Writing or speaking, what's more important?

[Liquinn3]

What's more important? Speaking or writing Spanish?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Liquinn3

What's more important? Speaking or writing Spanish?

They are both definitely more important than the other. Reading helps too.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Liquinn3

What's more important? Speaking or writing Spanish?

I would say that that is a trick question.

The first impulse would be to choose "speaking" because, like children, people who do not know how to read and write, they still learn to speak English. In the case of children they will pick up English in a way that will make them speak like a native. In the case of adults, they will pick up English according to their own shortcomings, but will speak from "getting to communicate" to "relatively well".

But, if you already know how to read and write in your language, I'd say you have an advantage over a kid who doesn't. Right?

So to me, both are important and at the same time.

[Liquinn3]

Well, what I like about Spanish is if you can write it you can speak it. How are you going to speak it if you can't write it?

Saludos.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Liquinn3

Well, what I like about Spanish is if you can write it you can speak it. How are you going to speak it if you can't write it?

I speak German so that often native Germans don't realise I'm not German. Yet I've never written a single thing in German. I used to read a lot.

Is that different for Spanish?

[Premium]

Originally Posted by Liquinn3

How are you going to speak it if you can't write it?

I speak Albanian and Serbian fluently but I can't write it. Not to mention the Cyrrilic script.

Originally Posted by Perikles

I speak German so that often native Germans don't realise I'm not German.

High German?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Premium

High German?

Yes

[Premium]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Yes

Impressive. I tried to fake it occasionally but my Austrian accent is too thick.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Premium

Impressive. I tried to fake it occasionally but my Austrian accent is too thick.

It doesn't work with a group of Germans from the same town or area, because they concentrate on my unusual accent. But in a group of Germans from various areas where they expect different dialects, often they don't realise I'm a foreigner. If they ask, they always guess I'm Swedish. I don't know why.

[Premium]

Originally Posted by Perikles

It doesn't work with a group of Germans from the same town or area, because they concentrate on my unusual accent. But in a group of Germans from various areas where they expect different dialects, often they don't realise I'm a foreigner. If they ask, they always guess I'm Swedish. I don't know why.

I don't even know how a Swedish accent sounds like.
I was sometimes mistaken for being from South Tyrol, because I can't pronounce the guttural R.

[Liquinn3]

Writing Spanish is very hard but at least you can correct your mistakes time and time again, with speaking it you're more on the spot I find, you've gotta control both sides of the dialogue. But at least with speaking it you can guess what they're going to say back. Hmmmmm...

[JPablo]

@Perikles,
Do you mean "Swedish" or "Swissssss"?

"Mike-bro..."? (tsk, tsk...)

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by JPablo

@Perikles,
Do you mean "Swedish" or "Swissssss"?

I do mean Swedish. I've never spoken a word of Swedish in my life, so I've no idea why.

Also, when I speak Spanish people think I'm German.

[JPablo]

Well, they say that a Swede can read Chaucer with more ease than a British man... (?)

Although, I am not sure how the German accent comes across in your Spanish...

[wrholt]

Originally Posted by Liquinn3

Well, what I like about Spanish is if you can write it you can speak it. How are you going to speak it if you can't write it?

Saludos.

Um, no.

Mastering writing in Spanish is next to useless for the purpose of learning to converse effectively in Spanish. You get good at conversing effectively in Spanish (or any other second language) by spending a lot of time failing to converse effectively.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by wrholt

Um, no.

Mastering writing in Spanish is next to useless for the purpose of learning to converse effectively in Spanish. You get good at conversing effectively in Spanish (or any other second language) by spending a lot of time failing to converse effectively.

I agree with you in principle, but not every person learns in the same way. Writing things does impress dictionary meanings on you, and help to get grammar clear in your mind. This can then give you the confidence to say what you have written. In the absence of a native speaker to converse with, it's better than nothing.

[Liquinn3]

Originally Posted by Perikles

I agree with you in principle, but not every person learns in the same way. Writing things does impress dictionary meanings on you, and help to get grammar clear in your mind. This can then give you the confidence to say what you have written. In the absence of a native speaker to converse with, it's better than nothing.

Well, if you can write it; you can speak it can you not?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Liquinn3

Well, if you can write it; you can speak it can you not?

No, not necessarily. You can sit and write using a dictionary and as much time as you wish. Speaking requires different skills, like instant recall of vocabulary and fast reaction to what somebody is saying, on top of finding something worth saying. Totally different skills.

[chileno]

If you write Spanish you can pronounce it exactly as it is written. Like Perikles says, speaking the language is a different skill.

In order to speak the language you don't have to necessarily know how to read and write the language.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by inlingua

As of my knowledge speaking is more important than writing.

Not if you're learning Ancient Greek or Sanskrit.