Active listening

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Active Listening

Definitions:

According to a google web definition, active listening has many different definitions [1].

"Active listening is a way of listening that focuses entirely on what the other person is saying and confirms understanding of both the content of the message and the emotions and feelings underlying the message to ensure that understanding is accurate."

"Communication technique that stimulates open and frank exploration of ideas and feelings and enables trainers to establish trust and rapport with participants. In active listening, the trainer accepts what is being said without making any value judgments, clarifies the ideas or feelings being expressed and reflects these back to the participants."

There are several ways to be an active listener, as demonstrated through this list of "Keys to Effective Listening": [2]

Stop working. Stop watching TV. Stop reading. Look at the person. Keep a good distance between you and the speaker. Don't turn away from the speaker. Sit-up straight. Nod your head and make statements such as "uh-uh," "I understand," and "I see what you mean" to show the speaker you truly understand what he/she is saying. If you don't understand, let the person know that. Don't fake listen! Repeat back phrases to clarify what the person is saying. Act like you are interested and ask questions to show that you are interested in what the person is saying. Don't interrupt the speaker.

According to Thomas Gordon, "active listening involves carefully attending to and demonstrating understanding of what another person says". A teacher can use active listening by nodding their head and then reflecting back to what the student is saying. It is a process of mirroring back what students are trying to say. No judgment or evaluation is made, but it is important for a teacher to use active listening because it confirms that the teacher is attentive and understand the student’s message.

In the classroom, active listening is the process of summarizing back to a student his feelings and problem being expressed as the teacher understands them (Wolfgang 269). Active listening is the most important step in Thomas Gordon’s T.E.T. model (Teacher Effectiveness Training) because it improves communication and allows the teacher to hear what the student is attempting to communicate (Wolfgang 210).

Active Listening is a main technique that is used in Cognitive Coaching{Cognitive Coaching}. It really makes a person feel like they are being heard and understood. You do not agree with the person, but validate by paraphasing what you hear them saying to you.

Furthermore, it is a practice that is encouraged to be utilized by applicants at a job interview. The same principles of active listening apply, but “because job interviews are more progressive and fast-paced than leisurely social interactions, it’s often necessary to apply a more streamlined version of active listening principles” (Active Listening for Interview Success).

In sum, active listening is a skill that good teachers need to develop. Active listeners listen to the person speaking instead of thinking about what they are going to say next. They reiterate what the person is trying to say in an effort to clarify and clear up any misunderstandings. They seek to understand the person and their needs before their own concerns are heard. ("Seek first to understand, then to be understood"-Covey) Using specific emotions helps to identify how the other person feels and help the two parties come to some kind of "win-win" solution.

Kathryn Milner

Application in classrooms and similar settings

or a more intriguing thought - Application in the Online Classroom

Active listening as described above is very face to face oriented, if not exclusively. What happens when listening (and speaking) takes place at a distance? Can the varied physical cues discussed above be implemented in a virtual environment? Does the virtual environment lend itself to new forms of active listening? Recent research indicates that the use of backchannelling in the listener-speaker feedback loop improves as technology tools make more and more functionality available. One study from [Kellogg, et al (2006)] focused on synchronous learning environments and explored the use of audio feedback via microphone (the "uh-huhs") and newer digital backchannels such as IM and text messaging. The presence of varied backchannels where participants can indicate acceptance or understanding increases the notion that there is someone else out there or a "copresense." http://www.movesinstitute.org/~amela/Publications/Sadagic_Presence01.pdf As long as the "mechanisms for creating common ground in the enactment of online interactions" are there, we can infer that the environment can support some sort of active listening (or "processing" if the medium is text).

