What Is the LEAPS Model of Communication? Meaning, Steps, and Examples

As a university student, you communicate daily with lecturers, classmates, placement supervisors, and even potential future employers. Communication is a significant factor in your academic success, whether it involves explaining your ideas in a seminar, writing reflective assignments, or participating in group work. However, not all students can communicate effectively or listen to others effectively, and this may result in misunderstanding, stress, and poor grades.

This is where effective communication becomes essential. Poor listening, unclear questions, and assumptions often create misunderstandings in both academic and professional settings. In order to address these issues, structured communication models are applied, and one of the most feasible models is the LEAPS model of communication. It is commonly taught in UK universities, especially in health and social care, education, and business courses, and is often included in assignments where students may struggle and seek guidance from an assignment helper.

Importance of Effective Communication

Communication is the basis of collaboration and success in both academic and professional settings. From lectures to seminars and student projects to workplace interviews, all of them require you to be able to communicate and comprehend others.

However, numerous students are hindered by:

Inability to identify the feelings or opinions of others.

Poor tone, meaning, or intent interpretation.

Inability to ask questions or clarify points.

Difficulties in active listening and empathy.

These issues underscore the usefulness of models such as the LEAPS model of communication. They take you through the process bit by bit to develop actual knowledge instead of merely talking.

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What Is the LEAPS Model of Communication?

The LEAPS model of communication is a systematic process that facilitates effective listening, empathy and respectful communication. It is widely applied in education, counselling, health and social care, and training in the workplace.

This model is not complicated in its purpose, as it is aimed at making sure that both sides actually comprehend each other without assumptions and misunderstandings. The LEAPS framework can be used to create more meaningful and effective conversations, whether you are a student, a teacher or a professional.

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LEAPS Model of Communication Stands For

So, what does LEAPS stand for?

LEAPS is an acronym that consists of five key steps:

L - Listen

E - Empathise

A - Ask

P - Paraphrase

S - Summarise

These five steps are a cycle of communication that encourages listening, understanding, and effective response. They can help you to be thoughtful and not reactive when responding to situations, whether in academics or personal life, when followed carefully.

Why the LEAPS Model of Communication Is Important

The LEAPS model is not any other theory; it assists you to communicate purposefully and respectfully. Here's why it matters:

It promotes active listening, where you are listening to understand and not to reply.

It establishes trust and an emotional bond between speakers.

It assists in minimising misunderstandings and conflicts within group projects or work environments.

It helps to communicate clearly and professionally, which is a necessary skill to succeed in academics and be ready to work.

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What are The 5 Steps of LEAPS

These five steps are best applied in combination before we proceed further; keep in mind that each of them relies on the other.

5.1 L - Listen

The first and most significant step in the LEAPS model of communication is listening. It involves listening to the speaker with all your attention, not only hearing but also comprehending what the speaker is saying.

Active listening involves non-verbal communication such as nodding, maintaining eye contact, and not being distracted. By listening actively, you make the other person feel important and respected, which will make him or her talk openly.

5.2 E - Empathise

Empathy is concerned with putting yourself in the shoes of the other person. In this step, you attempt to experience what they may be experiencing or what they are thinking.

Sympathy is not empathy, which is not about pity but about connection and understanding. Empathy can be used in a classroom discussion or group project to make you recognise the struggles of others without judging them. It is an essential ability in education and work relationships.

5.3 A - Ask

After listening and empathising, the next thing is to ask questions. Open-ended questions will facilitate a more in-depth discussion and clarify any doubts.

For instance, instead of saying, “Do you understand?” you might ask, “What do you think about this point?” or “Can you share your view on this idea?” Asking ensures you’re not assuming anything — a valuable habit in academic writing as well.

5.4 P - Paraphrase

Paraphrasing refers to the process of putting what a person said in your own words to ensure that you have understood it properly. This is especially helpful when having a group discussion or when writing reflective assignments.

Here's a simple example:

If your tutor says, “Your argument needs more evidence,” you might respond, “So, you mean I should add more references to support my point?”

Paraphrasing helps you to avoid confusion and demonstrate that you are listening, which are two important components of the LEAPS model of communication.

5.5 S - Summarise

The last step is summarising, which is the process of bringing it all together. You rephrase the key points that have been discussed to ensure that you are on the same page.

Practically, this could be a conclusion of a conversation with, so, in conclusion, we decided to study this subject and see each other next week. This makes sure that the two parties are on the same page before proceeding.

Summarising is also effective in academic writing – it assists you in tying up the ends in a nice and tidy manner.

LEAPS Model Examples

Now, we can observe how the LEAPS model of communication can be applied in various situations:

University context: In a group project, a student listens to the feedback of a peer (Listen), recognises his/her emotions regarding strict deadlines (Empathise), poses clarifying questions (Ask), paraphrases the problem (Paraphrase), and accepts the plan of action (Summarise).

Health and social care: A nurse listens to a patient and empathises with his/her pain, asks additional questions to understand the symptoms better, paraphrases to ensure that he/she understand, and summarises the treatment plan.

Workplace: A manager listens to a suggestion of an employee, empathises with his/her problems, asks open-ended questions, paraphrases feedback, and summarises the next steps.

Conclusion

In summary, the LEAPS Communication Model provides an appropriate and easily understood framework for developing listening, empathy, questioning, paraphrasing, and summarising skills. By utilising the LEAPS Communication Model, students may become more confident in their academic communication, preparing them for success in their careers.

Through understanding the concepts of LEAPS and following the model correctly, students will be able to enhance their academic discussions, complete better quality assignments, and enhance interactions in their day-to-day lives.

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