What Are Active Listening Skills

Active listening is a communication technique that involves fully concentrating on, understanding, and responding to the speaker. This technique requires the listener to engage in verbal and nonverbal actions that show the speaker they are being heard and understood.

Examples of active listening skills include making eye contact, nodding, asking follow-up questions, and providing verbal cues such as "mm-hmm" or "I see." The goal of active listening is to improve understanding and build strong relationships.