User:Riley181/sandbox

Techniques and Guidelines

There are three basic steps in the following order:

1. Paraphrase: Explain what you believe has been said in your own words.
2. Clarify: Ensure you understand what has been said through asking questions.
3. Summarize: Offer a concise overview of what you believe the main points and intent of the message received are.

Here are the guidelines to help better fine tune one's ability to follow these steps:

1. Keep your attention on the message being presented
2. Refrain from thinking about your own response to what is being presented.
3. Refrain from offering judgement on anything the other person says.
4. Observe non-verbal content. These are their own kind of communication which can be clarified by the active listener.

What is Active Listening

Active listening comprises several components by the listener, who must pay attention to what the speaker is attempting to communicate and elicit clarification where necessary for comprehension.

Active listening involves the listener observing the speaker's non-verbal behavior and body language. The listener can observe non-verbal behaviors through kinesics, the study of body motion and posture; paralinguistics, the study of the tone of words; and proxemics, the study of physical distance and posture between speakers. Having the ability to interpret a person's body language lets the listener develop a more accurate understanding of the speaker's message.^{[clarification needed]}

Responding[edit]

Active listening is an interaction between speaker and listener. It adds action to a normally passive process.

Assessment[edit]

Active listening can be assessed using the active listening observation scale (ALOS).