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STU 100 East - College Study Skills: Active Listening

Keys to Active Listening

  • Pay attention.
  • Show that you are listening.
  • Provide feedback.
  • Defer judgment.
  • Respond Appropriately.

Active Listening Skills Survey

Tips to Effective & Active Listening Skills

  1. Face the speaker. Sit up straight or lean forward slightly and look at the person.
  2. Listen not merely to the words, but feeling the content.
  3. Have empathy and be sincerely interested in what the other person is talking about.
  4. Maintain eye contact, to the degree that you remain comfortable.
  5. Minimize external distractions.
  6. Respond appropriately to show that you understand.
  7. Ask clarification questions once in a while.
  8. Focus solely on what the speaker is saying.
  9. Minimize internal distractions.
  10. Keep an open mind. Be aware of your own feelings and strong opinions.
  11. Restate what the person said.
  12. If you have to state your views, say them only after you have listened.

Active Listening


Francis, Jeremy. "Effective Listening Skills." YouTube. Jeremy Francis HR, 12 June 2009. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.