KS3 · English

Listening and responding in discussion

Two classmates sit through the same talk. Both are completely silent. Only one of them is really listening. Can you tell which, and what would you ask the speaker afterwards?

Spoken language · Responding to a talk

A question pops into your head mid-talk

A classmate is giving a talk and a question has just come to mind. Click an answer at each check to find out what a good listener does.

Check 1: has the speaker already answered it?

6 possible routes.

On A question comes to mind while a classmate is talking. 2 branches to choose from.

Walk the checks a good listener makes before asking. Each answer sends you down one route.

Spoken language · Active listening

What does active listening actually mean?

Priya is giving a talk to the class. Four listeners each have their own idea about what listening is.

Which idea is closest to what you think active listening means?

Staying quiet while someone speaks. If I'm not talking, I'm listening.Fully concentrating on what's being said, understanding it, and responding thoughtfully.Waiting for my chance to talk. Listening is just the gap before my turn.Listening is the easy bit. The speaker is the one doing the hard work.

How sure are you?

I'm sureI think soI'm guessing

Staying quiet while someone speaks. If I'm not talking, I'm listening.

This is a common misconception

Easy mistake, and it's the big one. Being quiet is not the same as active listening. A quiet listener must also be engaged and focused, because the brain is doing the work, and there are specific ways to show it.

Fully concentrating on what's being said, understanding it, and responding thoughtfully.

This matches the evidence

Yes. Active listening means being completely engaged and focused on what is being delivered: fully concentrating, understanding and responding thoughtfully to what someone is saying.

Waiting for my chance to talk. Listening is just the gap before my turn.

This is a common misconception

If your head is full of what you'll say next, you aren't concentrating on what's being said. You do listen out for your turn, but active listening is about understanding and responding thoughtfully to the speaker.

Listening is the easy bit. The speaker is the one doing the hard work.

This is a common misconception

Listening is an important skill. Active listeners create a supportive and respectful environment for the speaker, make sure they receive all the information being delivered, and get better at responding in discussions.

Quiet is where active listening starts, not where it ends. Be engaged and focused, then show it and respond.

Spoken language · Body language

Listener AvsListener B

Both listeners are silent through a classmate's talk. Which one looks engaged and focused, and what gives it away?

Focus

Mouth

Listener A

Lips closed

Listener B

Lips closed too

The insight

Here's the catch: both are quiet. Staying quiet can't tell you which one is listening.

Eyes

Listener A

Eyes looking, tracking the speaker (with eye contact if appropriate)

Listener B

Eyes drifting away from the speaker

Body

Listener A

Still body

Listener B

Fidgeting

Head

Listener A

Occasional nodding

Listener B

No reaction at all

Posture

Listener A

Sitting up and leaning forward

Listener B

Slumped back in the chair

Spoken language · Asking questions

Open or closed?

Pick a question, then pick where it belongs. Check the reason each time.

Still to sort

Open question (0)

Allows a wide range of responses.

Where the line is: If the speaker could only say yes or no, it isn't open.

Closed question (0)

Can be answered with yes or no.

Where the line is: If the speaker could say lots of different things, it isn't closed.

6 of 6 still to sort.

Sort each question a listener might ask after a talk about learning to skateboard.

Spoken language · Responding

Your turn: respond to Sam's talk

Sam's talk: "I wanted to learn to juggle, so I started with two balls and practised for ten minutes every day. In the first week I dropped them constantly. On day twelve I managed three balls for five throws in a row. Next, I want to try juggling something that isn't round."

Read Sam's talk, then write two open questions and one comment that develops or challenges something Sam said. [4 marks]

Your answer

0 words · your answer stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

The mark scheme

Your first question is open: it starts with an open starter such as 'What do you think', 'How might you' or 'What would ... look like' and can't be answered with just yes or no. (1 mark)
Your second question is open too, and it asks about something different from your first. (1 mark)
Both questions are clear and simple, and neither asks about something Sam has already answered. (1 mark)
Your comment engages with a point Sam actually made, developing it or challenging it respectfully. (1 mark)

Model answer

Question 1: What do you think helped you most when you went from two balls to three? Question 2: How might you change your practice for something that isn't round? Comment: You practised every day even when you were dropping everything, and I think that shows how much sticking at it mattered. I'd be interested to know whether you agree.

A good response uses what the speaker actually said, and open questions give them room to say more.

WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

A quick recap of today's lesson.

Being quiet is only the start. Your focus, your body and your questions show you are listening.

