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Reading vs Speaking revisited | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| M. Medialis Diglot TAC 2010 Winner Senior Member Sweden Joined 6157 days ago 397 posts - 508 votes  Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: Russian, Japanese, French | Message 1 of 14 19 November 2011 at 2:34pm | IP Logged |
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A little poll just for fun. Once again you have to choose between two extremes for a living foreign language.
Either you get the ability to speak and listen with complete native fluency, but absolutely no ability to read and write. The other option is native-like reading and writing abilities but almost without the ability to even ask for the menu at a restaurant. Let's also say that you have to stick with your choice. That is, you wont ever get the time to learn the skill that you're bad at. And to add some extra flavour, you have to state if you're an introvert or an extrovert. I would have added ambivert if there were enough poll options. Here's how I personally see it: Reading fluency: Through literature and other written materials, you get the chance to spend time with the greatest thinkers and personalities of the language. Speaking fluency: You get the chance to go to the country and chat with anyone about anything. -Almost becoming one of them. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| WentworthsGal Senior Member United KingdomRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4688 days ago 191 posts - 246 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Swedish, Spanish | Message 2 of 14 19 November 2011 at 2:50pm | IP Logged |
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I think I'd have to choose the same as I would for my own native language. I'd much rather be able to talk and listen in order to communicate then only be able to read and write for communication. With written information you can get someone to read it out for you but having to read and write as the only method of communication seems like much more of a chore.
It'll be interesting to see what other people think, and to see if their perspective on it makes me change my mind lol... 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Teango Triglot Winner TAC 2010 & 2012 Senior Member United States teango.wordpress.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5356 days ago 2210 posts - 3734 votes Speaks: English*, German, Russian Studies: Hawaiian, French, Toki Pona | Message 3 of 14 19 November 2011 at 3:41pm | IP Logged |
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You can chalk me up as speaking and listening with extra lashings of extrovert chilli on top! :) Having been brought up in a very musical family, I've always fallen head over heels for the rich banquet of counterbalancing rhythms and sumptuous yet diverse textures inherent in different languages around the world. It would of course be tragic not to be able to enjoy great literature in the language too (although audiobooks, films, as well as stage and theatre, can offer some minor form of compensation here). However, all things considered, I would feel even sadder not to be able to laugh, learn and share experiences through conversation with friends and fellow travelers alike. Edited by Teango on 19 November 2011 at 5:15pm 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| aloysius Triglot Winner TAC 2010 & 2012 Senior Member SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6040 days ago 226 posts - 291 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English, German Studies: French, Greek, Italian, Russian | Message 4 of 14 19 November 2011 at 5:20pm | IP Logged |
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If I'd have to make a choice between extremes I'd come up with:
Introvert: Fluent Reading/Listening, obviously ;-). That is (sadly enough) no skills in expressing myself at all but good at absorbing what others want to communicate. Like Teango I'm fascinated by the music of languages but just as the case is with playing an instrument, it takes a lot of practice to become a virtuoso. Being able to read sheet music has its value too. //aloysius "'I have been here before,' I said; I had been there before;" 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6397 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 5 of 14 20 November 2011 at 6:01am | IP Logged |
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Hehe I'm an introvert and i'm struggling to get my active skills to the level of my passive ones in several languages and it would be fun to do vice versa for a change.
(Yeah, I see it more as active/passive. listening doesn't have to involve contact with people - I watch a lot of football and listen to music and audiobooks :)) Oh damn I misread it. No opportunity to improve. Hm. Is it basically a choice between blind and deaf/mute? Cause if you're good at listening but illiterate you can still listen to audiobooks. I think I'd prefer that. A language is born in speech and it would be a shame not to speak it at all. But I'd have to be able to speak the language in my daily life. Otherwise it would be listening only, and that's... meh. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| leosmith Senior Member United States Joined 6350 days ago 2365 posts - 3804 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Tagalog | Message 6 of 14 20 November 2011 at 9:07am | IP Logged |
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I chose other. Native fluency in all 4 skills. Neither an introvert or an extrovert.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| NickJS Senior Member United Kingdom flickr.com/photos/sg Joined 4759 days ago 264 posts - 334 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Russian, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese | Message 7 of 14 20 November 2011 at 2:11pm | IP Logged |
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I decided on the exact opposite to what I am...
I can only dream! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Michael K. Senior Member United States Joined 5529 days ago 568 posts - 886 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Esperanto | Message 8 of 14 20 November 2011 at 6:45pm | IP Logged |
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I'm very introverted, and since I'm mostly interested in reading the languages I'm learning I voted for reading & writing.
This would be strange in real life, since I use Assimil and listen to the dialogs while reading several times to learn my languages. I don't really know if it's possible to be able to read & write but not speak & listen. Did I take a vow of silence, LOL? Seems a little unrealistic but this is just for fun, so why not. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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