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What is Active Listening?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

It’s often thought in conversation between two or more people, that one person talking means others are listening. Sadly, this is not the truth in variety of situations. People can get distracted from other people's voices, by their own thoughts, by creating a plan of what to say next, or by many other variables. Active listening is a type of structured way of conversing, especially between two people, where focus is on truly hearing the communications of the other person. It's a conversation model used in many settings.

The easiest way to understand active listening is to think of it in a one-on-one conversation model. While one person speaks, the other listens, and they do so with great attention to the speaker. The listener gives cues of continued focus, like nodding in agreement, saying the occasionally "uh-huh" or "yeah," and tries to withhold any personal reaction that might occur if the experience sparks off negative or difficult emotions. The goal remains to keep centered on what the speaker is trying to communicate while withholding judgment.

Active listeners pay attention to speakers.
Active listeners pay attention to speakers.

There is a place to talk in an active listening model. Listeners can encourage the flow of conversation by asking questions of the speaker or by paraphrasing some of what the speaker has said. This helps the speaker reflect on his or her own words and clarify them, retract them or continue with more detail to explain the issue at hand.

Consider this model in a classroom with many potential active listeners trained on the teacher. As the teacher lectures, students may or may not signify they are listening. Some act very interested and enhance the lecture by asking for examples, or clarifying with the teacher what she or he is saying through questions. The interest of the student who wants to know more is one example of active listening, because the student is intent on the teacher's words, straining for understanding, and is not as the more passive listener might be, merely partly occupied with whatever the teacher might say (or asleep in the back of the classroom).

Asking questions is a good method of active listening.
Asking questions is a good method of active listening.

This type of focus can be brought to bear in numerous settings. It can occur in mediation where people must resolve a problem together. It's a technique that is used by counselors with the people they counsel, and it can be taught by counselors to clients, especially in family or marriage therapy. Learning how to do this may feel a little constrained at first, since it goes against many poor communication habits people have evolved, and which may have brought them to counseling or mediation in the first place. Nevertheless it’s a skill worth having because it demonstrates respect and value for the communications of others.

Active listening might be taught to couples during marriage therapy.
Active listening might be taught to couples during marriage therapy.

Learning how to do active listening doesn't mean people have to employ it continuously, which might be exhausting. A person doesn't have to paraphrase a quick statement from a pal, such as, "It will be sunny" with, "So you're saying you think it will be sunny." That would get a little absurd. Yet in the appropriate context, when communications are very important, active listening can prove extremely helpful in creating better communication.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent LanguageHumanities contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent LanguageHumanities contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon89069

I am a professional counselor, and found this information very helpful to share with individuals encounter problems communicating effectively. All too often, we are busy planning what we will say while the other is speaking.

anon88627

Good approach is making an interactive and awakened and reciprocating audience.

Prof NK gupta, Conusltant Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, HOD Medical Education and Technology Era's Lucknow Medical College, Lucknow UP India.

anon88381

great and useful. thanks.

anon88236

Thank you. The article was very well written and so true.

anon88166

This is a very nice article. The author gave a few tips for active listening.

1. By listening to the words of the speaker carefully

2. straining for understanding

3. By asking questions or by showing signs of agreement or disagreement

4. By paraphrasing the speakers ideas

However, when we strain for understanding, there is a high possibility to get stuck at that point and miss the speech following. Especially when the topic is not familiar to the listener, the listener will have a difficult time trying to grasp and understand everything the speaker says.

What would be best ways to improve active listening skills? From my point of view, summarizing the other person's speech at the end of their speech is another way to improve listening skills.

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    • Active listeners pay attention to speakers.
      By: Andres Rodriguez
      Active listeners pay attention to speakers.
    • Asking questions is a good method of active listening.
      By: savage ultralight
      Asking questions is a good method of active listening.
    • Active listening might be taught to couples during marriage therapy.
      By: Anton Gvozdikov
      Active listening might be taught to couples during marriage therapy.
    • Good listeners can encourage the flow of conversation by asking questions of the speaker.
      By: Odua Images
      Good listeners can encourage the flow of conversation by asking questions of the speaker.
    • Active listening can be extremely helpful in creating better communication.
      By: Barabas Attila
      Active listening can be extremely helpful in creating better communication.
    • Being genuinely interested in what the other person is saying is part of active listening.
      By: berc
      Being genuinely interested in what the other person is saying is part of active listening.