Active Listening
Because most classes involve lectures, listening skills are critical
for success in college. Listening is not merely hearing the
speaker; it is comprehending what is being said and absorbing the
meaning. Such intentional, careful attention is called "active
listening."
Good listeners:
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- sit in the front of the room
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sit up straight
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look at the speaker
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react to what is being said
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ask questions and listen to the answers
- identify the main idea (what's the most important point of
the
lecture?)
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listen for major details (what supports the main point?)
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note the key words, especially if they are unfamiliar
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paraphrase the information when writing it down
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Poor listeners:
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- allow themselves to become distracted
- do rote
(mindless) note-taking
- emotionally reject the subject or speaker
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Taking Lecture Notes
To help you better remember lecture content, record a speaker's
ideas while they are being presented. Several methods are used to
take good notes. The links below explain some of them.
http://www.utexas.edu/student/utlc/makinggrade/notetaking.html
(try the self-tests of note-taking skill before,
during, and after class)
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html
(visit the links to Note-taking and In-Class Skills
and Editing Lecture Notes)
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/notes.html
(see Note Taking Handouts)
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