Solved by verified expert:Listening Journal Assignment (An example is provided as an attachment)Note the due date for this assignment in the Course Calendar1st Listening Journal (15%)Keeping a listening journal will encourage you to think critically about your listening habits and skills. You will describe and analyze your listening behavior by recording a minimum of three listening experiences in journal form. You should record a variety of listening experiences (professional, personal, academic, social, and so on) in which you listen for various purposes (specifically discriminative and comprehensive) and at various levels. This assignment will include a minimum of three entries (one discriminative entry and two comprehensive entries) AND a concluding summary. These entries should reveal your understanding of the discriminative and comprehensive listening purposes and demonstrate your ability to apply the concepts, principles, and techniques presented in the course. Your entries should be rich with concepts, principles, terminology from the assigned readings (from your course content readings and the readings found in the course discussions). Verbal and nonverbal aspects of each listening experience should be shared.Each journal entry should be a minimum one full page in length, single spaced, with one inch margins, and a size 12 Times New Roman font. You may be over the page limit (no more than a page and 3/4 per entry), but not under. There are significant deductions for being under. Include the following information in an organized manner (using subheadings for each) in each entry:Date of listening experiencea detailed description of the listening experience (including where, who, what, how, and so on) with an emphasis on the verbal and nonverbal aspects of the episode your purpose(s) and behavior as a listener (this is where you clearly emphasize your role as a discriminative or a comprehensive listener -keeping in mind that comprehensive listening also involves some discriminative listening, but your entry should primarily focus on the higher listening purpose even if some discriminatory aspects are mentioned)a descriptive evaluation, supported by specific examples, of your strengths and weaknesses as a listenerwhat you learned about your listening -including how you might address your weaknessesThus your submission will have the following subheadings (single space all subheadings):Entry #1 (1-3): Comprehensive Listening Entry (or Discriminative Listening Entry)Date:Description of Listening Experience:Purpose and Behavior as a Listener:Evaluation of Listening Strengths and Weaknesses:What I Learned About My Listening: You should submit one discriminative entry and two comprehensive listening entries and a descriptive 1 page (minimum) concluding summary. This assignment is VERY similar to the listening journal part II, but each focuses on different listening purposes. A formal introduction is not necessary for this assignment. Begin with your journal entries and finish with your concluding summary. Your concluding summary should be an overall evaluation of what you’ve learned about your listening. Reveal both specific details and “the big picture”. Also include how you will work for improvement in both listening purposes. Grading Criteria –1st Listening JournalEach listening journal is worth 4 points (for a total of 12 points) and the concluding essay is worth 3 points. For your Listening Journal, you must:fulfill the above requirements in a well organized mannerentries should be rich with concepts, principles, terminology from the assigned readings (it should be clear that you have read course material and you are able to apply what you have learned)provide the required subheadings -there is a 1 point deduction if your neglect to include the required subheadingspost your work in the assignment folder by the due date -there is a 20% deduction for submitting your work late and late work is only accepted up to a week after the due datesubmit a minimum of three entries from a variety of listening experiences (professional, personal, academic, social, spiritual/religious, and so on) -there is a four point deduction for each missing journal entryappropriately represent both discriminative and comprehensive listening purposes in your submission (1 discriminative and 2 comprehensive) explain your strengths and weaknesses in a clear, descriptive, and detailed mannerprovide a concluding summary of your findings from this experience, including a thorough, sophisticated analysis of your listening behavior as developed in this course (1 page in length, single spaced) -neglecting to include a concluding summary will result in a 3 point deductionproofread and edit your work (well written submission) -there is .10 deduction for each errorUse a size 12 Times New Roman font -neglecting to do so will result in a 1 point deductionsingle space the entire document (no double spacing) -neglecting to do so will result in a 1 point deductionPlease view the sample journal that is found at the top of this page. It should be very helpful!
