BAB XVIII

TEACHING SUB-SKILLS

A. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In this session, students will learn the concept of teaching
subskills. This lesson will cover the description of Listening,
speaking, reading and writing in language teaching, the
characteristics, implementation in the classroom and analysis
of the strengths and weaknesses of the two methods. By the
end of the lesson, students are expected to be able to:
By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
1. Recognize the sub-skills in English language
2. Create and carry out teaching activities of English sub-
skills.
3. Examine the strengths and weaknesses of different
teaching activities of sub-skills

B. MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
Proficiency in subskills of the English language is necessary
for efficient communication. Teachers can assist students in
improving their language proficiency by recognizing and
instructing these subskills. Subskills in the English language
are essential for efficient communication. By emphasizing
these subskills in their instruction, teachers can give students
the resources they need to advance their language skills. As
mentioned in the references given, particular exercises and
methods can be used to target each subskill. This method
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guarantees a thorough comprehension of English as a second
language. English language sub-skills refer to the specific
components of language proficiency that contribute to
effective communication. These sub-skills fall within the
broader categories of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Here’s an overview of each sub-skill:

1. Listening Sub-skills
a. Listening for general information
the capacity to comprehend a spoken text's main idea.
This subskill entails comprehending spoken language's
core ideas or points without paying too much attention to
particulars. It's frequently employed when you want to
understand the main idea of a speech, discussion, or
audio clip without having to understand every word. For
instance, you only need to retain the main idea of a
podcast or news report rather than every detail. This
ability is very helpful in presentations, interviews, and
casual chats where the listener only needs to
comprehend the main idea or topic.
a. Listening for specific information:
the ability to spot specific subtleties in oral
communication. In this subskill, listeners concentrate on
locating specific facts or details in a spoken text.
Compared to listening for gist, this method is more
focused because it entails looking for particular facts,
names, dates, or numbers. For example, during a lecture
or meeting, you might be paying close attention to details
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 like deadlines, figures, or crucial instances. This ability
aids in identifying and remembering the precise
information you require from an audio recording or
conversation.
b. Inferential listening:
Recognizing implicit meanings and emotions depending
on the speaker's tone and context. Inferential hearing
goes beyond the words spoken. The listener must
understand the implied meanings, emotions, and
intentions that underpin the spoken language. This could
include reading between the lines to determine irony, tone
of speech, or implicit assumptions. For instance,
someone could say, "It's a little chilly in here, isn't it?"
Inferential hearing, in a given tone, would allow you to
understand that they may be suggesting that the
temperature be adjusted, even if this is not explicitly said.
This skill is necessary for effective communication since
it allows you to recognize nuances in speech that are not
explicitly articulated.
c. Note-taking:
A method for assisting listeners in recalling important
information during audio or verbal presentations. Taking
notes while listening is a skill that involves scribbling
down key ideas and information as you hear it. This
enhances understanding, retention, and subsequent
recall. It is a technique for ensuring that important
information is not lost, especially when listening to tough
or lengthy topics. In the classroom, for example, taking
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 notes helps students remember crucial material from a
lecture or presentation. To take effective notes, focus on
the major ideas, organize your thoughts, and use
acronyms or symbols to quickly record information.

2. Speaking Sub-skills
a. Pronunciation
Accurate sound production, including word emphasis and
intonation. Pronunciation is the capacity to produce the
sounds of a language clearly and properly. This includes
individual sounds (phonemes), word stress (emphasis on
the correct syllable in a word), sentence stress (emphasis
on key words in a phrase), intonation (the rise and fall of
the voice), and rhythm. Good pronunciation ensures that
others can understand what the speaker is saying. For
example, accurately pronouncing the distinction between
"ship" and "sheep" can help to avoid confusion. For
example, say "record" with stress on the first syllable as
a noun (RE-cord) rather than the second syllable as a
verb (re-CORD). Example of pronunciation activities:
1. Minimal Pairs Practice: Use pairs of words that differ
by only one sound (e.g., “ship” vs. “sheep”) to help
students notice and produce the correct pronunciation.
2. Shadowing: Students listen to a short sentence or
dialogue and repeat it immediately, trying to match the
speaker’s rhythm, stress, and intonation.
3. Stress and Intonation Drills: Use short dialogues or
sentences where students identify stressed words and
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 practice changing intonation for different emotions or
questions.
4. Vocabulary Usage: Selecting appropriate words and
expressions for different contexts.

b. Fluency
It is the capacity to speak easily, without awkward pauses
or uncertainty. A fluent speaker can express concepts
effectively and consistently, using connected speech and
proper tempo. Fluency does not necessarily imply
speaking quickly; it refers to keeping a natural and
intelligible flow. For example, you should be able to
communicate your weekend plans in English without
having to pause or look up basic words repeatedly.
Examples of activities:
1. 4-3-2 Speaking Task: Students talk about a topic for 4
minutes, then repeat the same talk in 3 minutes, and then
in 2. This encourages fluency as they focus less on form
and more on flow.
2. Storytelling or Picture Description: Students describe a
picture or tell a story using a sequence of images,
practicing connecting ideas and using linking phrases.
3. Role-Plays: Students act out situations like ordering at a
restaurant, making a complaint, or interviewing for a job,
promoting spontaneous and natural speech.

