1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:09,359 Language has input and output. Input is reading and listening, and output is 2 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:17,480 speaking and writing. Altogether, these are known as the four skills of English, 3 00:00:17,519 --> 00:00:24,519 the four skills you need to work on in order to improve your English. 4 00:00:24,879 --> 00:00:33,039 Let's discuss. Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you from 5 00:00:33,079 --> 00:00:38,280 New York City, and here's your English teacher, Michael. All right, 6 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:44,159 thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael here from Happy English and 7 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:52,000 I help people speak English better. And this is Happy English Podcast, Episode 8 00:00:52,520 --> 00:01:00,039 six eighty one. The four Skills to improve English. I recently my followers 9 00:01:00,039 --> 00:01:07,359 on social media what questions they had about learning English, and I've been going 10 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:12,280 through some of those questions over the past few weeks. I'd like to continue 11 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:19,760 today by talking about the four skills. When it comes to improving your English. 12 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:26,560 There are four particular skills that you need to focus on in order to 13 00:01:26,599 --> 00:01:34,159 get to the next level in your English. Listening, speaking, and writing. 14 00:01:34,599 --> 00:01:41,040 Each of these skills plays a vital role in growing your English as well 15 00:01:41,079 --> 00:01:48,159 as becoming a well rounded English speaker. First of all, let's talk about 16 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:55,239 reading. Reading is input. Reading something in English is going to help you 17 00:01:55,439 --> 00:02:02,280 expand your vocabulary, improve your grammar, and and gain a better understanding of 18 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:08,520 how the language is used. I look at reading as a summary of the 19 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:16,240 language. It's a review of what you've learned and a window into what's new 20 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:23,759 for you. So find something you like, a topic you like, and 21 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:30,159 read. It doesn't matter if it's a book, a website, a restaurant 22 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:36,439 menu, or the back of a box of cereal. Read something, Read 23 00:02:36,879 --> 00:02:44,520 whatever you find interesting to read and read a little bit each day. Next 24 00:02:44,719 --> 00:02:52,599 comes listening. Listening is also input. Building your listening skills will help make 25 00:02:52,639 --> 00:03:00,479 your English conversations much smoother and fruitful. Listening is also helped full for understanding 26 00:03:01,039 --> 00:03:08,240 how English is spoken and pronounced. Start immersing your ears in the sounds of 27 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:15,680 English on a daily basis, and you'll start to find that those sounds become 28 00:03:16,039 --> 00:03:24,560 more familiar and easier to understand. Thanks to technology, there's almost an endless 29 00:03:24,599 --> 00:03:32,879 supply of listening material. You can find audiobooks, radio and television programs, 30 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:40,680 movies, videos, and even the announcements from public transportation. If you live 31 00:03:40,759 --> 00:03:47,120 in an English speaking country, again, find something you enjoy in addition to 32 00:03:47,159 --> 00:03:53,960 this podcast, and be sure to listen to something in English every day. 33 00:03:53,599 --> 00:04:01,120 The next skill is writing. What was that you hate writing. You didn't 34 00:04:01,199 --> 00:04:06,680 say it, but I can sense that you're thinking it. I get it. 35 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:12,439 It's hard to get into the habit of writing, even in your own 36 00:04:12,599 --> 00:04:19,160 language, let alone English. But writing is output, and that means that 37 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:27,319 writing is one way for you to use English. Reading and listening are both 38 00:04:27,439 --> 00:04:34,199 passive activities. Writing is active, and you need to take that action on 39 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:41,160 a daily basis. And I'm not suggesting that you write an essay every day 40 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:46,759 either. How about posting a comment on social media in English? If you 41 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:54,519 reply to one post every day in English, that's a good start. It's 42 00:04:54,600 --> 00:05:00,879 something, and doing something is always better than doing nothing. Right. The 43 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:08,360 last skill is speaking, the other form of output, the other way to 44 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:15,639 use English. If you don't live in an English speaking country and there are 45 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:23,160 no English speakers near you, you can still find ways to make English come 46 00:05:23,399 --> 00:05:29,040 out of your mouth. Sing a song in English, read a book aloud, 47 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:34,560 or talk to your pet, or talk to your house plants in English. 48 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:40,120 The sounds of English need to come out of your mouth somehow, and 49 00:05:40,639 --> 00:05:46,720 in some way. Talk to yourself. Be the narrator of your day, 50 00:05:46,879 --> 00:05:54,199 no matter how you do it, let the words flow out from your head 51 00:05:54,519 --> 00:06:02,319 and past your lips, reading, listening, and speaking. Those are the 52 00:06:02,519 --> 00:06:10,439 essential four skills you need to work on in order to improve your English communication. 53 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:17,160 Doing so will help you develop proficiency in English and become a more confident 54 00:06:17,319 --> 00:06:24,360 and effective communicator. By the way, if you'd like to get more practice 55 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:30,639 using your English, why don't you join my podcast Learners study group. There 56 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:38,079 you can make new friends, join me and those friends for live group coaching 57 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:45,240 every week. Plus, get the pdf transcript in audio download for every Happy 58 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:53,600 English podcast in the past and in the future, and each episode has exercises 59 00:06:53,879 --> 00:07:00,680 where you can practice this English point with speaking and writing checked by. To 60 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:06,399 learn more, just visit my Happy English dot com and choose podcast lesson six 61 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:13,079 eighty one. Remember, learning another language is not easy, but it's not 62 00:07:13,199 --> 00:07:18,639 impossible, and I'm here to help you on your journey. This podcast is 63 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:25,279 brought to you by Happy English. Please visit my Happy English dot com show 64 00:07:25,319 --> 00:07:29,720 your support for Happy English by leaving us a review. Get English, Get 65 00:07:29,759 --> 00:07:43,759 Happy, Happy English.