Four Steps to Active Listening

Hearing. At this stage, you are just paying attention to make sure you hear the words being said.

Interpretation. At this stage you are making sure you are interpreting the words you hear to ensure there is no misunderstanding of basic meanings.

Evaluation. At the evaluation stage you are actively deciding what you are going to do with the information you are receiving.

Respond. The final stage is to give a verbal or visual response to the speaker to confirm that you have understood what they have been saying. Tips for active listening

1. Look the Speaker in the Eyes

This shows that you’re being attentive and actually care about what they are saying.Stay focused on the conversation at hand and nod accordingly to let the person know you’re getting what they’re saying.

2. Avoid Interrupting and Wait to Interject at the Right Time

Let the speaker finish their point. Wait for a pause to interject or ask for more clarity. Interruptions can create a wall between the speaker and listener, making it hard to communicate successfully.

3. Be Prepared to Listen

Relax your mind and body so that you can receive information objectively. Turn toward the speaker and sit up straight to show that you’re present and attentive

4. Be Open-Minded

Always remember the three Js to being open-minded:

• No Judging: Listen without being critical of the other person. Judging the matter before you hear it all out can cause you to respond inappropriately.

• No Justifying: Avoid the need to justify your own thoughts or beliefs on a matter before listening to a person entirely.

• No Jumping In: Effective listening should be free of interruptions and pre-supposed solutions.

6. Give Positive Non-Verbal Feedback

Your facial expression is a clear indicator of your thoughts and mood. Be

Skimming and scanning

Skimming and scanning are two very different strategies for speed reading.They are each used for different purposes, and they are not meant to be used all the time. They are at the fast end of the speed reading range, while studying is at the slow end. Skimming refers to looking only for the general or main ideas, and works best with non-fiction (or factual) material. With skimming, your overall understanding is reduced because you don’t read everything. You read only what is important to your purpose. Skimming takes place while reading and allows you to look for details in addition to the main ideas. If you pick and choose carefully what you skim and skip, you will be pleasantly surprised at the large amount of information you can get through in a short period of time. Unlike skimming, when scanning, you look only for a specific fact or piece of information without reading everything. For scanning to be successful, you need to understand how your material is structured as well as comprehend what you read so you can locate the specific information you need. Scanning also allows you to find details and other information in a hurry. Keep the concept of key words in mind while scanning. Your purpose will determine the key words. Your peripheral vision can also help you scan effectively