c. Vocabulary Usage
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 This refers to a speaker's ability to select and employ the
appropriate words for the given context. It covers both
basic and topic-specific vocabulary, as well as colloquial
expressions and collocations (frequent word pairings). A
larger vocabulary enables more precise and effective
communication. Examples of activities include using "run
into someone" instead of "meet someone by accident" to
appear more natural in casual conversation.
Example of activities:
1. Using “run into someone” instead of “meet someone by
accident” to sound more natural in informal
conversation.
2. Themed Vocabulary Role-Plays: Give students a theme
(e.g., shopping, traveling, emergencies) and vocabulary
lists, then have them create dialogues using the new
words.
3. Synonym Substitution Game: Students say a sentence
and others have to replace key words with synonyms to
show understanding of vocabulary variety.
4. Word Grab or Taboo: Fun games where students
explain or describe a word without saying it,
encouraging creative vocabulary use

d. Conversational Skills
Conversational skills involve the social and interactive
aspects of speaking. This includes knowing how to take
turns in a conversation, use polite expressions, ask
relevant questions, show interest, give feedback, and
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 respond appropriately. Good conversationalists are not just
good speakers—they also listen well and adapt to their
conversation partners. Example of activities:
1. Nodding or saying “I see” while someone is speaking,
asking “How about you?” to keep the conversation
going, or knowing when to let someone else speak.
2. Conversation Circles: Students rotate partners and
discuss simple questions like “What do you like to do on
weekends?” with an emphasis on turn-taking and asking
follow-up questions.
3. Information Gap Activities: One student has information
the other needs (e.g., a bus schedule, a menu), so they
must ask and answer questions to complete the task.
4. Dialogues with Missing Lines: Provide dialogues with
missing parts, and have students fill them in naturally,
thinking about how conversations flow.

3. Reading Sub-skills
a. Skimming
Quick reading to understand the essential ideas of a text
without dwelling on each individual word. Skimming is a fast-
reading technique that provides a general summary or
primary concept of a material without reading every word.
The reader swiftly scans the titles, subheadings, topic lines,
and any highlighted or bolded content. It is commonly used
to determine whether a text is worth reading in depth.
Understand the general idea or gist. Reading a newspaper
item to get the key elements, or reviewing a textbook chapter
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 before studying in depth. Skimming an online article on
climate change to get the main point without reading each
paragraph.
Examples of activities:
1. Gist Hunt: Give students a short article (e.g., a news story
or blog post) and 1 minute to read it quickly. Ask questions
like: "What’s the topic?" or "What’s the author’s main
point?" Encourage them not to read every word, just to
catch the overall idea.
2. Headline Matching: Give students a set of article
headlines and short paragraphs from different articles.
Students skim the paragraphs and match them to the
correct headline.

b. Scanning
Looking for specific information or keywords within a text.
Scanning is the process of swiftly looking through text for
specific information, such as a name, date, number, or
keyword. Unlike skimming, the goal is to find specific info
rather than an overall comprehension. To extract specific
details. Looking for a phone number in a directory, a movie's
time in a schedule, or a definition in a glossary. Scan a train
schedule to find the next departure to your destination.
Examples of activities:
1. Find the Fact: Give students a longer text (like a brochure,
menu, or schedule) and a set of specific questions (e.g.,
“What time does the train to London leave?”). Students
scan the text to find specific details quickly.
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 2. Keyword Treasure Hunt: Students are given a list of
words or numbers to find in a text. They race to see who
can locate them first and identify the context.

c. Inferencing
Using context and prior knowledge to interpret meanings that
are not expressly stated. Inference is the process of
leveraging clues from the text and your own background
knowledge to grasp something that is not explicitly stated. It
enables readers to "read between the lines" and understand
hidden meanings, emotions, or reasons. Make rational
guesses and gain a deeper knowledge. Interpreting a
character's emotions in a story, comprehending sarcasm or
implied criticism in an editorial. In a story, if a character slams
a door and does not speak to anyone, you might assume they
are upset—even if the text never specifies "he was angry."
Example of activities:
1. What’s Not Said? : Give students short texts (stories,
dialogues, or news excerpts) with implied information.
Ask inference questions like: “How do you think the
character feels?” or “Why did he say that?”
2. Guess the Situation: Provide a short dialogue without
context (e.g., “I can’t believe she said that in front of
everyone.”) and ask students to guess the situation and
emotions based on tone and clues.

