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US 11097 Level 3 Credits 3

Name

Workbook Listen actively to gain information

in an interactive situation

© Careerforce – Issue 3.0 – Dec 2013 3 11097 Listen actively to gain information in an interactive situation

Contents

Before you start ................................................................................................................ 4

The communication process ............................................................................................ 7

Kinds of communication ................................................................................................... 8

Listening ........................................................................................................................ 10

Active listening ............................................................................................................... 14

Responding to non-verbal communication ..................................................................... 21

Make the message clear ................................................................................................ 23

Barriers to successful listening ....................................................................................... 24

The cultural context ........................................................................................................ 28


Before you start

Welcome to this workbook for:

Listen to gain information in an interactive situation

Unit Standard 11097.

For this unit standard you will have:

this workbook.

a listening CD or MP3 audio files downloaded from the Careerforce shop.

a trainee assessment.

In this workbook you will learn more about:

communication processing.

active listening.

listening techniques.

When you see a

sticky note like

this, it gives a tip

or hint.

How to use this workbook

This is your workbook to keep – make it

your own by writing in it.

Use highlighters to identify important

ideas.

Do the learning activities included

throughout this workbook. Write your

answers in the spaces provided.

You might find it helpful to discuss your

answers with colleagues or your

supervisor.

Finish this workbook before you start on

the assessment.

When you see a

sticky note like this, it

gives a tip or a hint.


Workbook activities

Stop – check what you know about this topic

You will see this stop symbol in places where you

are asked to stop and think about what you know

and:

record your current knowledge

or impressions,

check your knowledge.

This stop provides a reference point to return

to later. Stop activities have blue shading like this.

Rewind

When you see this rewind symbol, go back to:

think about what you know.

check your knowledge.

This rewind gives you an opportunity to add to,

change or confirm some of your initial thoughts

and ideas. Rewind activities have green shading

like this.

Learning activities

You will come across learning activities as you

work through this workbook.

These activities help you understand and apply

the information that you are learning about.

Learning activities have yellow shading like this.

The glossary and study hints book has study hints

for all trainees. It also explains key words and

phrases from the compulsory unit standards for

Foundation Skills and Core Competencies.

You can download it from www.careerforce.org.nz

or order it from http://shop.careerforce.org.nz

http://www.shop.careerforce.org.nz/


Before you go any further in this workbook, think about...

Listening

How do you communicate with others and listen to what they say?

Are you aware of non-verbal clues when you are listening to others?

What would the people who know you say about the way you listen?


The communication process

Communication is a two-way process. It is about an interaction between people,

exchanging information, giving and listening.

Many people think that communicating is only about speaking to another person, but for

communication to be effective it includes much more than that. It also involves listening,

processing and understanding the information, and replying to the message(s) received.

For example, when we communicate we speak, listen and look at the faces and body

movements of the people we are communicating with.

The purpose of communication

The purpose of communicating is to share information, facts, ideas, thoughts, beliefs,

values, feelings and wishes, and receive feedback.

How does communication occur?

Communicate occurs when we send a message either verbally, in writing, or

electronically about something we want to say. This is received by the receiver (the

person listening or reading your message). A reply, or feedback, by way of an answer

may then be given. This may be either verbal or non-verbal.

Effective communication can only be achieved when both the ‘sender’ and the ‘receiver’

understand the information as a result of the communication. It involves listening,

processing the information, understanding the information and responding and replying

to the messages received.

The circle of communication


Kinds of communication

There are many different ways that we can pass on and receive information. Some

people prefer particular ways of being communicated with. We communicate in many

different ways as outlined below.

Written communication

Written communication is information that is written down. Examples include service

plans, memos, emails and text messages. Written information can also include pictures,

symbols and drawings.

Verbal communication

Verbal communication is what you say and the words that you use. Examples of verbal

communication are conversations, staff meetings and talking on the phone.

Vocal communication

Vocal communication is what you hear - how you use your voice, and includes the clarity

of your speech, and your voice volume, tone, pitch and pacing (speed).

Vocal communication can be defined as: “It’s not what we say, but the way we say it.”

