Types Of Effective Listening

Discriminative Listening

This refers to a form of listening which involves the ability to understand the distinction between different sounds produced. people's ability to distinguish between different sounds is developed at an early age and improves as they grow older and gain more life experience. they are able to recognize subtle differences in the way sounds are made. This includes recognizing differences in foreign languages, regional accents, and tonal variations of a speaker. For example, at a tender age, a child makes a distinction between the difference in the voices of the parents or when one is in a noisy environment and his phone rings and he is able to distinguish between the sound of the noise in the background to that of the phone.

Comprehensive Listening

It involves the understanding of the message or messages being communicated. In order to understand the message, the listener needs appropriate vocabulary and language skills. However, two different people can understand the same message in two different ways.

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For example, in a classroom or meeting, different meanings can be derived from what is said.

Critical Listening

When a person wants to sift through what he has heard and come to a decision, he must listen critically. It involves judging the clarity, accuracy, and reliability of the message that is presented and being alert to the effects of emotional appeals. when a person speaks, critical listeners evaluate or scrutinize what they hear and decide if the message is logical, worthwhile or has value.it involves some sort of problem-solving or decision-making.

This requires significant real-time cognitive effort as the listener evaluates the message, comparing it to existing knowledge and rules while simultaneously listening to the ongoing words from the speaker. For example, a person participating in a debate has to critically listen to what the other speaker is saying to enable him to challenge the motion.

Therapeutic Listening

In this form of listening, the listener empathizes with the speaker and uses that connection to understand and ultimately help the speaker. it involves the realization and understanding the speaker's point of view. In this type of listening, the listener does not make judgments or offer advice but gently encourages the speaker to explain and elaborate on their feelings and emotions. however, clarification and reflection are used to avoid misunderstandings. Counselors and psychiatrists use this type of listening in their sessions with their clients. Friends also uses therapeutic listening to their troubled friends and act as sounding boards when they need someone to listen.

Appreciative Listening

This refers to the listening of sounds for enjoyment. In this form of listening, we seek certain information from sounds and words which we will appreciate and suits our feelings and emotions. it can be done when you are on your own or with others who have a mutual appreciation for whatever it is you enjoy. For example, we listen appreciatively when listening to good music and poetry or when listening to the stirring words of a great leader.