d. Critical Reading
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 Using context and prior knowledge to interpret meanings that
are not expressly stated. Inference is the process of
leveraging clues from the text and your own background
knowledge to grasp something that is not explicitly stated. It
enables readers to "read between the lines" and understand
hidden meanings, emotions, or reasons. Make rational
guesses and gain a deeper knowledge. Analyzing a
character's feelings in a story, understanding sarcasm, or
detecting implied criticism in an editorial. In a story, if a
character slams a door and refuses to speak to anyone, you
might guess they are upset—even if the text never says "he
was angry." Examples of activities:
Fact versus Opinion: Provide pupils with an article or editorial.
Ask them to highlight factual information and underline
opinions. Then ask, "What evidence supports these claims?"
Choose a compelling text and have students determine the
author's perspective. Then, teach students to recognize
biased language, assumptions, and one-sided arguments.
These activities can be tailored to a variety of reading levels
and text types.

4. Writing Sub-skills
a. Grammar and Syntax:
To compose sentences correctly, use the proper
grammatical structures. Grammar and syntax are
fundamental aspects of writing that enable clarity and
precision in communicating. Grammar refers to the
principles that regulate sentence construction, such as
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 verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation.
Syntax refers to the arranging of words and phrases to
construct whole sentences. Adhering to appropriate
grammar and syntax allows the reader to readily
understand the intended meaning while avoiding
ambiguity. For instance, take this sentence:
"The dog chased the ball."
This sentence follows the standard Subject-Verb-Object
(SVO) structure in English syntax, ensuring clarity.

b. Coherence and Cohesion

To sustain a flow in writing, ideas should be organized
rationally and sentences linked. Coherence in writing is
the general clarity and logical flow of ideas. It is about
ensuring that the reader can readily follow the flow of
ideas from one sentence or paragraph to the next. In
contrast, cohesion emphasizes on the grammatical and
lexical ties that connect sentences and paragraphs,
allowing the writing to flow smoothly. Cohesion is
achieved through the use of transition words, reference
words (such as pronouns), and conjunctions, whereas
coherence is concerned with the overall structure and
order of ideas.
An example of coherence and cohesion:
1. Coherent passage: "The sun set over the
mountains, casting a warm glow on the
landscape. As the light dimmed, the stars began
to appear one by one."
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 2. The transition words ("as," "one by one") ensure
cohesion, and the progression of ideas maintains
coherence.

b. Paragraph Development
Creating well-structured paragraphs with a distinct topic
sentence and supporting facts. A well-developed paragraph
should begin with a clear topic sentence and then include
supporting elements that explain or expand on the notion
conveyed in the topic sentence. The supporting details should
be logically connected and organized in a way that builds on
the original idea. A well-structured paragraph allows the
reader to quickly comprehend the primary concept and better
understand the writer's argument or narrative. Example of
activities:
1. Topic sentence: "The rise in global temperatures has
serious consequences for biodiversity."
2. Supporting sentences: "As habitats change, many
species struggle to adapt to new conditions. Others may
face extinction as food sources become scarce or
environmental conditions become inhospitable.

c. Editing and Proofreading

Checking written materials for grammatical, spelling, and
clarity errors. Editing and proofreading are important parts of
the writing process. Editing is the process of improving
material's clarity, structure, and flow, whereas proofreading is
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 concerned with identifying and correcting mechanical errors
such spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting. Both
strategies contribute to clear, effective, and professional
writing. Editing often involves rearranging sections of a work,
rephrasing problematic lines, and ensuring style consistency,
whereas proofreading focuses on minor issues like
typographical errors or missing commas. For example:
1. Original sentence: "She dont like to swim."
2. Edited sentence: "She doesn't like to swim." (Here, the
subject-verb agreement error is corrected during editing.)
3. Proofread version: "She doesn't like to swim."
(Proofreading ensures the sentence is free of spelling or
punctuation errors.)

C. EXERCISE

1. How can teachers effectively balance teaching the four

main language skills (reading, writing, listening, and
speaking) with the development of subskills?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

2. Why are sub skills important in language acquisition?

_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

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 3. How can the development of sub skills contribute to
fluency in English?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

4. How can you design activities that integrate multiple

subskills (e.g., reading and speaking, writing and
listening)?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

5. How can technology assist in developing specific

English sub skills in the classroom?

_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

D. REFERENCES

Carnie, A. (2013). Syntax: A Generative Introduction. Wiley-

Blackwell.
Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2002). *Teaching and Researching
Reading*. Pearson Education.

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Hyland, K. (2003). *Writing Matters: Principles and Practice in
Teaching English Writing*. University of Michigan Press.
Oshima, A., & Hogue, A. (2006). Writing Academic English.
Pearson Education.
Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (2012). Academic Writing for
Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills. University
of Michigan Press.
Thornbury, S. (2005). *How to Teach Speaking*. Pearson
Education.
Williams, J. M., & Bizup, J. (2014). Style: Lessons in Clarity
and Grace. Pearson.

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