Vanessa explains why a learner’s speaking level may be lower than their listening or reading level. She notes that people often understand words they do not use in ordinary conversation, even in their first language. Reading and listening are input skills: information comes into the learner. Speaking and writing require the learner to create language, which makes retrieval more demanding.
Vanessa illustrates the difference with advanced words from a book that she understands but rarely uses in daily conversation. Knowing what a word means does not automatically make it easy to produce. The learner must retrieve it, choose a natural sentence, and pronounce it while also paying attention to the other person. This difference is normal and does not mean that the learner has failed or learned nothing.
“Hardly ever” means very rarely. “In daily conversation” refers to ordinary spoken interactions rather than formal writing or specialized contexts. “Input skills” are activities where a learner receives language, such as reading and listening. “Speaking level” and “listening level” compare the learner’s ability to produce and understand language. “Give you a quick example” introduces a brief illustration. “I want to ask you” is a common way to introduce a question.
These phrases help learners talk about their own abilities and habits. For example, “I understand this word, but I hardly ever use it in daily conversation.” This is more precise than saying “I don’t know the word.” It separates recognition from active use. To move vocabulary into speaking, learners need practice retrieving it in context, not only seeing it repeatedly.
For practice, select a word you recognize but rarely say. Create one short sentence about your own life and say it aloud. Later, try using the word in a new sentence without looking at your notes. The aim is not to force every advanced word into everyday speech; it is to build access to useful language when a situation calls for it. Listening ability can continue to be stronger while speaking catches up through practice.