Module 6

Active Listening and Paraphrasing

• The tutor will learn the importance of and techniques for active listening

Active listening

As the name suggests, active listening is a dynamic process that goes beyond simply asking questions, or listening passively. It involves responding to other people in a way that encourages them to talk to us, and to give us the full picture, and then to let them know that they have been really heard and understood.

This process comprises verbal and non-verbal elements.

Non-verbal elements include:

• an appropriate setting - one that has some privacy, freedom from interruption and that minimizes power differentials by sensitive use of furniture etc;
• sitting or standing squarely, facing the other person;
• an open posture;
• leaning slightly towards the other person;
• maintaining comfortable eye contact;
• being relaxed.

Verbal elements depend upon communicating:

• respect;
• genuineness;
• empathy (which includes not only the ability to understand someone's situation from their point of view, but communicating that understanding to them);
• a non-judgmental attitude - the fear of not being taken seriously, or being criticized, is a powerful block to effective communication.

Active listening can be achieved by:

• allowing silence;
• using minimal prompts (eg ‘mm…..uhuh….I see', and so on);
• asking open-ended questions
• helping the student to be specific, and give concrete examples;
• reflecting cognitive and affective content of what they are saying, often by using paraphrasing to give a gist of what has been said (see paraphrasing below for more detail). This helps to let the other person know you have been listening carefully, and gives them an opportunity to correct any misunderstandings about what is happening or their feelings about it;
• summarizing: at the end of your session, or when you have finished a topic, restate what you have done, how you have done it, and what still remains to be done. This helps you and your student. If your conversation is losing momentum, or if conversation has gone off topic, you can use a summary to get it back on track. Encourage your clients to summarize, or help you summarize, the session. Summaries can aid memory and help students focus on the processes they have learned. This is also useful for checking understanding, and as a preparation to move on to the next phase of helping.

Paraphrasing

Sometimes you may want to paraphrase your client's comments or questions.  This shows the client that you have understood what he/she is trying to say.  Paraphrasing gives your client confidence that you are listening and making every attempt to understand him/her. 

Briefly, in your own words, tell your client what you think he/she has been saying. This is a way that you can focus your client on the parts of what he/she is saying that are important for the task at hand. A good paraphrase can help a client better understand, remember, and use his/her own ideas. Paraphrasing can also help you check that you understand what your tutee is saying without asking a question.

So…

Active Listening may not be quite as ancient as the Socratic Method, but communication theorists have had time to test it thoroughly, and it is a good tool to have in your tutoring toolbox. When students start to tell you what they are thinking, you, as a listener, can use Active Listening strategies to help make sure you really understand and attend to what they are saying. Reflective responses also give your tutee a chance to look at what he/she is thinking and feeling.

Tutor Quiz 6 - L1