LISTENING BEHAVIORS SURVEY
PRESENTED BY THE ELMHURST COLLEGE LEARNING CENTER
Print out this survey(OR pick up your very own hard copy from the Learning Center). Read each statement and decide how that statement describes your behavior. Circle YES in the appropriate column. The interpretation for this survey is located below the survey. BUT don't peek. Be honest in your self-assessment.
| STATEMENT | Always True of Me |
Sometimes True of Me |
Never True of Me |
| 1. I stay awake during class. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 2. I maintain eye contact with speaker. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 3. I don't pretend interest in subject. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 4. I understand instructor's questions. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 5. I try to summarize the information. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 6. I look for organizational patterns(e.g. causes and effects, listing of items). | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 7. I set a purpose for listening. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 8. I forego the temptation to daydream during class. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 9. I try to predict what will come next. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 10. I take notes regularly. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 11. I ignore external distractions such as loud noises, late arriving students. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 12. I try to determine the speaker's purpose. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 13. I recognize that the speaker may be biased about the subject. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 14. I write down questions the instructor poses during class. | yes |
yes |
yes |
| 15. I copy down items from the chalkboard or overhead projector. | yes |
yes |
yes |
ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
Tally the three columns. Then refer to the interpretations below.
14-15 YES for Always True of Me
You're probably a fantastic listener, both in a classroom setting and among your friends. Keep up the good work.
12-13 YES for Always True of Me
You are a good listener but you need to fine tune a few of your listening skills. Choose behaviors to modify that you feel will easily improve your listening and classroom performance.
10-11 YES for Always True of Me
You need to change some behaviors so that you will get more out of classroom lectures. To improve your listening behaviors, you should start with any item that you marked as Never True. Then move to the Sometimes True column.
9 or Less YES for Always True of Me
OR
7 or More YES for Never True of Me
At this point in your academic career, you need to master listening skills for academic success. It will be difficult to find a situation in which you will not need to use listening skills. College class formats include lecture, class discussion, or group work. But there is hope! The Learning Center has many suggestions to help you improve these skills. You may choose to:
explore this Study Tips topic in more detail.
OR
Pick a copy of The Joy of Listening by Lukes and Lynott from the Learning Center. This book has five chapters exploring active listening, non-verbal cues, evaluation of messages, and more as well as numerous easy exercises to strengthen your listening skills.
OR
contact a member of the Learning Center staff for a one-on-one plan for improvement.
Return to Effective Listening Skills