The message being sent can mean different things when an emphasis is placed on

different words. When we are excited or angry our speech tends to become more rapid,

louder in volume and more highly pitched. When we are bored our speech can be flat

and slow.


Non-verbal communication and body language

Most of the messages we give and receive when we communicate face to face come

from non-verbal communication or body language, rather than from the actual words

that we say.

Non-verbal communication is exchanging information without words. It includes what we

do and how we do it. Examples are touch, a certain look, and the use of space. Physical

contact like shaking hands gives a different message from patting a person on the back.

Non-verbal communication also includes communication methods like sign language.

Body language includes facial expressions, eye contact, posture, gestures, and all the

ways we use our body to communicate. Examples include smiling, nodding, shaking your

head, making eye contact and gestures like shrugging your shoulders.

For this reason you need to make sure your body language, as well as how you speak

reflects the words that you are saying. For example, you may say “Pleased to meet you”

when you are introduced to someone. If you do not sound pleased to have met them and

you turn away, the person may get a message that you are not pleased to have met

them.

Body positioning is a combination of body language and non-verbal communication.

People tend to sit closer to someone they like, or lean towards them when talking. This

creates a feeling of warmth and interest in the person.

Ideally you should be on the same level as

the person you are communicating with, so it

is a good idea to sit down by a person who

is sitting in a chair or wheelchair, or is lying

in bed.


Listening

All of us communicate on a daily basis. We may communicate on the phone, in a

meeting situation, in person, in an email, in a letter or in notes for the service delivery

plan.

We communicate with others differently depending on the setting we are in. For instance,

we would communicate with members of our family or whānau in a different way to those

we are supporting in the workplace, or to our colleagues or our supervisor/manager.

Listening to what someone is telling you is an essential part of the communication

process.

We must listen carefully when we support people. This may involve not only listening

to the person we are supporting, but listening to their family or whānau, or listening in

multidisciplinary team meetings. If we don’t listen correctly we may not get the right

message.

Communication may seem a natural and easy thing to do - after all we do it every day.

However listening involves certain skills, knowledge and attitudes.

Listening skills

Listening is not a passive activity as all parties involved need to participate for

communication to be effective. There are a number of key listening skills you need to be

an effective listener, for example:

give full attention to the person speaking.

be aware of the speaker’s other ways of communicating through non-verbal

means.

pay attention to the words and feelings that being expressed.

use active listening tools such as paraphrasing, reflecting, summarising and

questioning to increase your understanding of the speaker’s message, and

encourage the speaker to provide more information.

check that you have received the correct message.

Some basic principles of listening well include being accepting and respectful of the

person’s point of view, and being sincere and empathetic. The opportunity to be listened

to without being interrupted or judged helps people to feel encouraged and empowered.

Listening is an essential skill you need to develop so that you can communicate and

build effective relationships with the person you are supporting, other support workers

and family/whānau.


The purpose of listening

There are some keys things that a person listening must do if they are to listen

effectively. They are:

encourage the other person who has something to say to speak.

listen to what is being said and shared with you.

check that what you think you have heard is what the person actually said.

Often, when listening, we do not always pay close attention to everything that is being

said or conveyed. Sometimes we listen selectively, according to the purpose of the task,

or what we may want to hear.

To be an effective listener, we need to adopt particular listening techniques.

As listeners we need to be clear about the purpose of listening. The purpose will help

focus our attention on what is important and the direction of the discussion. It will also

help ‘steer’ the piece of communication, should the speaker wander from the track of the

discussion, or you want to clarify something they say. You might ask a question, ie “A

few moments ago you were saying … I’d like to know a little more about that.”

We need to let the speaker know what our purpose for listening is. This can often be

initiated by asking a question or saying “Could you tell me about …” or “I would like you

to describe how it has been for you.”

As a listener you can encourage communication by:

having open body language and a welcoming facial expression.

smiling and using the person’s preferred name.

reassuring the person that their personal information will be kept confidential.

making sure that you allowed enough time for the person to share their concerns.

making sure the purpose for the listening is known. For example, you may start by

finding out what the person wants to talk about. This helps to focus your attention

on what is important to the speaker.

