Does learning a language signify skill or knowledge?

Finally, that eternal causality dilemma seems to have been solved: It appears that the egg came before the chicken. And yet, a seemingly less difficult question remains unanswered:

Does learning a language signify skill or knowledge?

After all,  being “able to” may not necessarily mean “being knowledgeable in”, and vice versa. This is most evident in the current scheme of things in the education system in India, where the English Language is taught as a subject: syllabus, instruction, examination, credential. This confusion between knowledge and skill is at the heart of what drives the lack of language proficiency.

The acquisition of facts and information on a specific topic in a systematic and chronological manner leads to the acquisition of knowledge in that particular field. Being knowledgeable in a topic allows the user to collate and correlate similar ideas to engage meaningfully with the same. However, the efficacy of this acquired knowledge is easily eroded over time if it is not periodically revised and revisited.

Skill, on the other hand, is the ability to do something effectively. This requires prior training and constant practice. Over time, a skill becomes second nature to the user, similar to natural reflexes or muscle memory, capable of being utilised without conscious thought, like riding a bicycle or swimming. Without constantly reusing a skill, however, it may be forgotten or diminished over time. But the user can easily rejuvenate it.

In this context, most English language learners, egged on by their teachers, think that learning the language is a matter of acquiring knowledge. The process  includes memorising a litany of new words, committing a few rules of sentence construction to memory, and adhering to a few rules of grammar. Alas, this is not the case. It’s much easier to attain a level of knowledge that lets you recognise information than it is to attain the level that lets you recall it. As such, many learners find themselves faced with an unexpected issue: they know a word when they see it, but they can’t remember how to use it in context during conversation or in writing.

Learning a language is a holistic skill, in which the user must be able to read, listen, think, speak and write logically, coherently and culturally in that language.  Writing a formal essay requires a different approach from writing a text message, and a descriptive essay is not similar in structure to a persuasive one. Speaking skills also vary with the situation; delivering a speech requires precision and efficiency, whereas participating in a group discussion is essentially an exercise in navigating ideas.

In the end, there are no short cuts. “Hacking” language-related information like vocabulary and the rules of syntax will only take you so far. Mastering a language is difficult: it takes stamina, practice and commitment. Most importantly, unlike any other subject taught at school, it remains a constant companion – for better or worse – through life.

Which brings us back to the opening question: Does learning a language signify skill or knowledge?

A little of both perhaps but, in the final analysis, it is one’s language skills which define, differentiate and develop one’s ability to be successful in life.