Evidence of Effectiveness

Research shows (Engraffia, 1999) that teaching active listening skills (along with critical listening, note taking and applications for life transfer) can improve students’ listening skills and behavior. Teachers surveyed in this study indicated the majority of students have poor listening skills, while less than half of teachers taught listening skills to their students. Students and teachers alike agreed that listening at school is an important skill. Students on average are expected to listen in elementary school 57.5 % of the time. Clearly, time teaching listening skills is time well spent. Teachers need to model active listening and give children the skills and opportunities to do so. They also need to give students time, experiences and purposes to do so. Once active listening is taught, transfer to other classrooms can occur if that instructor provides an environment for students to do so.

Graves’ research (Graves, 1999), published the month following Engraffia’s, looked at ways of teaching active listening to students. This study included first and third grade students in two schools in the same school district in a low to middle income community in central Illinois. To implement a program of teaching active listening, teachers first need to be trained in active listening. They then should model it in the classroom and be aware of and monitor whether their students are actively listening. Students can be taught active listening through a variety of required active responses while listening. Habits for giving verbal and non-verbal feedback while listening can be developed. Students should also practice clarifying what has been said. Listening journals can be quite helpful. The study used journals, standardized tests and KWL charts to assess progress. Students in this study learned that active listening is something you do, not something that just happens. Not only did the study show that teaching active listening increased student use and understanding of active listening skills, but also indicated “the possibility of the existence of types of listeners”. Three categories of active listeners occurred, as during the process of the study many students expressed a liking to certain strategies and frustration with use of others. Students tended to be visual, bodily kinesthetic or verbal.

Critics and their rationale

Signed Life Experiences and Testimonies and Stories

This article is a terrific wake up call to teachers, parents, and professional persons. Active Listening is such an important skill. It used to be a natural occurrence in society, where you would actually sit down and have tea and talk one on one on a frequent basis, talk over the fence, have family discussions regularity. I personally am so mentally overloaded with teaching responsibilities, home, and paperwork that my mind is often racing. I have been working on taking a deep breath when the phone rings or someone addresses me. I have attempted to stop Multi-tasking(no emptying the dishwasher when I am on the phone) or thinking of what I have to do when talking with another teacher. As a computer lab teacher, I think one of the reasons the children love it so much is that they put on their headsets and listen to the prompts, and they are then praised when they make a decision and corrected when they make an error. I think they feel "listened to ". I am happy to say that Active Listening is now a part of my daily life.

Active listening is really about slowing down and taking the time to value other people and their ideas. In our world of multitasking, we are constantly thinking ahead. As teachers, it is important to stop what we are doing and listen to our students, even if we have to tell them to wait for about a minute, finish up what we are doing and then give them our full attention. Remember, we are teaching students by example, and if we take the time to listen to their concerns, give them our full attention and listen to what they have to say, hopefully they will do the same when they interact with other people.-G. Vigneron

I find that active listening is sometimes difficult for me when I am interacting with a student especially if they are arguing over a grade or trying to get permission to turn in an assignment late. I am usually trying to think of what I need to say next instead of fully listening to what they have to say. I know this is something I need to work on, but it is sometimes difficult when I am trying to respond to the student with an understanding but firm answer. B. Harnden

Craig Johnson- Active listening is one of the most important skills a person can learn. It involves not only the understanding of what the person has said but also allowing them through your body language etc. to realize that you are actually listening to what they are saying. There is nothing more frustrating then to have someone say repeat that or did you say something. Teaching students better active listening skills will make them better learners as a whole

Bret Helms - Active listening is a very important skill to learn. I spend many class periods a year teaching kids listening skills. I teach a class called quest which spends a lot of time working on these skills. It is amazing how much the kids will change while you are discussing this topic. The key is to continue the listening skills throughout the year. Someone who becomes a good listener really increases their chances of being successful.

Brandon Correa- "I'm sorry, did you say something?" is one of the most demeaning phrases you can say to someone else. I think the key to being a good listener is humility. If all you think about is yourself, than you won't show any care for what someone else has to say. I think women definitely are better at being good active listeners than men are. They can instictively tell somehow when you are really listening to them or to the ESPN report on TV. Someone should do a study on how men can just tune people out. It must have to do with the inability to multi-task that hinder the active listening in men.