journal1_sample_malonekaren.docx
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RUNNING HEAD: Listening Journal 1
Karen Malone
Listening Journal
November 18, 2014
Professor Burgoyne
SPCH 470
Listening Journal 1
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Entry #1 Discriminatory Listening Experience
Date:
November 2, 2014
Description of Listening Experience:
My first listening experience took place at a local community theatre approximately an hour
before a production started. I observed actors, crew members and staff interact. First, I observed
one actor who walked quickly toward the sound booth, which suggested that she was late picking
up her microphone. Shortly after, I could hear doors shuts, footsteps, and voices as a multitude of
actors filtered in from both sides of the stage, indicating that it was time for mic checks. The
sound technician gave directions to the actors over his microphone. As the technician prompted
them, each actor took turns singing various tunes. During the process, all the actors laughed, and
clapped as if they were egging each other on for fun. The pitch, timbre, and tempo of their
voices, along with their accompanying body language, suggested their enjoyment of the
interaction. This was particularly evident with the youngest actor chose to sing Whitney
Houston’s song “I Will Always Love You.” During the process, I could hear chattering among
various actors, but I could not I understand the conversations. Different actors clapped their
hands, laughed, and shook their heads. After the mic checks concluded, there was a moment of
silence, and then the actors simultaneously called a staff member to the stage. As an actor
approached the staff member, she expressed how much actors appreciated her. I also saw the
actor hand the staff member an envelope as she mentioned that the actor’s had “chipped in” to
get the staff member a gift certificate. The staff member thanked them. This was quickly
interrupted by the conductor who punched a few chords on the keyboard in preparation for the
actors’ vocal warmups. The laughing and talking stopped; the actors’ nonverbal language
completely changed. Their bodies and faces seemed to become more focused. As they went over
their vocal warmups, some actors stretched their lips and face and some stretched their bodies.
Others either used hand movements to coordinator their body to their voice, or they shifted their
bodies from side to side to keep the beat. Once they completed their vocal warmups, the actors
quickly left the stage, suggesting that they were in a hurry to get to the dressing rooms. Then, as I
walked through the house, I could hear a motor revving. Based on my previous experience, I
knew that the staff member had turned on the fog machine. The sound was shortly followed by
the smell of fog juice as the stage became cloudy. Then I could hear the stage manager close the
grand curtain. This was followed by a squeaky noise as a crew member was presetting her drops.
All these efforts reminded me that the house was about to open to the public.
Purpose and Behavior as a Listener:
I listened in a discriminatory manner as a spectator; thus, I chose to listen for the sake of using
my senses to identify different stimuli, which may improve my discriminatory skills.
Accordingly, Wolvin and Coakley suggest that listeners must “distinguish the auditory and
visual stimuli… before [they] can process the messages at any other level” (1996, p. 152).
During this listening exercise, I sat quietly in the theatre where I could hear, see, and listen to the
actors, the stage manager, the crew members, and the staff as they socialized, and as they
prepared for the show. I selected a seat, which was located directly under a light, so that I could
more easily observe and take notes. So that I would not get distracted by my note taking, I
decided to write down keywords, phrases, abbreviations, and symbols rather than full
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sentences. Because I was a spectator, this listening experience was linear in nature. Yet, even
though I did not participate in the conversations, I did respond privately. Thus, I giggled, smiled,
or shook my head when I felt compelled to.
Evaluation of Listening Strengths and Weaknesses:
My weaknesses included external and internal distractions. First, because I was cold, I began
rubbing my arms to warm myself. Next, the seat was also a little uncomfortable, and I found
myself shifting my body several times. Additionally, I thought about what tasks I had left to
complete before the show, and I thought about what information I needed for this writing
assignment, which occasionally interrupted the incoming messages. My strengths are identifying
and decoding vocal cues and environmental sounds. Such are “discriminatory auditory skills,”
which individuals “develop, refine, acquire, and cultivate throughout [their] life” (Skills Involved
in Discriminative Listening, n.d.). Thus, because of my frame of reference, I could discriminate
among different vocal cues, such as the timbre, pitch, tempo, and volume. These variances
implied specific moods, such as amusement, friendliness, appreciativeness, and seriousness. I
could also detect specific sounds from the equipment without a visual cue. Thus, the rail system
squeals loudly, the fog machine idles consistently, and the grand curtain rubs intermittently.
