“How to Actively Listen” Activity:

Listener and Talker Activity

The “Listener and Talker” activity is a great way to practice active listening. It only takes two people and can be done in five minutes.

STEP 1: Divide yourselves into pairs.

STEP 2: Assign one partner to the “talker” role and the other to the “listener” role.

TASK: The talker’s job is to describe what he or she wants from a vacation without specifying a destination. The listener’s job is to listen attentively to what is being said (and what is not being said) and to demonstrate their listening through their behavior. 

STEP 3: After a few minutes of active listening, the listener should summarize the three main criteria the talker is considering when it comes to enjoying their vacation. Finally, the listener should try to sell the talker on a destination for their vacation.

STEP 4: After a quick debrief on how well the listener listened, the two should switch roles and try the exercise from the other’s perspective. 

This exercise gives each participant a chance to practice talking about their wants and needs, as well as an opportunity to engage in active listening and use the knowledge they gained to understand and relate to the speaker.

Best of all, you may get your next vacation destination out of it!