Rhonda Hall---I think active listening is a great skill. I first learned in depth how to be an active listener in some post graduate courses I took in a counseling program. It was something I've always remembered and I really try to use that skill, especially with my students. I don't how I would fit teaching that into an already full day.

Ralph Alexander- I was fortunate enough to attend a seminar on listening skills and was fortunate to see how effective listening skills can be. My boss at the time asked(demanded) each of his employees to take a Sunday to attend this seminar he was paying for. Needless to say none of us were very excited about the prospect. I was living in Peoria, Illinois at the time and traveled to Champaign, Il to listen to Dr. Elaine Gregory. We spent the day practicing listening skills and how to practice practicing listening skills. After the seminar our communication between each other improved and more importantly the communication with the customer improved, thereby increasing our sales dramatically and putting money in the bosses pocket and our own. I can testify to the power of listening closely and well to another person, it can make incredible differences in personal and business relationships.

Scott Cebulski- I recall feeling that I had had an epiphany when I used active listening almost unconsciously early in my teaching career. Mostly from a lack of knowing what to say, I remember pausing while talking with a student about a discipline issue privately. The student saw it immediately as a signal to discuss the underlying causes of the problem and felt more comfortable with me as a result. I unknowingly went from the traditional "I talk -- you listen!" stance to one that expressed a concern for the student, a concern that I had but had never been able to express. It occured too long ago to recall whether the particular instance was better handled as a result, but I definitely remember how it affected the way I was percieved by the student and our future relationship. I felt it was a positive step, and I have become much better at actively listening to my students as a method of understanding discipline problems as a result.

Steve Hetzel- Active listening is about bringing your full self to an enounter with someone else, and committing yourself to them during the time of your interraction. You're there to listen and respond to what they have to say, not to talk about yourself or push your own agenda. You are listening to them under the premise, the mantra, of, "Yes, I am here to listen to what you have to say." You're not thinking about what you really want to say, or where you have to go, what you have to do, or where you'd rather be, but you're fully committed to that person at that moment. This is not to say that you disregard your own needs, only that you bring them to a level of importance equal to the other person's. Non-judgement is also key, as is understanding where the person is at with what they're talking about.

Ting Hsiao- I think active listening is also important to successful family interactions. Through active listening, teachers are able to understand different family culture, concerns, and priorities, and know how to make positive impact on studenets' learning based not only on students' but also on families' needs. Through teachers' activie listening, families feel they are welcomed and valued and will be more cooperative with teachers.

Jasmine Johnson- I'd never heard of 'active listening' before reading this post, and I wondered what the difference would be between active listening and just plain listening...? I definitely think I have a problem with active listening, or listening, and sometimes have a tendency to "tune out" or drift into other thoughts instead of focusing on what someone is saying. Although I don't believe it has dramatically affected my school performance, I do think that it must have affected it somewhat (although taking notes--no matter what--seems to help). I'd be very interested in taking an active listening class, and I wonder where I might begin to look for some. If anyone has any suggestions please email jjohnson@riseup.net.

In Sociology 480, we are learning how to do research and the different types of research methods. Active listening is such a big step in the research process that you do not realize how much valuable information you gain until you realize this is a strategy to utilize. Just as when you are interviewing someone on your research topic, using active listening is beneficial to draw the person out and get deeper more meaningful information. This same strategy would be useful when talking with students because you would not be talking at them but rather talking with them and understanding where they are coming from to develop a more meaningful and somewhat more respectful relationship. MJB

Janet Vallowe- It seems like such an easy thing to do when you read a description of active listening. However, in the world of a busy teacher where there never seems to be enough time and we excel at multitasking, this is an aspect of teaching that takes a lot of conscious practice and effort. When a student walks into my classroom I immediately recognize their presence and stop what I am doing. Many times the student simply has stopped by to say "Hi" or to talk about something. All they are looking for is someone who will listen. After 28 years of teaching, this is something that I still have to consciously think about and do.

