In the Eye of the Beholder: Children's Perception of Good and Poor Listening Behavior

Abstract

A speaker's assessment of listening behavior varies according to different listening needs, skills, and attitudes which depend on specific age-related conditions. To be effective as a listener, it is crucial to be aware to the speaker's communicative competence and pertaining listener expectations. Little is known, however, how listener assessment is represented in various age groups. The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns of behavior on which children account for good or poor listener behavior. 59 ten-year-old elementary students were interviewed with a semi-structured interview and a picture-based assessment task to obtain a clearer picture of what children expect from a listener. Results show that children emphasize overt listening behavior which reassures them as speakers that their listener is focused. Knowing the children's conception of effective listener behavior may help adults to be more efficient when listening to children, thus both supporting their language production skills and providing a positive role model for listening.