POOR LISTENERS

Another phrase that I’m sure we’ve all heard before is, “You’re not a very good listener”. Don’t feel too disappointed! If it helps, you can take comfort in the fact that research suggests that most of us are poor listeners. Experts even claim that we only listen at 25% efficiency! So, what does this really mean? Well, look at it this way, it means that we forget, ignore, distort or misunderstand 75% of everything we hear.

Why is this so you may ask? The following is a list of factors that contribute to poor listening habits which make us inefficient listeners.

1. We lack training.
 In school, we are all taught courses in order to develop our reading, speaking and writing skills. However, few schools put much effort in developing listening skills in comparison to the aforementioned.

2. Competing sounds.
It’s a bustling world out there. There are so many different sounds and stimuli that hinder our ability to concentrate.

3. Speed of speech.
As mentioned in my earlier entries, we are able to process speech much faster that others can speak. Therefore during the lag time, we are usually prone to daydreaming or “zoning out” which reduces listening efficiency.

4. Bias or Prejudice.
Sometimes, we just don’t want to listen. We’ve all heard the saying “Mind over matter”. Well, that’s just it, if you don’t try to concentrate when someone is listening, then for sure you’re really not listening.

5. Language differences or accents. (Will be addressed in a future post)

6. Lack of attention span.

These are just a couple of factors that lead to less than perfect listening skills. Until next time, listen with intent- it’s one of your keys to success!

Nonnative Speakers- IN THE WORKPLACE

Hello my fellow bloggers! To those that may not know, I am from Canada (GTA to be more precise); and in Canada, our communities are extremely diverse. It doesn’t just stop there, our workplace are just as colorful. Therefore, it’s really no surprise to be working with people with different backgrounds, who aren’t necessarily native English speakers. The world is becoming more and more like this every day. This results in issues surrounding language barriers which may result in poor listening habits (as mentioned in the previous post). Although many have studied English and can understand, many have difficulty speaking. Why is this so? Well, speaking English can be difficult for many reasons. For example, it may conflict with the speaker’s native tongue resulting in an accent, or they can be translating sentences word for word from their language to English etc. Obviously, this makes understanding a little more difficult, thus resulting in miscommunication and poor listening. During these times, let’s all keep in mind that many nonnative speakers become worried that they may be judged, and perhaps even embarrassed if they may a mistake. Remember, our world is filled with many different languages, and although English is considered a universal language, there are so many accents out there that make English more colorful. So, regardless of whom you’re listening to, always try to listen with intent- it’s one of your keys to success!

TIPS: Listening to Nonnative Speakers

In my earlier post, I discussed nonnative speakers. It’s a topic that I feel is important to be addressed because I myself do not have English as my first language. I had difficulty speaking English before, and I am sure that people had difficulty understanding what I was saying. I was born in the Philippines, and came here when I was 6 years old. Although I attended a private school back home where they taught in English the majority of the time, when I arrived here in Canada and started going to school, I had a heavy accent and terrible grammar. I noticed it too, and often times, made many mistakes and had moments where I was discouraged to even speak. Now that I have been in Canada for almost 14 years, my English has vastly improved and I’ve lost my native accent. However, I’ll always remember my younger self- new to the country, speaking broken English, with poor confidence. With this in mind, I offer the following tips to help native speakers become better listeners when nonnatives speak. After all, it’s really not easy for nonnatives/ those who are new to the language, so the least we can do is try our best to be better listeners!

1. Try not to negatively judge those who have accented speech.
Just because they have an accent doesn’t mean they are not smart!

2. Patience is a virtue.
Be patient. Try not to hurry a conversation along- give them time to say what they want to say.

3. Don’t finish sentences.
Allow them to complete their sentences. Often times, you’ll find that what they have to say is totally different from what you had in mind.

4. Don’t correct grammar and pronunciation.
Sure you’re just trying to “help”- and that’s nice of you. However, try to forget their grammar and instead try to focus more on understanding what they are trying to tell you.

5. Be honest.
It’s alright to admit that you have no clue or are having a hard time understanding him/her. In other words, don’t pretend like you understand them when you don’t.

Keep these tips in mind—and always remember, listen with intent, it’s one of your keys to success!

TIPS: Improving your listening skills

By now, I’m sure we all understand the significance of improving our listening skills. The following is a couple of tips and tricks to develop this highly important skill!

1. Stop talking!
Stop talking and listen. Pay attention to the speaker, not to what your next response will be.

2. Concentrate.
Block out competing thoughts and sounds. Concentrate to the listener and try your best to avoid tuning out and daydreaming.

3. Maintain an open mind.
Listen solely to what the speaker is saying and forget other factors (i.e. how they look, how they sound etc.)

4. Take notes.
If you’re listening to instructions or important information, its best to take notes and verify that what you heard is correct.

5. Don’t interrupt.

6. Maintain eye contact.
Maintaining eye contact with the speaker. It will help you from drifting off.

Keep these tips in mind—and always remember, listen with intent, it’s one of your keys to success!