KIGALI INSTITUTE OF EDUCATON FACULTY OF EDUCATION COMBINATION OF FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION LEVELII ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/2013 MODULE CODE AND

TITLE: COE 202: LISTENING AND ORAL SKILLS

QUESTION: 1.What are the levels of listening?

2. a) What are the barriers to listening? (at least 10) b) What can you do to avoid those barriers?

GROUP MEMBERS (GROUP NO) NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. REG.NO 8295/11 8799/12 8947/12 9054/12 9419/12 9554/12 SIGNATURE

9548/1225th February 2013

INTRODUCTION Listening is considered to be the one of the most important part of the oral communication. The term is used in order to make oral communication effective. Poor listening skills of an individual may affect the individual very badly specially in an organization where the maximum number of time a person spent in communication therefore it is very much important if will talk from organizational prospective because an effective and active listening by an individual plays a very important role in contributing towards the success of the business. Further more a poor listening also leads to the creation of inattentive barriers in which a listener makes himself busy in doing other things and in this the person will listen to only that part of the message which they think is important. Poor listening skills result in ineffective communication, which will usually have an adverse impact on the productivity of the individual, the team and the organization. Here we can identify some levels of listening, find about 10 barriers to effective listening and tips to overcome them.

I.DEFINITION OF KEY WORDS I.1Listening Listening is the process of making sense out of what we hear. It is an active process of receiving, processing, and interpreting aural stimuli. Firstly, listening involves taking in meaningful sounds and noises and in some way, retaining and using them. Just as we speak for different purposes, we also listen for different purposes. We listen for enjoyment, information, and evaluation. Listening skill is a technique used for understanding, what is being said by taking into account how something is said and the nonverbal signs and body language that accompanies it. This technique requires practice as listening is very difficult. A person who controls his mind practices attentive listening will be successful in life and his career. Listening however, does not mean simply maintaining a polite silence while you are rehearsing in your mind the speech you are going to make the next time you can grab a conversational opening. Nor does listening mean waiting alertly for the flaws in the other fellow's argument so that later you can mow him down. Listening means trying to see the problem the way the speaker sees it--which means not sympathy, which is feeling for him, but empathy, which is experiencing with him. Listening requires entering actively and imaginatively into the other fellow's situation and trying to understand a frame of reference different from your own. This is not always an easy task. But a good listener does not merely remain silent. He asks questions. However, these questions must avoid all implications of skepticism or challenge or hostility. They must clearly be motivated by curiosity about the speaker's views.

I.2.Barrier I.3.Level of listening There are different types of listening. Typically they are presented as levels of listening. Various people have constructed listening models. Below is an attempt to encompass and extend good current listening theory in an accessible and concise way. Bear in mind that listening is rarely confined merely to words. Sometimes what you are listening to will include other sounds or intonation or verbal/emotional noises. Sometimes listening involves noticing a silence or a pause - nothing - 'dead air' as it's known in broadcasting. You might instead be listening to a musical performance, or an engine noise, or a crowded meeting, for the purpose of understanding and assessing what is actually happening or being said. Also, listening in its fullest sense, ultimately, includes many non-verbal and non-audible factors, such as body language, facial expressions, reactions of others, cultural elements, and the reactions of the speaker and the listeners to each other. 1.4. Listening and hearing (is there any difference?)

II. LEVELS OF LISTENING

We listen and then we listen and lots of the time we don't listen at all. What? Well, that is just the point. There are several levels of listening and each is more sophisticated than the other. We use the various levels in different social situations and some of us are more skilled than others. Listening is so important to communication, though, that it behaves us all to work to improve our skills. When we have poor listening skills we jump to conclusions, misinterpret and misunderstand what is being said. It takes a lot of work to clean up the mess we make when we don't listen well. II.1. Listening for our turn to speak. This can be very irritating to the speaker because he knows that the listener is not paying attention to anything but when he gets a chance to talk. This means that the conversation follows the listener's agenda not the speakers' agenda. An example might be when you are talking about a business matter and when you finish your thought the listener speaks up and asks how you enjoyed the party last weekend. II.2. Passive listening or Not Listening Not really listening at all, but it fits onto the listening scale! you are not concentrating on the sounds at all and nothing is registering with you. Ignoring would be another way to describe this type of listening. There is nothing wrong with passive listening if it's truly not important, but passive listening which we might more aptly call not listening is obviously daft and can be downright dangerous if the communications are important.

