There are many different ways to help others become better speakers.
important is listening versus hearing. Hearing is the "continuous, natural, and passive .
process of receiving aural stimuli" (Grice 61). Listening is the "intermittent, learned, and .
active process of giving attention to aural stimuli" (Grice 61). After a speaker's speech .
most people remember approximately only 50 percent of what they heard and only .
remember approximately 25 percent of the presentation two days later (Grice 61). Expert .
Robert Montgomery summarizes the plight of listening: "Listening is the most neglected .
and the least understood of the communication arts. It has become the weakest link in .
today's communications systems. Poor listening is a result of bad habits that develop .
because we haven't been trained to listen." (Grice 61). .
You can improve your listening skills by following varying strategies. Maintain eye .
contact with the speaker. Keeping eye contact keeps you focused and involved in the .
lecture. Focus on content, no delivery. Don't count the number of times a speaker clears .
their throat or says um or uh. If you do this you aren't focused on the content. Avoid .
emotional involvement. When you are too emotionally involved in listening, you tend to .
hear what you want to hear, not what is actually being said. You should remain objective .
and open-minded. Avoid distractions. Don't let your mind wander or be distracted by .
someone shuffling papers near you. Treat listening as a challenging mental task. .
Concentrate on what is said so that you can process the information later. Stay active by .
Public Speaking Page 2.
asking mental questions. Active listening keeps you alert. Ask yourself as you listen. .
What key point is the speaker making? How does this fit in with what I already know on .
this subject? Finally, use the gap between the rate of speech and your rate of thought. .
You can think faster than the speaker can talk.