Page 27 - SREENARAYANAGURU OPEN UNIVERSITY

Fig 1.3.1 Four skills of communication

1�3�1 Listening will pay full attention to the announcements to
Some of us are good at listening, but not find out the expected arrival or departure time
everyone is. There is a distinction between lis- of your train, bus, or aeroplane. Listening to
tening and hearing. Hearing is a casual activity announcements is required to collect specific
that we are constantly engaged in. We hear all information you need.
the sounds and noises around us, we hear the As part of your academic life you listen to
cry of the crows, bickering of neighbours, and live talks on television, radio, podcasts, You-
the calls of the fish vendors. Listening, how- Tube, TED platforms, etc. Here your purpose
ever, is an activity which needs our conscious of listening to these audios will be different.
effort and is essential if we are to efficiently When we read or listen, we are searching for
communicate. information, facts or maybe for entertainment.

If you are talking to a friend and he is not You may listen to audio lectures and descrip-
paying attention to you, the conversation tions for facts and you arrive at an inference.
remains incomplete. The message would not be This may be for your academic purpose. You
conveyed as it is intended by you, the sender. may listen to the radio or television for weather
Here, the listener is inactive. Good listening updates, to know whether it is a sunny day or
habits are an essential part of primary skills of not.
communication and active listening is part of As a student, you sit in a classroom to
a good conversation. listen to lectures. It is very important that you

Imagine you are in a railway station, airport, understand the lectures clearly. The listener
or bus station. You hear all the announcements and speaker should use a common language
but you have to listen carefully to obtain some which both of them are expert at, then only the
specific informations. On such occasions, you communication becomes effective. Through-

SGOU - FYUGP - SLM - English for Communication 21