II.3.Pretend Listening Acting as if you are paying attention, but your body language gives away the fact that you are really thinking about yourself; you might also interrupt the speaker or walk away in this stage. You are not concentrating and will not remember anything because you are actually daydreaming or being distracted by something else even though you will occasionally nod or agree using 'stock' safe replies. This is a common type of listening that grown-ups do with children. This level of listening is called Responsive Listening in some other models, although Pretend Listening is arguably a more apt term, since the word 'responsive' suggests a much higher level of care in the listener, and Pretend Listening reflects that there is an element of deceit on the part of the listener towards the speaker. You will generally know when you are Pretend Listening because the speaker will see that glazed look in your eyes and say firmly something like, "Will you please listen to me. I'm talking to you!" Especially if the speaker is a small child. II.4. Biased Listening or Projective Listening You only hear what you want to hear, and ignore whatever else the speaker is saying. You are listening and taking in a certain amount of information, but because you already have such firm opposing or different views, or a resistance to the speaker, you are not allowing anything that is said or any noises made to influence your attitude and level of knowledge and understanding. You are projecting your position onto the speaker and the words. You would do this typically because you are under pressure or very defensive. You would normally be aware that you are doing this, which is a big difference between the next level and this one. This third level of listening is also called Selective Listening in some other models. II.5.Patronizing Listening Listening with an attitude that you are better than the speaker or that you are judging the speaker. II.6.Attentive Listening Paying attention without actually working at listening; this is what most students in class and most untrained people believe that listening means. II.7.Empathic Listening The highest level of listening, where you try to understand the thoughts and feelings of the speaker; You pay attention to non-verbal clues such as facial expression and tone of voice to understand the speaker as well as the message spoken. Note that you do not have to agree with the speaker to understand, and you do not need to feel sympathy in order to be empathic - understanding the person is not the same as feeling exactly the way they do.

II.8.Active Listening Actually working to understand the speaker; you provide feedback, ask questions, paraphrase what you have heard, and take notes if needed. It consists of listening to words, intonation, and observing body language and facial expressions, and giving feedback. But critically this type of listening is empty of two-way emotional involvement, or empathy. There is no transmitted sympathy or identification with the other persons feelings and emotional needs. This listening gathers facts and to a limited extent feelings too, but importantly the listener does not incorporate the feelings into reactions. This can be due to the listener being limited by policy or rules, or by personal insecurity, selfishness, or emotional immaturity. Active listening often includes a manipulative motive or tactics, which are certainly not present in the empathic level next and higher, and which is a simple way to differentiate between Active and Empathic listening.

III. BARRIERS TO LISTENING AND WAYS TO OVERCOM THEM

Listening is not easy and there are a number of obstacles that stand in the way of effective listening, both within outside the workplace. More attention is usually paid to making people better speakers or writers rather than on making them better listeners or readers. The most direct way to improve communication is by learning to listen more effectively. The following are 10 common barriers to good listening, with suggestions for overcoming each: III.1. Excessive Talking Good conversational skills are an asset, and a person with this skill is more likely to achieve professional success. However, talking more than is necessary is a barrier to effective communication. People hesitate to interact with a person who talks excessively without listening to them. They may also get bored, and excessive talking may be perceived as aggression. Try these tips to overcome this barrier

Think before you speak, and don't speak if you have nothing important to contribute. Practice self-control. Allow the other person to speak. Avoid interrupting when the other person is speaking. Be aware of indulging in useless talk for the sake of talking. Be brief while conveying your thoughts. Observe your listener's reactions while speaking.

III.2. Prejudice Prejudice is a preconceived opinion of feeling, which is usually irrational. Prejudice is very dangerous and has the potential to bring animosity into the team and to break team spirit. The reason for a prejudice may be the speaker's race, religion, age or appearance. A prejudiced person will not make any effort to listen and understand. Overcoming prejudice while listening:

Respect the other person for his or her knowledge and skills, irrespective of the person's background. Make conscious efforts to take charge of your thoughts. Consciously avoid taking an "I know what he or she is going to say" attitude while the other person is speaking.

