The Power of Connective Listening

The Power of Connective Listening

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Read the questions

Think about the topic

Pre-Reading

What makes a good listener?

What types of things do people do when they are really listening to you? What are the characteristics of poor listening skills?

How does it make you feel if someone pretends to listen but is not really paying attention?

Are you a good listener?  What would you like to improve in this area?

Read and Pronounce

Read the following excerpt from the article with your tutor.  He or She will listen and correct your pronunciation.

I suspect most people understand what it takes to show interest in others – remember what is important to the other person and ask open-ended questions – yet we still fail to connect on the deeper levels that each person craves. How is it that my friend did everything she was supposed to do and still left me feeling unheard?

Mark Goulston and John Ullmen introduce four levels of listening in their book Real Influence: Persuade without Pushing, Gain without Giving In. The first two levels are generally negative and should not be used if at all possible – avoidance (distracted) listening and defensive (reactive) listening.

Read the rest of the article here.

Source:  LinkedIn Pulse

Author:  Tasha M. Troy

Read the text aloud to your tutor. Your tutor will listen and provide you with feedback.

Talk About It

What is connective listening?

How can it improve your relationship skills?

What is the difference between Level 3 and Level 4 listening?

Have you experience these types of listening in your own interactions with people?

What type of a listener are you?

In what ways can you improve (or help others improve) listening skills?

Talk with your tutor about this topic.

Use the expressions and vocabulary you learned.

Use the related resources below to learn more.

Learning and Practice

Look at the vocabulary words below.

How many of these words and expressions do you know?

Tell what these words mean in the context of the article.

Ask your tutor to explain those words  you don’t quite understand.

Incorporate the words into your discussion about the article.

Vocabulary Words and Expressions

affirm(s)

alleviate

avoidance

catch(ing) upcrave(s)

defensive

derive(-ing)

engage(d)

fire(-ing)

interrogate(-ing)

intrusive(ly)

open-ended

paramount

ponder(ed)

rapport

to an extent

underneath

unheard

vent(ing)