2008 February | ALLENGLISH Blog

Balancing Language Skills

Too much of anything at the expense of something else causes an imbalance.

The same concept applies to learning English. Many of my students tend to get stuck in the skill they are the most confident in. Why wouldn’t they? They are rewarded for their efforts, so they continue to do whatever gets them a reward. Unfortunately, they end up neglecting areas that need work. If you only focus on the grammar, but neglect listening and speaking, the scale tips and your efforts become fruitless.

It’s important to balance all of the skills. It’s even better if you can acknowledge the areas that need work and spend time improving them.

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Tags: Critical Thinking, Speaking in General by Debra
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Get it? Got it. Good!

Click here to listen.

Read these two conversations and compare the tone and manner in each. The scene is one person asking another person if they understand something.

Person A: Do you understand what I have just told you?

Person B: Yes. I understand.

Person A: It is good that you understand.

This dialogue says the same thing, but in a friendlier and more casual way:

Person A: Get it?

Person B: Got it.

Person A: Good.

Which dialogue is better? The first dialogue is formal, but it is also particularly boring and unnatural. A formal and natural dialogue that means the same might go like this:

Person A: Do you have any questions?

Person B: No. It’s pretty clear.

Person A: Let me know if you have any trouble.

If your audience is a peer, a co-worker, or a friend, the dialogue is better for two reasons: it shows your listener that you have good enough English that you are now using some idiomatic expressions, and it is simple enough to avoid grammatical errors.

If you get it, go on and try it!