Review - Communication Process
Part 2 - Listening
 Activity – Active listening
Environment
Message Encoded
Message Decoded
Frame of
Frame of
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Reference
Reference
Types of Anxiety
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Situational – anxiety caused by factors
present in a specific speaking situation
Trait – internal anxieties an individual brings
to the speaking situation
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What is the difference between hearing and
listening?
List at least two ways in which you can
prepare yourself physically and intellectually
to listen to a speech.
When you are a listener, how can you
encourage a speaker?
5 Stages of Listening
VISUAL
VOCAL
VERBAL
Sensing–
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At this stage you listen to what is said (verbally and
nonverbally).
Improving your listening reception:
◦ Focus your attention on the speaker’s verbal and
nonverbal messages. Avoid focusing your attention
on what you’ll say next; if you begin to rehearse your
responses, you’re going to miss what the speaker
says next.
◦ Avoid distractions in the environment
◦ Maintain your role as listener and avoid interrupting.
5 Stages of Listening
VISUAL
VOCAL
VERBAL
Interpreting 
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After receiving the message, you process it;
you extract the meaning from the message.
Improve your interpreting/understanding:
◦ Avoid assuming you understand what the speaker is
going to say before he or she actually says it.
◦ Ask questions for clarification, if necessary; ask for
additional details or examples if they’re needed.
◦ Rephrase (paraphrase) the speaker’s ideas into your
own words.
5 Stages of Listening
VISUAL
VOCAL
VERBAL
Evaluating
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Once you’ve received, understood, and have the
message in memory, you need to evaluate it.
Resist evaluation until you fully understand the
speaker’s point of view. This is not always easy, but
it’s always essential. If you put a label on what the
speaker is saying (ultraconservative, bleeding-heart
liberal), you’ll hear the remainder of the messages
through these labels.
Distinguish facts from opinions and personal
interpretations by the speaker.
5 Stages of Listening
VISUAL
VOCAL
VERBAL
Responding –
Of course, a speaker expects a response.
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Support the speaker throughout the speaker’s
conversation by using (and varying) listening cues, such as
head nods and minimal responses such as “I see” or “mmhmm.”
Own your responses. Take responsibility for what you say.
Instead of saying, “Nobody will want to do that” say
something like “I don’t want to do that.” Use the anonymity
that most social networks allow with discretion.
Avoid being a thought-completing listener who listens a
little and then finishes the speaker’s thought.
5 Stages of Listening
VISUAL
VOCAL
VERBAL
5. Remembering
Remembering –
It would help little if you received and understood the
message but didn’t remember it.
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Focus your attention on the central ideas.
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Avoid focusing on minor details that often lead to
detours in listening and in conversation.
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Organize what you hear; summarize the message in a
more easily retained form, but take care not to ignore
crucial details or qualifications.
Repeat names and key concepts to yourself or, if
appropriate, aloud.
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When a speaker is enthusiastic about his or
her ideas, how do listeners usually react?
List the six criteria discussed in this chapter
for writing a specific purpose statement.
What is the difference between the specific
purpose and the central idea?
Select a topic that…
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Fits requirements of assignment
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Showcases your experiences and knowledge
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Interests you
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You can make interesting and valuable to
your audience
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Establish a general purpose to help bring
your topic under control.
◦ To inform
◦ To persuade
◦ To entertain
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What exactly to you want to accomplish in
your speech?
◦ Topic: Foodborne illnesses
◦ General Purpose: To inform
◦ Specific Purpose: To tell my listeners how to protect
themselves from foodborne illnesses
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What exactly to you want your audience to
remember from your speech?
◦ Topic: Foodborne illnesses
◦ General Purpose: To inform
◦ Specific Purpose: To tell my listeners how to protect
themselves from foodborne illnesses
◦ Central Idea: Monitoring food temperatures is a
great way to avoid foodborne illnesses
Let’s use football as an example:
Football
- Explain divisions / conferences
- Explain job of coaching
- Explain history
- Explain artificial vs. natural turf
Brainstorm for possible main points
 Narrow to 3 – 5 possible main points
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 Narrow
down the following broad
subjects to specific, manageable
topics:
◦ Outdoor recreation
◦ Musical groups
◦ Illegal drugs
◦ Saving money
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Friendly
◦ Heard you speak before
◦ Positive to what you are saying
◦ Sold on your topic
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Speaking to the Friendly Audience
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Any pattern of organization
Audience participation
Warm, enthusiastic delivery
Verbal and visual supports
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Neutral
◦ Consider themselves objective
◦ Open to new information
◦ Looking for logic and facts
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Speaking to a Neutral Audience
◦ Problem-solution organization
◦ Controlled, authoritative delivery
◦ Expert, non-flashy verbal and visual supports
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Uninterested or indifferent
◦ Short attention span
◦ Wish they were somewhere else
◦ Will be polite but probably will take a “mental
holiday”
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Speaking to an Uninterested Audience
◦ Three-point or brief organization
◦ Dynamic, entertaining delivery
◦ Humorous, colorful, and powerful verbal and visual
supports
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Hostile
◦ Predisposed to dislike you or your topic
◦ This audience is the greatest challenge
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Speaking to a Hostile Audience
◦ Topical, time, or spatial organization
◦ Calm, controlled delivery
◦ Objective, expert supports; avoid narratives and
humor
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Determine evidence and emotional appeals
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Select visual aids and attention-getters
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Improve credibility
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Relate topic to audience
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Motivate and persuade
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My car (10 sec)
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What you had for breakfast/lunch (30 sec)
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Your job (1 min)
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What do you want to do when you graduate?
(1.5 min)