nonverbally
Remembering communication
Selective Perception
We pay attention to one message while ignoring
another. For example, walking to
your next class, you ignore your
friend to answer your cell phone.
 Listeners pay attention to a
message based on its importance,
its relevance to listener, and the
level of understanding.
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Dialogic Communication
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To occur, the speaker and listener must create
meaning for the message together.
A speech is not a monologue by which the speaker
tries to impose her beliefs and thoughts on the
audience like she would enter data into a computer.
Speeches are dialogues by which the speaker and
the listener share ideas collaboratively; both take
an active role in the process.
Four Steps in the Listening Process
1. Reception – the message must be
successfully received by the listener.
2. Selection – the speaker must assist the
listener in maintaining attention to the
message.
3. Organization – the speaker must present
her thoughts in an organized way, so
that the listener can process the meaning
more easily.
4. Motivation – the listener must be open to
receive messages to which he may first
wish to ignore.
Critical Thinking
The ability to evaluate claims on the basis of
well-supported reasons.
 Audience members should evaluate the
evidence for accuracy and credibility.
 Pay attention to assumptions and biases, such
as overgeneralizations which are
unreasonable and unsupported conclusions.
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Guidelines for Evaluating Messages
Be honest and fair in your evaluating by
being open to other viewpoints and
considering the speech as a whole.
 Adjust to the speaker’s style of delivery,
especially with your classmates who are
learning how to improve their word choice
and gestures.
 Be compassionate in your criticism by
providing constructive feedback.
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A SPEAKER’S GUIDEBOOK
4TH EDITION
CHAPTER 4
Barriers to Active Listening
Factors that have reduced listening skills
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We move at a fast pace in everyday life.
Media outlets encourage passive listening.
Commercials and other “mini-messages” contribute
to difficulty in sustaining attention for long periods
of time.
Try this: Count the mini-messages
during your favorite TV sitcom using
your stopwatch. How much time
elapsed between commercial breaks or
scene changes? How long was each
commercial? Did you have any
interruptions during the sitcom; i.e.
telephone ringing, person entered room,
your pet barked?
External Obstacles to Listening
A. Message Overload
B. Message Complexity
C. Noise
Question: Which of these is
more of an obstacle to you
than the others?
Internal Listening Distractions
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Thoughts and feelings that intrude on our attention
are internal listening distractions or obstacles.
Daydreaming, anxiety, illness, or fatigue are
examples of common distractions.
Scriptwriting is when the listener is to busy to listen
because he is thinking of what to say next.
Defensive listeners prejudge the message and
assume they already know the information or that the
speaker is against their values.
Cultural differences impact how well we listen.
Internal Obstacles to Listening
A. Preoccupation
B. Prejudgment
C. Reacting to Emotionally Loaded Language
D. Lack of Effort
E. Not Adapting to Diverse Speaking Styles
Question: Which of these is
more of an obstacle to you?
Active Listeners
Set listening goals.
 Listen for main ideas.
 Watch for the speaker’s nonverbal cues.
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Did you ever try to
tune out the speaker as
this child is doing?
Steps in Setting Listening Goals
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Identify your need for listening to the speech.
Indicate the performance standard to demonstrate
effective listening has occurred.
Make an action statement where you visualize
minimizing internal distractions and listening well.
Assess goal achievement by taking a moment to
review your evaluation sheet to confirm that you did
an adequate job as a listener.
Listen for Main Ideas
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Listen for the organizational pattern of the message.
Listen for the internal preview in the introduction,
transition statements and signposts between the main
ideas, and match these with the concluding review.
Take notes on the main ideas and supporting evidence.
Watch for Nonverbal Cues
Pay attention to direct eye contact;
speakers often emphasize important
thoughts by gazing directly at the
audience.
 Emphatic gestures and changes in
facial expressions often indicate
important concepts or strong feelings
on the part of the speaker.
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Group Work: Listening to Support Others
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The primary concern should be the relationship with
other group members; we should care about other’s
feelings and perceptions.
Concentrate on what is behind the literal content to
know what the other person is thinking or feeling.
Avoid judgmental responses,
but be honest when others
want our evaluative feedback.
Chapter 4 Key Terms for Review
feedback loop
listening
selective perception
dialogue
dialogic communication
active listening
listening distraction
external listening
distraction
internal listening
distraction
defensive listening
critical thinking
valid generalization
overgeneralization