The language skills of speaking, listening, writing and reading are often divided into sub-skills. What is the term for these specific behaviours?

• A. Sub-skills
• B. Needs Analysis
• C. Observation task
• D. PPP

Answer: (A)

Sub-skills are the specific behaviours that make up the larger language skills. In language teaching, each big skill—speaking, listening, reading, and writing—is broken down into these smaller, observable tasks learners perform, like listening for specific details, predicting content while reading, using appropriate intonation in speaking, or organising ideas clearly in writing. Recognising and teaching these sub-skills helps diagnose strengths and weaknesses and design focused practice.

Other terms refer to different ideas: needs analysis is about identifying what learners need to learn, an observation task is a method for collecting data on performance, and PPP (Presentation–Practice–Production) is a lesson structure, not the label for the individual behaviours within a skill.