Public Speaking:
An Audience-Centered Approach – 7th edition
Chapter 4
Listening
To
Speeches
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Steven A. Beebe & Susan J. Beebe
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
“Learn how
to listen
and you
will prosper
– even from
those who
talk badly.”
- Plutarch
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Barriers to Effective Listening
Failure to Select, Attend,
Understand or Remember
• Select:
pick one message.
• Attend:
focus on that message.
• Understand: make sense of message.
• Remember: recall information.
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Barriers to Effective Listening
Information Overload
• “Tuning out,” due to
so much information.
• Speakers: balance
new information with
supporting material.
• Listeners: try to focus on your speaker.
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Barriers to Effective Listening
Personal Concerns
• Thoughts distract.
• Speakers: use
“wake up” messages,
intensified volume and eye-contact.
• Listeners: note distractions and
redirect attention to speaker.
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Barriers to Effective Listening
Outside Distractions
•
•
•
People & sounds.
Speakers: reduce or
eliminate distractions.
Listeners: make
adjustments yourself.
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Barriers to Effective Listening
Prejudice
•
•
•
Judging so soon, that you
bypass the speech.
Speakers: avoid words
that might be misinterpreted.
Listeners: recognize
“snap judgments.”
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Barriers to Effective Listening
Differences Between
Hearing & Thinking
• We process words faster
than they are given.
• Speakers: summarize
and build in redundant ideas.
• Listeners: channel energy
to mentally summarize.
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Barriers to Effective Listening
Receiver Apprehension
• Fear of misunderstanding
or misinterpreting spoken
messages.
• Speakers: summarize
and show visual aids.
• Listeners: visualize being successful
in understanding and interpreting.
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How to Become
a Better Listener
Listen with your eyes also
• See if you are
paying attention.
• Pay attention to
nonverbal messages.
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How to Become
a Better Listener
Accurately Interpret the Message
• Consider context of
nonverbal messages.
• Look for several cues.
• Focus on message,
not delivery style.
• Keep emotions in check.
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How to Become
a Better Listener
Accurately Interpret the Message
• Avoid jumping to conclusions.
• Listen for major ideas:
Enumerations.
Transitions.
Summaries.
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How to Become
a Better Listener
Accurately Interpret the Message
• Identify your listening goal:
For pleasure.
To empathize.
To evaluate.
For information.
• Practice listening.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
How to Become
a Better Listener
Accurately Interpret the Message
Understand your listening style:
• People-Oriented: feelings &
emotions.
• Action-Oriented: organized &
brief.
• Content-Oriented: facts & details.
• Time-Oriented: succinct messages.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
How to Become
a Better Listener
Accurately Interpret the Message
Become an active listener:
• Remain alert.
• Re-sort what is heard.
• Rephrase what is heard.
• Repeat key information.
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Improving Your
Note-Taking Skills
• Bring paper & pen/pencil.
• Decide if you need to
take notes.
• Decide what types of
notes to take.
• Make notes meaningful.
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Listening and
Critical Thinking
• Critical listening:
evaluating quality of
information presented.
• Critical thinking: making
judgments about
conclusions observed.
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Listening and
Critical Thinking
Separate Facts from Inferences
• Fact: proven to be true.
• Inference: evaluation
that is not directly
observed.
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Listening and
Critical Thinking
Evaluate the Quality of Evidence
• Facts.
• Examples.
• Opinions.
• Statistics.
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Listening and
Critical Thinking
Evaluate the Quality
of Logic & Reasoning
• Logic: formal system
of rules used to reach
conclusion.
• Reasoning: drawing
conclusion from evidence.
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Analyzing and
Evaluating Speeches
Criteria for Evaluating a Speech
• It should be effective.
• It should be appropriate.
Rhetorical Criticism:
evaluating a speech’s
effectiveness &
appropriateness.
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Analyzing and
Evaluating Speeches
Analyzing Rhetorical Strategies
Pay attention to:
• Speech goal.
• Organization.
• Speaker’s role.
• Tone of speech.
• Intended audience.
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Analyzing and
Evaluating Speeches
Giving Feedback to Others
• Be descriptive.
• Be specific.
• Be positive.
• Be constructive.
• Be sensitive.
• Be realistic.
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Analyzing and
Evaluating Speeches
Giving Feedback to Yourself
• Recognize your strengths.
• Think of speech context.
• Identify one or two areas
for improvement.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009