The speaker can encourage communication by:

making the listener feel comfortable and welcome, for example, by offering the

person a cup of tea or coffee and asking them to sit down.

using open ended questions, so that the speaker can determine what the listener

wants to discuss.

When talking with a person it is always better to minimise interruptions and reduce any

noise by closing the door to the room and turning off any mobile phones. Providing

comfortable and suitably placed chairs for both parties to sit also helps to improve

relaxed communication.


Purpose of listening Useful listening techniques

Listening for personal enrichment such

as listening to music or stories.

Listening for those elements that make for an

enjoyable experience.

Listening to learn and understand the

others person’s views, thoughts and

feelings.

Attending.

Paraphrasing.

Showing respect.

Using empathy.

Being non-judgemental.

Reflecting.

Listening to help build relationships. Paraphrasing.

Showing respect.

Using empathy.

Listening to set and monitor goals to

work towards the person’s goals and

desires.

Attending.

Paraphrasing.

Summarising.

Listening to understand. Approach listening with an open mind.

Recognise your own bias and be non-

judgemental.

Listening to support. Listen closely to determine how other people

are feeling and respond appropriately.

Listening to evaluate. Be alert to errors such as bias, incorrect

information, generalised statements that may

be used to sway your action.

As a support worker you should:

listen to the person you are supporting, their family or whānau.

listen with courtesy, empathy, sincerity, understanding and in a non-judgemental

manner.

pay attention to what is being said and be aware of the person’s and your own

non-verbal responses.

listen actively by paraphrasing, summarising, questioning and reflecting on what

is being said.

clarify any directions or instructions.

summarise the information and confirm it with the person speaking, so that you

know you have heard the content of the communication correctly.

ask questions when you are not sure what is being said, or do not understand.


The four ‘A’s’ of a good listener

The four ‘A’s’ of a good listener are:

Attentive listening – listen carefully and pay attention to what is being said.

Accurate listening – make sure you understand what is being said by verifying it.

Ask – don’t assume you know. Ask a question.

Active listening– participate in the conversation and respond with verbal and

non-verbal gestures.

Listen well and

you will gain

information that is

valuable to

understanding the

person you are

caring for.


Active listening

Communicating and listening well includes allowing the person speaking to express their

emotions. Sometimes a person will verbally express their emotion explicitly (openly), or

they may be implicit (unsaid). In each case such as this, the listener will need to clarify

the speaker’s emotions, and listen actively.

Active listening requires the listener to really make an effort to hear accurately what has

been said. It also helps to show the speaker (communicator) that you are interested and

understood what was being said.

Active listening includes the following techniques:

attending.

paraphrasing.

questioning.

summarising.

reflecting.

responding to non-verbal cues.

It also includes giving verbal feedback on what the person has said, while at the same

time acknowledging the person’s feeling and emotions. It includes listening with

undivided attention and with an open mind.

Some further things you can do to ensure you are actively listening include:

look at the person speaking.

gesture to show you understand, for example, nod to show agreement.

use statements to confirm your understanding, for example, “I see what you mean.”

concentrate on what the person is saying.

ask questions to clarify what is meant.


Attending

Attentive or attending listening happens when the listener gives their full physical and

emotional attention to the person who is speaking. This technique of listening is not

about talking, it is about listening and hearing.

Attentive listening includes:

face the speaker and give them your full attention.

when seated lean gently forward towards the speaker in an attentive manner.

when standing keep an appropriate distance between yourself and the speaker so

as not to invade their personal space.

shut out distractions.

maintain an open posture and do not cross your arm.

if necessary, start with a question to get the person to tell their story, ie “Tell me

what happened today” or “How have you been feeling about this?”

nod and smile at the appropriate times to encourage the person to continue and

to show you are listening to what they are saying.

let them finish what they are saying and do not interrupt.

pay attention to the person’s non-verbal messages and body language to help

you understand what the person is saying and feeling.

if the person is overwhelmed with anger or other emotion, sometimes it is

necessary to enable the person to express their emotions.

try to understand the feeling the person is expressing and acknowledge this. Most

of us have difficulty talking clearly about our feelings, so it is important to pay

careful attention.

be accepting of their point of view. Do not judge them.


Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is where the content of what the person speaking has said is restated by

the listener. Paraphrasing should focus on the facts and/or ideas of the speaker’s

message and should be in the listener’s own words. Listen patiently to what the other

person has to say and then rephrase the message or idea back to the person, eg “I

understand that you are unhappy with the arrangements made at the meeting.”

Questioning

Questioning helps to further understand what a person is saying. It helps to focus the

speaker on the important issues and helps us to clarify information we are unsure of.

Questioning also allows the listener to gather background information from a person in a

supportive manner. Asking a question reassures the person that you are open to their

response and that you really want to understand them.

Open ended questions will encourage the speaker to often give more information than a

simple yes/no answer. Here are examples of open ended questions. “What happened

next?” or “How did you like that?” or “What do you think should be done next?”

Get more information about the person’s perspective by drawing them out with clarifying

questions, eg “Could you tell me more about …?” or “I’m interested in learning your

thoughts on …” Listen to their response and then use this to ask the next question.

When the other person touches on a point you want to know more about, simply repeat

their statement as a question. With this encouragement they will probably expand on

their previous statement. Avoid direct questions and arguments about facts. For

example, “That’s not true” is confrontational and could make people take a firmer view.

Ask sincere questions which request more information and help to clarify the person’s

feelings and concerns.

Always ask a

question

if you do not

understand – do

not make

assumptions.


Summarising

When a listener summarises, they bring together the main ideas, experiences and

feelings shared by the speaker. This is used to show the speaker that the listener

understood the main points of what was said. It allows the listener to check that they

have understood the main points and shows that they have grasped the meaning of the

message.

Restate the person’s feelings briefly, but accurately. For example: When the other

person has finished speaking, summarise (in your own words) the main ideas the person

said for verification, for example, “I heard you say … Is that right?” or “Please correct me

if I have left something out.”

By saying things this way, and if you haven’t got the message correctly, the speaker will

have the chance to give you immediate feedback.

Reflecting

Reflective listening acts like a mirror to reflect back the person’s feelings and ideas that

have been heard by you as the listener. They may be both verbal and/or non-verbal

clues. Reflective listening combines summarising, paraphrasing and reflecting back to

the person the message received in words, posture and expressions.

Reflective listening is a check of our understanding of the message. It confirms with the

person that you have grasped the message, have listened to what they have said, and

gives them the opportunity to correct any misunderstanding or inaccuracies. It also

increases the effectiveness of the communication. You can show that you understand

the speaker’s point of view without actually agreeing with them.

Try to clarify the person’s feelings without judgement and rephrase in neutral terms, for

example, “I hear that you are very frustrated. Is that right?”

Don’t discount the speaker’s feelings with stock phrases, such as “It’s not that bad.”

It is important that you do not respond with angry, judgemental or argumentative

responses.


LEARNING ACTIVITY

Ideally you need to listen to the conversations that are written down here. You can get a

CD that goes with this workbook for the cost of postage or download the audio tracks as

an MP3 file for free from the Careerforce shop http://shop.careerforce.org.nz/11097cd/

Track one. Listen to this whole track and paraphrase what you believe Jason is saying.

Person One: “Hi Jason. How are you today?”

Jason: “I’m okay, I guess. But…(pauses) I just don’t understand why I have to go work at

that place. It’s too hard, and sometimes the people make fun of me when I’m collecting

the trays.”

Paraphrase in the space below what Jason said on track one.

Track two. Listen to this whole track and paraphrase what you believe Doris is saying.

Person One: “Hi Doris. Can you get your shower things together and I’ll come back and

get you in about 15 minutes?”

Doris: “I don’t want to have a shower today. I just had my hair permed. And I had a

shower on Monday. I don’t want to have to have a shower every day. It’s a waste of

water. And I get too cold.”

Paraphrase in the space below what Doris said on track two.

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Track three. Listen to this track and write three questions you would use and explain

why you would use these questions.

“I’m not very happy about having a new support worker next week. I know that you need

a holiday and everything, but I’m worried that that new lady won’t do things like you do.”

