Evaluate Evidence and Reasoning

Purposeful, focused listening and critical thinking go hand in hand. Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate claims on the basis of well-supported reasons, to look for flaws in arguments, and to resist claims that have no supporting evidence.

As you listen to speeches, use your critical faculties to:

USE THE THOUGHT/SPEECH DIFFERENTIAL TO LISTEN CRITICALLY

Did you know that we think at a much faster rate than we speak? We speak at ninety to two hundred words per minute, but we think at five hundred to six hundred words per minute. This differential between “thought speed” and “speech speed” is one reason we can be so easily distracted. But you can use the differential to your advantage. When you find yourself “thinking ahead” of the speaker, use the time to focus on questions that foster critical thinking:

  • image What does the speaker really mean?
  • image Why is he or she presenting this material?
  • image How credible is the evidence being presented?
  • image Is the speaker leaving anything out?
  • image How can I use what the speaker is telling me?1