For example, if your client speaks in a foreign language that you have difficulty understanding, you can use discriminative listening skills to comprehend what is going on to some extent, based on their tone, mannerisms or body language. Discriminative listening is a basic type of listening skill developed quite early on in life, where different sounds of the words are recognised without understanding their meaning. The nuances in their voice will help you to distinguish what emotions they are going through. It interprets the verbal cues to understand what the speaker is truly saying. This type of listening identifies the variation in tones and sounds. To improve comprehensive listening, you have to work on your vocabulary, language skills, knowledge and cognitive skills. A significant reason is that comprehensive listening involves cognitive skills, where people may interpret and understand the meaning of a message based on their knowledge, outlook and experiences. When two different people listen to the same message, they understand its meaning differently. While attending a presentation or lecture, this is the most critical listening skill you need to have. In comprehensive listening, you would distinguish the main point or idea from the details. This listening style requires concentration and a conscious effort to understand. This type of listening is commonly used in day-to-day lives, where you would use comprehensive listening along with verbal cues to understand the message being communicated. Also known as informational listening, you listen to comprehend and absorb the information presented. Here are some of the main types of active listening that you may encounter or practice in the workplace: Comprehensive listeningĬomprehensive listening is listening to learn the content. You can also identify the ones you often employ and discover new types to improve your listening skills. When you are aware of these different listening styles, it will make you a more effective communicator and help prevent miscommunication. The key is to try to understand the other person first before one evaluates.Often, people may naturally gravitate towards one listening style or another, but each of these listening skills is useful, depending on the situation.

While experts on learning and communication almost universally demean the importance and value of critical listening when it comes to real life, listening critically is used every day. For example, if there is an upcoming election and you need to decide who to vote for, you probably use some form of critical listening when you watch a televised debate. However, critical listening occurs when you still want to understand what the other person is saying, but also have a reason or responsibility to evaluate what is being said to you and how it is being said. Making judgments during listening is often considered as a barrier to understanding a person. What is “critical listening?” Critical listening is a form of listening that is usually not mentioned, since it involves analysis, critical thinking and judgment. GHC Home > Tutorial Center > Module 5 > Critical Listening Critical Listening

Critical listening in communication