Active listening is when you are actively engaged, so you might be asking questions; you might be nodding; you might be making listening sounds – uh-huh, uh-huh, hmm…that’s interesting.
And paraphrasing is also involved in active listening. Paraphrasing is great, because when you repeat the words back to someone that they have said in your own words, it gives them a chance not only to clarify but also to let them know that you’re listening.