Communication theorists have consistently agreed that we listen far more than we engage in any other communication practice, whether speaking, reading, or writing. As we get older, how we listen changes, yet the necessity for listening does not. They use it to acquire language and learn to communicate with their parents. In fact, listening is one of the first skills infants gain. Have you ever spent time with an infant or toddler? If so, you know that they are amazing at listening. Trying to recall what you heard is a challenge because you did not focus your attention and intend to remember what was said. Knowing the goals accruable to us through deep listening can serve as the ‘why’ to motivate us. We have to be motivated to expend the energy required for deep listening. Engaging in deep listening comes with determination. Yet, when the professor structures the exam questions on a topic covered in class, you realize you didn’t actually listen. Thus to engage in empathic listening the following criteria must be allowed: 1. You hear the words the professor is saying while you check Facebook or Instagram under the desk on your phone. Yet, despite all the ways we practice listening every day, Nichols called listening a “lost art.” The ease of sitting passively without really listening is well known to anyone who has sat in a boring class with a professor droning on about one topic or another. We do this kind of listening often when we are in a classroom setting, a doctor’s office, or a workplace meeting. The focus is to gain and remember information during informational listening. We are required to be attentive to key points that influence or confirm our judgments. We engage in this type of listening when we are at a political event, attending a debate, or enduring a salesperson touting the benefits of various brands of a product. One important aspect of their job is to listen closely for the purpose of helping the client. Understanding the different styles of listening can improve your interpersonal communication and.
![types of listening types of listening](https://www.betterup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/four-people-listening-to-one-person-types-of-listening.png)
There are a few general listening styles that people use, depending on the situation they are in and whether they are operating on a more emotional or logical level. Therapists, counselors, and conflict mediators are trained in different listening levels. Learning critical listening skills is an important part of building interpersonal relationships and processing important information. We are engaged with them in the moment and listening. Relational listening happens when we are listening to a friend or family member, building our relationship with another by offering support and showing empathy for their feelings in the situation they are discussing. Types of Listening Informative listening also called comprehensive listening is one of the primary means of obtaining information. Examples include when we are tuning our attention in to a song we like, a poetry reading, actors in a play, or sitcom antics on television. Appreciative ListeningĪppreciative listening means we are listening for pleasure. Each type of listening requires the listener to have an intent. We regularly engage in several different types of listening.
![types of listening types of listening](http://image.slideserve.com/425182/3-types-of-listening6-l.jpg)
Describe the different types of listening.