Page 28 - SREENARAYANAGURU OPEN UNIVERSITY

out the lecture, the listener should not be bored, teacher and the student, we can see the stu-
disturbed or distracted. An active listener, dent respond to the teacher by answering the
during a lecture, would take notes for future question. Here, the student is an active listener.
reference. Notes are helpful in two ways. It Active participation in the conversation iden-
keeps you grounded and helps you in prevent- tifies you as an effective listener. The student
ing your attention from wandering away from was able to reproduce his previous knowledge
the lecture. These notes can also be used for about sonnet and sonneteers. Providing appro-
future reference, and can be revisited whenever priate feedback at the appropriate time is a key
needed. part of being an active and effective listener.

An additional thing that an effective listener There are occasions in our professional and
can do is to research. To be an effective listener personal life where we will need to listen to
at lectures, you can find out the day’s topic conversations and to report the conversation
previously and do a background study. Carry a or to act accordingly. We have conversations

notebook and pen to take notes while listening. with our boss who may give orders on what to
Avoid all distractions during the lecture and do. We also exchange information in personal
focus on the lecture. Listen for specific things conversations, classroom discussions, confer-
with an open mind and recollect your previ- ences, and seminars or through different social
ously acquired knowledge. Try to comprehend media platforms. Even in personal communi-
the lecture. Write lecture notes in your own cation, active listening is important. A passive
words, so that there willnot be any confusion listener is not someone others would be inter-
in the future. Identify the new terms and note ested in conversing with people who show lack
them down to refer later. Use mind maps to of interest in conversations, more who don’t
remember the complicated concepts. Read up respond to questions or are constantly dis-
additional information regarding the topic after tracted are mostly avoided by speakers.
the lecture as well. These steps will lead you
to be an active listener and get the best out of Have you now understood the difference
the lectures you attend. between hearing and listening? We all hear
the phonetic sounds created by the speaker,
Read the following classroom lecture. but only an active listener decodes and under-
stands the message behind the sequence of
Teacher: Sonnet is an ancient poetic form sounds. Listeners do more than just hearing.
that has its roots in Italian poetic traditions. A Good listening is linked with retrieval of the
sonnet typically has fourteen lines divided into information.
an octet and a sestet or into three quartets and
a couplet. William Shakespeare is one of the Now let us see what factors affect active
best known sonneteers in English. listening:
Do you know any sonneteers in English? f The listener should be interest-
ed in the conversation. The topic
Student: Yes ma’am, John Milton. should be relevant for the listener

Teacher: Very good. Milton has written as well.
many sonnets including “On his Blindness” f The verbal competence of the
speakers is important. They
In this classroom interaction between the should have expertise in their use

22 SGOU - FYUGP - SLM - English for Communication