BUSINESS ENGLISH

Week -2 Long Descriptive Questions

JUNE 23, 2023

NAME : CHEZHIAN
(EC2352001010392)
1. Define and explain critical listening and its importance in the public speaking
context.
Critical listening refers to the process of actively and thoughtfully analyzing and
evaluating spoken messages to gain a deeper understanding of the content,
identify strengths and weaknesses, assess credibility, and make informed
judgments or assessments. It involves applying critical thinking skills to the
information being presented and considering multiple perspectives.
In the context of public speaking, critical listening plays a crucial role for both the
audience and the speaker. Here are a few key points to understand its
importance:
1. Enhanced Understanding: Critical listening allows the audience to grasp the
main ideas, arguments, and supporting evidence presented by the speaker.
It helps in comprehending complex or unfamiliar concepts and promotes
deeper engagement with the topic.
2. Evaluation of Content: By critically listening, the audience can assess the
quality, relevance, and coherence of the speaker's message. They can
evaluate the strength of the arguments, the credibility of the evidence
provided, and the logical consistency of the speech. This evaluation helps
the audience to develop their own opinions and make informed judgments
about the speaker's message.
3. Active Engagement: Critical listening encourages active participation in the
public speaking event. It keeps the audience mentally engaged, as they
actively process and analyze the information being presented. This
involvement leads to a more dynamic and interactive speaking
environment.
4. Feedback and Improvement: Critical listening allows the audience to
provide constructive feedback to the speaker. They can offer valuable
insights, suggestions, and comments that can help the speaker refine their
delivery, clarify their message, and improve their public speaking skills.
5. Dialogue and Debate: Critical listening fosters meaningful dialogue and
constructive debate. It encourages the audience to ask questions, seek
clarification, and engage in discussions related to the speech. This exchange
 of ideas enriches the public speaking experience and promotes the
exploration of different perspectives.
Overall, critical listening is crucial in the public speaking context as it enhances
understanding, enables evaluation, promotes active engagement, facilitates
feedback and improvement, and encourages dialogue and debate. By actively
listening and critically assessing the speaker's message, the audience can have a
more enriching and rewarding public speaking experience.
2. What are the six distinct ways to improve the ability to critically listen to
speeches?
Improving the ability to critically listen to speeches involves developing certain
skills and adopting specific strategies. Here are six distinct ways to enhance your
critical listening skills in the context of speech:
1. Active Engagement: Actively engage with the speech by paying close
attention to the speaker's message. Avoid distractions, maintain eye
contact, and focus on understanding the content. Take notes to capture key
points, supporting evidence, and any areas of confusion or disagreement.
2. Analyze the Structure: Analyze the structure of the speech to identify the
main points, supporting arguments, and transitions. Pay attention to the
logical flow of ideas and how the speaker organizes their thoughts. Assess if
the structure effectively supports the intended message and if there is
coherence throughout the speech.
3. Evaluate Supporting Evidence: Assess the quality and relevance of the
supporting evidence provided by the speaker. Consider whether the
evidence is credible, accurate, and sufficient to support the claims being
made. Look for examples, statistics, expert opinions, or other sources that
enhance the speaker's arguments.
4. Assess Rhetorical Techniques: Observe and evaluate the speaker's use of
rhetorical techniques to persuade the audience. Analyze the use of
language, tone, gestures, and visual aids to determine their effectiveness in
conveying the message and engaging the audience. Consider if the speaker
effectively appeals to logic, emotions, or ethics.
 5. Consider Multiple Perspectives: Foster a mindset of openness and consider
multiple perspectives. Evaluate the speech from different viewpoints to
develop a comprehensive understanding of the topic. This includes
considering counterarguments, alternative interpretations, and varying
cultural or contextual perspectives.
6. Provide Constructive Feedback: After the speech, provide constructive
feedback to the speaker. Offer specific insights and suggestions regarding
their delivery, organization, use of evidence, or other relevant aspects.
Focus on providing feedback that helps the speaker improve their public
speaking skills and enhance the clarity and impact of their message.
By actively engaging, analyzing the structure, evaluating evidence, assessing
rhetorical techniques, considering multiple perspectives, and providing
constructive feedback, you can significantly improve your ability to critically listen
to speeches. These practices enable you to assess the content and delivery of the
speech more effectively and develop a deeper understanding of the speaker's
message.
3. Evaluate what it means to be an ethical listener.
Being an ethical listener means adhering to principles and values that promote
respectful, responsible, and compassionate listening behaviors. It involves actively