When I read this post, I immediately thought about how often adults don't listen (actively) to their children. A lot of children aren't always aware of how valuable and appreciated they are and a lot of this stems from their relationships with adults. Children absolutely love when they know they have the full attention of an adult. Students are more respectful of teachers who listen to them. Parents, teachers, and other adults, keep this in mind when you are interacting with young people. -JD

I think active listening is most important for effective communication between children and adults. The younger the children the more difficult because they still have to learn quite a deal to express themselves appropriately. To be patient and show them through active listening that you care about their problems will help them to learn these skills very well. When they are adults no one listen to them when they have not learned to communicate and express themselves appropriately. That is why it is so important to take always the time to listen when children want to talk to you . F. Autenrieth

I did not realize how much I did not actively listen until I was confronted by my children. On day my son stopped me and said "you always complain that we don't listen it is you mom who doesn't listen" My reply was of course I listen. He then asked the real question: "then what did I just say?" I was speechless. Since our encounter, I am doing better. I have enlisted many of the active listening strategies to ensure I fully understand a conversation. I have quit filling in the gaps with my own information. Also, because of my new awareness I know when someone is really not listening to me. I believe this will be a great tool for both all parts of life. c. yeoman

I have noticed since I started working as a teacher how important active listening is. I always thought of myself as a good listener until I experienced the life of a teacher. Some days my mind is working on several tasks at once. One day a student came into my room to talk about an assignment while I was in the middle of prepping a lab. I kind of rushed through the explanation and the student left. The next day the student turned in the wrong assignment. I clearly recognized my error and have made efforts to always stop what I am doing and give each student my full attention. After all that is my number 1 job! l. gowler

It wasn't until my years as an undergrad in college that I actually learned "good" communication skills. My COMS100 class really taught me how to be an active listener and from then on, I have taken those skills with me. I also read an excellent book the summer before I began my professional teaching career on how to effectively communicate with students, though I don't remember the name of it. Believe me, I would have been lost without that book! Anyway, I use active listening all the time not only when talking to friends about issues they are facing but also with my students. I think my students are surprised when once they have been misbehaving I ask them to go in the hallway and I have a one-on-one discussion with them. I think students are expecting me to yell at them and issue an immediate consequence; however, this really isn't the case at all. Instead, I talk to them and get their input as to why they have been asked to leave the classroom. I ask them if something is bothering them that may be the cause of their misbehavior or inattentiveness. Once I have this talk with students, they return back to the classroom and are usually more likely to stay on task from that point on. If not though, the students know there will be a consequence. As a result of our talk, I know their side of the story and they know mine. ~K. Kleckauskas Middle School Teacher 3 yrs.

Active listening is an art! I am a student in the Ed.M. program and I find that active listening is crucial to the amount of contributions I make in class discussions. When I feel that the professor is intrigued and that the students in the class are genuinely interested in the subject, I am more apt to share. I found that in undergraduate classes, the professors taught the material with the expectation of little discussion and class participation. Active listening creates an environment where individuals want to share and feel like their thoughts matter. -TYM

Craig makes a good point about Active Listening being a very important skill to be learned in life. By paying attention, asking questions and contributing to what someone is saying shows the speaker that what they say matters to you. I try to do this with each of my athletes I coach. My athletes have seemed to gain respect for me, and are more willing to come and talk with me. They know I really care about what they are saying, not just they’re putting in time to collect a paycheck. This also helps with personal relationships. I know my wife really appreciates it when she has had a bad day at work, and while telling me about it, that I participate it he conversation. Let her feel like I am interested in her life and her job. – Dale Donner

