Page 16 - Mini-Module 4
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Active listening techniques: Six tips
1. Encourage
(a) Draw the other person out.
(b) Use verbal and non-verbal cues to show that you are really listening.
(c) Convey attentiveness with body language and short vocal responses.
(d) Be aware that appropriate body language and vocalizations vary from
culture to culture.
Examples: “Can you tell me more?” and “I’d like to hear about this”.
2. Clarify
(a) Ask questions to confirm what the speaker has said.
(b) Not only will this help you to understand, but it may also help the
speaker examine his or her own perceptions.
Examples: “Could you tell me which of those things happened first?” and
“When did this happen? Give me an example”.
3. Restate
(a) Repeat in your words what the speaker has said.
(b) This shows you are listening and helps check for facts and meaning.
Examples: “She told you she’d call right back and called two days later”
and “So you’d like your parent to trust you more, is that right?”
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