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Active listening, or listening that is focused and engaged, is impossible when the audience is distracted. The following guidelines can improve your active listening as an audience member:
Set a learning goal for each speech. For example: “In the next speech by a classmate, I will try to figure out why the speaker cares so much about his or her topic.”
Listen for the speaker’s main points and note when the speaker mentions something that surprises you.
Pay attention to nonverbal cues from the speaker.
Try to discern the organizational pattern of the speech as it is delivered.
A listening distraction is anything competing for a listener’s attention during a speech. External distractions, like ambulance sirens or the tapping sound texting makes when a phone is not in silent mode, come from the environment. Internal distractions, such as distracting thoughts and feelings, come from within the listener. Speakers and audiences should try to anticipate and prepare for external distractions by arriving and setting up or taking a seat early. To reduce internal distractions, speakers and audiences should be rested, alert, and make a conscious effort to focus on the message of the speech.
Scriptwriting occurs when an audience member focuses on what he or she, rather than the speaker, will say next, and it is a significant barrier to active listening. Similarly, defensive listening occurs when an audience member decides prematurely either to reject a speaker’s message or to tune it out because the speaker has nothing to offer the audience. To avoid scriptwriting or listening defensively, audience members should remember that both tactics shut off communication. Even in cases of strong disagreement, allowing a speaker to finish before formulating a counterargument is usually most effective.
Overconfidence or laziness may cause audience members to miss key information, only to realize later the speaker had something valuable to say. Audience members should always assume the speaker’s message is important and pay attention accordingly.
Cultural barriers to listening could include a speaker’s dialect or accent, nonverbal cues, word choice, and even physical appearance. In such cases, audiences should focus on the message, not the messenger. Avoid judging a speaker based on cultural factors.