PURPOSES FOR LISTENING

INTERVIEWS Okay, so you go to an interview with your favorite author and you hear reporters asking questions. You should listen to the questions and then the responses of the author. This knowledge may help you in the future for a report or presentation about the author.

FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS

You can learn a lot from just following directions. Pretend for a moment that you are a student at an art school. If you listen and follow directions closely, you can find out how to make a work of art worthy of a frame! The same is true for almost anything in life- follow directions and you will succeed.

PURSUING A PERSONAL INTEREST

If you listen closely then you may learn a great skill or just a bit of useless knowledge that's fun to know that you have. Or maybe soon you may hear or read something of great personal interest and become an expert in that subject, maybe to get famous! Remember it was because you listened carefully to a book reading or presentation!

LISTENING TO UNDERSTAND You should approach the speech with an open mind. If you have strong personal opinions, you should be encouraged to recognize your own biases.

LISTENING TO REMEMBER You should look for the main ideas and how the speech is organized. You can fill in the secondary details later.

LISTENING TO EVALUATE You should ask yourselves if the speaker is qualified and if the message is legitimate. You should be alert to errors in the speaker's thinking processes, particularly bias, sweeping generalizations, propaganda devices, and charged words that may attempt to sway by prejudice or deceit rather than fact.

LISTENING TO BE ENTERTAINED You should listen to

those elements that make for an enjoyable experience (e.g., emotive language, imagery, mood, humor, presentation skills).

LISTENING TO SUPPORT You should listen closely to determine how other individuals are feeling and respond appropriately (e.g., clarify, paraphrase, sympathize, encourage).

· Better understand assignments and what is expected of you

· Build rapport with co-workers, bosses, and clients

· Show support

· Work better in a team-based environment

· Resolve problems with customers, co-workers, and bosses

· Answer questions; and Find underlying meanings in what others say