Very few people are good listeners. A good listener listens slowly to what is being said. He does not jump ahead nor does he rush to judge nor does he sit there formulating his own reply. He focuses directly on what is being said. He listens to more than is being said …
Edward de Bono

Ever felt like you’re nodding along in a conversation, yet your thoughts are already miles ahead?

We’ve all been there! Few are outstanding listeners.

A good listener resists the urge to jump ahead, judge or formulate their reply.

They’re tuned into every word, extracting more meaning than meets the ear.

In this post, I’m here to nudge you—next time you’re in a conversation:

👂 Be curious, soak in every word.
🤐 Hold back the urge to respond hastily.
🤝 Show presence, even when you differ.

Active listening takes practice, but it’s worth it.

Let’s fine-tune our listening skills and open up the door to true understanding.

P.S. Writing this reminded me too! Let’s work together to become better listeners!

 

Here’s an example of a dialogue containing idiomatic expressions.

See if you can rewrite it using plain language.

Original Dialogue:

Tom: Hey Lisa, how’s it going? You look like you’re on cloud nine today!

Living in another country can help us see our own country in a new light.

David Wen has lived in the Netherlands for five years and has made a video about how he sees the US through new eyes.

• agenda (unless it’s for a meeting), use ‘plan’ instead
• advance, use ‘improve’ or something more specific
• collaborate, use ‘work with’
• combat (unless military), use ‘solve’, ‘fix’ or something more specific
• commit/pledge, use ‘plan to x’, or ‘we’re going to x’ where ‘x’ is a specific verb
• counter, use ‘prevent’ or try to rephrase a solution to a problem
• deliver, use ‘make’, ‘create’, ‘provide’ or a more specific term (pizzas, post and services are delivered – not abstract concepts like improvements)
• deploy (unless it’s military or software), use ‘use’ or if putting something somewhere use ‘build’, ‘create’ or ‘put into place’
• dialogue, use ‘spoke to’ or ‘discussion’
• disincentivise, use ‘discourage’ or ‘deter’
• empower, use ‘allow’ or ‘give permission’
• facilitate, say something specific about how you’re helping – for example, use ‘run’ if talking about a workshop
• focus, use ‘work on’ or ‘concentrate on’
• foster (unless it’s children), use ‘encourage’ or ‘help’
• impact (unless talking about a collision), use ‘have an effect on’ or ‘influence’
• incentivise, use ‘encourage’ or ‘motivate’
• initiate, use ‘start’ or ‘begin’
• key (unless it unlocks something), usually not needed but can use ‘important’ or ‘significant’
• land (unless you’re talking about aircraft), depending on context, use ‘get’ or ‘achieve’
• leverage (unless in the financial sense), use ‘influence’ or ‘use’
• liaise, use ‘work with’ or ‘work alongside’
• overarching, usually superfluous but can use ‘encompassing’
• progress, use ‘work on’ or ‘develop’ or ‘make progress’
• promote (unless talking about an ad campaign or career advancement), use ‘recommend’ or ‘support’
• robust (unless talking about a sturdy object), depending on context, use ‘well thought out’ or ‘comprehensive’
• slim down (unless talking about one’s waistline), use ‘make smaller’ or ‘reduce the size’
• streamline, use ‘simplify’ or ‘remove unnecessary administration’
• strengthening (unless it’s strengthening bridges or other structures), depending on context, use ‘increasing funding’ or ‘concentrating on’ or ‘adding more staff’
• tackle (unless talking about fishing tackle or a physical tackle, like in rugby), use ‘stop’, ‘solve’ or ‘deal with’
• transform, describe what you’re doing to change the thing
• utilise, use ‘use’

Words can make your message clear and understandable.

Choose them wisely.

Making mistakes when speaking English is like taking detours on a road trip. They might lead you down unexpected paths, but each one offers a chance to learn and discover new aspects of the language journey.

Christine