Learning and Listening Skills

Skill 1 Using Encouraging Non Verbal Communication

Non-verbal communication means showing your attitude through your posture, your expression, your emotional response without speaking. (Note All four types will be demonstrated through role play)

Skill 1- Using Encouraging Non Verbal Communication - 1

Four types:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Posture keep your head level. Physical Barriers Remove barriers Eye Contact- pay attention Take time dont rush

POSTURE
Good morning, Madam. How is breastfeeding going for you and the baby? HINDERS: stand with your head higher than the mothers head. HELPS: sit so that your head is at level with the mothers head. NOTE: KEEP YOUR HEAD LEVEL .

EYE CONTACT
Good morning, Madam. How is breastfeeding going for you and the baby? HELPS: look at her and pay attention as you speak. HINDERS: look away at something else, or down at your notes. NOTE: PAY ATTENTION (Note: eye contact may have different meanings in different cultures. Sometimes when a person looks away it means that he or she is ready to listen. Direct eye contact between opposite sexes may also be inappropriate. If necessary, adapt this to your own situation)

PHYSICAL BARRIERS
Good morning, Madam. How is breastfeeding going for you and the baby? HINDERS: sit behind a table, or write notes while you talk. HELPS: remove the table or the notes. NOTE: REMOVE BARRIERS

TAKING TIME
Good morning, Madam. How is breastfeeding going for you and the baby? HELPS: make her feel that you have time. Sit down and greet her without hurrying; then just stay quietly smiling at her, watching her breast feed, and waiting for her to answer. HINDERS: be in a hurry. Greet her quickly, show signs of impatience, and look at your watch. NOTE: TAKE TIME .

Skill 2 Asking Open Questions

To start a discussion with a person or with a group, you need to ask some questions. It is important to ask questions in a way which encourages people to talk to you freely and to willingly share information. This saves you from asking too many questions, and enables you to learn more in the time available. We learn by listening, not by talking ( this is the reason why communicators have two ears and one mouth).

Skill 2 Asking Open Questions

Open questions are usually the most helpful. To answer them, the person must give you some information. Open questions usually start with How? What? When? Where? Why? For example, How are you feeding your baby?. Closed questions are usually less helpful. They often tell a mother the answer that you expect, and she can answer them with a Yes or No.

Skill 2 Asking Open Questions

Closed questions usually start with words like Are you?, Did he?, Has he? or Does she? For example: Did you breastfeed your last baby? If a mother says Yes to this question, you still do not know if she breastfed exclusively, or if she also gave some artificial milk. You can become quite frustrated, and think that the mother is not willing to talk, or that she is not telling the truth.

Practice - Asking Open and Closed Questions

DemonstrationClosed ended questions

Communicator: Good morning Madam. I am Eno, a health communicator. Is your baby well? Mother: Yes, thank you. Communicator: Are you breastfeeding him? Mother: Yes. Communicator: Are you having any difficulties? Mother: No. Communicator: Is he breastfeeding very often? Mother: Yes. Comment the HW received yes and no for answers and did not learn much. It can be difficult to know what to say next

DemonstrationOpen ended questions

Communicator: Good morning Madam. I am Eno a health communicator. How is your baby? Mother: He is well, and he is very hungry. Communicator: Tell me, how are you feeding him? Mother: He is breastfeeding. I just have to give him one bottle feed in the evening. Communicator: What made you decide to do that? Mother: He wants to feed too much at that time, so I thought that my milk was not enough. Communicator: What do you put in the bottle? Mother: Rice water with sugar.

Group Practice
My baby is six months old and has lost weight during the last 2 months My baby has diarrhoea I am pregnant My child has a terrible cough each group make up open-ended questions which they might ask someone in response to the above statements, share their questions in the plenary and other participants listen and decide if the questions were in fact an open question.

Skill 3 Using responses and gestures

If you want a person to continue talking, you must show that you are listening, and that you are interested in what they are saying. Important ways to show that you are listening and interested are: with gestures, for example, look at her, nod and smile; with simple responses, for example, you say Aha, Mmm, Oh dear!

Demonstration
Communicator: Good morning Madam. How is your breastfeeding of your baby going for you these days? Mother: Good morning. It is going quite well, I think. Communicator: Mmm (nods, smiles). Mother: Well, I was a bit worried the other day, because he vomited. Communicator: Oh dear! (raises eyebrows, looks interested). Mother I wondered if it was something that I ate, so that my milk did not suit him. Communicator: Aha! (nods sympathetically).

Skill 4 Reflect back what the mother said

Communicators sometimes ask mothers many factual questions. However, the answers to factual questions are often not helpful. The mother may say less and less in reply to each question. For example, if a mother says: My baby was crying too much last night, you might want to ask: How many times did he wake up?, But the answer is not helpful. It is more useful to repeat back or reflect what a mother says. It shows that you understand, and she is more likely to say more about what is important to her.

Skill 4 Reflect back what the mother said

It is best to repeat what the mother says in a slightly different way, so that it does not sound as though you are copying her. For example, if a mother says: My baby was crying too much last night, you could say: Your baby kept you awake crying all night?. If you continue to reflect back what a mother says every time, it can begin to sound rather rude. It is better to mix up reflecting back with other responses. For example: Oh really? or Goodness, or an open question.

Demonstration

Communicator: Good morning Madam. How are you and your baby k today? Mother: He wants to feed too much-he is taking my breast all the time! Communicator: Your baby is feeding very often? Mother: Yes. This week he is so hungry. I think that my milk is drying up. Communicator: He seems hungrier just for about a week? Mother: Yes and my sister is telling me that I should give him some bottle feeds as well. Communicator: Your sister says that he needs

Demonstration 2
Communicator: Good morning. Madam. How are you and your baby today? Mother: He wants to feed too much-he is taking my breast all the time. Communicator: Your baby is feeding very often? Mother: Yes. This week he is so hungry. I think that my milk is drying up. Communicator: Oh dear! Mother: Yes, it is exhausting. My sister tells me that I should give some bottle feeds and get some rest. Communicator: Your sister wants you to give some bottle feeds? Mother: Yes she says that I am foolish to struggle on like this. Communicator: How do you feel about that? Mother: Well, I dont want to give bottle feeds.

Understanding Rumour Role Play The Chinese Example This exercise teaches the following lessons:
The person who starts the game has to give the message clearly. Clarity and brevity in messages is very important. The person who receives the message must listen carefully. People should pay attention to what is being said and understand it. This is part of the ability to listen.

Messages when they go from one person to another get distorted and this is how rumours begin. It is difficult to point out where the message distortion began. Similarly it is difficult to pin down the person responsible for beginning a wrong message or rumour.

Session wrap up Listening and Learning Skills

Listening and learning skills are something not necessarily known to all. They are skills that can be learnt and improved. Communication includes both verbal and non verbal communication. Gestures, looks, facial expressions all communicate and therefore communicators must be conscious of all methods of communication. The way a person speaks, tone, manner and method of interactions all make a difference in communication. Development workers must be aware of all these personal behaviours and how they impact on people.