Is Speaking the Most Difficult Skill?

Is speaking the to the highest degree difficult skill? In my opinion it is hard to posit. It depends on the age of the loudspeaker system, his level of English, how long is he learning and in any case what kind of English does he operates (possess). There is a big difference between a student of a university where he is studying English and a person (e. g. at the same age) who knows English from some courses. So that is why I am not sure about question whether is speaking the most difficult skill. From my own experience I would say that speaking is maybe at the same level as hearing.But I count that listening is minuscule bit more difficult than speaking because when you argon speaking, you have some time to thing about the vocabulary, to choose the right word and what is the most important, if you be not able to find the right word (or you do not know how to say it in English) you can use circumlocution, describe the word only when similarly the listener can help you in so me way. Whereas in listening there are not so many possibilities how to understand the meaning.There are not so many ways how to help yourself. Mr. Brown says that ,,spoken language does indeed contain a good deal of redundancy, it also has many lessen forms That is why (in my opinion) is listening more difficult. Person who is on the elementary or intermediate level is not able to understand reduced forms in the flowing of sounds (speech) like Ill /ail/, youd /youd/ etc. He does not understand what does ail mean. He knows only I will. But when speaker say ,,I will not Ill there is no mistake.Another example why speaking is not the most difficult (while listening is) is because of ,,the rephrasings, repetitions, elaborations and little insertions of ? I mean? and ? you know? etc. (Brown). This means that using of these empty phrases is not obligatory for the speaker. Of course the speech is more natural by using these phrases. On the other hand, these empty phrases may cause to l istener-beginner some problems in understanding although sometimes they can help to be fixed (oriented) in given information.There is also another reason why listening is more difficult that speaking. Let us take the speed of the speech. Many people who were abroad (Great Britain, USA) say that they had problems with listening comprehension for first one or two months. Every native has his own speed of speaking (which is sometimes quite fast) and I am not speaking about dialect or accent. Person who is listening to native can have problems to catch some word or yet meaning. But in speaking it is easier.It does not matter which kind of speed you are speaking or which kind of accent do you have. Native or non-native will understand what are you talking about At the end I would say that the most important is that we can not separate listening from speaking and speaking from listening. Both are difficult (more than reading and writing) but according to my opinion and my experience, spe aking is not the most difficult skill. I think that listening is the most difficult.