1. Face the speaker, watch their face and gestures.
    
2. Get close enough to hear.
    
3. Ask the speaker to speak up when needed.
    
4. Focus your attention. Avoid distractions and other activities.
    
5. Be an active listener. Respond with nods, gestures, and feedback.
    
6. Pick up cues when the speaker is done, so you don't interrupt.
    
7. Reduce background noise when possible. Close open doors or windows, turn off radio or TV.
    
8. Come with a willing attitude to listen and learn.

Suggestions for improving your speaking so others will listen to you:

1. Be friendly and positive. Smiling activates your face muscles.
    
2. Be interesting.
    
3. Choose topics of conversation that are of interest to the other person.
    
4. Avoid topics that will upset and turn off the other person.
    
5. Face the listener.
    
6. Get close. Not more than 4 feet when sitting, 6-8 feet when standing. Don't speak from another room.
    
7. Use a preamble and gestures to get their attention.
    
8. Sit up straight or stand up to project your voice.
    
9. Emphasize lip and tongue movements for clarity.
    
10. Speak louder.
     
11. Speak more slowly.
     
12. Use and emphasize key words. Make these higher in pitch.
     
13. Give cues when you are done speaking. At the end of your statements, let pitch drop, not volume.
     
14. Stay on topic or indicate a topic change. Don't be tangential.

Environments that promote good hearing and listening

1. Choose quiet environments with minimal external noise.
    
2. Avoid noise centers like crowded bars or serving doorways.
    
3. Avoid dining hall hours where noise levels are highest.
    
4. If possible, choose rooms with good acoustics. Plush, curtained rooms are better than hard surfaced rooms.
    
5. Have adequate lighting that shines on the speaker's face.
    
6. At a dining table, only have one conversation.