Role Play 3: Listen and Reformulate Instructions: The two actors should sit beside each not necessarily face to face, but close. The speaker should explain his/her opinion about the services he/she received at the health center. The listener should respond by summarizing and restating the speaker’s ideas. The actors should follow this script or create something similar. Speaker: I can’t believe what happened at the health center today! When I arrived at 8:30 there were already 10 women waiting for their prenatal consultations. I know we usually have to wait, but today it was ridiculous! Listener: Hmm. Sounds like you had a day. Speaker: Yes. And, after I arrived several other women arrived and we were about 20 altogether, and no one was attending us. We waited until about 11:00 and no one ever arrived, no staff at all! Finally, just as I was getting ready to go home, the cleaning lady came and told us that the nurse had to take a woman in labor to the hospital for an emergency. I wish I’d known that earlier in the day. What a waste of my time. Listener: It sounds like you are really frustrated because you had to wait a long time. And, you didn’t appreciate made to wait. It sounds to me like you wish someone had left a note or somehow notified all the women coming for their prenatal visits so you would know not to wait, then it wouldn’t have been such a waste of your time. Speaker: That’s Lesson 1 Handout 5: Listening Techniques 1. Listen without Responding The listener uses only non-verbal communication (eye contact, nodding the head, open posture) and brief responses (“uh huh,” to show interest and to encourage the “yes,” “umm”) speaker to continue speaking. The listener avoids gestures that communicate boredom, like checking his/her drumming his/her fingers, or signs of impatience to get to the point. This technique encourages the speaker to freely and express his/her ideas. 2. Ask Clarifying Questions The listener asks specific questions of the speaker to clarify what the speaker is saying.
Role Play 3: Listen and Reformulate Instructions: The two actors should sit beside each not necessarily face to face, but close. The speaker should explain his/her opinion about the services he/she received at the health center. The listener should respond by summarizing and restating the speaker’s ideas. The actors should follow this script or create something similar. Speaker: I can’t believe what happened at the health center today! When I arrived at 8:30 there were already 10 women waiting for their prenatal consultations. I know we usually have to wait, but today it was ridiculous! Listener: Hmm. Sounds like you had a day. Speaker: Yes. And, after I arrived several other women arrived and we were about 20 altogether, and no one was attending us. We waited until about 11:00 and no one ever arrived, no staff at all! Finally, just as I was getting ready to go home, the cleaning lady came and told us that the nurse had to take a woman in labor to the hospital for an emergency. I wish I’d known that earlier in the day. What a waste of my time. Listener: It sounds like you are really frustrated because you had to wait a long time. And, you didn’t appreciate made to wait. It sounds to me like you wish someone had left a note or somehow notified all the women coming for their prenatal visits so you would know not to wait, then it wouldn’t have been such a waste of your time. Speaker: That’s Lesson 1 Handout 5: Listening Techniques 1. Listen without Responding The listener uses only non-verbal communication (eye contact, nodding the head, open posture) and brief responses (“uh huh,” “yes,” “umm”) to show interest and to encourage the speaker to continue speaking. The listener avoids gestures that communicate boredom, like checking his/her drumming his/her fingers, or signs of impatience to get to the point. This technique encourages the speaker to freely and express his/her ideas. 2. Ask Clarifying Questions The listener asks specific questions of the speaker to clarify what the speaker is saying.