Active Listening: Techniques for Listening Effectively

You want to pass that math subject, you really do. It’s just that every time the math professor open her lips, lullabies come out of her mouth. The notes come near you, whispering to your ear. In no time you fall asleep.

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Cheer up, you don’t have to cut your forearms and squeeze dayapi.

The solution to your problem is active listening. It’s listening with effort. The formula to this solution is called TQLR. The TQLR method can be used in any situation, whether you’re just listening to music, to a public speaker, or to your math professor.

APPLYING TQLR for Active Listening

TQLR stands for Tune-in, Question, Listen, and Review.

Tuning-in requires clearing the channel and reducing the noise. To tune-in means avoiding anything that can distract listening and shifting your focus on the listener. So eliminate that noisy seatmate of yours and focus on your professor.

Question is a step where think of questions. The process of good listening does not start with listening itself, but rather with thinking. Preparing questions will make you more focused on the discussion because you are trying to find out answers to your question.

As soon as the speaker starts, listen. When you did tuning-in and questioning well, you will notice that sometimes you can think ahead of what the speaker might say next. Remember to think along as you listen.

The end-step of the method is to review. After listening, review in your mind what was discussed. Also, it will be more effective to jot down notes as you listen.

You will notice that when you’re interested in something, you apply TQLR without much effort (and without even thinking about it). TQLR may be used in any situation even if you’re not at all interested in what is being discussed. Applying TQLR will make your active listening more efficient, and makes the discussion more interesting.