4 language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Mastery of a foreign language involves several key skills. The four main skills usually highlighted in language learning are called “The Four Language Skills”: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Examinations typically assess language proficiency based on these four skills, making it crucial to evenly develop language abilities in speaking, writing, listening, and reading.

Speaking and writing are considered active skills, while reading and listening are passive. It often happens that passive skills are developed to a greater extent than active ones, meaning a person understands a foreign language better than they can communicate in it. This is why language schools pay more attention to speaking and utilize communicative methods.

Let’s take a closer look at each skill.

1. Reading Skill 

The ability to understand and interpret written text, including the capacity to grasp main ideas, details, analyze the text, and extract information. This could involve both fiction and non-fiction texts, such as business, scientific, or academic articles. 

Example task to assess reading skill at an intermediate level: read a short text about a writer and answer questions. It is essential to comprehend the main idea of the text and capture its key details.

2. Writing Skill 

The ability to express thoughts and ideas in writing, encompassing the creation of texts in various genres, from short notes to essays and business correspondence. 

Example task to assess writing skill at an intermediate level: write a short letter to a friend, describing your recent travel experience or sharing plans for the future.

3. Listening Skill 

The capacity to understand oral speech. This involves the ability to comprehend conversational language, identify key information, and follow details in spoken language, including discussions, lectures, audiobooks, and conversations. 

Example task to assess listening skill at an intermediate level: listen to an audio recording of an interview and answer questions related to key moments of the conversation.

4. Speaking Skill 

The ability to speak in a foreign language, including expressing thoughts orally, engaging in conversations, asking questions, and participating in various communicative situations. 

Example task to assess speaking skill at an intermediate level: talk about your hobby. Then engage in a dialogue on the topic, asking and answering questions.

These four skills are interconnected and essential for overall proficiency in a foreign language. Their combined development enables effective communication and application of the foreign language in real-life situations.

For active use, it is important to consistently master speaking skills and, if possible, writing skills. Speaking and writing are key elements of communicative competence, allowing individuals to express their thoughts and interact at various levels.