Question: The ability to listen consists of three functions: attention, understanding, and acceptance. Attention refers to non-verbal cues. The main non-verbal signal is eye contact. Now, in the era of coronavirus, when we are all in front of screens most of the time, it is very difficult for us to listen and to be heard.
How do you cope with this problem while teaching thousands of students?
Answer: First, I have a constant daily contact for three hours with my students. In addition, they have an opportunity to access the Internet sites of our organization all the time, to read necessary materials there, to watch, to listen, and to participate in common events, etc.
Question: How do you understand that they are listening to you? You cannot see their faces.
Answer: I am waiting for their questions. Students from 150 countries of the world connect to our virtual studies that are held with simultaneous translation into 40 languages. Therefore, we have a huge field of communication: We read small excerpts on a certain topic, everyone listens, and if students have questions, they immediately ask them.
Question: So you do not need to see their faces?
Answer: In principle, no. It is not necessary. I feel a person by his question.
Question: What do you do when you see that a student resists and does not accept what you are saying?
Answer: It depends on what it means that he does not accept. If he is against something, then I must explain it to him. If he is against it anyway, then I have to postpone it for a while.
Question: Do you think that it is useless to prove something?
Answer: No, it is all right to prove. It is very good to do it, just within reasonable limits, since our audience is thousands of people, and I must always feel the time limit.
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From KabTV’s “Communication Skills” 8/14/20
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