When you learn a foreign language, all four skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing) are equally important. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
掌握这四种技能并不是必须的
Nowadays, learning a foreign language is more of a necessity than an option to get a good-paying job or promotion. That is why some say the four communication skills of a foreign language are equally important. However, in my view, mastering the four skills is not necessary.
The usual purpose of learning a foreign language is to communicate verbally with the locals, so the needed skills are speaking and listening. Reading and writing well is often unnecessary as most signages have pictures, and contracts that are given to foreigners usually have an accompanying translated copy. So mastering all four skills is not a priority.
Next, while it might be nice to master all four, the reality is there is rarely enough time. To truly become fluent, one must begin while still young to learn all the nuances of the language. However, since many people study a foreign language much later in life for university or work purposes, it is enough to focus on listening and speaking.
Perhaps the only time the four skills are equally important is when someone wishes to teach in a foreign country as students need their teacher to understand what they say and write. But for other jobs, the ability to converse is what is required. Reading and writing a few phrases are bonus skills that can be picked up at another time.
To conclude, learning a foreign language does not mean one must give equal importance to the four communication skills. Though all four would be nice to master, it is highly improbable that it can be successfully done unless the person is still quite young. Thus, focusing on what matters most, namely listening and speaking, should be the goal of those who want to learn a foreign tongue.