Thursday, December 30, 2010

BETTER LISTEN TO LISTEN BETTER


                          BETTER LISTEN TO LISTEN BETTER


            Listening is a complex process. It should not be confused with the physical process of hearing. Listening involves a variety of complex skills. Unfortunately it has not been taken seriously by many, who aspire to improve their linguistic competency and communicative skills,
            Listening is not a passive activity. It is a two- way process. As the characteristics of a good listener remain invariably invisible, the learner of a new language is prone to mistake mere hearing for listening. Unless a learner is consistently trained to listen consciously he or she may find learning a new language a tedious undertaking. This is the reason for many learners giving up after a surge of initial enthusiasm.
         Every learner may have to be sensitized towards LISTENING, so that it becomes a participating prolific activity. 

 The five different aspects of listening are:
  • Hearing
  • Understanding
  • Remembering
  • Interpreting
  • Evaluating  
I t has been scientifically proved that our ability to down load information through listening is quantitatively much more than speaking.

   .Barriers to listening are:
·        Taking listening for granted ( we often forget that we are listening)
·        Failing to concentrate ( Brain can listen to and process 600-800 words/min)

The following are some of the Tips to improve your listening:
v     Always imagine you are going to repeat the speaker’s message.
v      Try to visualize the message.    
v      Know to avoid prejudices
v     Hinder the temptation to rebut
v     Create eye contact
v     Take notes sparingly
v     Respect the speaker
v     Pay attention to surroundings especially the location, size and arrangement of furniture.
v      REMEMBER .Listening is NOT a passive activity!
v     Listen for unspoken fears, concerns, moods, and aspirations.
v     Good listening requires great wisdom.
v     Listen to others with respect and validation.
v     Listen without thinking about how you're going to respond.
v     Listen for tell-tale signs of impending trouble.
v     Listen with positive regard for people's strengths & abilities
v     Always listen for the real bottom line of what some one is saying. Sometimes this calls for listening with the third ear.
v     Be aware how the style and level of impact the speaker uses affect you emotionally.
v     What people see influences them more than what they hear
v     Listen with your eyes as well as your ears to pick up nonverbal clues.
v     Some non-verbal communication takes place at a subconscious level.
v      Pay attention to body movements and gestures..
v      The face sends many non-verbal clues.
v     The eyes send the most non-verbal signals.
Ø      “Looking someone in the eye” is regarded with favor though excessive
eye contact may be regarded as staring, hence rude.
Ø      Focusing eyes straight ahead is regarded generally as no-involved listening.
Ø      Looking up to the right indicates that some one is correlating the information with some relevant facts.
Ø      Looking to the left implies that some one is remembering the past experience.
Ø      Focusing the eyes on the ceiling suggests that some one is analyzing the topic under discussion.
Ø      Casting eyes downward indicates emotional involvement with the message being sent.
Ø      Looking away for an extended period of time shows disengagement and withdrawal from the topic.  
-         Ronald E.Dulek& John S. Fielden (1990)
Studies indicate that some non-verbal communication at our subconscious level and one has very little or no control over the sending or receiving of basic behavioural signals.
 Brownell (2006) identifies the following nonverbal behaviors as behaviors that will say “I LISTEN”
  1. Direct eye contact
  2. Smiling
  3. Nodding
  4. Eyes wide open.
  5. Forward lean
  6. Positive facial expression.


 On the other hand the following behavioral patterns impede effective communication:
  1. Staring
  2. Yawning
  3. Looking away
  4. Nervous habits, fidgeting
  5. Shaking the head negatively
  6. Moving away from speaker
  7. Negative facial expression (such as frowning or pouting) & Crossed arms.
Hence, when we choose to listen, really to listen, we make a conscious decision to focus all our mental energy on a specific source of potentially meaningful sound.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

BHARATHI IN TRANSLATION - VICTORY OF THE SOUL

VICTORY OF THE SOUL

Won't my hands ever hold
  the objects that my eyes behold?
Won't that sky be vincible
 which on earth is visible?
After days of effort and thought
  will we give up at last?
Tell me Parasakthi, you pervade
  the Space, the Earth, the vision and the thoughts.

Countless blessings and conquests
   power and pelf
All these are possible
   if one conquers the self
Even after realizing this
   sacred truth told by sages old
Will we remain abject and low
   without the power to conquer the Self and Rule.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Bharathiar in Translation


TRUE OR FALSE

O, the Standing,  the Walking and the Flying -
Are you all dreams? Various visual feigning?
O, the Learning, the Listening,and the Thinking -
Are you all illusions with no profound meaning?

