Communication Skills Make no mistake, learning any language to proficiency takes thousands of hours, but learning enough to be able to communicate reasonably well is not so difficult. If you can read this in English but have trouble communicating face to face, then you're at the right place. We provide plenty of hints about how to improve your communication skills in the English language. You'll also find some detailed suggestions on how to read and understand more. Because face-to-face communication is quite different from reading and writing, there are two main ways to learn a language. What you should read first depend on your goals. 1. For Reading If the main reason you want to learn is for reading information on the Internet or in books, magazines, letters or newspapers, then you can focus on studying the written language. 2. For Communication If you're hoping to travel, use English for work or to communicate with your friends, then you can concentrate your efforts on the spoken language. 3. For Help with Writing If you need to write in English then you'll need to combine the studies of both spoken and written language. Skill at communicating is almost a prerequisite for someone who wants to write because it helps a lot with syntax and grammar, giving the student a feel for the language. Gaining skill at reading is also necessary, because good writing is different from normal speech. What should one do when one intends to learn how to communicate with others?