What I Learned About My Listening:
After reading the “receiving” function of the listening process (Wolvin, n.d.), I decided to choose
a listening environment which would use my many of my sensory receptors. During this
experience, I could detect various moods from nonverbal language. For instance, one actor
seemed amused as she laughed; further, her vocal pitch changed, which complimented her hand
and arm motions. Absorbing the enthusiasm, the child actor seemed to seek approval. His voice
became brighter and his body became loose as if he were trying to impress his peers. I also
learned that by sitting quietly and listening that I could detect messages that I may have been
otherwise unaware of. Because of this experience, I became more sensitive to incoming stimuli.
To illustrate: without a visual cue, I could discriminate among the different types of footsteps.
One actor wore tap shoes, which clicked with each step. Several actors wore dance shoes;
however, only one actor seemed to march with each step. Wearing ballet shoes, one actor
stepped quietly on the balls of her feet. Yet another actor wore flip flops, which made quick
snapping sounds, and another wore platform shoes, which made hard thump sounds.
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Entry #2: Comprehensive Listening Experience
Date:
November 9, 2014
Description of Listening Experience:
I watched the documentary, Video Games, The Movie (Snead, 2014), which my husband
selected from Netflix. The documentary focused on the evolution of gaming, starting from early
innovations. I was interested because early gaming systems, such as the Atari and Nintendo, had
impacted my childhood and early adulthood. However, while we were in the comfort of our
living room, I was mentally and physically tired because it was late in the evening. My husband
and I had just returned from seeing the movie Interstellar, which was over three hours long with
previews. Plus, we had driven a long distance the day before. The documentary editors used
various elements to send the message, including illustrations, pictures, old commercial clips,
narrations, interviewees, and timelines. However, it became monotonous at times. The show
went through the timeline and proceeded to and from the year 2013 numerous times. Each time,
the narrator, Sean Astin, introduced a new topic, such as the innovation of the cloud, the decline
in the early video industry, the invention of video tournaments, and controversy of game
violence. Then the documentary quickly jumped from interviewee to interviewee to various
commercial clips, video clips, photographs, and illustrations. The film editor used quotes from
famous people, such as Bill Gates, Mohutma Ghandy, and Nikola Tesla, as major transitions.
The editor also attempted to use digitalized voice-overs, video-themed music, volume, and
tempo to propel the story. However, the editor added awkwardly long pauses between
transitions, which suggested to me that the documentary had ended when it had not. And the
video-game themed music, along with the narrator’s digitalized voice-over, became irritating. In
addition, the viewers do they hear what questions the interviewees are being asked; and the
documentary presents the interviewee individually; they are all seated, and they use hand
gestures, eye behavior, facial expressions, or vocal inflections to emphasize their messages. At
one point, however, one interviewee kept his hands clasped in his lap, which suggested that he
didn’t know what else to do with his hands.
Purpose/s and behavior as a listener:
I watched this documentary in the privacy of my home for comprehensive purposes. I chose to
watch the documentary later in the evening even though I was tired. I sat upright on my sofa, so
that I could be attentive to the documentary. Further, I listened and watched to understand how
video games have evolved and how they have changed societal norms. I had not prepared for this
listening experience, as suggested in our module (Week 4: Preparing for the Lecture/Seminar,
n.d.). Further, although I am an avid note-taker, I initially did not take notes. These factors may
have affected my memory recall. Still, I actively listened; as the show progressed, my husband
and I often discussed what we were watching. For instance, my husband read the quotations out
loud. I also explained how similar some of the information was to a previous computer class.
Overall, the visual cues of the video, the discussion with my husband, and my previous
experiences may have improved my memory in spite of being tired and not taking
notes Subsequently, however, approximately an hour into the movie, I could not maintain focus
on the documentary and had to quit watching it. I returned to the documentary at 7 a.m. the
following morning. I was well rested. I watched the remaining 40 minutes of the documentary
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alone, and I took notes (outline format) for the remainder of the documentary.
Evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses
My main weaknesses were noises, including mental and physical tiredness. Yet, with conscious
effort, I was able to refocus my attention and become more attentive to the messenger for a short
while. As the listening experience was unplanned, I did not make preparations nor did I take
notes at first. However, I did identify the documentaries format, including the transitions and the
main ideas, which allowed me to anticipate the subsequent segments and recall the information
more easily. I also discussed the information with my husband, which reinforced my
memory. Finally, from a contextual standpoint, I related to the material on two levels: 1) I
remember the early gaming systems, and 2) I identified with some of the computer terminology
which was used to discuss modern gaming systems.
What I Learned about My Listening:
I was interested in the topic; however, I learned that I have some difficulty comprehensively
listening late in the evening, particularly when I am tired. While I can consciously focus on and
actively listen to messages, my attention span may become limited when I am tired. Hence, after
45 minutes, the documentary became increasingly hard for me to watch and listen to. I attempted
to refocus for another 15 minutes; however, I became incredibly sleepy, and I decided to stop
watching the documentary. I also realized that I should have taken notes early on, which may
have helped me maintain attention even though I was tired. Thus, according to Wolvin and
Coakley, “[n]otetaking can improve our ability to concentrate” (Wolvin & Coakley, Listening,
1996, p. 239).
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Entry #3: Comprehensive Listening Experience
Date:
November 15, 2014
Description of Listening Experience:
I chose to watch a communication lecture, which was uploaded on YouTube. In this video, Dr.
Teresa Pierce, a professor at the University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology, presents the
lecture Language & Gender (2011). During the 41 minute lecture, the camera angle remained
fixed on Dr. Pierce’s face and her upper body. Her upper body was open to the audience even
though she was seated behind a desk. Her laptop was to her left; and a power point presentation,
which also to her left, was projected on the white board. During the lecture, the professor used a
lot of facial expressions and hand movements to suggest various nonverbal messages. For
instance, the professor’s eyes pointed up when she was thinking of an example relating to the
topic, and she also used hand motions to emphasize different comments. In one instance, she
counted with her fingers when she listed items, and she made a circular shape with her hands to
emphasize the word “all.” She also used vocal inflections to emphasize the importance of
specific keywords. However, several of her nonverbal behaviors were distracting. For instance,
she often looked down to read her notes from her laptop, she made a lisp noise when changing
pages, and she sometimes used filler words.
Purpose and Behavior as a Listener:
Because I am a communication major, I must take various communication courses, including
Communication and Gender. To supplement my understanding of my course material, I chose to
watch a lecture on gender and communication for comprehensive purposes. I also chose to watch
it around 3 pm, when I was more focused and alert. I was not only interested in the topic, but I
was also willing to actively listen. I began watching the lecture on my laptop in my bedroom,
where it was conformable, quiet, and well lit. I sat in an upright position, so that I could
efficiently take notes. During this listening environment, I used the outline style note-taking
technique.
Evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses:
According to the article Listening Understanding, and Misunderstanding, contextual,
physiological, psychological factors can affect the listening experience (Wolvin, n.d., pp. 46). For instance, from a contextual standpoint, because I had been exposed to the lecture
material previously, I was more receptive to receiving the professor’s message. In addition, I had
chosen to watch the lecture during the afternoon because I am less alert in the early morning and
late evening. While I was focused on the message, I had some physiological or external
influences which distracted me intermittently. For instance, my dog whimpered, my cell phone
rang, and my stomach rumbled. Otherwise, I had removed myself from other external noises.
Finally, I was bothered by some psychological or internal noises, such as thinking about
completing this journal before the deadline, and starting my upcoming final exam in my other
class. Thus, such stress may interfere with listening, according to Dr. James Lynch (Wolvin &
Coakley, 1996, p. 134). However, I was able to tell myself to stop and I refocused my attention.
