Critical Thinking & Critical Learning

So far in speech class we have read over chapters 1,2, and 3.  We are in our second week of class and after reading through those chapters and taking out the key things that mean a lot to me as a speaker critical listening and critical thinking are the two topics that have really stuck out to me.

Listening is an art.  Listening can help guide you in every aspect of your life.  You will do more listening in your lifetime than any other form of communication.  Critical listening can also help you in preparing for your speeches.  You are the speaker you are the one who is presenting the information to an audience so you want to make sure you know and fully understand the ideas and information you are expressing to your audience.  If you do not clearly understand every aspect of your message you may unintentionally offend your readers.  Misunderstandings happen when you do not make your point clearly enough for the listeners to comprehend.

Critical thinking as well as comprehensive listening are excellent ways to enhance your skills as a critical thinker.  Skills involved with critical thinking are summarizing the information, recalling the facts, distinguishing main points from minor points, separating fact from opinion, spotting weaknesses in the speakers speech.  These things are incredibly helpful when listening to a classmates speech.  When you have disciplined yourself to become a critical listening and thinker then speeches whether you are giving or receiving will seem much easier to understand.  When you can break these speeches down and pick out these main points it makes following a speech easier.  When listening to my classmates speeches I am going to consider these skills she see if I can’t pick them out myself.  I think that learning the critical thinking skills will make understanding speeches, for me anyways, easier.

 

Kellie