engaging with others' messages in an ethical and morally upright manner. Here
are some key aspects that characterize an ethical listener:
1. Respect for Others: Ethical listeners demonstrate respect for the speaker
and their viewpoints, regardless of whether they agree or disagree. They
listen attentively, without interrupting or dismissing the speaker's ideas.
They value diversity of perspectives and show empathy towards different
experiences and beliefs.
2. Non-judgmental Attitude: Ethical listeners approach conversations without
preconceived judgments or biases. They strive to understand the speaker's
message without immediately passing judgments based on personal biases
or stereotypes. They suspend judgment until they have fully grasped the
speaker's perspective.
 3. Open-mindedness: Ethical listeners maintain an open-minded attitude,
willing to consider new ideas and perspectives. They are receptive to
alternative viewpoints, challenging their own assumptions, and actively
seeking to expand their knowledge and understanding. They engage in
constructive dialogue, valuing intellectual curiosity and the pursuit of truth.
4. Confidentiality and Privacy: Ethical listeners respect confidentiality and
privacy. They understand that some conversations or disclosures may be
sensitive or personal, and they maintain the confidentiality of such
information. They do not share or exploit private information without the
speaker's consent, ensuring trust and a safe environment for open
communication.
5. Empathy and Compassion: Ethical listeners demonstrate empathy and
compassion towards the speaker's emotions, experiences, and struggles.
They seek to understand the speaker's feelings and perspectives, offering
support and validation when necessary. They listen without judgment,
providing a safe space for the speaker to express themselves.
6. Responsiveness and Accountability: Ethical listeners respond thoughtfully
and honestly to the speaker's message. They engage in active dialogue,
asking clarifying questions, and offering relevant feedback or insights. They
take responsibility for their own listening behaviours and strive to improve
their listening skills continually.
By embodying these ethical listening qualities, individuals create a conducive
environment for effective communication, mutual respect, and understanding.
Ethical listeners promote healthy relationships, foster meaningful connections,
and contribute to a positive and inclusive communication culture
4. How informational listening is different from critical listening?
Informational listening and critical listening are two distinct listening approaches
with different purposes and focuses. Here's how they differ:
Informational Listening: Informational listening primarily focuses on gaining
information, understanding facts, and obtaining knowledge from the speaker's
message. It involves listening to gather information and learn about a particular
topic or subject. The main goal of informational listening is to comprehend and
retain the information being conveyed accurately. Examples of situations where
informational listening is used include lectures, educational presentations, news
broadcasts, or receiving instructions.
Key characteristics of informational listening include:
1. Absorbing Information: The listener's primary objective is to absorb and
comprehend the information being presented. They focus on
understanding the content, facts, and details of the message.
2. Objective and Neutral: Informational listening is typically objective and
neutral. The listener aims to obtain a clear understanding of the
information without imposing personal judgments or opinions.
3. Retaining Knowledge: The emphasis is on retaining the information for
future use, such as studying, research, or practical application.
Informational listeners seek to remember and recall the facts and details
conveyed in the message.
Critical Listening: Critical listening, on the other hand, involves analyzing and
evaluating the speaker's message beyond simple comprehension. It goes beyond
gathering information and focuses on assessing the quality, validity, and
credibility of the message. Critical listening requires active thinking, discernment,
and the application of critical thinking skills.
Key characteristics of critical listening include:
1. Evaluating Arguments: Critical listeners assess the strength of the speaker's
arguments, claims, and supporting evidence. They analyze the logical
reasoning, assess the credibility of sources, and evaluate the coherence of
the message.
2. Identifying Biases and Assumptions: Critical listeners are attentive to any
biases, assumptions, or fallacies in the speaker's message. They question
the underlying assumptions and examine potential biases that may
influence the validity or reliability of the information.
3. Forming Judgments: Critical listeners form judgments or assessments about
the quality and credibility of the message based on their analysis. They
 make informed judgments about the speaker's effectiveness, the
persuasiveness of the arguments, and the overall impact of the message.
In summary, while informational listening focuses on understanding and retaining
information, critical listening goes beyond comprehension and involves evaluating
the message, assessing arguments, identifying biases, and forming informed
judgments. Critical listening requires active thinking and analysis to determine the
credibility and quality of the information being presented.