Languages are generally taught and assessed in terms of the ‘four skills’: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Listening and reading are known as ‘receptive’ skills while speaking and writing are known as ‘productive’ skills. You'll need to master these skills whether you're learning English, French, Spanish or German in major cities like London, Paris, Madrid, or Berlin, or in other parts of the world.
All language learners will need to develop their skills in each of these areas, and your language classes should incorporate activities related to all these skills. Below are some practical steps you can take to develop these skills outside the classroom – remember you will also want to think about your current language level and priorities for learning in each area