Essay on Learning a Second Language

Reading and writing are essential in one’s ability to learn a distant language. Learning a new dialect can be exhaustive and complex; it demands hard work and dedication. An individual fluent in multiple languages can engage and interact with the world more freely and eloquently in the modern world. One can obtain second language ability by taking an online language class or enroll in one-on-one tutoring. The instructor will assist with the theoretical part of learning, and the critical part of learning requires an individual to put more personal effort. Also, practicing writing and reading a second language is an enormous practice emotionally, physically and mentally. Therefore practicing reading and writing solitary is not sufficient for subsidiary learners. Understanding the societal influences of the language of choice is an essential element to learning a dialect language. (Kayı-Aydar 48) For one to accomplish learning a second language is by understanding social dialogues and different cross-cultural competence. The paper seeks to discuss the significance of practicing personal reading and writing in a second language.

Reading and writing are intertwined; there can be an existence of one without the other. Reading and writing are essential to anyone in a learning institution or anyone who aspires to get educated. Reading and writing generally assist an individual in absorbing information and enhancing school or leisure-related tasks. Reading and writing ensure life becomes simplified because reading has multiple benefits in life. Writing assists humans in being able to express themselves better. Writing also provides a platform where an individual makes one thought and learning permanent. Reading and writing serve the purpose of informing, persuading, explaining and entertaining. Reading and writing motivate an individual to do better and be better. The more one takes time to read and write, the better that person understands the skills being communicated and can expand their knowledge.

Reading enhances the act of writing and enhances the ability to read and understand the information or message being communicated. Practicing reading and writing is essential to the modern world because understanding the written work help a person’s mindset grow. Human beings start reading and writing while young, and as they grow, they can master their language skills. Reading and writing help an individual to connect the ideas they have read.

Practice makes perfect; therefore, there is a need to practice reading and writing a second language because it has more advantages than disadvantages. Reading helps one to be able to improve on spelling, expanding one’s vocabulary and be able to construct a complete sentence. (Shoebottom 24) According to Paul Shoebottom, a good reader can understand the individual sentence and the structure of writing. A student can identify words and expressions learned in class while taking notes of new words through practicing personal reading. The more one is committed to reading, and the more one can understand the language. Through practice, the student can learn and read new vocabularies and use correct grammar structure (Hirvela 75). The student who consistently practices personal reading will likely grasp the language quickly than depending only on classwork.

Most human beings can speak an overseas language more easily than writing because they spend more time practicing speaking than writing. On the contrary, what is the importance of reading and writing to learn a second language? Practicing a second language alone is not enough to learn the second language. This is because it is not always the case while reading and writing. When growing up, one does not require to read and write to learn how to speak English. Instead, the huge role is just listening, and one can practice pronunciation of terms that are regularly repeated and heard. Humans usually start reading and writing when they get to join pre-school, but on joining the school, they are fluent speakers. It requires several years of learning for one to be able to read and write to master their first language.

Speaking is more frequent than writing. There is no proportion of reading and listening that can assist an individual in shaping their language form (Hyland 56). Writing allows one to organize their thoughts before constructing their sentences hence making writing a slow process. Writing also provides a learner with a chance to evaluate their progress in learning the language and a chance to rectify grammatical errors. For effective learning, the learners can create time for practicing writing and improving spelling, pronunciation and formulating better sentence structure of the second language.

The practice assists students to remember and master what they have learned in class and connect grammar structure to previous participation from the previous lesson. Research indicates that individuals increase their ability to preserve information when they write (Hyland 59). Personal writing makes learning more practical, creating neural pathways in the brain and cementing the mind’s information. Writing activates thoughts into evaluating information that the brain receives hence helping the mind store that knowledge for a longer period or even permanently. Books are written to pass intended meaning; therefore, they are more prosperous (Hyland 60). Constant practicing of a second language provides one with an opportunity not to forget what they have learned.

Practicing writing and reading is not the only way of learning a second language because they affect one’s ability to alter words correctly. Languages sometimes differ in syllable pronunciation, and it can be difficult to identify that just by reading and writing alone. For instance, how the letter ‘O’ is altered in English varies from how it is pronounced in German. Distinct languages have different syllabary and writing structures. When one only focuses on Reading and Writing, it becomes more strenuous for the learner to understand the language swiftly.

Listening is a great art that can assist a person in understanding and learn a second language. As humans grow from childhood to adulthood, listening contributes greatly to their communication and mastering their first language and other languages. Listening in the modern day has been simplified and made easier to help people learn. There are different ways one can listen to audio courses to assist one in learning. A time people wonder where can they get time to read and write while listening to another language. One’s understanding of a language demands different skills and exercises to explore their abilities to read and write. Listening is easier and faster than compared writing and reading.

Another advantage of practicing reading and writing when schooling a second tongue is that the power of studying outshines the duration of the study. For example, an individual will become more effective when schooling a second tongue three hours a day for two successive weeks than an individual who takes just an hour a day in the period of two months (Hirvela 77). Language set become difficult, almost impossible. After all, the classes are set apart by several days because the classes take place three to four hours a week. Practicing personal reading and writing means students need more time to acquire second language skills constantly. Learning a language demands a lot of repetition, constant commitment and reference experiences.

To fully apply the knowledge learned, one has to use the language more often to be fluent in any foreign language. Practice is the best technique to understand it through writing and reading. Classes do not happen every day, and they can take up to three days before another class happens (Hirvela 84). It is advisable for the learner not only to rely on classes alone. One can listen to podcasts, radio, TV, and subscribe to youtube channel classes and tutorials.

In conclusion, learning is a journey, and it requires one’s effort and commitment. The amount of time and means required for learning demands an individual to be mentally prepared. The learning process not only comprises of just reading and writing but also is influenced by other factors. An individual practicing a second language has to practice more personal listening and to speak to benefit more. Repetition and practice are required to polish the language. Learning a second language through reading and writing also requires personal commitment, determination, patience and hard work. Learner taking a second language has to combine all skills required to learning the foreign language. Those skills include reading, writing, listening, and speaking because they are essential and compulsory to become an excellent second language speaker without facing any challenges. When a learner combines reading, writing, listening, and practicing speaking, one becomes excellent in understanding new vocabularies and correct spelling, and one can construct a well-structured sentence. Writing assists an individual in assessing their progress, revise the grammatical errors and remember it all. Practicing a foreign or a second language assists students in acquiring the skills necessary to be fluent. To perfect the second language will require combining the use of reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Works cited.

Hirvela, Alan. Connecting reading & writing in second language writing instruction. University of Michigan Press, 2004. 73-89

Bondarenko, Olena. “Challenges of teaching academic writing skills in ESL classroom (Based on international teaching experience).” Revista Românească pentru Educaţie Multidimensională 11.4 (2019): 70-83.

Hyland, Ken. Second language writing. Cambridge university press, 2019. 54-62.

Kayı-Aydar, Hayriye. Positioning theory in applied linguistics: Research design and applications. Springer, 2018.

Shoebottom, Paul. “The factors that influence the acquisition of a second language.” Retrieved from (2016): 23-28.