Listening Skills and Effective Communication Study Guide - Prof. Kristi Schaller, Study notes of Communication

Download Listening Skills and Effective Communication Study Guide - Prof. Kristi Schaller and more Study notes Communication in PDF only on Docsity!

Exam 3 Study Guide SPCM 1100 Spring 2011 – Dr. Schaller Chapter 4 Why are listening skills valuable? ● listening takes up much of our time, good listening skills are good job skills, good listening skills are good academic skills, listening and being heard empowers people and personal relationships, you have an investment in the listening sitituation What are some barriers to listening? ● laungauge differences ● vocabulary differences ● cultural barriers ○ cultural allusions ■ references to things you have no cultural awareness for ● personal barriers ○ physical (impairments) ○ psychological ○ sterotypes ■ putting someon in a category and assuming they fit all of that category ○ prejudice- preformed biases or judgements ● speech thought differential- 500 vs 150 = 350 word lag ● 4 thought patterns ○ smal depature ○ going off on a tangent ○ private argument ○ large depatures from the topis What is the Chinese character for listening comprised of? ● eyes, ear, heart What are the strategies to improve listening? ● use cultural schemas ○ mental models that guide perception, intepretataion, and recollection of a speech ● know you listening purpose What is comprehensive listening? What are strategies for comprehensive listening? ● comprehensive listening is listening for a purpose ● imporved by prepareing in advance ○ attention-directing strategies ○ think about what you are listening to ○ elaboration strategies ○ look for organizational patterns ○ use strategies that complement you personal learning style ○ take note of the speakers manner, but don’t get caught up in the delievery What is critical listening? What are strategies for critical listening? ● critical listening is asking why and sorting out where you belong in an arguement ● improve by asking: ○ what is the speaker’s goal? ○ should I trust him/her? ○ is this speaker knowledgeable about this topic? ○ Does this message make sense? ○ Wheere does the supporting information come from? Reliable sources? ○ what will I gain/lose by adopting these ideas?

○ what problems go along w/ this position? ○ am i being swayed by emotions? What is dialogical listening? ● listening actively How do you give appropriate verbal and nonverbal feedback when listening? ● nonverbal ○ posture ■ face speaker and lean forward slightly ○ distance ○ movements ■ avoid distracting ones What is the D-R-E method for giving written feedback? ● describe-respong- evaluate What is receiver apprehension? ● anxiety people experience while listening ○ namely when people fear they will misinterpret/inadequately understand, or fail to adjust psychologically to the message ■ happens a lot in the new situations in college Chapter 12 What are languages, symbols, and words? ● languages ○ verbal codes consisting of symbols that a speech community uses for communication ● symbols ○ signs that represent or stand for objects and concepts ● words ○ verbal symbols that stand for or represent ideas What is denotative meaning? ● what a word names or identifies What is connotative meaning? ● what the word means to you, the emotional overtones, related feelings, and associations that cluster around a word ○ ex the Fuhruer scene in Die Welle Why should we consider these two meanings in public presentations? ● because words are more than just definitions, and you don’t want to insult anyone What is an epithet? ● words or phrases often with negative connotations, that describe some quality of a person or a group ○ ex. nerd/pig → cop, pro-life → anti abortion What is a euphemism? ● word or phrase that substitutes an agreeable or inoffensive word for a more embarrassing/unpleasant/offensive word. ○ downsized/let go instead of fired What is jargon? ● a specialized, technical vocabulary that serves the interests and activities of a specific group What is inclusive language? ● ethical terminology that affirms and includes, rather than excludes, persons or groups of people What is sexist language? ● language that negatively influences the way listeners perceive men or women

