Which Pillar of English Language Learning Is the Most Important?

Students learning English face many challenges, and a vast amount overcome these challenges with practice, determination, and combining the different aspects of English language learning. The four pillars of successful English language acquisition are reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Students often identify one area of development and put all their energy into improving it. They spend hours on, for example, speaking English, but only sometimes get the results they want. It is a common misconception that working on only one of these pillars will improve your English in its entirety. Think of it like this: if you were to go on a long car journey, would you only pump one of your four car tires? Absolutely not. The success of your journey relies on all four tires being in good working condition. Unlike a car’s tires, your four pillars of English ability needn’t be the same. As is often the norm, some students are better readers than speakers, or their listening skills are fantastic, but they need help writing English sentences.

Adult English learners often focus on listening and speaking skills but neglect writing and reading ability. I asked several of my star students what benefits reading and writing English had for them. They consistently mentioned the four points listed below:

1. Students noted that it is easier to learn new vocabulary because there is a broader range of words used in books in comparison to spoken English.
2. Students said seeing the word used within different contexts was helpful.
3. Students expressed that by writing words, they would remember them for longer as compared to only hearing them.
4. Students felt that exposure to phrasal verbs and idiomatic language boosted their English capabilities closer to the capabilities of native speakers.

Of course, reading alone is not enough. To refer back to the car analogy, you do not see many modes of transport using only one wheel. In the same way, you see few successful second-language English speakers who only practise one of the pillars. Similar arguments could be made for writing. Writing a sentence in English allows students to repeat the word, making it easier to remember. Writing also provides students with time to consider sentence structure. In summary, an English learner's success requires a healthy balance between the four pillars of English learning. While reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills develop at different rates, it could be beneficial to focus on all skills.