Mastering The Art of EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS A Guide to Enhancing Your Listening, Presentation and Interpersonal Skills NAME : ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… PROGRAM : …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..
i Table of Contents Introduction to Effective Listening And Speaking Skills 1 Effective Speaking Skills 12 Listening and Speaking : Simple Exchanges in Everyday Contexts, Making Requests and Asking Questions 18 WH-Questions 32 Habits And Factors Affecting Effective Listening 44 Listening For The Gist 55 Listening For Keywords and Specific Details 59 Tenses 69 Listening To Instructions 92 Imperative Sentence 98 Making Statements of Facts 105 Constructive Criticism 107 Modal Auxiliary Verbs 115
ii Table of Contents Presentation Skills 123 Planning The Presentation 133 Delivery Of Individual Presentation 145 Agreeing/Disagreeing 153 Negative Statements 159 Suggesting And Proposing 166 References 170
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iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all those who played a role in bringing "Mastering The Art of Effective Communication Skills: A Guide to Enhancing Your Listening, Presentation, and Interpersonal Skills" to life. To the experts whose insights shaped the content, the friends and family who provided unwavering support who transformed our vision into reality – thank you. This book is a testament to the power of collaboration and shared knowledge. Gratefully, Madam Wan Raihan Wan Shaaidi Madam Juliani Hussain 5th August 2023
v WAN RAIHAN BINTI WAN SHAAIDI FACULTY OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY [email protected] 012-2437 793 09-860 1493 JULIANI BINTI HUSSAIN FACULTY OF COMPUTER, MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT [email protected] 019-9152 615 09-860 1185 AUTHORS
1 WEEK: Week 1 Listening skill is the heart of an effective communication, thus it has been taken as an essential skill for workplace communication, daily conversation as well as relationships. What are the differences between hearing and listening? Hearing is unintentional activity, where one’s ability to perceive and detect sounds, by receiving vibrations through ears. Listening is a skill that we acquire sounds through ears and rejig them into meaningful messages. INTRODUCTION TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING AND SPEAKING SKILLS Identifying Listening Strategies to Get Physically Prepared We may partake in listening activities in a variety of ways in our daily lives, perhaps through listening to:
2 Family and friends in social settings Educators in academic settings Public address announcements at bus station, retail stores, airports Radio and television programs, such as the news, forums, talk shows, drama Religious sermons delivered in places of worship Speeches during graduations, weddings, farewells, funerals, and inaugurations, among other We must first physically prepare to listen in order to listen effectively. Here are some things that should be considered to become effective listeners: You can nod, smile or utter short expressions such as ‘Yes’ or ‘Right’. 2) Show that you are listening Try to make eye contact with the speaker. However, if you are uncomfortable, try looking somewhere close to the speaker’s eyes, for instant in between the eyes, at the nose or past the person’s head. 1) Look at the speaker
3 Pay attention to the speaker's body language as well as your own. The optimal position for listeners is to sit up, lean forward slightly, and make eye contact. 3) Notice the speaker’s body language Avoid: Using mobile phone Having side discussion/conversation Multitasking Speculating about what the speaker will say Preparing a rebuttal before the speaker is done talking 4) Avoid distractions
4 Listening Process Listening process comprises of the following stages: Being mindful To focus in the moment Receive the message Eardrum respond to sound wave Selecting or Organising Material Brain chooses whether to keep the focus or ignore the sound and compare with sound heard before Interpreting communication Interpretation of surrounding (verbal or nonverbal message) and coordinated them to fit the situation. Responding Nonverbal or verbal respond to the sound maker/speaker by showing interest or sharing opinions Remembering Retain what we have heard
5 We listen for different purposes: Critical listening Listen with full attention, then comprehend the message before give respond and remember the content. Listen to produce opinions, make judgments or to evaluate people, perception or ideas. Listen to feel and comprehend what the speaker is having through (To put yourself in other’s shoes while listening) Listen to something to enjoy and gain pleasure. Mainly in entertainment industry. Active listening Emphatic listening Appreciative listening Types of Listening Exercise 1: Give example of situation to the types of listening Active listening A counsellor during counselling session Critical listening A lecturer during a class presentation Emphatic listening A friend is listening to her friend breakup story Listen to songs and poems Appreciative listening
6 Use non-verbal communication effectively Listen and think critically Use verbal communication effectively “Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak.” Epictetus Listen and think critically When we are listening to someone, we are actually receiving the trust and vulnerability of another person. If your opinion is beseech, be sure you reflect and think critically on what you just heard so you can offer a well-considered reply. Becoming a Good Listener : Receiver Once you have become a receiver, let yourself be a blank canvas for the other person. Speaker Allow the speaker to toss out ideas, feelings, contradictory thoughts, and whatever else is coming up. Let him or her be upset or illogical.
