New
New
Year 8

Developing active listening skills

I can use effective active listening skills to be a present and responsive audience member.

New
New
Year 8

Developing active listening skills

I can use effective active listening skills to be a present and responsive audience member.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Listening is an important skill - it helps to create a supportive environment and can make you better at responding.
  2. Active listening means you are completely engaged and focused on what is being delivered.
  3. Using positive body language can help demonstrate active listening and keep you focused on the content.
  4. Part of being an active listener, is being able to respond effectively.
  5. Open questions can develop comments and encourage discussion.

Keywords

  • Active listening - fully concentrating, understanding and responding thoughtfully to what someone is saying

  • Body language - non-verbal cues or gestures such as facial expressions and posture

  • Engaged - actively participating and focused, to be attentive and show interest and enthusiasm

  • Open question - a type of question that allows for a wide range of responses beyond just 'yes' or 'no'

Common misconception

As long as I am being quiet, I am listening.

Although being quiet is an effective way to show you are listening, there are many other things to consider to ensure you are 'actively listening'.

This lesson can be adapted to suit a range of spoken forms and topics, depending on what your pupils are focusing on.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
In which years did the Victorian era take place?
1789–1837
Correct answer: 1837–1901
1850–1920
1800–1855
Q2.
Which phrase is a more formal way of saying 'child workers'?
child education
Correct answer: child labour
child protection
Q3.
Which two words mean poor?
Correct answer: impoverished
Correct answer: destitute
affluent
prosperous
Q4.
Which of the following is not a rhetorical device?
rhetorical question
direct address
anaphora
Correct answer: simile
emotive language
Q5.
The structural device which refers to the repetition of the same word or phrase at the start of a number of clauses is called ...
extended metaphor
Correct answer: anaphora
mirroring
motif
Q6.
Which word beginning describes a person with no morals or principles?
Correct answer: unscrupulous
unfavourable
unsympathetic

6 Questions

Q1.
What does active listening involve?
multitasking while listening
Correct answer: fully concentrating, understanding, and responding
interrupting with questions
nodding without paying attention
Q2.
Which positive body language gesture demonstrates active listening?
looking at the clock
slouching in your chair
Correct answer: nodding your head
crossing your arms
Q3.
Which one of the following is an example of an open question?
Did children work in factories during the Victorian era?
Were children required to attend school in the 1800s?
Correct answer: What do you think were the main challenges faced by Victorian children?
Is child labour illegal today?
Q4.
How can asking open questions be an effective way to respond to a speaker?
They require only short answers.
Correct answer: They allow for more developed responses and discussion.
They limit the conversation.
They keep the listener quiet.
Q5.
How can active listening improve discussions?
It ensures the listener is always quiet.
Correct answer: It helps the listener respond thoughtfully and develop ideas.
It allows the speaker to finish quickly.
It ends the conversation sooner.
Q6.
Which word beginning with an 'e' can be described as: 'to be actively participating and focused, to be attentive and show interest and enthusiasm.'?
Correct Answer: engaged, engage