LISTENING

 Sponsored article by: www.kcsmartfusion.com (KnC), Audifonos Bluetooth

"A good listener is not only popular everywhere but after a while, he gets to know something" 

- Wilson Mizner

Listening is not something we do automatically. We need to be taught to listen. Listening requires focus and concentration. It requires mental discipline. It also requires us to think about what another person is saying.

We suggest some steps for straight thinking: 1) Listen carefully until the speaker has finished, 2) React to the complete message, 3) Weigh what the speaker says in order to judge the difference between fact and opinion, truth and falsehood, and various points of view on a topic, 4) Summarize the main idea of the speaker and be able to state them in your own words, and 5) Express your approval and agreement (or disapproval and disagreement) with the speaker in a polite way.

Listening to Newscast: Listening skills are especially important for staying informed about current events.  Since most current events come from different media (television, radio, podcast, youtube channels, etc.), we need to be able to listen accurately and critically to the news.

Remember the following items:

1.  The whole story has not been told. Make a habit of asking yourself questions such as: "What facts have been omitted?" "What other information do I need?"
2.  Most issues and problems are not as simple as they appear.
3.  Strong emotions or visual images can fool you. They are no guarantee of sound judgment.
4.  News seems too good (or too bad) to be true must be questioned.
5.  News reports may contain hidden editorializing, hidden details.