Active and critical are two varieties of which skill?

Active and critical are two varieties of which skill?

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

Answer: (A)

Active listening and critical listening describe how we engage with spoken information. Active listening means you’re fully focused on the speaker, provide feedback, ask clarifying questions, and restate what you heard to confirm understanding. Critical listening adds evaluation: you analyze the message, weigh evidence, identify biases, and decide how credible or persuasive the information is. Both are ways of processing sounds and messages you hear, so they fall under listening, not under producing speech or working with written text. The other skills involve speaking, reading, or writing, which is why listening is the best fit.

Active listening and critical listening describe how we engage with spoken information. Active listening means you’re fully focused on the speaker, provide feedback, ask clarifying questions, and restate what you heard to confirm understanding. Critical listening adds evaluation: you analyze the message, weigh evidence, identify biases, and decide how credible or persuasive the information is. Both are ways of processing sounds and messages you hear, so they fall under listening, not under producing speech or working with written text. The other skills involve speaking, reading, or writing, which is why listening is the best fit.