Reflective listening is a communication skill by which students can increase their understanding of other people’s ideas, issues, approaches and concerns within the group. It's a particularly useful skill for avoiding conflict within a group.
The following handout may help students practise reflective listening skills during group work.
Student handout
Reflective listening |
|---|
|
What is reflective listening? Reflective listening appears deceptively easy, but it takes practice and skill to do well. In reflective listening, the listener tries to clarify and restate what the other person is saying. The benefits of reflective listening are that it can:
What does reflective listening involve? When practising reflective listening, you should:
How do I know when I’m using reflective listening effectively? To identify ways in which you could improve your reflective listening, ask yourself, did you:
Adapted from R.F. Stein and S.N. Hurd (eds) (2000), Using Student Teams in the Classroom: A Faculty Guide, Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company, Inc., pp. 57–58; and D. Fisher, Communication in Organizations, St. Paul, MN: Jaico. |