Listening Communication Skill

Active listening communication skill is a critical skill in effective communication. This soft skill will assist you in building and maintaining relationships, solving problems, improving processes, and remembering information such as instructions, procedures, and expectations.

Good listening communication skills must be practiced in order to be successful in the workplace. Effective listening can help you accurately interpret information, form positive relationships, and learn new skills. Understanding the different types of listening and how to become a better listener can help you develop and apply effective communication habits in your professional life.

What is Listening communication Skill?

Along with speaking, reading, and writing, listening is one of the four pillars of communication skill. Listening communication skill is the first step toward understanding and communicating. It is the ability to hear, process, interpret, and respond to oral messages. Listening communication skill is essential in communication because not listening can lead to misinformation, misunderstanding, and loss of communication.

Listening communication skill differs from hearing in that it requires concentration and involvement in what is being said. It entails paying attention not only to what is said, but also to how the speaker conveys the information – picking up on verbal and nonverbal cues. Good or effective listeners are valued in all walks of life – as empathetic friends, engaged workers, with social skills, confidence, and self-esteem.

What is active listening?

Active listening communication skill is the ability to completely focus on a speaker, comprehend their message, and respond thoughtfully. Unlike passive listening, which is the act of hearing a speaker but not remembering what they said, this highly valued interpersonal communication skill ensures you can engage and later recall specific details without having to repeat information.

Active listeners use both verbal and nonverbal cues to demonstrate and maintain their focus on the speaker. This not only helps you focus, but it also ensures that the speaker sees you are focused and engaged. An active listener carefully considers the speaker’s words and commits the information to memory rather than thinking about and mentally rehearsing what you might say when the speaker is finished.

Four types of listening communication skill 

1. Listening for Information

Listening to gather facts or new information is the most common type of listening communication skill. Informational listening is involved in routine activities such as listening to the news, classroom lectures, board meetings, and so on. They necessitate focus and attention.

2. Active Listening

This is the active aspect of listening communication skill, in which you analyze and evaluate what you hear. Critical listening leads to problem solving or decision-making. As a result, it entails adhering to “the main argument of the speech.”

3. Compassionate Listening

This is the most difficult type of listening communication skill. It entails listening in order to comprehend the speaker’s feelings and emotions. Empathetic listening is required during counseling and therapy sessions. Instead of responding, the listener encourages the speaker to express their emotions. The difficulty is in remaining objective. Sharing similar saturations or experiences increases empathy.

4. Protective Listening

Empathetic listening communication skill is the inverse of this. It entails listening to the speaker and interpreting his or her words as criticism. Due to feelings of guilt, jealousy, or insecurity, the listener becomes defensive. They react angrily, and any conversation quickly devolves into shouting as the listener misinterprets the speaker’s intent. The challenge is to remain non-defensive while listening to the words only in their current context. The speaker may also be sympathetic to the emotions of the listener.

Also Read: Written communication skills 2022

Purpose of Listening Communication Skill

• To concentrate solely on the messages being communicated, avoiding distractions and preconceived notions.
• Gaining a complete and accurate understanding of the speaker’s point of view and ideas.
• To evaluate what is being said critically. (For more information, see our Critical Thinking page.)
• To improve understanding, pay attention to the nonverbal cues that accompany what is being said.
• To demonstrate interest, concern, and concentration.
• Encourage the speaker to communicate completely, openly, and truthfully.
• To cultivate a selfless approach that prioritizes the speaker.
• To reach a mutually agreed-upon understanding and acceptance of both sides’ points of view.

Listening communication skill styles that are ineffective

There are several types of ineffective communication, which are similar to effective communication. You can avoid them if you understand what they are and how they impede communication. Some of the primary listening skills that fall into this category are listed below.

• Listening selectively

When you listen selectively, you filter the message too quickly, focusing only on certain aspects. This may impair your ability to comprehend the entire message and lead to miscommunication. Filtering out some messages may reinforce your bias for future communications.

• Listening in parts

Partial listening occurs when you intend to listen to another person but are distracted. You could be distracted by your phone, by noise, or by stray thoughts or other issues. You may begin by listening to the message but then become distracted. This type of listening may impair a person’s ability to correctly answer a question or follow instructions.
This can cause serious problems, especially if the speaker has moved on and you are unable to pick up on the message. When confronted in this situation, it is best to admit that you have lost the flow and ask them to repeat the conversation.

• Listening bias

Biased listening occurs when people hear only what they want to hear and form opinions based on a preconceived notion they have about the speaker or message. Because of their bias, they may misinterpret what the speaker says.

• False hearing

False listening occurs when you pretend to listen to the other person while not actually listening or comprehending the message. These listeners may be pretending to listen by using appropriate gestures such as smiling and nodding. This type of listening will undoubtedly have an impact on your ability to perform well at work.

Related: Visual Communication Skills: 2022 Comprehensive Guide

Reasons Why Listening Communication Skill Is Essential

Effective listening communication skill consists of two components: expressing yourself and listening to others. The second part is frequently overlooked. Many people are good at talking, but when it comes to hearing someone else’s thoughts and feelings, they fall short. Listening can be extremely difficult. It comes naturally to very few people, so you must be more deliberate to improve. Why is it worthwhile to make the extra effort to listen? Here are ten reasons why it is critical:

• Listening fosters trust

They notice your interest when you make an effort to listen to them. They can tell you care about what they’re saying. This makes them feel more at ease sharing and being open with you. The other person will not want to waste their breath if you were only half-listening, not making eye contact, or glancing at your phone. They will not believe you will respect their thoughts and feelings.

