Listening skills enable students to acquire insights and knowledge as well as achieve success in conversing with other individuals. These skills are valuable not only in academia but also in social situations and the workplace. Poor listening skills can lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary questioning. Listening skills can be enhanced through a series of question asking and corresponding note-taking. Individuals can be taught the difference between main points and less-relevant information and ideas. These skills can also be adjusted to pinpoint essential information in the presence of distractions and irrelevant information, much like the case in adult life.
Writing is a combination of note-taking, outlining, drafting, editing and identifying central ideas to create a beneficial, final product. It can be difficult to develop writing skills without a central idea. To improve writing skills, an individual can create a central idea complemented with an outline to make writing easier. Students often have different levels of listening and computer skills that affect writing ability. Modern technology means most writing is done through a personal computer, suggesting the importance in practicing keyboarding skills. Computers can help in the arrangement of words, sentences and paragraphs as well as make the revision process easier.
Listening and writing skills are nicely complemented by strong verbal speaking skills. Learners should be taught to adapt speech to specific situations and particular circumstances. Volume, formality, rate and pronunciation all drastically impact the course of one's speech. It may also be beneficial for individuals to learn about the differences among various dialects to increase the strength of their own speaking skills.
Writing, listening and speaking skills are all interdependent of one another. Increasing the strength of these skills will help an individual better express her valid ideas she wants to share. To increase the strength of these skills, practices should be incorporated into the classroom or daily routine. Sharing suggestions and ideas among educators or professionals may also be crucial.