We all want to learn new languages, but what does ‘learning‘ a language actually mean?
In order to successfully learn a new language, it is important to understand that your overall language skills can be divided into four disciplines.
This post contains:
- Information about the 4 essential disciplines
- Why this is important to know
- Practical tips on how to target each of the disciplines
The 4 disciplines of language learning
Language ability is often measured two parts – active and passive, and within those parts we can classify two other categories – written language and oral (spoken) language.
These categories give us the four disciplines of most languages – listening, reading, speaking and writing.
| Active | Passive | |
| Oral | speaking | listening |
| Written | writing | reading |
Exceptions to the rule
Though this is how most languages work, not every language is the same.
Some languages only exist in one or two disciplines. For example, many ‘dead’ languages such as Latin mostly exist in writing and aren’t used conversationally, while other languages might only exist in oral form.
Passive vs. Active skills in language learning
All four disciplines are interconnected, so when you are learning a new language it is important to strive for a balance between them.
When you have reached a certain fluency when speaking a language your brain will automatically translate your linguistic knowledge to a different discipline.
Your passive abilities tend to come more easily than your active abilities. This is because (as the name probably gives away) it simply takes less effort. Your brain is better at
However when you hear a word you know being used in a sentence together with the context your brain is much quicker in actually remembering the meaning of the word.
Even when you have never heard a word before the context can give away the meaning of the word.
People who speak languages that are related to each other (Spanish/Portuguese or Swedish/Norwegian) are often able to understand the other language passively, but might make more mistakes actively as they can easily confuse two similar sounding things.
Passive -> Active
Improving your passive skills will eventually lead to better active skills. To improve your active skills trying to learn grammatical rules is necessary, however, if you spend enough time improving your passive skills you will end up getting a better feeling for the language.
Instead of having to think about which verb tense to use your passive skills might gift you with the abilities most native speakers of any language have – doing things right without knowing why.
Active -> Passive
Passive language skills come in handy, but because your active abilities are often the most difficult to improve it is never a bad idea to focus on these. Reading a lot might help you in your writing but it won’t do the work for you.
In the end there is nothing that beats practise, so don’t be afraid to get out there and spend a little more time trying to improve your speaking and writing abilities.
How does this help me?
This information might not be new to you, but when learning a new language it is important to keep in mind which disciplines you are focussing on.
Knowing the four basic disciplines can help you make your language learning more efficient.
For example, watching movies and series in your target language is a well-known tool to improve your listening skills, but also turning on subtitles in the language in question will not only support you in your listening abilities but will also help you improve your reading skills.
Training both your listening and reading at the same time will make it easier for your brain to store this new information as it comes from not one but two sources.
Adapt to your goals
When learning a new language try and ask yourself what your goals are, and try to figure out what your weak points are.
If you want to learn a new language for the purpose of understanding what is being said around you, don’t focus all your efforts on trying to write.
Though in the end all disciplines are connected making sure your efforts are put into the right place.
How to improve these skills
Here are some quick tools you can use to improve in each of the four disciplines.
Listening
► Audiobooks
Audiobooks are a great way to work on your listening skills because there are many audiobooks at varying levels. Find out what kind of audiobook best matches your skills and how you can get one for free.
Additionally, we have suggestions for audiobooks in Spanish, German, Italian, French, and Portuguese.
► Movies spoken in your target language
Depending on the language you are looking for, Netflix might already have a selection of movies and shows that match your needs.
Find out how you can find foreign language content on Netflix or look at our suggestions for Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and German.
► Listening to music
Music is a great way to practise both listening, and if you are up for it, you can practise pronunciation by singing along.
Try finding a Spotify playlist for your target language.
Reading
► Books
Depending on your current level, try reading a book that you have already read before (e.g. Harry Potter).
► Movies with subtitles
Depending on the language you are looking for, Netflix might already have a selection of movies and shows that match your needs. Find out how you can find foreign language content on Netflix or look at our suggestions for Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and German.
► Reading newspapers
An easy way to stay up to date on the latest news and practise your reading skills is by reading the news in your target language.
► Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to practice your listening skills at your own level. We have some podcast suggestions for people learning Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese.
Writing
► Write a journal
A way to make sure you practice daily is to write a journal in your target language. This way, you really get to expand your vocabulary by writing about things that are happening in your life.
Plus, this way you get to track your own progress!
► Chatting with native speakers
Of course, speaking to native speakers is always the best practice, and thanks to the internet we are now able to speak to someone across the world without leaving the comfort of our own couch.
Find a Facebook group, or a language exchange app with native speakers and find a buddy to practice with.
► Finding pen pals
A bit old school, but that doesn’t make it bad. You can still find a penpal these days, and it can be a great reason to sit down and write something.
Speaking
► Speaking with native speakers
Of course, there is nothing like the real deal. You can try to find people who speak your target language near you, or simply try to find someone to facetime with.
► Reading out loud
A way to really practice the physical act of speaking is by simply reading a book out loud. You can try sending voice notes to native friends and ask them to correct you, or simply compare your voice to an audiobook.
► Shadowing
Shadowing is really great way of practicing pronunciation and speaking.