Misconception: “Speakers bear the burden of effective communication.”
Answer: “Both speakers and listeners bear the burden of effective communication.”
In our everyday living, communication is a must. It is an act of exchanging thoughts,
feelings, and information using words, sounds, text, or any other medium. For us to properly
understand each other in the sense that we grasp what the other person is trying to convey, we
should communicate effectively. The message should be delivered clearly through an appropriate
channel. At the same time, it should be interpreted well by the receiver. That is how it should work.
Both parties, the speaker and the listener, are in charge of communicating effectively.
Not only speakers are responsible for having effective communication as listeners also play
an integral part in it. In order for the message to be delivered effectively, they should speak in an
efficient manner. The words and how they stated it should be considered. Likewise, the listener
should listen accurately to what was being conveyed, should understand the emotions, and should
make the other person feel heard or understood because no matter how good the speaker is, if the
listener does not have the skills to keep up and interpret, or is not listening properly, conflicts and
misunderstandings may still arise. If communication breaks down, the messages could be easily
misunderstood if the other party was not engaged in the conversation. On the flip side, if the
speaker misspeaks but the listener listens precisely, they can respond accordingly. They can ask
questions to clarify what the speaker is trying to convey. That shows that a listener can also work
out conflicts and alterations that will result in effective communication. One example was when I
was presenting during the assembly in the young leaders guild in our city. I am not a good speaker,
I must admit. So while I was presenting, I stuttered a lot, and I mixed up my ideas, so I have not
delivered them properly. But because the audience was listening and was paying attention all
throughout, I was able to sort out what I wanted to say. They asked questions so they could
understand what I presented, and for clarity as well. According to new research, listening is an
essential key to communication. Without effective listening, one will not be able to understand
another’s point of view, or fully understand a conversation. Throughout the course of a speech,
not only does the speaker have their own set of responsibilities, but the listener does as well
(Eugene, 2019). In that sense, we can conclude that a listener also bears the burden of effective
communication.
Reference:
Eugene, B. (2019, October 17). The Responsibilities Of A Speaker And An Audience. The
Odyssey Online. https://www.theodysseyonline.com/the-responsibilities-speaker-andaudience