Listening Step 7

Listening: The receiving, retaining and processing of information or ideas.

Step 7: I show I am listening by using open questions to deepen my understanding

Outcomes

To achieve Step 7, learners will be able to use appropriate open questions to demonstrate that they are listening and to open up the conversation to learn more.

In earlier steps, the focus has been on how to listen effectively, and then how to use body language and eye contact to show listening.

Learners need to be able to:

Understand the difference between closed and open questions
Create open questions to extend conversation and understanding when listening

Introduction

An important part of asking good questions is to know the right type of question to ask at the right time. There are two big types of questions:
- Closed questions: those which can be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response. They are useful for confirming or denying facts.
- Open questions: cannot be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response. These questions can still be answered with short factual answers, but they have the potential to be much more detailed.

Skill Starter

Open or Closed

Show learners a post-match interview. As the interviewer asks different questions to the sports person ask them to identify whether the questions are open or closed.

Challenge the learners to think of their own open or closed questions that they would ask the individual.

5 mins

Group activity

Discussion

Teach & Apply

Open questions show the speaker that you have listened to what they have said and also allow the speaker to expand on what they are saying.
Open questions can also reveal new and interesting information by encouraging the speaker to share further.
It is possible to combine a closed question with an open question to extend the conversation further too. For example, "Do you like this, and why?"

Optional Activity

Post-Activity Interview

After the main activity in the session, explain that learners will be interviewing each other in pairs on how they did during the session. They should come up with two closed questions to confirm any facts or details about what happened and two open questions to encourage their partner to expand on their reflections.

Each partner should have a turn at asking and answering the questions.

10 mins

Paired activity

Discussion

Reflection & Assessment

Embed these strategies across your teaching and coaching to help learners apply what they’ve learnt.

When learners present ideas to the wider group, encourage others to ask close or open questions depending on the purpose.

Use these ideas for ways of assessing this skill step to help you check learners’ understanding and confidence.

Give learners a list of questions and ask them to identify which are open and which are closed. Whenever questions are used in the session, similarly encourage students to reflect on which type they fall into.
Ask these reflective questions
- What is the difference between open and closed questions?
- Can you give any examples of each?
- How can you use open questions to support being a better listener?