What is active listening and name one technique to demonstrate it?

What is active listening and name one technique to demonstrate it?

• A. Active listening means fully concentrating on the speaker and confirming understanding; technique: paraphrasing or summarizing what was said.
• B. Active listening is simply nodding occasionally and waiting to speak; technique: multitasking during conversations.
• C. Active listening is repeating the speaker's words verbatim; technique: taking notes only.
• D. Active listening is interrupting to give immediate feedback; technique: interrupt with questions.

Answer: (A)

Active listening means giving your full attention to the speaker and confirming that you understand what they're saying. A practical way to demonstrate this is to paraphrase or summarize what was said in your own words. This shows you’re truly processing the message, not just thinking about your response, and it helps catch any misunderstandings early. For example, you might say, “So you’re saying that X happened and you felt Y because of it, is that right?” This approach also builds trust and encourages the speaker to share more, because they see you’re engaged and want to understand accurately. Other options fall short because they’re either passive, distracting, or disrupt the flow of communication: merely nodding or waiting to speak doesn’t verify understanding; multitasking divides attention; repeating words verbatim doesn’t reflect comprehension or engagement; interrupting to give feedback breaks the speaker’s train of thought.

Active listening means giving your full attention to the speaker and confirming that you understand what they're saying. A practical way to demonstrate this is to paraphrase or summarize what was said in your own words. This shows you’re truly processing the message, not just thinking about your response, and it helps catch any misunderstandings early. For example, you might say, “So you’re saying that X happened and you felt Y because of it, is that right?”

This approach also builds trust and encourages the speaker to share more, because they see you’re engaged and want to understand accurately. Other options fall short because they’re either passive, distracting, or disrupt the flow of communication: merely nodding or waiting to speak doesn’t verify understanding; multitasking divides attention; repeating words verbatim doesn’t reflect comprehension or engagement; interrupting to give feedback breaks the speaker’s train of thought.