Question

Which skills are considered receptive skills in language teaching?

• A. Writing and Speaking
• B. Reading and Listening
• C. Listening and Writing
• D. Speaking and Reading

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Reading and Listening

• Receptive Skills are those language skills through which we receive or understand information.
• In language learning, the two primary receptive skills are Listening and Reading.
• Listening involves understanding spoken language, including pronunciation, intonation, and stress. It is crucial for comprehending conversations, lectures, and media.
• Reading involves understanding written language, including vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. It is essential for accessing information from texts, books, and online resources.
• The other two main language skills are Productive Skills, which are Speaking and Writing. These involve producing language to communicate ideas.
• Many competitive exams, especially those testing English proficiency, assess both receptive and productive skills. For instance, sections on Reading Comprehension test listening, while Essay Writing or Group Discussions test speaking and writing.
• Understanding the distinction between receptive and productive skills is fundamental for effective language acquisition and for performing well in language-based assessments.
• In the context of language teaching methodologies, approaches like the Audiolingual Method emphasized listening and speaking drills, while methods like Total Physical Response (TPR) heavily rely on receptive understanding before production.
• Common Competitive Exam Relevance: Questions often appear in exams like UPSC Civil Services, SSC CGL, CTET, TOEFL, IELTS, etc., asking to identify receptive or productive skills or testing these skills directly through comprehension passages or writing tasks.