What you need to know

Active listening means fully concentrating, understanding and responding thoughtfully to what someone is saying.
Being quiet isn't enough: you must also be engaged (attentive, showing interest) and focused, because the brain is doing the work.
Have a goZed says: "I sat totally silent for the whole talk, so I was definitely actively listening." What is missing from his claim?
Being engaged and focused. Silence alone isn't enough.
Being quiet is not the same as active listening: a quiet listener must also be engaged and focused, because the brain is doing the work.
Active listeners create a supportive, respectful environment, receive all the information, and respond better in discussions.
Positive body language shows you're listening: lips closed, occasional nodding, eyes looking, a still body, sitting up and leaning forward.
Have a goA listener is sitting up and has their lips closed. Name two more cues from the list that would show they're listening.
Any two of: occasional nodding, eyes looking, a still body, leaning forward.
Positive body language is a set of cues together, and it also keeps the listener focused on the content.
Responding well means asking and answering questions, and developing or challenging what the speaker said.
Before you ask, listen so you don't repeat an answered question, wait for your turn, and avoid interrupting.
Have a goThe speaker says, "I practised for ten minutes every day." Which question should you avoid asking afterwards: "How long did you practise each day?" or "What do you think kept you going?"
"How long did you practise each day?"
The speaker has already answered it, and listening is how you spot that.
Ask clearly, so the speaker can hear and understand you. Keep it simple and use words that are clear to them.
A closed question can be answered with yes or no. An open question allows a wide range of responses.
Have a goOpen or closed? "Was it difficult?" and "What do you think was most difficult?"
"Was it difficult?" is closed. "What do you think was most difficult?" is open.
A yes or a no answers the first one completely. The second allows a wide range of responses beyond yes or no.
Try open questions, because they help the speaker develop their ideas. Starters: "What do you think", "How might you", "What would ... look like".

The big picture

Active listening means being engaged and focused, showing it with positive body language, and then responding well. Before you ask a speaker a question, check that it hasn't been answered, that it's your turn and that it's clear. Open questions help the speaker develop their ideas.

Key points

1Active listening means being engaged and focused, then responding thoughtfully. Being quiet is only the start.

2Positive body language (lips closed, occasional nodding, eyes looking, a still body, sitting up, leaning forward) shows you're listening.

3Before you ask, check that the speaker hasn't answered it, that it's your turn, and that it's clear.

4Open questions allow a wide range of responses and help the speaker develop their ideas.

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Worked example

Problem

Priya has just given a talk about her model bridge. You want to say something, and the first thing in your head is: "Did you like it?" Turn it into a better question.

⚠ Watch out

Thinking that being quiet is the same as listening. A quiet listener must also be engaged and focused, and show it, for example with positive body language.

🧠

Memory hook

Quiet is the starting line, not the finish: be engaged, show it, then ask something open.

✓

Check yourself

Without looking back: name three pieces of positive body language, then turn the closed question "Was it fun?" into an open one using a starter.

Flashcards

(12)

What is active listening?

Being completely engaged and focused on what is being delivered: fully concentrating, understanding and responding thoughtfully to what someone is saying.

Is being quiet the same as active listening?

No. A quiet listener must also be engaged and focused, because the brain is doing the work.

What does it mean to be engaged?

Actively participating and focused: attentive, showing interest and enthusiasm.

Give three reasons why listening is an important skill.

It creates a supportive and respectful environment for the speaker, makes sure you receive all the information, and makes you better at responding in discussions.

What is body language, and which positive cues show active listening?

Non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and posture. Lips closed, occasional nodding, eyes looking, a still body, sitting up and leaning forward.

Why should an active listener avoid fidgeting?

Fidgeting is distracting for the person presenting.

What does responding effectively include?

Asking and answering questions, and developing and challenging speaker comments.

What three things should you do before asking a speaker a question?

Listen so you avoid asking something already answered, listen out for your turn, and avoid interrupting.

How should a question be asked?

Clearly, so the speaker can hear and understand it, without overcomplicating it, and using words that are clear to the speaker.

What is the difference between an open and a closed question?

An open question allows a wide range of responses beyond yes or no. A closed question can be answered with yes or no.

Why should a listener try to use open questions?

They allow the speaker to develop their comments and ideas and can lead to further discussion.

Which sentence starters help you ask open questions?

"What do you think", "How might you" and "What would ... look like". They focus on the speaker's thinking, opinion or ideas.

Tap any card to flip it, or use Study as deck to go through them one at a time. In the full lesson these run as a spaced-repetition deck — you rate each card Hard, Good or Easy and the tricky ones keep coming back until they stick.

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A question pops into your head mid-talk

What does active listening actually mean?

Open or closed?

Your turn: respond to Sam's talk

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