For students planning to pursue job skills training, mastering speaking and listening abilities plays an important role in career development. It helps students express their ideas clearly, collaborate with others, and build strong professional relationships. Effective speaking and listening skills also help students understand the needs and expectations of others. Here, we share some of the useful insights on effective speaking and listening skills:
Tips to improve speaking skills
- Students can practice the PEAR Framework. This includes –
- Point: Starting with a clear point or message.
- Evidence: Supporting one’s point with evidence or examples.
- Anecdote: Sharing a brief story or personal experience to illustrate the point.
- Reiteration: Concluding by reinforcing the main point and its significance.
- Be concise and clear:
- Students need to practice conveying their ideas in a straightforward and concise manner. They should avoid using jargon or overly complex language that confuses their listeners.
- Engage the audience:
- The message should be tailored in a way to address the needs and interests of the audience.
- Use non-verbal cues:
- Body language, eye contact, and facial expressions can help students convey their message effectively. Students have to build their confidence when it comes to public speaking. They can practice in front of a mirror to improve their confidence. Students can record their practice sessions and watch them back to identify areas for improvement.
- Delivery is important:
- Students should avoid monotone delivery. They must emphasize key points by changing their tone and speaking at different volumes.
- Students should enunciate each word clearly.
Tips to improve listening skills:
- Active listening: Students should focus on the speaker and nod along to acknowledge what the speaker is saying. Verbal acknowledgements can also work and shows that one is completely engaged in the speech. A common mistake at these times is formulating a response while the other person is still speaking. Students should instead let them finish before thinking about a response.
- The LACE Framework for listening:
- Listen: Giving one’s complete attention to the speaker.
- Acknowledge: Showing that one understands by nodding or giving a verbal response.
- Clarify: Students can ask questions to ensure understanding.
- Empathize: They can express empathy towards the speaker’s viewpoints.
- Summarize and reflect:
- Once the speaker is done giving their speech, students can summarize what they said.
Practicing these skills and frameworks in everyday interactions and class discussions can help improve a student’s communication abilities.
Looking for information on job skills training or employability skills training?
Explore our programs. Our job skills training programs are designed to help students gain the necessary skills. It also supports their long-term career growth in a rapidly changing job market. For instance, our Employability Skills program is crafted based on thorough research and insights from leading industry professionals. It zeroes in on 15 essential skills that are important for students aiming to secure a good job. The curriculum covers interview preparation to ensure students are thoroughly prepared.
Using AI, our program offers an immersive learning experience with scenario-based simulations.
Program Highlights:
- Effective speaking & listening skills
- Impactful writing skills
- Self presentation
- Professionalism
- Customer centricity
- Work productivity tools
- Start-up mindset
- Introduction to entrepreneurship
- Safety practices
- Financial literacy
- Self management
- Interpersonal skills
- Problem solving & innovation
- Obtain an appropriate job
- Online communication & data security
We also offer a Business Skills program that helps students with in-demand, sector-specific skills. For instance, the AI Skills Program is tailored for individuals aiming at entry-level positions across various sectors, this program hones crucial GenAI competencies. The Retail Skills Program is designed for those looking to start a career in retail. The Healthcare Skills Program helps aspiring healthcare workers gain important skills. This program is helpful for those who are particularly interested in roles such as General Duty Assistant and Phlebotomy Assistant. The Hospitality Skills Program helps students master key skills necessary for positions such as Front Desk Manager or Concierge.