Listening is fundamental to effective communication, and the way people listen in every situation needs a different approach. One might be trying to develop a relationship, learn something new, make a logical evaluation or discriminate. Therefore, one needs to be able to focus, receive and comprehend to listen. There are five types of listening, discriminative, relationship, appreciative, critical and comprehensive, each requiring distinct skills to master the technique (Udemy Editors, 2020). However, the two types of listening I observed are comprehensive and critical listening.
The two types of listening (comprehensive and critical) I observed helped the conversation participants understand what was being communicated. Comprehensive listening played a crucial role in making the conversation productive since it comprises comprehending the messages being conveyed. However, it hindered the conversation because the participants interpreted the conversation differently, depending on their social and individual background. On the other hand, critical listening helped the participants in the conversation since they evaluated the message and responded with their opinion (Udemy Editors, 2020). Critical listening ability is essential for actual learning.
Lastly, participants could have used other types of listening such as discriminative, appreciative, and relationship to improve the conversation’s outcome. The majority of individuals take listening for granted, which happens naturally. Only when one pauses to consider what listening means than he realizes that it is a crucial skill, which must be improved and nurtured. For instance, discriminative listening is the basic level forming the other four types of listening (Udemy Editors, 2020). It would have improved the conversation if the participants were able to distinguish the distinct sounds in the conversation. Therefore, all the different types of listening must be observed since they are among the most useful resources for effectively concluding a conversation.
Reference
Udemy Editors. (2020). 5 Types of Listening to Become an Awesome Listener. Web.