Anyone who masters English at a bilingual level has a guaranteed position in almost any company, as this gives the business the opportunity to expand and become much more competitive in relation to new organizations entering the market strongly. Especially if your work involves direct contact with clients, suppliers, vendors, or the media, you already know that English skills are essential to operate in such a globalized market as the one we have today.
Do you want to know more about the importance of mastering English and how far you can go if you reach a high level? Discover it in this post and get motivated to keep learning!
The general concept of language competencies refers to the knowledge that a speaker, whether native or foreign, possesses of a language. The more and deeper skills a person has in a language, the better they can form, convey, and understand a message—this determines the quality of communication.
If you want to learn English, before using the various available techniques and tools, you should focus on working on each English skill individually, especially if you’re starting from scratch, to build a solid foundation of grammar and vocabulary that will allow you to progress correctly.
Let’s see what the three main English skills are!
Listening comprehension: listening and understanding conversations is the first step to learning a language, and in fact, it’s the first skill we develop as children when we are exposed daily to our native tongue. This isn’t entirely a passive activity—it requires full attention and practice through self-assessment exercises such as quizzes or tests to confirm we’ve understood the content correctly. These exercises become more complex as we’re required to understand more detailed information.
Training your ear and trying to decipher what’s being said is essential to activate your brain and exercise association and memory. Trying to recall new vocabulary and its pronunciation will be very useful for building increasingly complex sentences.
Speaking: this is the ability to put into practice and express the knowledge gained through listening. It involves forming logical and correct sentences with proper pronunciation. This linguistic skill allows us to connect and interact with others.
Reading comprehension: this is the ability to understand written language, interpreting both the symbols of the language and the meanings of words and grammatical structures. The best way to improve this skill is to read a lot—different types of texts—and gradually increase the level of complexity.
Writing: writing coherently, correctly, and fluently is quite a challenge for people learning a new language. This is considered the most advanced skill and, for Spanish speakers for example, becomes more difficult when studying non-phonetic languages.
As you know, English has become the fundamental language for professionals who want to reach a high level in their careers or strengthen their international profile. In fields like foreign trade, international relations, logistics, and many others, not knowing English becomes a serious obstacle to overcome. But don’t worry—there are proven methods that will help you strengthen your knowledge. Let’s take a look!
Listen to music and songs in English: music is an excellent way to improve your listening ability. Listen to songs in English and try to identify the words and phrases you hear. You can look up the lyrics and follow along as you listen to improve your understanding. Just make sure you don’t skip over vocabulary you don’t understand!
Watch movies and series in English with subtitles: choose simple movies or shows in English and turn on English subtitles. This helps you associate the words you hear with their spelling. Try to pay attention to the pronunciation and intonation of the actors as you follow the story.
Practice with podcasts or audiobooks in English: listen to podcasts or audiobooks in English on topics that interest you. You can start with slower-paced options and then move on to faster ones. Try to understand the content and take notes of unfamiliar words or phrases to research later.
Free writing: practice free writing by choosing a topic and writing everything that comes to mind about it. Don’t worry about grammar or structure at first—just let the words flow. Then, review and correct your writing to improve accuracy and coherence.
Text correction: ask someone to review your writing and point out grammatical errors, incorrect vocabulary, awkward expressions, or any other aspects that need improvement. Use this feedback to learn from your mistakes and strengthen your writing skills.
Structured writing practice: choose a specific writing format, such as essays, formal letters, or book reviews. Practice organizing your ideas into coherent paragraphs and use a clear structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Make sure to use appropriate vocabulary for the format and vary your grammatical structures.
Language exchange: if you can’t go abroad, let the world come to you. Look for language exchange groups or events in your area—many are organized through language school websites or social media. These events bring together people who want to learn English or Spanish to converse and help each other. It’s a perfect opportunity not only to speak English and improve your fluency but also to exchange ideas, discover new cultures, and make new friends.
English conversation classes: check if there are language academies or cultural centers offering English conversation classes. These are designed specifically to practice speaking. You’ll take part in group activities, debates, and oral expression exercises. Plus, you’ll have a teacher to guide you, provide feedback, and help you improve your communication skills.
Online practice: take advantage of online tools to practice speaking. Look for online language exchange platforms where you can connect with native English speakers via video calls. You can schedule regular conversations with them to discuss different topics. There are also mobile apps that let you record yourself speaking English and receive feedback on your pronunciation and fluency.
As you can see, in addition to academic options for learning English, there are other methods you can start practicing today from home to improve your language skills in record time. Get inspired and keep reading our blog for more content on professional development and beyond!
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