7 how messages are sent received how they are Verbal contact concern both Use verbal communication effectively Effective verbal communication skills include more than just talking. Characteristics of an effective communicator: Pay attention Clarity Adaptability - adapting your communication to support and improve the situation. Constructive feedback - giving and receiving it. Emotional intelligence - identifying and managing your emotions, as well as other people's emotions. Empathy Interpretation of body language - this will help you understand how someone is feeling. Open-mindedness
8 Exercise 1: Match the situation below with characteristics of an effective communicator: 1. My grandmother just passed away few weeks ago. 2. Danial : I’ve just won a gold medal. Travis : Congratulations. I know you could do it. 3. Merah was up sad with Seth comments on her hair. She turned her head and pretended not to listen to her. 4. Seth does not really like Merah’s new hairstyle, but seeing Merah was all over it, she smiled and make few positive comments about it to her. 5. Nissa is a psychiatrist at Kemaman Hospital. Her daily schedule is usually packed and she has no time for herself sometime. Being a professional psychiatrist, she always recite Quran before attending to her patients. This method has helped her to calm down and focus on her consultations. 6. When listening to her patients Nissa will always focus to every words that they said and always response whenever needed. Empathy Constructive feedback Interpretation of body language Adaptability Emotional intelligence Pay attention
9 Use non-verbal communication effectively Non-verbal communication involves facial expressions, voice tone and pitch, gestures expressed by body language (kinesics) and physical distance (proxemics) between the communicators. These non-verbal signs will provide hints and additional details and context to the (verbal) communication spoken above. Yes, some figures say that approximately 70% to 80% of contact is nonverbal! Reinforce or modify what is said in words. Convey details about the state of their emotions. Create or improve people-to-people Provide feedback to the other person. 1 For example, people might be vigorously nodding their heads while saying "Yes" to emphasise that they agree with the other person. 2 Your facial expression, your tone of voice, and your body language can often tell people exactly how you feel, even if you have hardly said a word. 3 When a couple chatting, you may have noticed they seem to 'mirror' the body language of each other. They keep their hands in identical positions while simultaneously laughing and turning to face each other more fully. 4 Smiles and nods indicate you listening and agree with what they say. Hand gestures and expression can suggest you wish to speak. Those subtle signals are gently but clearly giving details.
10 Types of Non-Verbal Communication Posture It is how you stand or position yourself. Body movements or Gestures For example, hand gestures or nodding or shaking the head, which are often the easiest element of nonverbal communication to control. Para-language Vocal characteristics apart from voice, such as pitch, tone and speed of voice. Eye contact Amount of eye contact often gives the impression that you are interested in the conversation and determines the level of trust and trustworthiness. Facial expression It is the mirror of your attitude and emotions. Some even said your face conveys your personality. Physiological changes For instance, when you are nervous you may sweat or blink more, and your heart rate may also increase. These are almost impossible to control consciously and therefore a very important indicator of mental state.
11 Exercise 2: Match the situation below with appropriate types of non-verbal communication. 1. Covid-19 has effected many Malaysian. Some of them could not even face the challenge of staying at home. Razif is one of them. When he talked to his parents he fidgeting a lot. 2. During Covid-19 seminar, Dr. Zulkifli has given a chance to give a talk about how to disinfect medical tools. He used high pitch voice to stress his point about cleanliness in handling medical tools. 3. As a psychiatrist Nissa has to listen to her patients tentatively. She will make sure to nodding her head or make a movement that indicating she is listening tentatively. Physiological changes Para-language Body movements or Gestures
12 EFFECTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS Speaking effectively can be defined as conveying your message in a way that it is clearly heard and if feasible, acted upon. Speaking successfully requires two primary components: what you say how you say it There are three main elements of effective speaking: 1 2 3 Your voice. The words you use. Your non-verbal communication, particularly body language.
