Active Listening, What is it and give an example of how you do it?

Answer 1

Active listening is when you give physical gestures that you are listening. You could lean towards the person when they are talking to show how much you are listening. Nodding while they are talking also indicates you are paying attention. Sometimes repeating what the person is saying helps them know you are really listening.

Answer 2

Active listening means that you are giving someone your entire focus. It is far more than simple gestures or verbal cues to show that you are listening, although these often accompany it (learning how to make it look like you're listening does not mean that you are listening).

In a way, active listening is like a type of meditation, with someone else as the meditation object. You are focusing solely on what they are saying and not allowing yourself to be distracted by your own thoughts. Often when we listen to other people we're really just looking for a way to talk ourselves, so although we'll hear what other people are saying it won't really stick and we'll constantly be going through it and our own experience trying to find a way to contribute to the conversation. Another thing that often happens in everyday conversation is that we think or do other things while we listen, so that the listening only gets part of our focus. In active listening this doesn't happen; instead, we put all of our energy simply into listening to the other person.

Active listening can be really rewarding for both parties, but it's also difficult to do, particularly in cultures such as the U.S.'s which put a lot more emphasis on being able to multitask and move at fast speeds than on being able to just focus on one person to the exclusion of everything else.

A last comparison for active listening would be the idea of flow. Flow is when you're doing something and you completely lose track of time because you become totally engrossed in the activity. Ideally, active listening should be like this as well (although practically, this isn't always going to be true, particularly in counseling environments).

According to Carl Rogers, active listening is one of the key parts of any counseling. In his research on therapy, he found that as long if the counselor is actively listening to the client, then the type of therapy doesn't actually make much difference. It's an incredibly useful and healing skill to have.

Answer 3

Wolf is right on! It isn't as much about your gestures, as letting the person know with your RESPONSES to them that you are actually listening to them, and that you do not necessarily agree with what they are saying, but that you can understand how they feel about whatever it is that you are talking about!

EXAMPLE: A 4 year old in preschool hits a child that took his work away from him. The teacher goes to discipline the 4 year old, and says, "Children are not for hitting." The child says, "But he took my colors away from me!" The teacher says, "When Bobby took your colors away from you that made you angry. Even though you were angry you still do not have the right to hit people. Next time try to use your words, and let Bobby know that you do not appreciate it when he takes your colors away..."

The 4 year old may still be upset that Bobby took away his colors, but he is getting recognition and validation of his feelings, and so hopefully, will learn from this exchange, and use his words next time instead of lashing out.

Answer 4

active listening is where the listener repeats, clarifys, and echos what the person has just said. this is used during psychotherapy. it makes the patient feel like they they are being heard and understood.

example:

patient: My boyfriend is mean and left me alone at the party we went to at his sister's on friday.

Listener: So you and your boyfriend went to a party on friday?

Patient: Yes

Listener: It was by his sister's house and he left you alone when you got there. So now you think he's mean.

Patient: exactly

then the listener will talk about why the person feels this way, possibly try and change their opinion, and infer things that aren't directly told.

Answer 5

Active listening would mean that I am facing you, not looking away.
I can follow your train of thought without being distracted by some thing else. I am giving you feedback and questions.

Answer 6

I do this with my grand daughters all of the time. We could be taking a drive; I am driving (with the radio on), they are talking, we get to where we're going and then I ask them questions about their conversations. They just look at me and say "grandma, you were driving and with the radio on, how did you hear what we were talking about"?