Mastering Active Listening At The College Level

Active Listening

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As a college student, much of your time in the classroom entails active listening. This can include listening to a lecture from your instructor, an oral presentation from your classmate, a guest speaker, or an informational CD. The bottom line is that listening, just like writing, is a skill that is utilized day in and day out in college. Different situations require different types of listening. There are listening strategies that can help students complete specific listening tasks.

There are different types of listening that students use throughout their academic careers. Listening for comprehension is a goal when listening for information or ideas that other people communicate. Comprehension listening is required when receiving instruction from your teacher on how to read and examine a poem. It is important to remember key information and focus on remembering the main points of a message.

When listening critically, you listen for comprehension and evaluation. Critical listening includes comprehending and judging the arguments and appeals in a given message and deciding whether to accept or reject them. Critical listening can be valuable when listening to persuasive messages such as a sales pitch, campaign speech, or news editorial.

To help in deciding whether or not to be convinced by a persuasive message, ask yourself a few questions that can help with your determination. Is the speaker trustworthy and qualified to speak on the subject? Are the arguments logical and supported by facts? Does the speaker use questionable motivational appeals, such as fear or prejudice? These types of questions help with critical analysis.
Learning vocabulary takes a different approach to listening.

This listening type is focused on learning new words and how to use them. There are many instances when a student can listen to learn vocabulary. Listening to a presentation on classical music might introduce you to words and definitions used in this music style. Or, a conversation with an astute mentor or business professional can be an opportunity to learn new words.

As you learn vocabulary, you might be able to understand the definition of new words based on how they are used in sentences. So, as you listen for new words, you will want to be in tune with sentence comprehension. If you cannot determine the definition immediately, write down the words and then look them up in the dictionary to find out meanings and connotations. Use new words repeatedly to become familiar with and comfortable using them.
The final listening skill is listening for appreciation. This is listening that we are most familiar with. Listening in this form is for pure enjoyment or entertainment. This can entail appreciating the lyrics song by a singer, a joke as told by a favorite comedian, a dramatic story told by a master storyteller, or news information delivered by a satirical speaker.

Learning various listening skills are vital for those earning college degrees. Students who are taking online college classes may have to pay extra close attention to their assignments, since they will be completing them virtually. Learning listening skills can help students focus on what a speaker is trying to communicate, thereby helping him or her understand the information needed to achieve his or her specific goal or task. Listening skills are also essential for the student's overall success in life, especially in one's career.

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