Unit(s): Interpersonal Communication
Purpose:
Students will evaluate their own listening skills
Objectives:
Students will be able to see which listening qualities they need to improve upon and which they have mastery over.
Materials:
Listening test and key
Procedure:
- Discuss the importance of good listening skills.
- Using the hand-out provided, have students honestly evaluate their own listening ability.
- allow students to discuss with the class those habits which they consider essential to good listening.
Attitudes Most Usually Occasionally Seldom Never
Always
Do you like to listen to other 5 4 3 2 1
people talk?
Do you encourage others to 5 4 3 2 1
talk?
Do you listen if you do not 5 4 3 2 1
like the person speaking?
Do you listen equally well to 5 4 3 2 1
men, women, young or old?
Do you listen equally well to 5 4 3 2 1
friend, acquaintance or
stranger?
Do you put what you have been 5 4 3 2 1
doing out of sight and
out of mind?
Do you look at the speaker? 5 4 3 2 1
Do you ignore distractions? 5 4 3 2 1
Do you smile, nod your head and 5 4 3 2 1
encourage him to talk?
Do you think about what he is 5 4 3 2 1
saying?
Do you try to figure out why he 5 4 3 2 1
is saying this?
Do you let him finish what he 5 4 3 2 1
is trying to say?
If he hesitates, do you 5 4 3 2 1
encourage him to go on?
Do you re-state what he has 5 4 3 2 1
said and ask if you got
it right?
Do you withhold judgment 5 4 3 2 1
about his idea until he
has finished?
Do you listen regardless of 5 4 3 2 1
his manner of speaking
and word choice?
Do you listen even if you 5 4 3 2 1
anticipate what he
might say?
Do you question him to get him 5 4 3 2 1
to explain more fully?
Do you ask him what the words 5 4 3 2 1
mean as he uses them?
Total each column _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
Grand total of the columns across __________
Key:
75 or better You are a good listener! Keep up the good work. 50 - 75 You are an average listener. Try a little harder. 50 or below You are a poor listener. Adopt some new habits today.