TL;DR: Becoming a better listener is a choice. Instead of tuning out lectures or sermons you find dull, stay engaged, look for the main ideas, avoid snap judgments, minimize distractions, take effective notes, and reflect afterward. Productive listening helps you understand, remember, and benefit from almost any speaker.
By becoming proficient in the art of productive listening, you will profit
from what others call dull or boring classroom and church speakers.
Good listeners choose to find value in lectures and
sermons, uncovering new knowledge beyond the surface.
Rather than dismissing or impulsively reacting to
disagreeable ideas, successful listeners remain open-minded and seek more information before drawing
conclusions.
Good listeners maximize understanding and retention by focusing on key concepts,
adapting note-taking strategies, and embracing challenging material.
"Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly" -- Plutarch
(46 AD - 120 AD)
Top ten ways to listen to boring speakers
Former University of Minnesota professor Ralph Nichols has been called "the father of
listening." His work on listening drew attention to how easily students can lose track of a lecture and forget much of it afterward. The lesson is to listen actively and review what you have learned.
Want to do better than that? Then, use productive listening techniques. Here are the "Top ten
ways to listen to a lecture." By the way, these are also valid suggestions to remember when
listening to a sermon. 🙂
Choose to find the subject useful.
Poor listeners dismiss most lectures as dull and irrelevant. They turn off quickly.
Good listeners separate the wheat from the chaff. They choose to listen
to discover new knowledge.
Concentrate on the message, not on the professor's appearance or delivery.
Poor listeners notice faults in a lecturer's appearance or delivery and let their minds wander.
Good listeners look for something useful to learn from each professor and remain focused on the message.
When you hear something you're not sure you agree with, react slowly and thoughtfully.
Poor listeners stop listening to the speaker and start listening to
themselves. They either passively reject what is being said, or they launch into impassioned
rebuttals (to themselves).
Good listeners don't jump to conclusions and then disengage. They
keep conclusions tentative while getting more information.
Identify the "big ideas," those fundamental concepts to which everything else in the lecture is related.
Poor listeners say, "I listen only for facts." They may retain some facts, but the information is often garbled.
Good listeners look for foundational concepts. They grab key ideas and use them as anchor points for the entire lecture.
Adjust your note-taking system to the lecturer's pattern.
Some poor listeners attempt to outline everything, believing an outline and notes are the same thing. They get frustrated when they cannot see "points A, B, and C."
Good listeners adjust their note-taking to the organizational pattern a lecturer uses.
Work actively to understand difficult material.
When poor listeners encounter a tough topic, they stop absorbing it
and start letting things simply bounce off them.
Good listeners condition themselves to be interested in challenging
matters. They work to understand what is being said, even when the subject is difficult.
Don't get derailed by emotionally charged "buzz" words that trigger negative
responses.
Poor listeners tune people out on the basis of a few words.
Good listeners don't let the emotional baggage of one word or phrase
keep them from getting at the substance of a lecture.
Get to know the professor personally.
Poor listeners see professors as talking heads.
Good listeners like to pick up interesting facts about professors,
such as personal history, family life, and hobbies.
Use the time between a speaker's words to think about the message.
Poor listeners drift back and forth between listening to a lecture and
thinking about other things.
Good listeners use that time in three ways:
Anticipate the lecturer's next point.
Evaluate the evidence the lecturer offers.
Periodically summarize the lecture to themselves.
Choose to be intentionally present.
It can be difficult not to look at your phone to check a message or comment on a Facebook status you just posted. If you want to be a better listener, turn off your phone or silence it. Blot out other distractions and focus on the person talking.
L – Look at the speaker and show attentiveness. I – Interpret the message without jumping to conclusions. S – Stay silent and avoid interrupting. T – Tune in to both words and emotions. E – Engage by nodding or responding appropriately. N – Notice nonverbal cues for deeper understanding.
Listening attentively when someone is lecturing, giving a presentation, or preaching a sermon will help you understand and retain things. Here are some tactics to improve your listening skills:
Keep your mind from wandering by actively engaging with the speaker. Concentrate on the main points being made.
If possible, maintain eye contact with the speaker. Making eye contact helps you stay focused.
Write down key points, important details, and questions that come to mind during the lecture or sermon. This will keep you engaged and help you remember information better.
If something is unclear, ask a question when the setting allows. Wait for an appropriate pause rather than interrupting the speaker.
Show that you are engaged by nodding your head, using affirmative verbal cues (like "yes" or "mm-hmm"), and even paraphrasing in your mind what the speaker is saying.
Minimize distractions by sitting in a quiet area. Turn off your phone or put it on silent mode. Choose a comfortable seating position.
Be purposefully receptive to new ideas and perspectives. Avoid jumping to conclusions or forming premature judgments.
After the lecture, presentation, or sermon, take time to reflect on what you've learned. Review your notes and consider how the information relates to your own experiences and beliefs.
