Active listening is very rare, especially in a class where lecture is on a boring subject. But effective listening is very essential at every part of life. At schools, effective listening means fewer errors and less wasted time at home it helps develop resourcefulness.

Effective listening in class can lead you to success.

In order to develop effective listening skills, you have to put in a fair share of work along with having some proven techniques to improve your ability to be an “active listener”.

Tips for effective listening:

Here are some tips to help you develop effective listening skills.

• Make eye contact with the teacher:

While listening to the lecture, make sure you make eye contact with the person speaking. Eye contact is considered a basic ingredient of effective communication, whether you are speaking or listening. Put aside papers, books, the phone and other distractions and focus on listening.

• Relax your mind but be attentive:

Be mentally attentive in the class. It is very easy to get distracted during a lecture because of any background activity or noise; very often mind just wanders somewhere else whereas eyes are still on the speaker. Relax yourself, be present in the class and pay attention to the words of the teacher.

• Keep an open mind:

Listen without jumping to conclusions, keep an open mind but don’t be a sentence-grabber. Sometimes you think you know more but it is better to listen what the teacher has to say first.

• Imagine what the teacher is saying, carefully listen to the words:

Allow your mind to create a mental model of the information being communicated. Whether a literal picture, or an arrangement of abstract concepts, your brain will do the necessary work if you stay focused, with senses fully alert. When listening for long stretches, concentrate and remember key words and phrases.

• Do not interrupt the teacher:

We all think and speak at different rates. If you are a quick thinker than the rest of the class and an agile talker, you should slow down a bit and carefully listen to what is being taught.

• Wait for the teacher to pause to ask clarifying questions:

When you don’t understand something, of course you should ask the speaker to explain it to you. But rather than interrupting, wait until the speaker pauses.

• Ask appropriate questions:

Always ask appropriate question that will increase your understanding regarding to the lecture.

• Give the teacher regular feedback:

If you do not understand something or the teacher’s teaching method isn’t right for you, communicate with the teacher. Give him feedback so he can use better approach for your understanding next time.

• Also pay attention to what isn’t said—to nonverbal cues:

Face to face with a person, you can detect enthusiasm, boredom, or irritation very quickly in the expression around the eyes, the set of the mouth and the slope of the shoulders. These are clues you can’t ignore. When listening, remember that words convey only a fraction of the message. Also focus on body language and nonverbal cues.