III.3. Faking Attention The person who is faking attention is just "hearing" but not "listening". The person is acting as if he or she is listening. There may be some eye contact and the person may even be nodding, but the mind is elsewhere. The person may be thinking about what to have for lunch or what to wear for the party that evening. Faking attention is a habit for some people, but it conveys lack of respect and dishonesty. Try these tips to overcome this barrier:

Make it a habit to listen attentively. It is advisable to assume that the other person knows something that you may not know. Avoid thinking about how to reply when the other person is speaking. This habit can be overcome by taking notes while the other person is speaking.

III.4. Noise Noise is "any unwanted sound. It is a great impediment to clear communication. It is impossible to listen in a noisy environment. It becomes a frustrating experience for both the speaker and the listener.

 How to avoid this barrier?

Try to avoid conversations in noisy surroundings. Eliminate the source of noise whenever possible; turn off cell phones, radios or television sets.

III.5. Knowing the answer

"Knowing the answer" means that you think you already know what the speaker wants to say, before she actually finishes saying it. You might then impatiently cut her off or try to complete the sentence for her. Even more disruptive is interrupting her by saying that you disagree with her, but without letting her finish saying what it is that you think you disagree with. That's a common problem when a discussion gets heated, and which causes the discussion to degrade quickly.

Strategy for overcoming this barrier

A simple strategy for overcoming the "knowing the answer" barrier is to wait for three seconds after the speaker finishes before beginning your reply. "Hear twice before you speak once"(Scottish saying).Three seconds can seem like a very long time during a heated discussion, and following this rule also means that you might have to listen for a long time before the other person finally stops speaking. That's usually a good thing, because it gives the speaker a chance to fully vent his or her feelings.

III.6. Trying to be helpful Another significant barrier to good listening is "trying to be helpful". Although trying to be helpful may seem beneficial, it interferes with listening because the listener is thinking about how to solve what he perceives to be the speaker's problem. Consequently, he misses what the speaker is actually saying. Trying to be helpful while listening also implies that you've made certain judgments about the speaker. That can raise emotional barriers to communication, as judgments can mean that the listener doesn't have complete understanding or respect for the speaker. Strategy for overcoming this barrier Schedule a separate session for giving advice. Many people forget that it's rude to offer advice when the speaker isn't asking for it. Even if the advice is good. In any case, a person can give better advice if he first listens carefully and understands the speaker's complete situation before trying to offer advice.

If you believe you have valuable advice that the speaker isn't likely to know, then first politely ask if you may offer what you see as a possible solution. Wait for the speaker to clearly invite you to go ahead before you offer your advice. III.7. Bringing in Emotions Emotions erect barriers to effective communication. A listener's senses are not likely to be functioning at their optimum level when he or she is angry. Likewise, it is not possible to understand or appreciate what the speaker is saying if the listener is excessively sad. The way you can avoid this barrier It is better to avoid conversations when you are angry or excessively sad. III.8. We are in a hurry We don't have time to listen and can't wait for the other people to finish their thoughts so that we could get on with our business. People will sense that you don't really want to listen to them. If you find yourself always trying to control the pace of conversations, talk too fast, or urge others to get to the point, You can do the following to overcome the barrier Try to consciously slow yourself down. Find a better time to talk. A conversation is not a race to the finish line. III.9. Interrupting Interrupting a conversation with improper body language or inappropriate words will have a negative impact in effective communication. Here are some tips to help you avoid this barrier to effective listening:

Listen without interrupting while the other person is speaking. If you seek to clarify something, use appropriate body language such as raising your hand or use appropriate words (like "I am sorry to be interrupting you...").

CONCLUSION Listening can be commanded only to the degree developed. Many listeners deceive themselves with the assumption that they can listen well whenever they really need to, want to, or have to. In reality, listeners can only "will" themselves to listen to the level they have developed such skills. Second, the assumption that you can do more if needed interferes with the investment necessary to focus, grow, and get better. Productive listeners understand their strengths and limitations and constantly strive to achieve higher levels of performance. Therefore it is very much important that an effort should be made by an individual in order to be an active listener because listening is all about increasing the knowledge as an active listening helps the individual to increase their memory bank which an individual later on implements his or her life in order to achieve their objectives .

REFERENCES 1. S.I. Hayakawa, How to Attend a Conference. The Use and Misuse of Language, ed. by S.I. Hayakawa. Fawcett Premier, 1962