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What I learned About My Listening:
I learned that I am more attentive in the afternoon than I am in the early morning or late evening.
This experience also reinforced my belief that I could more easily retain and recall the
information if I take notes. This correlates with research which suggests that “notetakers are
better able to recall information than those who do not take notes” (Wolvin & Coakley,
Listening, 1996, p. 239). In addition, because my frame of reference was similar to the sender’s
frame of reference, I was more receptive to accepting the sender and her message— which I
believe also improved my ability remember the information. Hence, the “knowledge” of the
subject matter not only aided the listening experience, it influenced the “selection of information
to process” (Wolvin & Coakley, Listening, 1996, p. 91).
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Concluding Summary:
During these listening exercises, I realized that I must discriminately listen in order to
comprehensively understand the incoming information (Comprehensive Listening, n.d.). Thus, it
is plausible that by improving my discriminative listening skills, I will also improve my
comprehensive listening skills. I also learned that in order to intently listen and effectively
decode an incoming message, I must receive, attend, perceive, interpret, and respond to it, which
are the elements outlined in Wolvin and Coakley’s listening model (Wolvin, n.d.). This process
is necessary when I am listening for discriminatory purposes, or when I am listening for
comprehensive purposes.
I also found that discriminatory listening requires more than hearing—it requires the use of one’s
senses. Thereby, according to Wolvin, listening involves “auditory and visual receptors,” and the
listener’s perception may be influenced by “smell, taste, and touch” (Wolvin, n.d., pp. 1-2). For
instance, I could correctly identify the visual output, sound, and odor which were produced by a
theatrical fog machine. This and future observations may improve my discriminative listening
skills, which correlates with Weaver and Rutherford’s hierarchy. Hence, with practice, I can
better “distinguish specific sounds from background noise,” distinguish the “intensity, pitch,
pattern, and duration” of sounds (Skills Involved in Discriminative Listening, n.d., p. 1), and
“detect and isolate nonverbal cues” (p. 3). For instance, with practice, I could learn to not only
detect if the fog machine was not functioning properly, but I could also identify the actual
problem.
In order to comprehend a message, I must remember the message —at least for a short time.
Thus, by actively listening, I will be more apt to “store” the messages and “recall” them when I
need them. Besides concentrating on the speaker’s message, (Comprehensive Listening, n.d.), I
may use other listening tools, such as s identifying the speaker’s organizational structure
(Listening for Organizational Structure, n.d.), and reviewing the information. (Follow-up after
the Lecture/Seminar, n.d.). For example, when applicable, I identified the speakers’ transitions
and topic sequences during my listening experiences. To follow-up, I also rewrote my notes, as
well as discussed the messages. Finally, although I did not directly communicate during these
listening experiences, I found that I still needed to “attend” to and “respond” to the
communicator, which are steps outlined in Wolvin and Coakley’s model (Wolvin, Listening,
Understanding, and Misunderstanding, n.d.). Thereby, behaviors, such as facial expressions, eye
contact, body movements, and body position (Wolvin & Coakley, Listening, 1996, p. 122),
helped me to focus, and respond indirectly to the communicator. Furthermore, all these efforts
reinforced my understanding of the information, and allowed me to remember the information.
Further, journaling my listening experiences helped me identify my ineffective communication
behaviors. For instance, I am often preoccupied with other thoughts when I am trying to actively
listen to others. While I am willing to listen, my internal messages interrupt the speaker’s
message, and alter my perception of the message. By recognizing my behavioral pattern, I can
consciously alter my behaviors. For instance, I can apply “deep-breathing” techniques before a
listening experience to relieve my stress ( (Wolvin & Coakley, Listening, 1996, p. 134). This
may improve my ability to listen. In addition, I found that my preconceived notions may
interrupt the message. To the contrary, I can make an effort to be more receptive to listening to
the speaker’s message before “jud[ing]” it. (Wolvin & Coakley, 1996, p. 118). Furthermore,
Listening Journal 1
according to Wolvin, such “[p]o …
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