○ non-parallel language- language that does not treat the 2 sexes equally ■ ex. man and wife are non parallel but husband and wife are parallel, actress is non parallel, as are male nurse and female judge What is ageist language? ● language that negatively influences the way listeners think about older people What is racist language? ● language that privileges one racial group over another How can we avoid using the above types of language in public presentations? ● avoid sterotyping ● avoid invisibility ○ langauge can render groups invisible ■ use specific lables instead of the generic he ● avoid demeaning langauge ● avoid dismissive langauge ● avoid undue emphasis on differences ○ say my professor instead of my Latina professor unless it’s need How do you use language effectively? ● be accurate ○ meaning, context, and grammar ● be appropriate ● be concise ○ eliminate unnecessary verbiage ● be clear ● be concrete ○ use concrete words rather than abstract or general terms ○ avoid vague words- imprecise terms with indefinite boundaries ● be interesting ○ alliteration ■ same beginning sounds ○ rhyming ○ repetition ■ of words or phrases ● antimetabole- repeat, but in reverse in a second phrase, some words from the first phrase ○ metaphor ■ compare 2 dissimlar things ○ simile ■ use like and as to compare things ● archetypal symbols- recurring metaphors and similes that arise from shared human and natural experiences ○ personification ○ hyperbole ■ exaggeration for effect Chapter 13 What does it mean to say that “visual aids transcend culture” (Jaffe, 2010, p. 229)? ● pictures allow people to see and hear you message and make it easier for people who may not know what the word means get your message anyway What are the four major functions of visual or audio aids?

● some information is very complex, and the right visual or audio support helps audiences understand it ● visuals can emphasize or reinforce important ideas ● they relieve monotony and help keep audiences attention ● they appeal to a variety of learning preferences How do you choose the right type of visual or audio aid? ● choose the best support not the kind that’s the easiest to create ○ 3-d visuals ■ objects ■ models ■ people ○ 2d visuals ■ lists ● text based visuals ○ rely more on words than images ○ 6x6 rule ■ no more than 6 lines with 6 words ■ charts ● image based visuals ○ flowcharts ○ organizational charts ■ show hierarchies and relationships ■ graphs ● line ● bar ● pie ● picture ○ audio/videotaped visuals ○ photos ○ drawings/diagrams/maps What are the different types of visual or audio aids that speakers can use? ● audio resources ● video resources What are the rules discussed in class for using chalkboards, whiteboards, and handouts? What are the design principles for visual aids? ● choose a readable font ○ on handouts use a serif font w/ lines at the top and bottom of th letters ■ sans serif are better for smaller chunks of text ■ maintain consistency ■ make them large enough to see ○ use formatting features wisely ○ use color for emphasis What are the general guidelines for using visual and audio aids? ● make sure everyone can hear and see it ● don’t create a visual for a visuals sake ● display visuals as you discuss them ● talk to your audience and not your visuals ● rehearse with you visuals ● don’t violate norms or expectations

● whenever machines are involved have a plan B Ch. 14 Types of delivery and when you would use each type ● manuscript ○ teleprompter ● memorized ● impromptu ● extemporaneous How do you maximize your personal appearance in speech delivery? ● make the most of your appearenace ● make the most of clothing and acessories ○ sincere not cynical What is impression management? ● self presentation, using the metaphor of a staged drama in which we use props and personal mannerisms to create and maintain an impression of ourselves How do you develop effective mannerisms? ● control you gestures ● make eye contact How do you vary your vocal behaviors? ● work on clear pronunciations ○ articulation ○ stress ● use vocal variation ● pause for effect ● put it all together ○ communicative competence ○ confident style ○ conversational style What is articulation? ● the way you enunciate or say specific sounds What is stress? ● accenting specific syllables or words What is vocal variation? ● changes in volume, rate, and pitch that combine to create impressions of the speaker What is communicative competence? ● the ability to communicate in a personally effective and socially appropriate manner What is a confident style of delivery? ● way of speaking characterized by effective vocal variety, fluency, gestures, and eye contact What is a conversational style of delivery? ● speaking that’s comparatively calmer, slower, and less intense, but maintains good eye contact and gestures Chapter 17 In persuasive speaking, what is a claim? ● an assertion that’s disputable or open to challenge What is a factual claim? ● argument about existence causation, or predictions

