Listening
--It is an active process of receiving the message through hearing and thinking. It is active because it allows a person to think, remember and evaluate the meaning and significance of the words he hears.
Listening, therefore, understanding the meaning of sounds heard. It means listening with purpose - understanding the meaning of the words and sentences heard. Understands the facts and ideas contained in the words heard.
Understanding is gained through our mind. It is an active practice because something happens in a person's mind while listening. His mind processes the things he hears until he understands the meaning of them. Understanding the process of listening is very important.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEARING AND LISTENING
Although related, there is a difference between hearing and listening.
At the level of physical hearing because it is a capacity to determine the sound that will be formed in a word. It refers to our ability to hear any sound through our ears.
Meanwhile, a thought process that aims to understand the meaning contained in the sounds that the listener listens to.
Although hearing and listening are different, the two are related because true listening cannot occur without hearing. Hearing is a preliminary step in listening.
LISTENING PROCESS
Kline (2006) states that listening is a complex process. It goes through three consecutive steps: HEARING, ATTENTION, and UNDERSTANDING.
AND TYPES OF LISTENING BY PURPOSE:
1. KASWAL
Just a conditioning or a pastime listening routine.
For example, being alone and accustomed to hearing something while doing something else
This kind of listening is not serious so there is no purpose, then, no one remembers what was heard.
2. Informal
It is common for this type of listening to students to be compelled only because there is a requirement of a course.
Of course, there is a purpose but only a brief accomplishment, as long as you get a little information about the task at hand.
3. Critical
Associated with this type are analytical, evaluative and appreciative. Intensive level of analysis, looking at all angles, similarities and differences, as well as reaction to it and judgment, thus, be given objective evaluation.
BENEFITS OF ACTIVE LISTENING
Listen and appreciate what others have to say to tame hard feelings
It is easy to understand the position of others if you listen to him earnestly
Negative criticisms can be avoided if listening is used properly
There will be no room for misunderstanding or disagreement if listening to each speaker
It is easy to help others by listening
Discover each other's weaknesses towards change because weaknesses can be analyzed and analyzed through careful listening
Ways of listening
1. Be prepared to listen.
2. Identify the main ideas.
3. Do not criticize the speaker.
4. Do not criticize the message immediately.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE LISTENING
There are seven factors that are most influential in making listening effective.
1. Time or Period - there are so-called risk times and times that are big barriers to listening. An example of this is that from twelve to about two o'clock he is drowsy, when the weather is cold he is really drowsy, and when it is hot you are not comfortable and he still hinders our listening.
2. Age - children listen poorly but their memory is better while adults listen carefully so they understand what they are listening to
3. Gender - women are very patient in listening because they are interested in the details of the ideas. While men are easily bored and they love direct expression.
4. Channel - the channel is the medium of communication. Through this, the message from the encoder is sent to the decoder. In the case of listening, the air is the passage of the message.
5. Place or Environment - a place that has a clean, quiet, bright, and cool environment needed for an individual to listen effectively. There are many possible environments and situations where the listener is in the way he or she listens.
6. Culture - there is a barrier to understanding the concepts heard if the culture of the listener is different. One can expect a better listener who is taught proper manners such as respect for others and self-discipline.
7. Self-concept - the broad-minded may have a hearing impediment because they have a high self-esteem, and as a result, some hearers may not believe or understand because of the self-concept.
In the study conducted a person spends more time listening than speaking because more often he prefers to listen than to speak.
Especially the students inside the classroom. It is better to listen to the discussion of the teacher and fellow students than to actively participate in them.
45% are good at listening
30% are speaking
16% are reading
9% in writing
Whatever questions we have to answer we will surely be able to answer if we are listening, speaking clearly and correctly. Our knowledge will increase through listening.
Six Importance of Listening:
Listening is a quick and effective way of getting information rather than direct reading.
Listening to each other is a way for everyone to understand each other and have a good relationship.
Listening requires more concentration in understanding, remembering or recalling what is heard.
Listening will help people to widen their knowledge.
Listening to what the other person is saying can help to understand the feelings, thoughts and understand his actions, habits and beliefs. it also creates unity in any type of group within a family, community, school or even a form of government.
A member's failure to listen to his or her leader can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts.
Other Obstacles to Effective Listening:
1. Place or Environment
The quiet and cool place completely entertains and raises the level of concentration of an audience of an interview.
The hot, small, chaotic area causes the listeners annoyance and reluctance to listen.
2. Time
A listener to call at midnight or at dawn is not as clear as he was listening when his consciousness was wide awake.
There are also times when we are in danger of being called, an interviewer close to lunch time is also effective for the audience.
Students with morning classes are more active listeners than afternoon students.
3. Equipment and Channels
Using a message delivery instrument is a great help in understanding such as cellphone, telephone, microphone, radio etc.
Still effective channel in conveying the message is personal communication rather than using the instrument because the message can be clearly stated as well as his emotions
4. Distance
When the person is far away, no shout
Importance of Listening
Listening is an effective way of getting information.
Listening serves as a way for everyone to understand each other.
This requires further concentration in understanding.
Listening helps to expand everyone's knowledge.
Listening helps to understand the feelings, actions and behaviors of others.
It helps build unity.
Listening Barriers
Developing the wrong idea - there is a chance that we are talking to our own minds while listening and through it, what is formed is what we formed the mind and not the overall content of what we are listening to.
Self-bias - we form our own thoughts while listening to a speaker from our own opinion with no solid basis.
Variation of interpretation - the interpretation we form of what we hear may be different from that of the speaker so it is necessary to clarify by asking the speaker what thought or idea he heard he wanted to clarify.
Physical cause - environmental impact is also one of the barriers to listening.
Cultural differences - it is possible that we will not receive the message sent by the speaker due to cultural differences.
Personal Problems - We do not fully understand what we are listening to if what we are listening to prevails and our own problems dominate our minds because we are focused on the problem and not on what we are listening to.
Benefits of Active Listening
Tame the hard feelings of others.
Negative feedback is avoided if listening is used properly.
It is easier for everyone to work together because of active listening.
You will understand the situation and position of others if you listen to him.
Everyone will agree and understand each other if they listen to each other.
Recognize and test each other's weaknesses.
Misconceptions in Listening
Listening is the easiest of the four macro skills (listening, writing, reading, speaking)
Only the wise are able to listen well.
No need for a listening plan.
