Oral vs Written Resources

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Oral and written resources are two complementary tools you should use to enhance your learning. However, it’s important to keep in mind what are the differences between them.

In an earlier post I highlighted the importance and value of using authentic resources, or natural language input. You can fin the article HERE.

Today, we’ll be comparing the two main different type of resources and looking at different ways of working with them.

Which is which?

In case you are wondering, Oral resources are things like:

  • YouTube videos
  • Movies
  • TV shows
  • Interviews

While Written resources are things like:

  • Transcripts of YT videos
  • Scripts from movies/TV shows
  • Articles
  • Social media posts
  • Tweets
  • Short stories
  • Novels
  • Newsletters

As I often say, tailoring the resources to your specific needs is fundamental and there is no final say on the matter, but take these aspects as a guideline to make an informed decision.

OralWritten
hesitationsmore structure
usually more concise and directmore information
you have to follow the speakeryou set the pace
you listen for the gistyou can follow word by word
you can pay attention to prosodymore opportunities to learn new vocabulary
you can guide yourself with tone, intonation and stresscan sometimes be misinterpreted without nonverbal cues
you are listeningyou are not listening
colloquial expressions and idioms are usedmore gramatically correct

Which one should I pick?

It depends on your learning style and goals. But generally speaking, the best type of resource is an oral resource which can be followed with an accurate transcript. That’s why I always advice my students to use the CC filter in the YouTube video advanced search tab.

Oral resources can be a great way to practice your speaking and listening skills. It can also help you to improve your pronunciation, fluency and comprehension. However, it can be intimidating or stressful for some learners.

Written resources can be a great way to practice your reading and writing skills. It can also help you to improve your grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension. However, it can be difficult to understand written texts, especially if they are not yet proficient in the target language.

Pst! Read THIS ARTICLE to learn how to work with a movie in Spanish.

Happy Spanish learning,

Enjoy!


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