English Form 5 Topic 3: Listening Skills Notes (New Syllabus)

LISTENING SKILLS (CONTINUATION)

MEANING OF LISTENING

Listening is the process of carefully hearing, understanding, interpreting and responding to spoken messages. It involves both physical hearing and mental processing of information.

Listening is an active skill because the listener must:

• Pay attention
• Understand the message
• Interpret meaning
• Respond appropriately

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LISTENING AND HEARING

TYPES OF LISTENING

1. Intensive Listening

Listening carefully for specific details or information.

Example:

• Listening to instructions
• Listening during exams

2. Extensive Listening

Listening for general understanding and enjoyment.

Example:

• Listening to stories
• Listening to music

3. Critical Listening

Listening in order to judge or evaluate information.

Example:

• Listening to debates
• Listening to political speeches

4. Appreciative Listening

Listening for pleasure or enjoyment.

Example:

• Listening to songs
• Listening to poems

5. Empathetic Listening

Listening to understand feelings and emotions.

Example:

• Listening to a friend with problems

IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING SKILLS

1. Improve communication.
2. Help in learning pronunciation.
3. Improve speaking ability.
4. Help in understanding instructions.
5. Build good relationships.
6. Increase knowledge and understanding.
7. Help students perform better academically.
8. Reduce misunderstandings.

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING

1. Physical Barriers

These are environmental conditions that interfere with listening.

Examples:

• Noise
• Poor seating arrangement
• Bad weather
• Poor sound system

2. Psychological Barriers

These are mental or emotional conditions affecting listening.

Examples:

• Stress
• Anger
• Fear
• Prejudice

3. Linguistic Barriers

Problems caused by language use.

Examples:

• Difficult vocabulary
• Unfamiliar accent
• Complex sentences

4. Physiological Barriers

Physical conditions affecting hearing.

Examples:

• Hearing impairment
• Illness
• Fatigue

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD LISTENER

A good listener:

1. Maintains eye contact.
2. Pays attention.
3. Avoids interruption.
4. Shows interest.
5. Takes notes.
6. Asks relevant questions.
7. Is patient and respectful.
8. Avoids distractions.

WAYS OF IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS

1. Concentrate on the speaker.
2. Avoid distractions.
3. Listen actively.
4. Take notes.
5. Ask questions.
6. Practice listening regularly.
7. Maintain eye contact.
8. Keep an open mind.
9. Avoid interrupting the speaker.
10. Observe non-verbal cues.

LISTENING AND NOTE TAKING

Meaning of Note Taking

Note taking is the process of writing important points while listening or reading.

IMPORTANCE OF NOTE TAKING

1. Helps memory.
2. Improves concentration.
3. Saves important information.
4. Helps during revision.
5. Organizes ideas clearly.

GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE NOTE TAKING

1. Write key points only.
2. Use abbreviations and symbols.
3. Organize notes properly.
4. Listen carefully.
5. Highlight important ideas.
6. Leave spaces for extra information.

COMMON ABBREVIATIONS USED IN NOTE TAKING

PUBLIC SPEAKING AND LISTENING

Listening is important in public speaking because:

1. Speakers must listen to audience reactions.
2. Good listening improves response accuracy.
3. It helps speakers answer questions properly.
4. It improves communication effectiveness.

TELEPHONE CONVERSATION

Features of Telephone Conversation

1. Use polite language.
2. Speak clearly.
3. Introduce yourself.
4. Be brief and direct.
5. Use greetings.
6. End politely.

EXAMPLE OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION

TAKING TELEPHONE MESSAGES

Important Information to Record

1. Name of caller
2. Telephone number
3. Date
4. Time
5. Message
6. Receiver’s name

EXAMPLE OF TELEPHONE MESSAGE

LANGUAGE OF ADVERTISING

Advertising language is designed to attract, persuade and convince people to buy products or services.

Features of Advertising Language

1. Use of Simple Language

Example:

• Buy now!
• Best quality.

2. Use of Attractive Adjectives

Example:

• Beautiful
• Wonderful
• Excellent

3. Use of Imperatives

Example:

• Try it today.
• Visit us now.

4. Use of Repetition

Example:

• Safe, safe, safe!

5. Use of Persuasive Language

Example:

• The best product in town.

LANGUAGE OF NEWSPAPER REPORTS

Features

1. Use of past tense.
2. Use of facts and figures.
3. Use of formal language.
4. Use of long sentences.
5. Use of reported speech.

Example:

• The president visited Dodoma yesterday.

ATM (AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE)

Meaning

An ATM is a computerized machine used for banking transactions such as withdrawing money.

ADVANTAGES OF ATM

1. Saves time.
2. Works 24 hours.
3. Reduces long bank queues.
4. Easy access to money.
5. Convenient and fast.

DISADVANTAGES OF ATM

1. Risk of theft.
2. Network failures.
3. Power problems.
4. Card theft.
5. Machine errors.

STEPS FOR WITHDRAWING MONEY FROM ATM

1. Insert ATM card.
2. Select language.
3. Enter PIN.
4. Select withdrawal.
5. Enter amount.
6. Collect money.
7. Take receipt.
8. Remove ATM card.

SECURITY PRECAUTIONS WHEN USING ATM

1. Keep your PIN secret.
2. Avoid isolated ATM locations.
3. Do not accept help from strangers.
4. Use ATM in well-lit places.
5. Be alert to suspicious people.
6. Cover the keypad while entering PIN.

REVISION QUESTIONS

SECTION A

Answer the following questions:

1. What is listening?
2. Differentiate between hearing and listening.
3. Mention four types of listening.
4. State five barriers to effective listening.
5. Explain the importance of note taking.

SECTION B

Identify the listening barriers in the following situations:

1. Loud music during a lecture.
2. Feeling angry while listening.
3. Hearing problem during discussion.

SECTION C

Write short notes on:

1. Telephone conversation
2. ATM machine
3. Advertising language
4. Newspaper report language

EXERCISE

1. Fill in the blanks:

(i) Listening requires ______ and concentration.

(ii) A person who listens carefully is called a good ______.

(iii) ATM stands for ______ ______ Machine.

(iv) Note taking helps students during ______.

2. Match the following:

SUMMARY

Listening is an important communication skill that helps people understand messages effectively. Good listening improves speaking, learning, relationships and communication. Effective listening requires concentration, patience and active participation.