ABSTRACT

Not only is it important to have a good structure in a conversation, but it is also important to let your conversational partner know that he is being listened to (Bostrom, 1990; Steil, 1991). First of all it is stimulating for the partner, and second one can avoid the problems that occur when one does not listen well. Burley-Allen (1995) has described listening as ‘the forgotten skill’, indicating that a lot of people tend to speak too quickly without having paid careful attention to one another. In Table 2.1 we present an overview of the listening skills that are discussed in this chapter.