1

2

3

Track four. Listen to this track and summarise what you have heard.

“I’m really annoyed about having to do all of those exercises. I can’t do the exercises

because it hurts and they’re far too hard for me. It’s not easy being my age you know

and I’ve just had that surgery. I just think I’m too unwell and do you know what? I’m not

going to do them. You can tell that physio I did them last week and I can’t do them this

week.”

Summarise what you heard on track four.


Track five. Listen to this track and using the reflective technique of listening, write how

you would reflect this message back to the sender.

“I’m really excited about going to visit my daughter and her new baby in Melbourne. This

is my fourth grandchild, you know. I’m just a bit worried about the flight, though. I hope I

won’t be too tired to help her when I get there. I hope the flight attendant will bring me a

cup of tea. And maybe I’ll be able to have a sleep.”

What would you say to the person to check that you understood what she was saying?

What would you do to show her that you were listening to her when she was speaking?

How could you give the person the opportunity to check that you accurately understood

what she said?


Responding to non-verbal communication

Non-verbal communication is communication without words being spoken. It’s about

communicating our feelings without the use of words.

Body language is a non-verbal way of

communicating. It includes smiling, nodding,

shaking of the head, turning away from

someone, shrugging of the shoulders etc.

Facial expressions convey happiness,

disgust, fear, anger, surprise, and sadness. A

raised eyebrow indicates a feeling of surprise,

whereas the rolling of the eyes indicates

frustration.

We use eye contact when listening and

speaking to provide important social and

emotional information. How eye contact is

understood differs with different cultures,

as in some it shows respect and attentiveness,

whereas in other cultures it is seen as respectful to look away.

A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication made with a part of the body and can

be used instead of speaking, or with speaking. Gestures are usually used to express a

variety of feelings and thoughts, from fear and sadness to agreement and affection.

Some examples include shaking of the head to indicate yes or no, bringing the hand to

the mouth to indicate the need to eat, clasping hands together beside the face to indicate

the need to sleep, wrinkling of the nose to show disgust, or indicating with thumbs up that

all is OK.

Body postures can indicate a feeling of warmth, interest, anticipation, or they can

indicate disinterest and a lack of warmth towards the other person. For example,

someone sitting forward and making eye contact with the person speaking creates the

feeling of being interested in what the person is saying whereas someone slumped in a

chair looking out the window conveys feeling of disinterest.

Personal space, and distance between people when speaking or meeting, differs with

individuals, genders and styles. For example, women tend to share space more than

men, people working together at a meeting may sit opposite or beside each other, the

manager is likely to have a bigger work space than staff members.

It is important to

ensure our verbal

communication

matches our

non-verbal

communication

and the pitch and

tone of our voice.


LEARNING ACTIVITY

Read each scenario and then answer the question.

When you arrive at Jerry’s house he looks very sad. He is slumped in the chair and does

not look up when you enter the room. When you ask him how he is, he says he is fine.

What were the messages you were getting from Jerry?

At work you meet Kerry, who asks if you could work for her next Wednesday as she

wants to go to her son’s school sports day. You say you cannot because of a family

commitment. While you can’t quite put your finger on it, you feel she is annoyed with you

as her voice and attitude become strained, although she said –“That’s ok, I don’t mind.”

What were the messages you were getting from Kerry?

Your supervisor calls you in to his office and asks you about the leave you have applied

for. He says he is not annoyed with you, but he actually looks angry and is not smiling.

What was the message you got from your supervisor?

In the messages you received (verbal or non-verbal) what had the greatest impact on

you and why?


Make the message clear

The key to communicating is to make your message clear, without ambiguity, and to

listen attentively and well. When listening we are gaining information that could be

valuable in understanding a person in our care.

There are a number of ways in which we can ensure messages are clear. In vocal

communication the message being sent can mean different things when an emphasis is

placed on different words. As an exercise read the following sentences out loud, placing

the emphasis on the word in BOLD.

I didn’t say you were hopeless.





One of the basic abilities of successful communication and listening is being able to

recognise the message within the communication, and any underlying message.

Implicit messages refer to the things that we do or the non-spoken message sent

through our actions and behaviour or body language. They are not directly expressed

and there is room for misinterpretation.

