Which strategies can improve active listening skills?

Maintaining eye contact and providing feedback are key strategies that enhance active listening skills. Eye contact demonstrates attentiveness and encourages the speaker to engage more fully, creating a sense of connection and understanding. It allows the listener to not only hear the words being spoken but also to pick up on nonverbal cues, such as body language and facial expressions, which can further enrich comprehension.

Providing feedback, whether through verbal affirmations or non-verbal signals such as nodding, signals to the speaker that the listener is engaged and processing the information being delivered. This can create a more interactive dialogue and helps to clarify any misunderstandings immediately. Both practices contribute to a more effective communication process, allowing for deeper understanding and collaboration.

In contrast, the other options detract from active listening, as they involve behaviors that can disrupt the flow of conversation and hinder effective communication.