I often find myself very distracted in class. I either can't keep my mind off other things, or I fall asleep. I often wonder if I have ADHD. One thing that I find helpful is to really try to make eye contact with the teacher as much as possible and sit in the front row. I try to relate the material somehow to my own life, and usually if I think hard enough without becoming distracted, I can. Being an active reader is something that I also need to work on for material that doesn't immediately interest me. -S. Peduzzi

Active Listening sounds like such a simple concept, but it's importance is often overlooked. I look back at my past year of teaching and I am pressed to find examples of times when I was completely focused and concentrated on repsonding to show that I was listening. This is becuase there is constanly so much going on in the classroom, that it is difficult to stop and concentrate on one thing. However, I look at my like and can tell you the difference it makes when I speak with people who show Active Listening skills. I feel validated and affirmed and confident to share. What a powerful thing it would be if we could provide the same feelings for our students.--KK

Lack of Active Listening skills is what makes working with children with mild autism and Aspergers challenging for me. I can't tell without indication that a person is listening and comprehending. There are times that these students are listening, show no evidence and can answer questions about the topic; this is just a difference in thier social skills as part of the condition. There are other times these same students prove to not be listening. Indications of Active Listening really help the teacher, but there are always those students that can "fake" active listening that are just as, if not more difficult to teach. --jjakob

This reminds me of a student in one of my college courses in SPED. He was the ultimate Active Listener. He nodded his head during lecture, would just audibly agree with the instructor with a "yes," or "I firmly agree," and felt he needed to interupt lectures to prove that he was listening. The entire class of 200 was annoyed twice a week for a full hour. This "excellent" active listener went too far. It was funny when he came to class late for the first time ever. He quickly began nodding, taking notes, agreeing under his breath, and then raised his hand to 'prove' he was listening and make up for being late. We had a guest speaker that day. She was blind. Yes, he would have known this if he had arrived on time, but he could not have really been listening to her speak about BEING BLIND since he kept his hand up the entire time she spoke ABOUT BEING BLIND and was showing signs of great frustration at not being called upon. Pretending to be Actively Listening is a coping skill many master, and others just don't get. --jjakob

"Verify-Clarify" It is sad that the skills of active listening seem to have been tossed aside as our society changes. I remember as a young boy going to grandma's house and there we would sit in her living room and talk for hours while sampling her fresh baked cookies ( which was a great motivation for being there). And as strange as it may seem, I still remember some of those conversations. We were taught active listening, although it wasn't called active listening at that time. We called it respect; valuing what someone has to say. Since then our society has moved into a media rich world where we are bombarded constantly by every type of media competing for our attention. Maybe as a way of self-preservation we have been forced to learn the skill of listening without really hearing.

Years ago I was taught a concept called "verify-clarify' which I have found to be extremely helpful in active listening. Basically, when listening to a student explain their view on a point, I will take what I have just heard, rephrase it and ask them, "Let me see. If I understand you correctly you are saying ......... Is that correct?" This little skill helps me to "verify" that I am understanding what they have stated. Sometimes I can be concentrating so hard on the words that I miss the meaning. This ensures that I am understanding both. It reassures the person speaking that I am listening and hearing what they have said. It also gives them the opportunity to further "clarify" a point if I did not restate in a form acceptable to the speaker. This little skill has been an excellent skill to help me, in every area of my life, to be a better active listener. --jadwell

I have found the teaching students how to actively listen has improved their ability to take in information as well as respond in seminar/discussion type settings. Conscious thinking to myself that I need to actively listen to something prior to the experience is still something that I try to reinforce myself with beforehand. In my classroom, I have run into instances that, due to the needs of the child, precludes the child from using what would normally be considered "standard" active listening skills. ADHD, certain behavioral or emotional disorders, and other conditions can cause issues. It is, however, possible to use interventions/modifications that allow, in most cases, active listening to occur. -S. Svendsen