Explicit messages are the things we say outright. In explicit messages there is little

room for misinterpretation and the message is very clear. Active listening can go some

way to clearing up any confusion between implicit and explicit messages.

Explicit message sent Implicit message received

Seek clarification by:

“I really value honesty and integrity.”

Honesty and integrity should be valued.

Paraphrasing, questioning, and reflecting.

“My tummy is rumbling.” The person is hungry. Clarifying and ask the person, do not assume.

Looking down or away with no eye contact made.

The person is not interested, or is hiding something from you.

Ask the person, don’t assume, and remember it may be a cultural custom.

“I am not going to take these tablets.”

“They are not working, or doing any good.”

Clarifying and questioning.

“My leg really hurts and I can’t walk very far.”

“Can we go in the car or take a bus?”

Paraphrasing, questioning and reflecting.


Barriers to successful listening

Barriers stop us from really hearing what is being said and understanding the person’s

ideas, beliefs, thoughts and wishes. A barrier is an obstacle to good communication and

good listening. It can occur at any point in the communication process.

Listening barriers may include:

noise and distractions such as the TV or stereo.

a busy work place.

the sender of the message using large, uncommon words that are not easily

understood.

the listener or the speaker being tired.

the listener has poor listening skills.

having a poor attitude towards, or understanding of the sender.

lack of interest in the message.

personal or and/or emotional problems.

cultural differences and understandings.

These barriers may be external, for example:

noise from lawnmower.

interruptions by other people.

Or the barriers may be internal, for example:

our own perceptions.

past experiences.

prejudices and assumptions we may have already made.


Common barriers to listening

This table identifies some common barriers to listening, what can go wrong in the

communication process, and how this can be avoided or overcome.

Barrier What can go wrong How this can be avoided or

overcome

Not listening The person wants to tell you

something, but they cannot get

their message across.

You are thinking about

something else and not

concentrating on what is being

said.

Use the active listening technique:

Concentrate on what is being

said.

Restate what has been said, to

clarify, correct if required, and

show the speaker you

understand.

Using

inappropriate

language

The language used is too

technical or uses uncommon

words.

Use of offensive or unfamiliar

words.

These may make it difficult for a

person to understand.

Use words that are commonly used

and understood by the person.

Consider the person you are

talking to.

Don’t talk down to them.

Check the person understood

by getting their feedback.

Being

defensive

The listener may not concentrate

on what is being said, but is instead

thinking of ways to dominate the

situation, win an argument, or talk

over the top of a person.

Recognise behaviour that is

defensive, and when this happens

tell the person you are

uncomfortable with the situation

and the message you are getting.

Not giving

feedback

By not responding to a piece of

communication can lead to

misunderstanding.

Offer feedback in a supportive way,

expressing how you feel and your

thoughts.

Distractions Thinking about something else

while the other person is speaking

prevents you from listening

effectively and may result in you

misunderstanding the other

person’s message and what they

are trying to tell you.

Concentrate on using active

listening techniques. If you find it

difficult to listen properly, explain to

the person that you need to deal

with your distraction first and that

you will get back to them soon.


LEARNING ACTIVITY

Listen to tracks six and seven on the CD that goes with this workbook or download the

audio as an MP3 file from the Careerforce shop http://shop.careerforce.org.nz/11097cd/

Track six. Pay close attention to the words that are emphasised and write how the

message changes because of it.

“I thought we had agreed that we would help Jim to shower at 10.15. After I had finished

reading the letter to Doris.”

“I thought we had agreed that we would help Jim to shower at 10.15. After I had finished

reading the letter to Doris.”

What words were emphasised?

When the emphasis was changed to different words, what happened to the message?

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Track seven. Pay close attention to the words that are emphasised and write how the

message changes because of it.

“I am not angry with you.”

“I’m not angry with you.”



“I am not angry with you.”

Track eight. Listen to this track and identify four of the listening barriers that you can

hear.

“I’m really excited about going to visit my daughter and her new baby in Melbourne.

This is my fourth grandchild, you know. I’m just a bit worried about the flight, though.

