While listening to a lecture, you should be writing down important information that the professor is saying. You should also be paying close attention to what the professor doesn't say. Ask questions in your head. Is this fact or opinion? If it's a fact, is it from a textbook or is the speaker sharing personal knowledge? If it's an opinion, does the speaker agree or disagree? In other words, exactly how does the professor feel? How does he or she want us to feel? The speaker's feeling is called a stance, or tone, or attitude. Is the speaker being humorous? Annoyed? Indifferent? Proud? Hesitant? There are thousands of adjectives that can be used to describe these emotions, which can be classified into three connotations. Positive, neutral and negative. The speaker's tone conveys the true value of his or her words. If the professor is being serious, this may be important information that you should remember. If the professor is being pensive, perhaps there are many options out there and he or she wants you to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each option. If the professor is being light and humorous, this information isn't as important. Just sit back and enjoy the fun. However, if the professor is making sarcastic jokes, disapproval could be the underlying attitude, and you should be listening for why he or she disagrees. Often, the speaker will not directly state how he or she feels, but you can catch clues. One aspect to consider is paralanguage: visual and vocal cues. Notice changes in facial expression, voice inflection, body movement. Paralanguage can tell you the true meaning behind the words. Compare the tone of this sentence said in two very different ways. a, The scientist developed an interesting theory. B, The scientist developed an, interesting theory. Which sentence sounded negative, hesitant, revealing that I don't like this theory? The second sentence, b. In contrast, a, was said in a positive, enthusiastic manner, like I agree with it. Diction, the choice of vocabulary, can also shed light on the speaker's stance. Pay attention to intensifiers and qualifiers that show the degree of certainty. Intensifiers strengthen the speaker's claim. Qualifiers on the other hand weaken a claim. Intensifiers communicate 100% certainty. Qualifiers express doubt, less than 100% certainty. There is a wide range from a little bit unsure to very unsure. Compare these sentences. It is clearly evident that the research data was mishandled. It is evident that the research data was mishandled. It is highly probable that the research data was mishandled. It is probable that the research data was mishandled. It is possible that the research data was mishandled. It is unlikely that the research data was mishandled. It is improbable that the research data was mishandled. There is no evidence that the research data was mishandled. There is absolutely no evidence that the research data was mishandled. Diction creates a difference in tone. When an intensifier is used, the professor strongly believes, or disbelieves what he or she is saying. If a qualifier is used, the professor is acknowledging that there are exceptional cases. Listen for these special cases and the reasons for doubt. Even if reasons aren't provided, the professor expects you to be actively thinking about the issue. Always be asking questions in your head. Is this a fact or an opinion? Does the professor agree or disagree? A lot or a little? Why? To see the speaker's stance,the real meaning behind his or her words, you can analyze one, the emotions, and whether they have positive, neutral, or negative connotations. Two, paralanguage, such as voice inflections and body language. And three, diction, including intensifiers and qualifiers. What the professor says is not as important as how it is said.
