Assignment in English Essay

A good listener can easily respond if he/she possesses an effective listening if they can evaluate the meanings, sound patterns and the vocabulary of each words. (Rost, 2002) defines listening, in its broadest sense, as a process of receiving what the speaker actually says (receptive orientation); constructing and representing meaning (constructive orientation); negotiating meaning with the speaker and responding (collaborative orientation); and, creating meaning through involvement, imagination and empathy (transformative orientation). In the process of communication, 40% came from listening while speaking have only 35%. It means that listening is the most important tool in communication process. It may become ineffective if the listener have some difficulties in recognizing the sound pattern and the structure of each words. It may also affect the communication procedure when there is misunderstanding to the speaker through its barriers which is the noise. And most of the time, the listener itself lose their attention and interest to the topic which can affects the relationship between the speaker and listener. So they should motivate their listeners so that they will continue in delivering their messages to their respective audience. There are three levels of listening; each is characterized by certain behaviors that affect listening effectiveness. Level 1 has the highest potential for understanding, retention and effective communication; level 3 has the lowest. These are general categories to help us understand our listening; they overlap and interchange depending on the situation. All of us listen at different levels of effectiveness throughout the day, as the circumstances and people around us change. For example, it is difficult for most people to listen effectively in the midst of a highly conflicted situation, when they are dealing with emotional people, when they are being criticized, when they are being corrected, or when they are feeling fearful, anxious, or angry. Others listen very effectively when they are working or ministering, only to tune out when they arrive home. These are the three levels of listening; a. ) the active listening that gives the full attention to listening when another is talking and focuses on what is being said and doesn’t allow the distraction but fully alert and engaged; b. the passive listening where the listener hears words but does not really listen because he couldn’t really understand the significance of what is being said; and c. ) the non-listening where the listener’s attention and response is not real and he/she pays attention to himself and own thoughts. Very few people spend most of their time listening at level 1. Most of us listen at all three levels over the course of a day, but the more we listen at level 1, the more effective we will be as leaders. Listening is a five-step process consisting of listening preparation, receiving, constructing meaning, responding, and remembering (Hybels & Weaver, 2007). The first three steps are crucial. Skipping a step can be disastrous. How accurate of a response can be derived without first preparing to listen followed by receiving information? There could not be enough information to accurately construct a meaning. The first step, preparation, is the foundation for listening. Having the proper mindset and environment are critical. The second step in the active process of listening is receiving. A number of processes involved in comprehension are intrapersonal; that is, they take place inside your head. This section familiarizes you with the nature of human information processing and the concept of inner speech. c. Remembering There has been a great deal of research on memory. Remembering is essential if you intend to apply what you have heard in future situations. This chapter acquaints you with the three basic memory systems and the work that has been done in listening training and assessment with regard to the memory process. d. Interpreting When you interpret message you do two things. First, you take into accounts the total communication context so that you are better able to understand the meaning of what is said from the speaker’s point of view. Your ability to empathize, or to see a situation from the other person’s perspective, requires that you pay attention to emotional meaning and to the communicate context. Second, effective listeners let their partners know that they have been understood. e. Evaluating You listen from a unique point of view and are influenced by your perceptual filters- your past experiences, attitudes, personal values, and predispositions.