I hope I won’t be too tired to help her when I get there. I hope the flight attendant will

bring me a cup of tea. And maybe I’ll be able to have a sleep."

What were four listening barriers you heard?

1 2 3 4


The cultural context

There are cultural differences between groups of people that can impact on the way the

message is heard. This can result in cross cultural miscommunication where people

misread each other and the message being sent is lost. Cross cultural

miscommunication happens when we judge each other based on our own experiences

and make assumptions based on our belief that everyone communicates in the same

way as us.

When this happens we fail to listen to the person’s message. When listening to others it

is important to understand that cultural differences in understanding body language,

facial expression and words can occur between cultural groups.

Acceptable protocols can influence how we communicate with other people, for example

a powhiri, or formal introduction.

Here are some common forms of communication with a cultural significance.

An upward movement of the eye brow can indicate surprise or questioning,

whereas in another culture it can be interpreted as understanding or a form of

greeting.

Some cultures combine the use of the word “yes” or “no” with a nod or shake of

their head, while others may just use one or the other.

In many European cultures, eye contact is a sign of respect and indicates to the

speaker that you are listening and are interested in what they are saying.

However in other cultures this is not the case, and can be seen as disrespectful.

Some cultures prefer a formal welcome and introduction prior to opening up

conversation, while others my want to cut out formalities.

A shrugging of the shoulders can mean “I don’t care” or “I don’t know.”

All communication is

cultural – it builds on

and reflects the ways

we have learnt to

speak. Listening also

occurs in a cultural

context.


Strict silence is often seen as a mark of respect, especially at meetings or formal

talks. In other cultures and situations some level of noise is acceptable, even

when someone is talking publicly.

Food is seen as very important by some cultures as it indicates friendship and

sharing. To refuse food in these situations can be seen as being disrespectful. In

some cultures food is not eaten together as a family group, but according to rank

or status. For example in some cultures elderly women and children eat first or

last.

A cultural group can also include people within a group. The elderly, the very young, or

teenagers are examples of this. New Zealanders communicate differently based on their

shared values, beliefs and attitudes. For example, how we communicate with elderly

people may differ to how we communicate with our friends. How we communicate with

our friends will differ to how we communicate with our colleagues at work. How we

communicate with the people we are supporting will differ to how we communicate with

our family. The responses we receive will also relate to both the language used and the

protocols of the group.


LEARNING ACTIVITY

Watch several commercial advertisements on TV with people in. Select two of the commercials and answer the following questions.

Question Commercial 1 Commercial 2

What was the commercial

advertising?

What body language was

used?

How was the body language

used?

What message did you

receive?

How was the tone of voice

used?

What words were

emphasised?

What was the effect?

How was the posture used?

What was effective?

What message did you get?

How was facial expression

used and why?


LEARNING ACTIVITY

Choose one of the following topics and ask a colleague or friend to talk with you about the topic for several minutes.

The price of groceries.

Abortion.

We need to change the government.

Getting a pay rise.

Smoking.

Teaching religion in schools.

Your role is to listen and understand your colleague or friend and their point of view. After they have finished, consider your listening skills and answer the following questions.

Describe how you listened.

What did you discover about the person?

Did the person have strong opinions?

What did the person emphasise, and how did they do that?

Describe ways you may listen differently in future.


Rewind to page 6...

When I listen from now on I intend to:

When I am speaking I will:

How will good communication benefit the person you are supporting and your

colleagues?


My notes


Completion and assessment

Congratulations!

You have come to the end of the workbook. Please check over all the activities in this

workbook to make sure you have completed them.

Your assessment is next.

You need to complete the trainee assessment successfully to be credited with this unit

standard.

Acknowledgements

Careerforce thanks the people who have contributed to this workbook by:

researching and validating content.

providing advice and expertise.

testing the activities.

sharing personal experiences.

appearing in photographs.

The images contained in these workbooks are visual illustrations only and are not representative of

actual events or personal circumstances.

All rights reserved

© Careerforce. Except as provided by the Copyright Act 1994, no part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of

Careerforce, PO Box 25 255, Christchurch 8144. www.careerforce.org.nz

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