Listening and Speech Preparation Notes

Understanding Listening

Hearing vs. Listening

  • Hearing: A passive, natural process. If one is not deaf, sounds are processed automatically.

  • Listening: An active, learned process requiring effort to absorb and comprehend what is being heard. It requires conscious work and skill development.

Listening as a Communicative Skill

  • Listening is a learned skill that must be developed, unlike hearing.

  • Approximately 45\% of communication time is spent listening.

  • Language and dialect differences highlight that hearing words does not equate to understanding them (e.g., "lorry," "pub," "loo" in British vs. American English).

  • It is encouraged to ask for clarity on unfamiliar words or concepts to ensure comprehension, not just in this class but in all academic settings.

Models of Listening (The Listening Process)

Listening involves a series of steps:

  • Hearing

  • Understanding

  • Remembering

  • Interpreting

  • Evaluating

  • Responding

Types of Listening

  • Appreciative Listening: Listening for enjoyment or pleasure (e.g., music, comedy, storytelling, Netflix).

  • Empathetic Listening: Listening with compassion and emotional support, focusing on the speaker's feelings (pathos), not just their words.

    • Requires being present, validating emotions, and avoiding self-focus.

  • Comprehensive Listening: Listening for understanding or comprehension of the message.

  • Critical Listening: Evaluating the logic and credibility of an argument.

    • Involves assessing ethos (credibility), logos (logic), and sometimes pathos (emotional appeal).

    • Example: Analyzing charitable organizations: Bono's organization was scrutinized for only a small percentage of funds reaching the beneficiaries, despite emotional appeals.

    • Applied in debates, making purchasing decisions, and evaluating persuasive speeches.

    • Requires separating analysis from personal emotions.

  • Dialogic Listening: A newer concept (emerged in the 1990s) focusing on co-creating interaction and exchange, emphasizing connection, empathy, and collaboration over one-sided exchanges.

    • Aims to engage with perspectives that may not be fact-based without shutting down the conversation.

    • Approach: Instead of direct confrontation ("You're wrong"), ask questions to understand the other person's reasoning and gently introduce alternative facts or perspectives.

    • Example 1: Addressing flat-Earthers or those who believe the moon is a hologram:

      • Rather than stating "You're out of your mind," one would ask, "Why do you believe that?" and then present evidence (e.g., photos from space, moon rock samples) asking if they've considered it.

    • Example 2: Discussing crime rates in Chicago where a decrease in murders from 10 to 5 is called an "improvement":

      • A dialogic approach would acknowledge the improvement but also ask, "Why do you think that's okay? Is five murders the standard we want?" This opens a discussion without invalidating the initial statement of improvement.

    • Requires significant patience, as it involves accepting differences in perspective and emotion as real, even if facts are not aligned.

    • Promotes a softer, more patient approach to foster collaboration and avoid immediate conversational shutdown.

    • Critical listening and dialogic listening are complementary, not opposites.

Causes for Poor Listening (Barriers)

  • Linguistic Noise: Not understanding words because of language or dialect differences.

  • Cultural Noise: Personal biases against individuals or groups that prevent open-minded listening.

    • Overcoming: Cultivating an open mind and willingness to hear arguments.

  • Misplaced Focus/Noise: Anything that interferes with hearing.

    • Physical Noise: External distractions (e.g., construction, loud vehicles).

    • Psychological Noise: Internal distractions (e.g., disliking the speaker, personal concerns, racing thoughts, hunger, fatigue, a breakup).

    • Physiological Noise: Bodily states impacting listening (e.g., hunger, tiredness, ear ringing, hard of hearing).

  • Semantic Noise: Words being too complex or unfamiliar, leading to disengagement.

  • Jumping to Conclusions/Implicit Bias: Formulating opinions or judgments before fully listening due to preconceptions.

Ways to Improve Active Listening

  • Engage comprehensive, critical, and dialogic listening.

  • Suspend judgments.

  • Resist distractions.

  • Be open-minded.

Speech Preparation Principles (Chapter 4 Preview)

Core Principles for Effective Presentations

  • Know Your Audience: This is paramount. Tailor your speech to the audience's knowledge, beliefs, and values (e.g., gender, race, interests, backgrounds, and the professor's presence in a classroom setting). Be respectful and mindful of potential offenses while covering your topic.

  • Choose a Relevant Topic: If given a choice, select a subject pertinent to the audience or occasion.

  • Research Thoroughly: Don't discard older research simply because it's not "fresh." Utilize diverse sources, including books from libraries, not just internet sources.

  • Plan and Structure: Treat a presentation like a verbal research paper with a clear:

    • Introduction: Hook the audience, present a central idea/thesis, and state the speech's goal.

    • Body: Present main points in chronological order, stay on topic, and be specific (e.g., discussing books by Winston Churchill, not just Winston Churchill).

    • Conclusion: Signal the end, review main points, restate purpose, and provide a clear ending or call to action.

  • Use Effective Language:

    • Match Language to Context: Adjust language for the mood and subject matter (e.g., avoid being overly flashy during somber topics).

    • Avoid Jargon: Do not use technical terms unfamiliar to your audience.

    • Use Vivid Language: Be clear and detailed to engage the audience.

    • Be Engaging: Prevent boredom; physical movement (if appropriate) acts as a form of engagement.

Presentation Delivery and Practice

  • Practice, Practice, Practice: Thorough preparation and rehearsal are crucial.

    • Video yourself to identify and correct any nervous tics or habits.

    • Familiarize yourself with the concepts and material.

    • Rehearse to meet time limits and ensure smooth delivery.

  • Extemporaneous Speaking: All presentations in this class will be extemporaneous.

    • Meaning: Use note cards as a guide for specifics or to stay on track, but do not read directly from a manuscript or teleprompter.

    • Note cards (3 \times 5) should contain only key points, details, or guideposts, not the entire speech text.

  • During Presentation:

    • Volume: Use an "outside voice," speaking loudly and clearly.

    • Gestures: Be mindful of hand gestures.

    • Eye Contact: Maintain general eye contact. If nervous, look slightly over or between people to appear engaged without making direct, anxiety-inducing eye contact.

    • Movement: Consider using movement (e.g., moving to different spots for different points) as a tool to aid pacing and memory.

First Presentation Assignment: "About Me"

  • Topic: Present on yourself, the subject you know most about.

  • Duration: Two minutes.

  • Guidance: If struggling for material, ask yourself the "Who, What, Where, When, Why, How" questions.

  • Requirements: No visual aids (slides), no formal outline, no reference page required.

  • Preparation: Practice extensively to fill the two minutes.

  • Note Cards: Use note cards to stay focused and remember key points.

  • Due Date: Presented on Tuesday.

  • Key Consideration: "Know your audience." Your classmates and professor are your audience, a mixed group with diverse backgrounds, interests, and sensitivities. Be respectful in language and content.