Listening is an Art. The presentation explores the listening skills, types of listening, purpose, and obstacles to listening.

1. Listening Skills
Types, Purpose, andObstacles to
Listening
S. Mohan Raj
Ph.D Research Scholar, English
School of Social Sciences and Languages
VIT, Vellore
rajmohan251@gmail.com
9751660760

2. What is Listening?
In the process of communication,
listening is an activity, in which the listener or
receiver pays attention to and/or takes notice of
what the speaker says so that the listener receives,
understands information and provides a response
to the speaker.
Listening is as important as speaking in
the form of information transmitted. (Raju, Ch.P, 41)
 Listening is the ability to accurately receive and
interpret messages in the communication process.
 Listening is key to all effective communication,
without the ability to listen effectively messages are
easily misunderstood.

3. What is Listening?
1. Listening is not just about being quiet while
someone else is speaking.
2. Listening is with the Mind, and hearing
with the senses.
3. Listening is conscious to improve
interpersonal and oral exchange.
4. A good Listener has to pay attention to the
non-verbal communication of the speaker.

4. 1. Comparing to hearing, Listening is a more sober matter.
2. Hearing is an instinctive process and it submits without any
intentional attempt by the listener, whereas listening is an
intentional effort.
3. Roland Barthes explains it: "Hearing is a physiological
phenomenon; listening is a psychological act.“
4. Listening skill is a natural phenomenon, it should be enhanced
by hard study and repetition.

5.  Listen to let others know they matter.
 Listen to humble yourself.
 Listen to ask a question.
 Listen to help others find clarity.
 Listen to act effectively.
Purpose of Listening

6. Five Stages of Listening

7. 1. Receiving
Intentional focus on hearing a
speaker’s message.
This stage is represented by the
ear because it is the primary tool
involved with this stage of the
listening process.
2. Understanding
In this stage, an attempt is made to
learn the meaning of the message, which
is not always easy.

8. 3. Remembering
Remembering begins with listening;
listening effectively helps to remember
things.
However, some messages which are
more difficult than others to
understand and remember require
highly developed listening skills.
4. Evaluating
Fourth stage in the listening process is
evaluating, evaluations of the same message
can vary widely from one listener to another.
Stages two, three, and four are represented
by the brain because it is the primary tool
involved with these stages of the listening
process.

9. 5. Responding
Responding—sometimes referred to as
feedback—is the fifth and final stage of the
listening process.
It is a reaction to the message. It can be
emotional and intellectual.
This stage is represented by the lips
because we often give feedback in the
form of verbal feedback; however, you can
just as easily respond nonverbally.

10. Why Listening is important?
1. To display respect to other’s viewpoint.
2. To help us to learn.
3. To adapt and understand.
4. To Empathize.
5. To avoid communication errors.
6. Helps to learn something new, it is the key to success.

11. Types of Listening
 The process of listening can be divided into various types based on
the purposes of listening.
 The purpose determines the form of listening.
 Various purposes require various forms of listening.
Primarily listening can be parted into
two types:
1. Discriminative and
2. Comprehensive listening.

12. Discriminative Listening
1. Discriminative listening is the beginning of
the human listening process.
2. It starts at the infancy stage.
3. During infancy, a man starts distinguishing
the difference between sounds.
4. From human sounds and animal sounds,
distinguishes the difference between the
voices of people.
5. In this process, man cannot read the
substances of the sounds properly.
6. By listening to the sounds and discovering
them, man can realize human emotions.

13. Comprehensive Listening
1. Comprehensive listening – understanding the
meanings of the words and messages.
2. The competence of the spoken words or
messages may differ from one to some other
individual.
3. Postures and gestures play a vital part in
understanding the language and/or messages.
4. Thus, by this time man has determined not
only the meanings of words and language skills
but also the meanings of nonverbal cues.
5. Comprehension listening can also be called
content listening, informative listening and
total hearing.

14. Sub-Types of Listening
1. Informational Listening
2. Appreciative Listening
3. Biased Listening
4. Pseudo Listening
5. Sympathetic Listening
6. Empathetic Listening
7. Therapeutic Listening
8. Dialogic Listening
9. Relationship Listening
10. Full listening
11. Deep Listening
12. Workplace Listening
1. Initial Listening
2. Selective Listening
3. Reflective Listening
4. Rapport Listening
Other Types of Listening

15. Biased listening
Biased listening happens when the person hears only
what they want to hear, it is often very evaluative in nature.
Evaluative listening
In evaluative listening or critical listening, we make
judgments about what the other person is saying. We seek to
assess the truth of what is being said. We also judge,
assessing them as good or bad, worthy or unworthy.
Selective listening
Selective listening involves listening for particular
things and ignoring others. We thus hear what we want to
hear and pay little attention to 'extraneous' detail.
Full listening
Full listening happens where the listener pays close and
careful attention to what is being said, seeking carefully to
understand the full content that the speaker is seeking to put across

16. Barriers to effective listening
Some common barriers in the process of listening are
listed below.
1. Pre-judgments about the speaker.
2. Assuming that the speaker is going to give some
unimportant information.
3. Arriving late for a speech, presentation or lecture.
4. Judging the speaker by his/her mannerisms, voice,
appearance, accent, etc.
5. Lack of concentration/interest.
6. Avoiding listening to difficult, boring or complex
information and selectively listening only to what is
considered interesting.
7. Speaker or listener being distracted by disturbances.

17. Other listening barriers
Boredom
Excessive Talking
Internal issues
Knowing it all
Being preoccupied
Environmental distractions
Language barriers
Attention span issues
Interrupting
External Barriers
Physical Barriers
Psychological Barriers

18. 1. Stop Talking –Be Silent
2. Be attentive, but relaxed
3. Keep an open mind
4. Show Interest
5. Empathize
6. Take notes
7. Listen creatively
8. Put your entirety
9. Maintain Eye Contact
10. Don't interrupt and don't impose your solutions
11. Ask questions only to ensure understanding
12. Try to feel what the speaker is feeling
13. Send feedback
14. Avoid or eliminate distraction
15. Pay attention to what isn't said—to nonverbal cues
16. Try to gather information about the topic to develop interest and familiarity.
How to Listen Effectively?

19. Benefits of Effective Listening
• Enhances productivity
• Improves relations
• Avoids conflicts
• Improves understanding
• Improves negotiation skills
• Adds to your Image & Personality

20. References:
1. Types of listening.
http://www.bahaistudies.net/neurelitism/library/typesoflistening.pdf
2. Business Communication :Basic Concepts and Skills.
https://www.uj.edu.sa/Files/1001210/Subjects/Chapter%205%20Listening%20Skills
%20%20.pdf
3. The 3 Basic Listening Models and How to Effectively Use Them.
https://www.universalclass.com/articles/business/listening-models.htm
4. https://www.brighthubpm.com/resource-management/122339-effective-listening-
10-barriers-and-how-to-overcome-them/
5. Ch.P.Raju. Types of Listening Skills: Barriers And Tips To Overcome Them.
International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Scientific Research(IJAMSR
ISSN:2581-4281). Vol 1, Issue2 ,April,2018, #Art.14, pp 41-45.
6. https://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2012/11/09/10-steps-to-effective-
listening/#a9a1a838918f