
Remember: Time is on your side! Thoughts move about four times as fast as speech. With practice, while you are listening you will also be able to think about what you are hearing, really understand it, and give feedback to the speaker.
Exercise: Form groups and find out what different people do to become better listeners and which factors help them.
Exercise: Assign readings from a variety of literature (fiction and non-fiction, magazines, newspapers, novels, guide books, etc.) and follow up with a comprehension test – ask pertinent questions about each reading’s content. After each reading,analyze where members listen best and where they fail to listen effectively and discuss the possible reasons why this happens.
Exercise: Program three or four prepared research speeches (i.e. speeches in which the facts are important) and have a verbal Spot Listening Check after each speech.
Exercise: Do the same with other types of speeches. Then discuss which speeches – the research speeches, the humorous, the serious, the anecdotal, etc., are easier to listen to effectively and why.

We hear only what we want to hear and remember only part of what we have heard. Good listening can improve both the content and the quality of what we hear and remember.
Section 5.1 PowerTalk One
Results 61-70