Communication in the Tutoring Session

 Hi guys!  This week's lesson was about listening and communication.  We learned about listening errors to avoid and the ones that stood out to me were: "1. Calling the subject or speaker uninteresting or boring" and "10. Letting your mind wander".

The first point seems very obvious, but perhaps what this point was addressing wasn't the explicit verbal criticism of the subject or speaker.  Instead it's an internal criticism of the subject or speaker that creates a negative impression of the conversation.  To avoid running into the problem, the listener is advised to simply take in what they can at the moment.  I think this is an interesting point because the listening error seems to be more about attitude than action.  If your attitude towards a conversation is negative, you will struggle to focus on what is being said.

The second point is kind of similar in the sense that the listener struggles to stay focused or interested in the conversation.  A lot of times, when I'm studying by myself, I get distracted and move on to something completely different.  This also happens in conversations or during lectures.  According to the lesson, the listener should identify when they are distracted and re-focus on the speaker.  I find this point to be very relevant because a lot of people nowadays face the same challenges.  Especially with technology easily accessible at our fingertips, we are constantly being tempted by the likes of entertainment and social media.  Making a conscious change in our minds to focus on the speaker is a form of discipline and that's a very important contributor to productivity.  In other words, this is a skill we can use throughout all aspects of our day-to-day life.

Another major topic we learned this week is about is linguistic profiling.  From our speech, we convey not only words, but also our personal background and demographic.  For example, we all have different accents and speech patterns as well as colloquial vocabulary.  I personally have noticed that I speak very differently in academic settings, casual settings, and professional settings.  This is called code switching.  For example, when trying to discuss an academic topic, I speak as clearly as I can at a moderate pace to minimize difficulty in hearing my words.  I also try not to convey too much enthusiasm because I believe people can feel less enthusiastic in contrast.  On the other hand, if I sound too lethargic, my voice may end up putting someone to sleep!  Promoting a learning attitude is great for helping students stay focused on a subject.  However if the student is struggling to keep pace, I think it's better to speak more casually to ease the tension that the student might have.

There's also an importance in not speaking differently as a response to someone else's speech patterns.  It's all about conveying sincerity and commitment to helping the listener understand.  One of the things I am cautious about is speaking too slowly or carefully in a way that can come across as condescending.  It's important to respect the listener's capabilities and not assume that they struggle with English simply because of how they speak.  Ultimately the goal is to communicate effectively and that starts with breaking down any barriers and making the student feel comfortable and ready to learn.