13 1 The Words You Use It is important to choose your word carefully. If in doubt about your meaning, your audience will come back to the words that you used and double-check what you might have meant. Before you speak, do consider the following aspects: I: Audience You need to think about your audience’s overall level of understanding of the subject, and also the type of language that you use. The words you choose will be different if you are talking to 200 people at a conference, a trusted colleague, your boss, or your children. II: Shorter Sentences Use shorter sentences for better understand and make it easier to process by the audience. Sometime, by using shorter sentences it creates urgency.
14 III: Simple Words Simple words are easy to understand If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you have probably not understood it yourself. 2 Your Voice Your voice can reveal as much about your personal history as your appearance. The sound of a voice and the content of speech can provide clues to an individual's emotional state. Exercise 1: Fill in the blank with appropriate answer. 1. Adizio has a low self-esteem, it may be reflected by in his voice. 2. Dareen is a shy person. She may speak 3. Razak is a project manager. He is a man. Whenever he speaks it sound more likely like a command in his voice and has a clarity to his speech. hesitancy weakly confidence
15 3 Your non-verbal communication, particularly body language. A considerably amount of communication has been estimated over 50% is non-verbal. However, your body language is also important. This includes: your facial expressions, the way you use your hands to emphasise your speech, how you stand, and with whom you make eye contact.
16 Ten Speaking Tips Listen first Concentrate on listening, then on responding. While you're listening, try not to worry about what you're going to say. Make eye contact It’s important to make eye contact when you’re listening and speaking. Even if you’re nervous, try not to look away. If you’re doing a presentation, practise enough so that you don’t have to read every word from your notes. Visuals can help you in a presentation. Learn transitional phrases and useful expressions. The listeners will pay more attention if you know some key expressions that will make the conversation flow. Use gestures appropriately. Take time to learn about body language. If you’re in a foreign country, some gestures in your country may mean something different in another country.
17 Relax Try not to show that you are nervous. You are not required to speak perfectly. Many native (English) speakers are also nervous when they have to speak in a group or with people that they don’t know. Do not apologise If you apologise for your English, people will expect it to be poor. By any chance, if you make a mistake, simply keep talking or correct yourself. Be yourself Let your personality out! People will enjoy speaking with you because of who you are, not because of the language you speak. Keep it simple Don’t try to impress people with your bombastic vocabulary. Sometimes, it doesn't fit with the situation. Use words and expressions that you are confident using. Avoid speaking too quickly, as this can make it harder for others to comprehend you. Listen to English speakers often to hear where natural pauses occur. Pause and pace Practise pronunciation, including word stress One of the most important aspects of understanding each other’s spoken English is through the natural rhythm of our words and sentences. People who learn English as an additional language need to listen to English often in order to be able to use natural word stress.
18 Listening and Speaking : Simple Exchanges in Everyday Contexts, Making Requests and Asking Questions WEEK: Week 2 We make conversation everyday with our family, friends, colleagues and even strangers. It can be formal and informal. Conversation can be structured into starting a conversation, maintaining the conversation and closing it. Using Greetings It is easier to start a conversation by using greetings. Normally, the other parties will reply to greeting. These are the popular phrases for greetings: Good morning/ afternoon/ evening Hello, I am… Hello, my name is… Hello (name)… Do you know …? Let me introduce myself, I am… Sorry, are you…? I’ am… (name)… This is… INFORMAL EXPRESSIONS I don’t think we’ve met. I’m… Hello, how do you do? I’m… Excuse me, are you…? I am… Excuse me, are you…? My name is… Let me introduce myself. My name is… Mr/ Mrs/ Ms …, this is Mr/ Mrs/ Ms… May I introduce you to… Dato’, have you met Mr/ Mrs/ Ms…? This is… FORMAL EXPRESSIONS
19 After greetings, people always introduce themselves or someone else to continue the conversation. Self-introduction may include your personal details like name, origin and occupation. For instance: Hi. I’m Alisa Hello. Haven’t we met before? I’m Akmal Nice to meet you. My name is Harriz Riduan How are you? I’m Park Boom Introducing Someone When you are with two people who unfamiliar with each other, you can introduce them to one another by telling them their names and any other related details. This information can help them prolong the conversation. Below are the examples: Mr Henry, may I introduce my supervisor, Mr Jacob. Miss Ray, I’d like you to meet Johan, our sales executive. Mr Rajoo, meet Liam, my husband. Alice, let me introduce to my colleague, Rosman. This is Rajesh. He is my roommate. Najah, meet Samual. He is my classmate for this semester. INTRODUCING OTHERS
