【正文】 person that improves mutual understanding, overing munication roadblocks. There are five levels of active listening: (1)Basic Acknowledgments (2) Questions (3) Paraphrasing (4) Mirroring feelings (5) Reflecting meanings 1. Listening (1)Basic Acknowledgments: Basic acknowledgements include verbal, visual – nonverbal signs and vocal sounds that let the speaker know how the audience is listening with interest and respect, such as: headnodding, leaning forward or backward, making eye contacts, “uhhuh”, “oh really”, “nokidding”, ?tell me more”, “I hear you”, “so..”, “I see”, “yes”. 1. Listening (2) Questions: The idea of asking questions may seem contradictory to the idea of listening. But, an active listener is asking questions in order to show the speaker his/ her interest (a) in what is being said (b) in knowing more to gain a better understanding of the speaker’s point of view. Openended questions are preferable to closeended questions, because they are providing opportunities for the speaker to open up, to explore his/ her thoughts and feelings. It is also important to ask one question at a time. 1. Listening (3) Paraphrasing: Paraphrasing focuses on the speaker’s content, and summarizing what was said in order to clarify and confirm correct understanding. The steps of the paraphrasing process are: (a) Let the speaker finish what he/she wanted to say. (b) Restate with your own words what you think the speaker has said (c) If the speaker confirms your understanding continue the conversation (d) If the speaker indicates you misunderstood ask the speaker to repeat. “I do not understand. Could you please say it again?” 1. Listening (4) Mirroring feelings Mirroring involves reflecting back to the speaker the emotions s/he is municating. Do not miss the emotional dimension of a conversation, by focusing exclusively on the content. Encourage the speaker to disclose feelings – may be joy, sorrow, frustration, anger or grief. The reflection of feelings will help the speaker understand his/ her own emotions and move toward a solution of the problem. In order to understand and mirror feelings: (a) Observe the feeling words the speaker uses. (b) The speaker may not use feeling words at all because suppression of feelings is so widespread in our culture. Then, focus on the content and ask yourself: If I were having that experience, if I were saying and doing those things what would I be feeling? (c) Observe the body language, facial expressions, the tone of the voice, gestures and posture. 1. Listening (5) Reflecting meanings Once a person knows how to reflect feeling and content separately it is relatively easy to put the two together into a reflection of meaning. It would be useful to use the formula: “You feel (insert the feeling word) because (insert the event or other content associated with the feeling)” Summative Reflections A summative reflection is a brief restatement of the main themes and feelings the speaker expressed over a longer period of discussions. A good summarization may help the speaker have a greater coherence, a better understanding of the situation and draw conclusions. 2. Body Language – Reading the Body Language Nonverbal munication, . body language, has been a means of interpersonal munication and was used long before language appeared. In a message, words are effective carriers of factual information. The content of the conversation can be important. But when emotions are engaged they should receive primary attention and they are mostly conveyed by nonverbal elements. Understanding the body language is one of the most important skills for effective munication. In order to do it: Focus attention on the important clues: Facial expression – especially eyes Vocal expression Tone of the voice gives information about speaker’s feelings, anger, boredom, depression, enthusiasm or disbelief Posture and gestures – movements of the head, legs, and hands reveal the levels of selfesteem and inner energy Clothing and environment style give clues about personal characteristics Body Language – Reading the Body Language Note discrepancies When there is a discrepancy between words and body language, both messages are important. Search for the meanings – the contradictions Be aware of own feelings and bodily reactions Nonverbal munications can bypass the conscious mind and trigger responses. By being aware of what one’s body is experiencing one bees more sensitive to what other people are feeling. Body Language – Reading the Body Language Reflect the feelings back to the sender Read nonverbal signs in the context. Sometimes, body language is very clear and unambiguous, but at other times it can be difficult to decipher. But mastering the art and science of decoding the nonverbal signs can improve munication dramatically and overe many obstacles. Body Language – Reading the Body Language 3. Speaking When sending a message as speakers, people should: ? Know what they mean and express it clearly, with respect and sensitivity. ? Check or build the mon understanding of the words they use, because words can have different meanings for different people, especially if ing from different cultures and educational backgrounds ? Use deescalatory language, resist the temptation to make personal attacks and accuse, by replacing accusatory “you” statements with less provocative “I” statements. Body Language – Reading the Body Lang