O Early Sun, Woods and Grooves
Are you a mere mirage, an optical blunder?
As those that are past, like a dream buried and lost?

Am I also another dream?
The world too ' just seems'?
Is the concept of Time unreal, like those
of appearances and scenes?
Are their attributes unreal too?
If all the seeds of a grove from the seeds got,
Can the grove be false? Will the word be considered not?

If all that appear were to disappear,
Then that which disappeared must appear!
In a wasteful falsehood, will the destiny be continued?
That which is seen is for sure, and the unseen unsure.
What is seen is Sakthi and that scene is eternity.



Sunday, November 14, 2010

I

                                                     
                   I

I am the bird that flies in the sky
I am the animal that wanders by
I am the tree that grows in the woods
I am the wind, the river and the sea.

I am the stars that are seen above,
I am the space and the cosmic expanse
I am the worm that lie on earth
I am the life of the beings of the sea.

 I am the verses which Kamban sang
I am the form that artists paint
I am the buildings, city and citadel,
Which even the celestial  marvel.

I am the sweet music of women
I am the bounteous bundles of joy.
I am the falsehood of the meanest of men
I am the answer of unbearable grief.

I am the director of a million magic
I regulate their faultless motion
I am the many forms of energy
I am the reason, the  residing entity.

I am the conductor of the lie called I
In the glowing sky of wisdom, I travel by
I am the being of all that is being
Exhibiting intelligence, I am the prime brilliance.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Bharathiar in Translation - DETERMINATION - I DESIRE

                              DETERMINATION -  I  DESIRE

                     Determination of mind,
                    and sweetness in speech,
                    goodness of thoughts,
                    and access to objects dear,
                    realization of dreams,
                   and ready possession of the near,
                   wealth and happiness,
                   and fame amongst men,
                   clarity of vision,
                   and protection by Providence,
                   prosperity on earth,
                  and heaven upon here,
                  prevalence of truth,

                                     O, these I DESIRE.
                                     Om, Om, Om.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Bharathiar in Translation - THERE IS NO FEAR

                                                        THERE IS NO FEAR

                         There is is no fear, no fear and nothing called fear,
                         Even if the world is to stand against me, dear.

                        There is is no fear, no fear and nothing called fear,
                        Even if we were to be belittled and blamed

                       There is is no fear, no fear and nothing called fear,
                       Even if we were to lead a life of alms.

                      There is is no fear, no fear and nothing called fear,
                      Even if we were to lose all things, dear.

                     There is is no fear, no fear and nothing called fear,
                     Even if Women charming  cast glances disarming.


                    There is is no fear, no fear and nothing called fear,
                    Even if our friends were to feed us with poison.

                    There is is no fear, no fear and nothing called fear,
                    Even if a fierce army is to approach with spears.

                    There is is no fear, no fear and nothing called fear,
                    Even if the Heavens were to fall upon our heads,
                    There is is no fear, no fear and nothing called FEAR




.

Bharathiar in Translation - I KNOW MY DUTY

                                        I KNOW MY DUTY

                    I will not abide
                    By the stale old story
                    "Those who do the duty
                     will sure stay happy"
                     I know no DUTY
                     Nor any trade.
                     What you call 'bind'
                     I may state ' break'
                    Hence I do forsake
                    The very thought of DUTY
                    Along with stupidity,
                     meanness and falsehood
                    sorrow, pain and such no-goods,
                    and,
                             I shall LIVE happily for ever.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Bharathiar in Translation - LOVE

                                                LOVE

                   Even if
                             the men do not plough
                             and sow the seeds,
                             build the bunds
                             and water indeed,

                             upon this plain,
                             if heavens do rain
                             in plenty we'll find
                             trees and crops of every kind!

                I fear NOTHING
                men, oh hear!

                             Follow my faith
                             and do not tire

                            your body in labour
                            for nature will favour
                            your food, for sure!

              Hence,
                           Your business here and now
                            is just to love and love!

Bharathiar in Translation - LOVE

                                  The trees that line upon the earth,
                                  The crowd of fragrant flowers of mirth,
                                  The trees that creepers gather around,
                                  The herbs and shrubs and bulbs and grass.

                                                          Do what labour to live,
                                                                                     I ask!