Is it possible to learn a language just by listening to it?

The four basic language skills are: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. All these areas have equal importance when you are learning a language. Ideally, your study plan should include all four of these skills.

When you study a language, all four skills are learned in a series of steps.

1. Listening -when you hear the words

2. Speaking - where you try to repeat what you heard

3. Reading - seeing the words in a visual format

4. Writing - reproduce it on paper.

As a child, you learned your first language by hearing your parents speak it. Now you can speak, read, write, and listen to the language fluently. So, can you learn a language just by listening?

What's Your Strategy?

There are two types of skills that you use when learning a language: passive and productive. Passive skills are reading and listening, while productive skills are speaking and writing. Everyone has their motive for learning a new language. If you want to learn Korean to watch Kdramas and anime, focus on listening skills. If you want to have a conversation with a native Korean speaker, then you should practice all four areas of language skills.

Listening Skills

Developing and practicing your listening skills when you learn a language is actually important. Unfortunately, it's overlooked and doesn't come into the language curriculum till later on. Listening practice develops communication skills that are directly related to fluency. When you're learning a language, you usually hear it more than you read it. That's also why it's the first step in learning a language.

Passive Listening

Listening is defined as a passive skill because you don't have to form your own sentences. Think of it as something you practiced as a baby. Some language theories say that passive listening is a skill you develop when you learn your first language. This is influences how we use the language now. You heard all those words and phrases over a period of time where your brain slowly absorbed them. How can you apply passive listening to your language study?

Music flows very nicely with a catchy beat. You'll be able to sing the lyrics with ease.

Movies and TV are also great for passive listening because you get that visual aspect to connect the words with their meaning.

Ways to Make Listening Productive

I know that listening is considered a passive skill because you aren't trying to form sentences. But you can definitely find a way to make it a productive activity. Here are some strategies:

With podcasts or any audio, you can do a dictation activity to practice listening and writing.

In movies and TV shows, you can use subtitles to develop your reading and listening skills. Pause the show when something is unclear. Seeing the words on the screen can also develop your vocabulary. In this way, you are making a connection between the words and the visual aspect.

Learning a language by listening is a great first step because that's how exposure begins. Listening helps your ears become familiar with the rhythm, tone, and intonation of the language. It can also do wonders for your pronunciation skills. If you want to learn a language fluently [meaning you can use it in all four skills], only focusing on listening is not the best approach. Choose your motive, and create a study plan that fits your goals.