What is a definition claim? ● determining a category in which a thing belongs What is a value claim? ● argument about right or wrong, moral or immoral, beautiful or ugly What is a policy claim? ● argument about the need or the plan for taking action What is cognitive dissonance theory? ● Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding conflicting ideas simultaneously. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance. They do this by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and actions.[2] Dissonance is also reduced by justifying, blaming, and denying. It is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology. A closely related term, Cognitive Disequilibrium , was coined by Jean Piaget to refer to the experience of a discrepancy between something new and something already known or believed.Experience can clash with expectations, as, for example, with buyer's remorse following the purchase of an expensive item. Chapter 18 What is an argument? ● intentional purposful speaking that involves reason and judgement What is a counterargument? ● umm duh What are Aristotle’s Artistic Proofs: Logos, ethos, and pathos? ● logos ○ verbal arguments from words in the speech itself ■ reasoning by analogy (figurative and literal) ● figurative by metaphor ● literal parallel cases ■ reasoning inductively ■ reasoning deductively ● pathos ○ emotional proofs ○ motivation ■ appeals to positive emotions ■ appeals to negative emotions ■ appealing to needs ■ understanding complex motivations ● testing emotional appeals ● ethos ○ speaker credibility ■ demonstrating good sense ● intelligence ● sound reasoning ● composure ■ exhibiting good character ■ expressing goodwill ● identification ○ co-orientation ● common ground

■ showing dynamism What is inductive reasoning? ● starting with specific instances or examples then formulating a reasonable conclusion What is deductive reasoning? ● starting with a premise and applying it to a specific case What is a fallacy? ● failure in logical reasoning that leads to unsounds or misleading arguements Know the types of fallacies (ad hominem, red herring, etc.) ● unsupported assertation ● ad populum-/ bandwagon- appeal to popular opinion ● ad hominem- an attack on the messenger rather than the message ● post hoc- fallacy of causation, a false cause ● overgeneralization ● red herring argument ● false analogy ○ comparing 2 way too dissimilar things to warrant the conclusion drawn ● false dichotomy ○ an either or fallacy that ignores other reasonable options What are appeals to positive and negative emotions? What are appeals to needs? ● narrative and examples- positive ● analogies- negative What is a proof? ● reason to believe How does a speaker demonstrate good sense, exhibit good character, express goodwill, and show dynamism? ● demonstrating good sense ○ intelligence ○ sound reasoning ○ composure ● expressing goodwill ○ identification ■ co-orientation ○ common ground ● show dynamism ○ be enthusiastic What is identification or co-orientation? ● concerns shared among speakers and listeners that help overcome divisions and bring diverse people together What is common ground? ● specific areas or concerns that both speaker and audience consider important Appendix B What is a speech of introduction? What are the guidelines for giving one? ● who is this person why are they important ○ provide name and job title ○ give a few relevant details about the person’s educational and occupational background as well as personal characteristics or accomplishments tha twill hepl the audience to get to know them ○ close by welcoming the new comer to the group

What is a farewell speech? ● saying goodbye to a person ○ remind group members of what they ment to you personally ○ list some lessons you learned ○ tell humorous story you’ll carry with you as happy memories ○ express saddness ○ encourage ○ invite people to write or visit you in your new location ■ to somone who is departing ● recognize their accomplishments ● personal traits you’ll remember What is an announcement speech? ● draw listeners to the event ● provide details ● give costs and benefits for attending ● breif summary of important information What is an award speech? ● name award and describe the significance ● summarize the selection criteria ● relate the appropriateness of giving this award How should one accept an award speech? Whom should you thank? ● thank those who have honored you ● acknowledge others who helped you ● personalize what is means to you ● express appreciation for the honor What is a nomination speech? ● name the office tell the importance of it to the organization as a whole ● list the reasons the candidate if right for the office What is a speech given at a commemorative event? ● build the speech around a theme ● inspire listener ● pay special attention to language What is a tribute? How does it differ from an informative speech? ● speech that highlights and reinforces important cultural beliefs, values, and behaviors What is a eulogy? Is it appropriate to use humor in a eulogy? ● commemorate someone who has died ● yes when used appropriately