August Blog- Dialogic Listening

Listening often doesn’t involve noise or speech. It can consist of being attentive to motion, signals, gestures, expressions, and much more. For example, people who are deaf do not have the luxury of communicating by processing spoken words through the perception of sound, so other methods of communication are implemented. Sign language and writing are efficient substitutes for speaking for those who cannot talk, which makes listening and paying attention an important part of communication. Dialogic listening can be defined as a type of action that does not focus on what’s being communicated, but instead is focused on what both individuals perceive from the conversation. Usually when two people use this form of listening, they have an open-ended attitude to whatever the other is expressing and makes sure that what is being heard is confirmed with one another. When listening, each person will focus on what’s happening to them in the present and does not think of any other outside “noise”. Such noise could be the surroundings that are around you, or during the conversation you are thinking of situations or conversations you’ve had before that interaction. Recently I sold my iPad through Facebook, so I had to meet the buyers in person to drop off the iPad. When we met, I quickly discovered that she was deaf. She was with her husband who communicated to her via sign language. I was listening dialogically to the woman and noises she made before her husband translated into speech, as her facial expressions communicated joy and excitement at the new iPad. Situations like theses can arise at any time, and the best way we communicate is to listen and focus on what the other person is trying to convey. Even if there is no dialogue shared, being attentive and present during interaction can also substitute for listening. For some, situations like these can be very frustrating if one party is not willing to cooperate or take the time to decipher the nonverbal actions. An example of such an action can be categorized as enthusiast’s infatuation. This means that because you are not deaf like the other individual, that you refuse to communicate because you do not share the same impairment. It is important to take the differences between you and others and use them as a positive interaction, instead of negative one. Dialogic listening is an important part in creating new relationships and maintaining ones you already possess. It is an action that produces quality contact with another person, and can help in everyday life and even work.