20 Pleased to meet you Mr Nik. Pleasure to meet you. I’m fine, than you. I’m very well, thanks. I’m fine, thank you. How about you? It’s nice meeting you too. Sorry, I didn’t catch your name. Glad to know you. That sound interesting. Nice to meet you. Tell me more about it. RESPONDING TO AN INTRODUCTION Goodbye. It’s a pleasure to have met you. Goodbye. Nice to have met you. Bye. It was nice to meet you. ON LEAVING
21 Exercise 1: List down two expressions to start a conversation by using greetings and introduction. a) __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ b) __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Making Small Talk Small talk is a random conversation of common topics like the weather, hobbies, sports and current issues. Small talk is the kind of conversation you make when you want to talk to someone but neither of you wants to get into a very deep or complicated conversation. Small talk helps to start a conversation. These are four tips to make a small talk: Ask Open-Ended Questions Put Away Your Phone Practice Active Listening Show Your Enthusiasm Good morning/ afternoon/ evening Hello, how do you do? I’m… May I introduce my… I’d like you to meet…
22 Their professional interests and responsibilities Travel Television shows, drama, movies etc Their local favourite Your location or venue Sport Exercise 2: Suggest four topics that best to be used to start a conversation. i) _________________________________ ii) _________________________________ iii) _________________________________ iv) _________________________________ Sport Weather Hobby Current issue
23 Beautiful day, isn't it? Can you believe all of this rain we've been having? It sure would be nice to be in Melaka right about now. I hear they're calling for thunderstorms all weekend. We couldn't ask for a nicer day, could we? TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER Did you catch the news today? Did you hear about that fire at Mak Chili? I read in the paper today that the Merak Mall is closing. I heard on the radio today that they are finally going to start building the new bridge. How about those JDT? Do you think they're going to win tonight? TALKING ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS So, how do you know Rahmat? Have you tried the cabbage rolls that Mandy made? Are you enjoying yourself? Pretty nice place, huh? I love your dress. Can I ask where you got it? AT SOCIAL EVENT Looking forward to the weekend? Have you worked here long? I can't believe how busy/quiet we are today, can you? Has it been a long week? You look like you could use a cup of coffee. What do you think of the new computers? AT THE OFFICE
24 Ultra-Controversial or Sensitive Topics Politics Physical appearance Age Religion Anything PG-13 and above So, how do you know Rahmat? Have you tried the cabbage rolls that Mandy made? Are you enjoying yourself? Pretty nice place, huh? I love your dress. Can I ask where you got it? WAITING SOMEWHERE How old's your baby? What's your puppy's name? The tulips are sure beautiful at this time of year, aren't they. How do you like the new park? Nice day to be outside, isn't it? Nice bag/shoes/… ON THE STREET/ OUT FOR A WALK
25 Making Requests Requests are simply cordial questions. A request is to ask solicit beseech to someone in a gentle and casual way to ask for something you require. Permission is to take one’s consent. It is a formal action. Which can be done face to face or a written letter. There is a distinct difference between requests and permission. A request can be asked face to face or on phone. Could you open the door for me, please? Would you mind opening the door for me, please? Can you open the door for me, please? ASKING SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING FOR YOU Could and can are followed by the verb without to. Tips
26 Will/Would/Can/Could you please… Can I use your computer, please? Could you possibly… Could I borrow some money from you, please? Do you mind if I turn up the heating? Do you think you could…? Do you think it would be possible to…? Would it be possible for you to…? Would there be any possibility of… Would you be kind enough to…? Would you mind if I turned up the heating? ASKING IF YOU CAN DO SOMETHING Could is more polite than Can. Do you mind if… is followed by the verb in the present tense, but Would you mind if… is followed by the verb in the past tense. When you're using these two sentences, don't use please. It's already polite enough! Tips
27 Can I go out, please? May I open the window, please? Please, can I have a look at your photo album? Please, may I taste that hot spicy couscous dish? Do you mind if I smoke? Would you mind if I asked you something? Is it okay if I sit here? Would it be all right if I borrowed your mobile Phone? ASKING FOR PERMISSION Asking for and Giving Permission When you ask for permission to use something that belongs to someone else you have to do your best to be polite. It is desirable to use the word "please." Yes, please do. Sure, go ahead. Sure. No problem. Please feel free. GIVING PERMISSION
