***there is a quiz at the end of this article***
What are some easy methods to improve your listening?
We attract what we reciprocate.
Yes, that’s the rule. You read that right. In order to reciprocate any feeling, one needs to understand it thoroughly and through. How do you do that? By listening to what the other person has to say.
Be it start-up ideas or complex human emotions, you need to listen to get it. you also need to make the speaker believe you are into the discussion, for them to feel their words matter and that you are interested.
But it is only human to get distracted and lose track of the talk, no matter how pure your intentions are.
What you can do is practise what is called, active listening. It majorly includes body posture, gesture, comprehension and ways that can help make you look interested in conversations and favour the conversations, be it formal or personal.
Here are a few tips that will help one be an active and a better listener:
Maintain eye contact
The very first golden rule of being a good listener is to maintain eye contact. That doesn’t mean you creep the speaker out, but it gives a boost of confidence to you and establishes with the person speaking that you are into the conversation and haven’t given your attention to anything else around.
This acts as a great advantage in your favour both, during an interview and personal talks.
Maintain a straight posture
Be it a coffee shop or the work desk, sitting with an open posture showcases your self-confidence and down-to-business attitude.
Hands on the table or on your head, would potray an image that you might be lost in a different world.
This not only damages the view of the speaker but also might be the reason why you would easily zone out.
Nodding
Yes, this sounds absurd but a survey has shown that the speaker feels more interested in the talk when they realise or see that the listener is on the same page as them.
So, when you nod your head you give them an indication that you are with them and following their words throughout.
Questioning
Every now and then, raise a question just to confirm what you have been following is right and also to indicate to the speaker that you are taking mental notes of the talk.
This screams out loud a very positive opinion about you in the mind of the speaker.
Remember the details of the conversation and repeat them
Yes. Whenever you go ahead to voice out your opinion, start with some connection with the previous person’s talk. This shows you were listening and would also help the listener be interested in what you have got to say.
The most important tip, listen to understand!
The world functions on the ideology of understanding each other.
‘Vasudaiva kutumbakam’
Meaning all are one. So, when a person is expressing their emotions or feelings, it is very important for you to listen, not to reply but, to be able to connect to and understand the person’s emotions.
No matter you have the right advice or words, sometimes, just listening and being a part of the conversation is way more important than contributing anything to it.
With the above-mentioned tips, you would be a good and an active listener.
Take a look at some good songs to improve your listening. Make sure to google these songs and their lyrics and try to listen to them every day to enhance your listening skills!
Make sure to take the quiz at the end of this article about the different forms of “have” to improve your grammar and to test your understanding of this topic. Don’t forget to share your score in the comment section below.
Happy learning!
The Different Forms of Have
Put the correct form of "have" into the following sentences. Use am having, is having, etc as a future form.
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