A quote by Greek philosopher Epictetus: – We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.
Task 1: Discuss the questions.
- What does the quote mean? Do you agree with it?
- The quote mean that we lisen twice more than speak. My agreement equal 50/50, because when we listen we get more information so that is why we learn more and we can understand somebody’s feelings. When we speak we can express our emotions and speak out our opinion.
- When we communicate, what is more important: listening or talking?
- When we commuincate we of course be able to listen and then talk.
- What are the qualities of a good communicator?
- A good communicator should be able to listen
- What problems might occur when communicating with someone?
Task 2: Complete the table with words that go with these verbs. Some words can be matched to more than one verb.
feedback, thoughts, ideas, confusion, meaning,
misunderstanding, miscommunication, message, animosity,
receive share grasp prevent interpret lead to
Task 3. Fill in the sentences with the correct form of the verbs from the table above and then discuss these points.
• Asking people questions usually prevent miscommunication.
• One of the most common reasons that lead to misunderstandings is the
use of complicated sentence structures.
• It only makes sense to share positive feedback as it keeps everyone happy.
• People with various knowledge, experience and cultural backgrounds
interpret messages in a different way.
Task 4. Watch the first part of a video (to 3:10) titled “How miscommunication happens (and how to avoid it)” and choose correct answers.
1) The transmission model:
A. means that communication is a one-way process
B. involves communicating complex concepts
C. includes feedback from the other person
2) In the transactional model:
A. there is no exchange of information
B. just one person assigns meaning
C. people give and receive feedback
3) Perceptual filters….
A. improve communication by adding extra information
B. limit the number of messages we receive
C. change meanings and interpretation of messages we receive
Task 5. Complete these rules of good communication with words given below.
filters, gut, open, express. engage,
1: Engage actively with the verbal and nonverbal feedback of others, and adjust your message to facilitate greater understanding.
2: Listen with your eyes and ears, as well as with your gut . Remember that communication is more than just words.
3: In the rush to express ourselves, it’s easy to forget that communication is a two -way street. Be open to what the other person might say.
4: Be aware of your personal perceptual filters . Elements of your experience, including your culture, community, and family, influence how you see the world.
Task 6: Watch the second part of the video (from 3:10) and check your answers in the previous exercise.
Task 7: Discuss the rules above. What do they mean? How easy do you think it is to follow these rules?
- Discuss the questions.
• Do you think that people tend to use too many words to communicate their ideas? — It depends on the person.
• What can we do to be better communicators? — Be able to listen and just be yourself.
• In what kinds of situations do you have to ask someone to rephrase what they’ve said? — Maybe when you don’t understand what they’re trying to say. - Match phrases to correct categories.
• In other words — You want to explain/clarify something
you’ve already said
• I don’t quite follow — You want someone to clarify
what they’ve said
• Can you elaborate on that? — You want someone to clarify
what they’ve said
• I don’t fully understand — You want someone to clarify
what they’ve said
• Could you be more specific? — You want someone to clarify
what they’ve said
• I didn’t catch that. — You didn’t hear something
• Could you repeat? — You didn’t hear something
• To put it another way — You want to explain/clarify something
you’ve already said
• Just to be clear, you’re
suggesting that — You want to check if you understand what
someone has just said
• To be more specific — You want to explain/clarify something
you’ve already said
• Can you say that again? — You didn’t hear something
• I don’t get it — You want someone to clarify
what they’ve said
• Would you mind speaking more
slowly? — You didn’t hear something
• So, you’re saying that — You want to check if you understand what
someone has just said
• If I understand you correctly — You want to check if you understand what
someone has just said
• Correct me if I’m wrong, but
you’re saying that — You want to check if you understand what
someone has just said
• Let me clarify that — You want to explain/clarify something
you’ve already said
1: You want someone to clarify
what they’ve said
2: You didn’t hear something
3: You want to explain/clarify something
you’ve already said
4: You want to check if you understand what
someone has just said
10. What would you say in these situations? Use the expressions from the exercise on the previous page to complete these dialogues.
a) A: First, you need to know the nuts and bolts of running a business.
B: What does “nuts and bolts” mean?
A: It means that you need to know at least basic details about running a business.
b) A: I’m going to finish this task soon.
B: Can you do it till the weekend. Everyone’s waiting for you.
A: Yeah, I’ll finish by Friday.
c) A: If you want to add a new vendor to the system, you have to click this button
and type the vendor’s details.
B: That’s it? I’m not sure if I know what to do. Can you be more specific.
A: Ok, so you click this button and type your vendor’s details. Remember that all
fields should be filled in. Then, you click ‘accept’ in the top right corner. After a
second, you’ll see the information on your screen whether your form has been
completed correctly or not. If not, you need to repeat the process.
d) A: So, I asked her if she knows… and how about … But she…
B: I’m sorry, but I’ve just switched off. Can you repeat it.
e) A: He wasn’t really honest with us.
B: Are you saying that he lied to us?
A: Yes, he was a liar.
f) A: Your name, please.
B: Jane Kowalski. K – O – W – A – L – S – K – I.
A: Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Would you mind speaking more
slowly?
g) A: You should present the product, talk about all its advantages, give them the
price and make sure they buy it.
B: If I understand you correctly, I just need to sell it.
A: Yeah, in short, just sell it.