• Listening helps to reduce misunderstandings

Miscommunication is one of the most common consequences of poor communication. It’s very easy to mishear something or misinterpret someone’s meaning when people aren’t listening to each other. Misunderstandings are common, but some can have serious consequences. For example, if someone does not listen when a friend explains that they have a food allergy, serving them a dish containing a dangerous ingredient could be fatal.

• Listening aids in conflict resolution.

Many conflicts are caused by poor listening skills. Not listening well not only causes misunderstandings but also frustrates people who are engaged in important conversations. People want to be respected, which is inextricably linked to being heard. You don’t have to agree, but simply making an effort to hear another point of view helps to keep the situation calm. It’s much easier to work through tense situations without things escalating into conflict when everyone feels calm and safe.

•  Listening fosters empathy

Humans are inherently compassionate, but we all have biases and assumptions based on our upbringing and experiences. When speaking with people from various backgrounds and experiences, it can be tempting to rely on preconceived notions. Instead of assuming, you can commit to listening. When you hear directly from a source, you gain a better understanding of their point of view, which is essential for empathy.

• Listening strengthens romantic relationships.

Listening is something that relationship experts always emphasize. A lot of the conflict and heartache in romantic relationships is caused by poor communication. Listening to one another creates a safe, judgment-free environment. This can take some practice because many troubled couples are accustomed to interrupting and talking over each other. A qualified couple’s therapist can suggest listening to exercises to help structure the process.

• Listening enhances business relationships.

If your job requires you to interact with others, you understand the importance of effective communication. Miscommunication and conflict can derail projects and damage a company’s reputation. You can strengthen your relationships with coworkers and clients by committing to better listening. People will respect you and want to work with you.

What Jobs Necessitate Good Listening Communication Skills?

Listening abilities are required for effective listening communication skill. Every professional and non-professional should be able to perform this task. Listening skills are important in any job, but they are even more important in business. The following is a list of jobs that require good listening skills:

• Sales
• Negotiation
• Coaching
• Mentoring
• Interviewing
• Managing

Apps to Improve Your English Listening communication Skill

• Improspeak

Improspeak is a new and unique platform where you can talk about and share your interests with a diverse group of people.

All you need is a webcam and a microphone; Improspeak will pair you with someone based on common interests, and the conversation can begin.
If you’re stuck for words or can’t think of anything to say, Improspeak provides you with fun question cards to keep the conversation going.
What makes Improspeak unique is its moderation: after the chat, you will rate your conversation buddy – this system keeps pervs and bullies out of the community.

Imorospeak is the ideal solution for improving your English listening communication skill while engaging in meaningful conversations with interesting people. Oh, and it’s completely free.

• Wannalisn

It may be difficult for other English speakers around the world to understand and comprehend other English speakers while watching a show, movie, or documentary with English subtitles. This app can help you solve the problem of poor listening comprehension.

There are significant differences between the spoken and written forms of the language among English learners worldwide, making it difficult to understand informal English spoken daily by natives.

This is why, in this app, an innovative edutainment course has been created to encourage people to learn English faster and use it in their daily lives. The app’s listening feature has benefited thousands of users, earning this useful app four stars on the Google Play store.

• Duolingo

Duolingo is a popular app for learning a new language that is ideal for beginners. Lessons are organized by speaking, listening, and grammar and are tailored to the user’s learning style.

Duolingo has a gamified learning system that helps you stay motivated by tracking your progress and rewarding you with score points every time you complete a lesson. You only need twenty minutes per day!

• SpeakingPal

SpeakingPal is a free app that allows you to engage in scripted conversations with a video chatbot.

This app includes a speech recognition system that detects errors and assists you in correcting them as well as checking your pronunciation.

The app also includes script translations, allowing you to broaden your vocabulary while reading the scripts.
Finally, SpeakingPal allows you to track your progress so you can see how far you’ve come!

• FluentU 

This application has a rating of 4.1 stars and is one of the most popular applications for improving one’s language skills by improving listening skills.

The app contains authentic videos of music, movie trailers, news, and motivational talks that can be turned into personalized language learning lessons. Users can focus on more than one language to help them understand the tone and context of what is being said. The application supports a variety of languages, including Mandarin, English, Japanese, and even Russian.
The audio dialogues in the application are excellent for learning the language. This application is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

FAQS on Listening Communication Skill 2022

Conclusion

The ability to accurately receive and interpret messages during the communication process is referred to as listening communication skill.

Listening communication skill is essential for all forms of effective communication. Messages are easily misunderstood when people lack the ability to listen effectively. As a result, communication breaks down, and the message’s sender may become frustrated or irritated.
Listening communication skill is the one communication skill you should strive to master.
Many top employers provide listening communication skill training to their employees because it is so important. This is not surprising given that good listening communication skill can lead to higher customer satisfaction, increased productivity with fewer errors, and increased information sharing, which can lead to more creative and innovative work.

Read on the following

• Communication Skills: 2022 Complete Guide

• 30 Advantages and Disadvantages of Written Communication

• Verbal Communication skill: 2022 complete guide

• Improve Your English Communication Skills Within 4-5 Months