Listening Skills, Essay Example

The communication event I will be discussing involves my interactions with my friends at lunch time. We typically engage in a group conversation, usually with one person leading the talk at a time. The participants will then either respond with their opinion or interject if the leader says something disagreeable. This kind of feedback typically continues throughout the conversation, and is a helpful way of conducting debates and keeping the conversation going.

When we have these conversations, a lot has typically happened in my day and I notice that I have difficulty attending to the conversation (VV and P). According to the textbook, good listeners are supposed to ready themselves physically and mentally (VV and P). I know that this psychological interference is an issue, and usually contributes to me not fully paying attention to what my friends are saying. In the future, I will attempt to bypass this problem because lunch should be a time of relaxation, not worrying about my life and home and work, and I should be able to enjoy my conversation.

The aspects of conversation that I believe I am good at are understanding, remembering, and evaluating. When I am engaged in a conversation, I am usually able to fully comprehend it, remember it later, and think about it analytically both when the conversation is happening and when it is over. I am able to find meaning in what was said, repeat key information, and determine whether I agree with the speakers ideas depending on what I know is true (VV and P). However, because I have difficulty attending, I also have difficulty responding supportively. I need to pick up on these communication cues more effectively, and I think that increasing my attending ability will help this.