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 four listening experiences (entries) 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 therapeutic, critical and appreciative). Write a formal Introduction to the assignment.
These entries should reveal your understanding of therapeutic, critical, and appreciative 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, and terminology from the assigned readings. Incorporate APA citations (in-text and references).
Verbal and nonverbal aspects of each listening experience should be shared.
Before starting your entries, have a formal Introduction to this assignment. The Introduction should gain the reader’s attention, addresses the importance of the topic, and include a preview of what the analysis will cover.
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 a half 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 experience
a detailed descriiption 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 descriiptive evaluation, supported by specific examples, of your strengths and weaknesses as a listener
what you learned about your listening -including how you might address your weaknesses
Thus, your submission will have the following subheadings (single-space all subheadings):
Entry #1 (1-4): Therapeutic Listening Entry (or Critical Listening Entry or Appreciative Listening Entry)
Date:
Descriiption of Listening Experience:
Purpose and Behaviors as a Listener:
Evaluation of Listening Strengths and Weaknesses:
What I Learned About My Listening:
You should submit one therapeutic entry, two critical entries, and one appreciative listening entry and a descriiptive 1-page (minimum) concluding summary. This assignment is VERY similar to the listening journal part I, but each focuses on different listening purposes. Begin with an introduction, follow with your journal entries and finish with a concluding summary.
This assignment is to be submitted to your assignment folder as one document. 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 all three listening purposes.
Grading Criteria - Second Listening Journal
For your Second Listening Journal, you must:
fulfill the above requirements in a well-organized manner
entries 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
post your work in the assignment folder by the due date - there is a 10% deduction for submitting your work late and late work is only accepted up to a week after the due date
submit a minimum of four entries from a variety of listening experiences (professional, personal, academic, social, spiritual/religious, and so on)
appropriately represent both therapeutic, critical and appreciative listening purposes in your submission (1 therapeutic, 2 critical, and 1 appreciative)
explain your strengths and weaknesses in a clear, descriiptive, and detailed manner
provide 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)
proofread and edit your work (well-written submission)
Use a size 12 Times New Roman font
single-space the entire document (no double spacing)
incorporate APA citations (in-text and reference page)