1) Say  the following expressions out loud in class one by one.

— I hear you.

— I heard you.

— I’m all ears.

— I don’t get it.

— I’m listening.

— I’m still here.

— Do you hear me?

— I didn’t mean that.

— I don’t follow you.

— I said no such thing.

— That’s not what I meant.

— Are you listening to me?

— Are you paying attention?

— I didn’t mean to imply that.

— Am I making myself heard?

— I’m not sure I get your point.

— I don’t see what you’re getting at.

— Could you (please) lend me your ear for a minute?

— I’m not sure I know what you mean.

— I didn’t mean to give you that impression.

2) Play the roles of Amy and Francisco in the following dialogue, paying attention to the underlined expressions.

Amy: Francisco, with you fooling around with your cell phone like that I get the feeling you’re not listening to me.Could you please lend me your ear for a minute?

Francisco: Oh dear. I’m still here, I promise. I was only adjusting the settings.

Amy: But your mind seems miles away.

Francisco: Oh yeah? Honestly,I heard you. I really did.

Amy: Are you sure? I was asking you for a suggestion. But you didn’t show the slightest sign that you were listening. You gave me no feedback whatsoever.

Francisco: Because I had no idea what to say. But as for not listening to you, seriously, I didn’t mean to give you that impression.

Amy: Then exactly what impression did you mean to give me? I don’t see what you’re getting at.

Francisco: Well, I mean that just because I didn’t give you the response you expected doesn’t mean I wasn’t paying full attention. Actually, I was.

Amy: Hmm. So for you all was fine. As for me, I got left wondering, “Am I making myself heard?” Not a pleasant experience.

Francisco: What?

Amy: Goodness! Are you listening to me at all? Do my words have any meaning to you?

Francisco: I’m not sure I know what you mean. I don’t get it.

Amy: I give up. You’re off in outer space! It’s wishful thinking (一厢情愿) trying to get through to you!

Give a short oral presentation on one of the following title topics, using the text below as an example.

◎ Be Positive

◎ Pay Full Attention

◎ Let the Speaker Know that You Are Listening

◎ Do Not Interrupt

◎ Give Feedback

◎ Avoid Immediate Judgment

◎ Give Appropriate Response

Avoid Immediate Judgment

One feature of active listening is to avoid immediate judgment. Doing so promotes healthy communication.

Any one particular thing we might run into can be perceived from different perspectives by different people. Each problem we can look at in a variety of ways. So, let the speaker finish what he or she wants to say — that is, completely voice his or her point of view. It’s not wise to interrupt with immediate judgment.