ABSTRACT
In English, the terms "summarising" and "paraphrasing" are similar and sometimes used interchangeably to suggest forms of capturing information and reflecting it back to someone. Like paraphrasing, summarising demonstrates that the coach is attentive and has been listening carefully, especially when the coach's summary aligns with the coachee's own understanding of the situation. Summarising is also a great way of checking that both the coach and the coachee are communicating effectively. Because summarising requires some interpretation in order to condense the subject matter, it can highlight differences in understanding. When paraphrasing, we are not shortening or abbreviating anything, so it should be about the same length as the coachee's statement. When coachees hear back the words that they have just used, this provides them with evidence that the coach has been listening to them. Paraphrasing or mirroring should be used to provide evidence of accurate listening and also when it may be important to highlight a particular point.
