Speech on reading ,writing and listening skills.
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Reading, writing, speaking and listening – the four foundational skills of language learning.
You can’t build a house without a strong foundation (well, that’s if you want the house to stay upright in all weather!). Similarly, you won’t become a well-rounded speaker of a language without building upon the four foundations of language learning.
It took me quite a while to realise this.
I studied languages for years at school – and even after school without much success. I even moved to Spain to learn Spanish. It was a lightning bolt moment that made me realise I could spend hours learning how to read or write Spanish, but I had to actually start speaking to achieve fluency.
As you continue language learning, you will probably discover that you’re stronger in some areas than others. Typically, people struggle most with listening and speaking.
How I Discovered My Achilles Heel: Listening Comprehension
Listening is the big one for me.
When I was learning German I set myself a goal of passing the advanced CEFRL exam. I passed four out of the five sections of the exam.
It was only my listening that wasn’t up to scratch.
I didn’t mind too much – I could hold confident conversations in German, after only 3 months of intensive study. That being my aim, I was happy with my result.
However, the experience helped me see that I need to focus more on listening when I’m learning a new language.
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The key factor of the four basic language skills is that they complement each other. As a science nerd, I know that Newton’s third law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. So, if you want to be a well-rounded language learner, you need to ensure that you’re giving each skill the attention that it needs.
What are the Four Basic Languages Skills?
These are the cornerstones of learning a language.
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
The skills work in pairs. When you’re reading or listening, you’re consuming a language.
However, when you’re writing or speaking, you’re producing a language.
Once you’ve mastered these skills, you can safely say that you’re fluent in that language.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how you can strengthen each individual skill, to ensure that you’re making the most out of your language practice.
How to Improve Your Reading Skills
There’s a very obvious place to start for those wishing to improve their reading skills: books!
Books not only help you learn a new language. They’re also a way to discover the culture behind the language.
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Thanks to the Internet, paper books aren’t your only option for reading practice. Most languages have thousands of books available to download online – many of them free.
Here are just a few of my favourite reading resources, to get you started.
1. Picture or Comic Books
Picture books are an excellent resource for beginners. Chances are, you used picture books to help you learn to read in your native tongue. So it makes sense you’d start here with your target language too.
Once you’re beyond the absolute beginner stage, I recommend comic books. They’re fun to read, and the pictures help you follow the story even if you don’t know all the vocabulary.
2. A Good Dictionary and a Pocket Notebook
A dictionary is a language learner’s best friend. As you delve deeper into your target language, you’ll frequently come across new words. By having a dictionary on hand, you can find out what those words mean right away, and jot them down in your notebook.
You can do the same thing digitally. Almost all languages these days have a dictionary available as in app form. And with a note-taking app like Evernote you can keep your notes organised into virtual notebooks – for example by topic.
Here are a few other ideas to get you started with writing.
1. Write a Letter to a Pen Pal
Did you ever take a language class at school where your teacher encouraged sending a letter to a pen pal in a far-off land? Well, they were certainly onto something there.
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If you’re at a beginner’s level, you can keep it to a few lines on a postcard. If you’re more advanced, set yourself the task of penning (or typing, if your handwriting is difficult to read!) a page-long letter.
It doesn’t even have to be a letter that will ever see the light of day. Address it to your Mum, a friend, or even your dog. It doesn’t matter. As long as you’re writing, that’s the key factor here.
2. Set Yourself a Daily Goal on Duolingo
Duolingo offers plenty of writing exercises at all skill levels so you can practise writing your target language as much as you want.
3. Start a Blog in Your Target Language
I’m consistently amazed by how many opportunities have come my way from starting Fluent in 3 Months. I’d recommend anyone who’s learning a language to start a blog. And if you’re doing that, why not write some posts in your target language?