28 No, please don’t. I’m sorry, but that’s not possible. I'm afraid, but you can't. REFUSING TO GIVE PERMISSION Making, Accepting And Declining Invitations At college you may often need to invite your friends, lecturers, visitors or your superiors for a lunch, dinner, group discussion, class meeting or a party. Is it important that you know the proper way to do this. Do you want to…? Are you free…? Do you want to come…? Are you doing anything later/after work? Why don’t we…? Want to grab (a)…? How about we…? We should get together sometime. Would you like to go…? Care to come over for…? I was just wondering if you would like to come over for… INFORMAL EXPRESSIONS Making Invitations
29 Please come to our/my…? We would like to invite you…? We be delighted to have you over for my… We would be delighted if you could attend the opening ceremony of… Mr and Mrs ______ request the pleasure of (name’s) company to celebrate the wedding of their daughter/son ___________. FORMAL EXPRESSIONS Accepting Invitations I’d love to come. I’m looking forward to it very much. That’s very kind of you, thanks. That sounds lovely, thanks. What a great idea, thanks. Sure! What’s on? Yeah, why not! Sure. When should I be there? INFORMAL EXPRESSIONS
30 Thank you for your invitation. I’d love to come. Thank you for inviting me to dinner. I’m looking forward to it very much. With the greatest pleasure. We’d like very much to…. What a delightful idea. It’s delightful to…. FORMAL EXPRESSIONS Declining Invitations I can't. I have to work. This evening is no good. I have an appointment. I'm busy tomorrow. Can I take a rain check* on that? That's very kind of you, but actually I'm doing something else this afternoon. Well, I'd love to, but I'm already going out to the restaurant. I'm really sorry, but I've got something else on. I really don't think I can - I'm supposed to be doing something else. INFORMAL EXPRESSIONS *rain check: used to tell someone that you cannot accept invitations now, but would like to do so at a later time.
31 Exercise 1: Read the situation below and write a dialogue by using appropriate expressions. 1. You are inviting your lecturer to your class party. Write appropriate invitation and accepting expressions. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ 2. You are inviting your lecture mate to your birthday party. Write appropriate invitation and declining expressions. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ 3. You are inviting your less favourite person to your annual dinner. Write appropriate invitation and declining expressions. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
32 WH: QUESTIONS Wh-words are also known as interrogative words or question words. They are words used in the asking of questions and they are called Wh-words as most of them begin with ‘WH’. Besides that, Wh-words also known as ‘open questions’. Questions words that begin with Wh (with the exception of ‘How’). The Wh-words are as follows: WHO WHOM WHOSE WHAT WHICH WHERE WHEN WHY HOW
33 Every wh-question must have a finite verb to make it complete. A finite verb agrees with its subject and shows tense. My brother went to University College TATI to become an engineer. Subject Finite verb (past tense) WHO Who is used to ask questions about people. In a Who question, the verb ‘to be’ must agree in tense and number with the noun or pronoun it points to. Examples Who is your favourite singer? Singular Who are your favourite singers? Plural
34 We usually use the singular form of a main verb with a Who question that is in the present tense. Examples Who wants some tart? Singular Examples We must use the verb ‘to be’ together with the ‘ing’ form of the main verb in a Who question. Who is playing now? Who playing now? We can employ negative form of the verb ‘to do’ with Who in this way: Who Negative form of the verb ‘to do’ Base form of main verb
35 Who doesn’t like pop? Who doesn’t likes pop? Base form Who doesn’t liked pop? Who doesn’t liking pop? WHAT What is used to ask questions about things and actions. What can be used as the subject or object of the verb in a question. What is in the box? Subject The new laser jet printer (is in the box). What does he want? Object He wants a new computer
36 Exercise 1: Complete the questions with Who or What. 1. _____________ books do you enjoy? 2. _____________ is that girl saying? 3. _____________ is that elderly gentleman? 4. _____________ colour were the thief’s shoes? 5. _____________ do you want to be? 6. _____________ is on the phone? 7. _____________ wants another slice of cake? 8. _____________ indoor game is that? 9. _____________ your job? 10. _____________ did you do yesterday? What’s What Who Who What What Who Who What What
37 WHEN When is used to ask questions about a time of an event or activity. When will the meeting start? When did they get married? WHOM Asking about a person (object of the answer) Whom did you see in the morning? I saw Dr. Rayhan, my English lecturer. Whom is he dating? He’s dating a foreign girl.