Active listening is a skill that everyone needs to learn. As teachers, we need to let our students feel that we are listening to them and hearing what they are saying. Also, we need to use active listening with our collegues. It is important to listen and show you are listening, even if you do not agree. Students need to be taught active listening skills. In a program we are currently using called Making Meaning, students talk with other students and use prompts to talk to each other. Some of the prompts are "I heard you say...Did I get that right?" By having students practice this kind of discussion, we promote active listening skills. E. Kilroy

Active Listening is definitely something we all need to work on. I can see its usefulness in every aspect of my life (my marriage, with my toddler son, my students, my co-workers, my friends, etc.). Since learning about Active Listening I've been focusing more on using this skill. I was lucky to have the opportunity the other day in my study hall class. I have a student in the middle school that has become socially self-destructive. After yelling at a fellow student I sent her to the hall. She was clearly upset with the other student and with me for reprimanding her by sending her out of the room. When I went out I asked a few simple questions and just listened...and summarized. The student shared some problems she's been having at home, started crying, and sounded remorseful for things she's been doing to her friends. At the end of the conversation I felt really good about knowing WHY the student was behaving the way she was (although I didn't excuse her behavior). That was a nice start for me, I need to keep on working though. J. Adams

A common activity in my classroom is to call on students at random during discussions and have them summarize different comments their classmates are making. This forces the students to actively listen to the comments their peers are making, and I then provide them with class rewards (class money, called greenbacks), which are redeemed weekly for participation grades and candy. Additionally, the students participate in a job interview unit. The students truly enjoy and are engaged by this unit, which sees them creating resumes, cover letters, and practicing proper job interview techniques in preparation for their future introduction into the workforce. A human resources employee from a Chicago company visits the classroom and instructs students in the proper ways to actively listen. The practice revolves around such non-verbal communicators as sitting up straight, mimicking the posture of the job interviewer, proper dress, smiling, eye contact, speed, silence, and think time. Think time occurs when a difficult question is asked and the interviewee must “summarize what [he or she] thinks [the] interviewer wants to know and ask[s] for confirmation before proceeding” (Active Listening for Interview Success). The students are instructed to believe periods of silence are okay, and that simply lets the interviewer know that the questions was truly heard, understood, and that the proper response is being formulated. J. Juliano

Active listening is an important skill that many people lack. After learning more about active listening, I have increased my efforts in having students discuss problems with one another and really listen to each others views. The benefits have been great and I feel that my students are getting along better with each other. Active listening is a skill we must all reflect on to improve our relationships. Hopefully I am modeling this skill for my students. M. Flessner

Active listening has been an asset in several situations with my students. I like how it forces teachers to listen attentively to their students and vice versa. Asking a young child what they heard or understood allows for self reflection and understanding. Once students understand the concepts of active listening they can use this skill in all aspects of their learning. S. Nottoli

I had heard the term Active Listening several times but never really understood exactly what it was until I went to recruiters school for the Marine Corps. Recruiting or selling is one of the hardest things that there is to do in the world and listening to a prospect is probably the most important aspect of selling. Not only do you have to be able to ask the right questions, but also you have to be able to listen to what a prospect is saying and pick out what they want and/or need. If you are active listening the other person will know it and really think you care about what they are saying. Active listening is a skill that you have to work on; it does not come for free. – David Troyer

References and Other Links of Interest

  • Kellogg, W., Erickson, T., Wolf, T. Levy, S., Christensen, j. Sussman, J., & Bennett, W. (2006). Leveraging digital backchannels to enhance user experience in electronically mediated communication. Proceedings of the 2006 20th anniversary conference on Computer supported cooperative work. New York: ACM. Retrieved April 26, 2008 from http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1180943&jmp=cit&coll=ACM&dl=GUIDE.
  • Wolfgang, C.H., Solving Discipline And Classroom Management Problems: Methods and Models for Today’s Teachers; U.S.A, John Wiley and Sons, 2001. 
Center for Cognitive Coaching
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