Active Listening Skills
During active listening all parties seek to understand what is being "said" verbally and
nonverbally. Active listening gives all parties a chance to show that they understand each other's emotions and recognize each other's point of view. In active listening each person has a chance to air his/her concerns without constant interruptions. Active listening can keep an emotional situation from erupting into physical or verbal aggression. To be an active listener:
• Acknowledge the strength of feelings
• Show awareness of the issue
• Be aware of the reason behind the feelings
This section will describe some different types of commenting techniques that can be used in active listening.
(Bebb, Aldon M. & Others 1969)
Avoid creating an "Inquisition" atmosphere
To move quickly through a conversation, sometimes people will demand answers to questions quickly, in succession, without really listening to others. The conversational pattern of those Questions and Answers to those questions may look and feel something like this:
Q ---------------------------------------------- A
Q ---------------------------------------------- A
Q ---------------------------------------------- A
Q ---------------------------------------------- A
Q ---------------------------------------------- A
This Q and A diagram is not a good model of a successful flow of conversation. In a normal conversation people will make comments during the informational exchange. By commenting, participants can help control the conversation, get more information from the participants and help make the conversation more sociable.
(Swan 1991)