38 WHICH Which is used when asking about a choice or decision between different alternatives or options. Which house is yours, the big one or the small one? WHY Why is used when asking for a reason or explanation. Why are you so fabulous? Asking about ownership/possession. Whose keys are on the table? WHOSE
39 WHERE Where is used when asking about a place or location. Where did you buy the book? Where are you going this weekend? HOW It is used to ask about the way, manner, condition (a procedure or method) or quality. How was your exam? How did you go to the park without your motorcycle? HOW COME It is informally used when asking why or asking for a reason. How come Jamila is the only person with blue eyes in her family?
40 HOW TO FORM WH-QUESTIONS Auxiliary verbs are helping verbs (not main verbs). With an Auxiliary Wh-question auxiliary subject main verb…? Common auxiliary verbs include: Verb to do DO DOES DID Verb to be IS AM ARE WAS WERE Verb to have HAS HAVE HAD Others are WILL SHALL WOULD CAN COULD MUST SHOULD MAY MIGHT
41 What do you do for living? When is he coming? Wh-question main verb…? Without any Auxiliary Who won the game? What happened to Farisyae? A bad accident happened to her today. Afzal won the game.
42 Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with appropriate WH-question. Listening Activity Price Tag Jessie J Okay, Coconut Man, Moonhead and Pea You ready? Seems like everybody's got a price I wonder how they sleep at night When the sale comes first and the truth comes second Just stop for a minute and smile Why is everybody so serious? Acting so damn mysterious Got shades on your eyes and your heels so high That you can't even have a good time Everybody look to their left Everybody look to their right Can you feel that? Yeah We're paying with love tonight It's not about the money, money, money We don't need your money, money, money We just wanna make the world dance Forget about the price tag Ain't about the, uh, cha-ching, cha-ching Ain't about the, yeah, ba-bling, ba-bling Wanna make the world dance Forget about the price tag We need to take it back in time When music made us all unite And it wasn't low blows and video hoes Am I the only one getting tired? Why is everybody so obsessed? Money can't buy us happiness Can we all slow down and enjoy right now? Guarantee we'll be feeling alright
43 Exercise 3: Complete the sentences with the correct Wh-word . 1. _____________ are you excited? 2. _____________ is your bag? 3. _____________ is that woman? 4. _____________ is Rani doing? 5. _____________ are the kids sad? 6. _____________ many friends do you have? 7. _____________ pendrive is on the counter? 8. _____________ will you leave? 9. _____________ was the weather like on Friday? Where Why Who How What Why Whose When Because I a party to attend today. In the lecture hall. She is our language lecturer. She is finishing her assignments. Because they don’t go to the cinema. I have two good friends. My little brother. After the class. It was bright all day long. How
44 WEEK: Week 3 HABITS AND FACTORS AFFECTING EFFECTIVE LISTENING Listening skill is the heart of an effective communication, thus it has been taken as an essential skill for workplace communication, daily conversation as well as relationships. “Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak.” Epictetus What makes a Good Listener? A skilled listener should be thought of as a trampoline who amplifies and supports a speaker’s thoughts by providing constructive feedback. Engaging in a two-way conversation is essential, these are the four main habits of effective listening, all meant to help listeners develop this skill. Effective listening is more than being silent while the other person talks To the contrary, people perceive the best listeners to be those who periodically ask questions questions that promote discovery and insight. discovery insight.