The 4 Skill Builders

In This READING Skill Builder, You'll Practice:

  • Reading stories with and without audio

  • Shadowing native speech to match intonation and rhythm

  • Adjusting your expression to reflect tone and mood

  • Building fluency through natural pronunciation — not speed, but flow

  • Using PIE to read clearly, confidently, and with feeling

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In This LISTENING Skill Builder, You’ll Practice:

  • Listening with subtitles, then without

  • Shadowing native audio to copy natural rhythm

  • Identifying tone and speaker emotion

  • Repeating full phrases with correct stress and pause

  • Using PIE to move from just “hearing” to truly understanding

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In This SPEAKER Skill Builder, You’ll Practice:

  • Speaking with real phrasing and stress

  • Responding to questions using full sentences

  • Practicing emotional tone (surprise, interest, disappointment, etc.)

  • Learning how to pause and emphasize naturally

  • Using PIE to build confidence and sound like you — just in English

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In This WRITING Skill Builder, You’ll Practice:

  • Building strong sentence foundations (with 8Patterns and sentence types)

  • Writing short stories and everyday responses

  • Adding tone and personality through word choice

  • Reviewing punctuation as part of intonation and clarity

  • Using PIE to make writing sound natural — even on paper + emotional nuance + speaker intent]

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A Fluent Reader

To sound natural and confident when you read in English, you need more than just vocabulary and grammar. You need rhythm, tone, and real understanding. That’s what we build in the READ Skill Builder — using my PIE method. Read through the list below that shows the skills of a fluent reader at the different levels.

(VISIT READING SKILL BUILDERS)

A1 – Beginner

  • Can recognize familiar words and basic phrases in short, simple texts

  • Can follow very simple written instructions

  • [PIE focus: Start recognizing word sounds and pausing at punctuation]

A2 – Elementary

  • Can read short, simple stories or everyday texts like menus or signs

  • Can understand very basic feelings or actions in a sentence

  • [PIE focus: Read short phrases with basic intonation patterns]

B1 – Intermediate

  • Can read short articles, simple stories, and understand the main idea

  • Can follow the flow of a conversation or event in writing

  • [PIE focus: Practice reading aloud with natural stress and rhythm]

B2 – Upper-Intermediate

  • Can read longer stories and articles where writers express opinions

  • Can understand tone and attitude in writing

  • [PIE focus: Use intonation and expression to show emotion or emphasis]

C1 – Advanced

  • Can understand complex texts and subtle emotional tones

  • Can follow layered storylines, sarcasm, and implied meaning

  • [PIE focus: Read with nuanced tone, shifts in speed, and deeper emotional expression]

C2 – Proficient

  • Can read and interpret almost any kind of writing — literary, technical, emotional, or abstract

  • Can identify the writer’s purpose, bias, and emotional intent

  • [PIE focus: Full control of expressive reading, tone shifts, and smooth delivery]

A Fluent Listener

Listening fluency means more than just “hearing the words.” It means catching the rhythm, tone, and hidden meaning behind what’s said. In the LISTEN Skill Builder, you’ll train your ear to recognize real speech using PIE — Pronunciation, Intonation, and Expression. Read through the list below that shows the skills of a fluent listener at the different levels.

(VISIT LISTENING SKILL BUILDERS)

A1 – Beginner

  • Can recognize familiar words and basic expressions when spoken slowly and clearly

  • Can understand simple instructions if spoken slowly and with repetition

  • [PIE focus: Begin hearing individual word sounds and common intonation patterns]

A2 – Elementary

  • Can understand phrases and common vocabulary related to personal and everyday topics

  • Can catch key words when listening to short recordings or slow speech

  • [PIE focus: Recognize rising and falling tones in simple questions and statements]

B1 – Intermediate

  • Can understand the main points in conversations, short stories, or everyday audio (radio, podcasts, etc.)

  • Can follow speech at a natural pace when the topic is familiar

  • [PIE focus: Focus on stress and pause patterns, hear how tone shows meaning or attitude]

B2 – Upper-Intermediate

  • Can understand extended speech and lectures on familiar and some unfamiliar topics

  • Can follow the speaker’s tone shifts, even in arguments or humorous remarks

  • [PIE focus: Identify tone of voice, speaker attitude, and implied meaning through expression]

C1 – Advanced

  • Can understand long and complex speech, even when it's not clearly structured or when ideas are implicit

  • Can follow movies, interviews, and podcasts that use idiomatic or cultural expressions

  • [PIE focus: Catch natural stress, emotion, and rhythm in fast or layered speech]

C2 – Proficient

  • Can effortlessly understand everything heard in spoken English, including fast, slang-filled, emotional, or technical language

  • Can distinguish tone, sarcasm, subtle emotion, and layered meaning

  • [PIE focus: Full control of understanding intonation + emotional nuance + speaker intent]

A Fluent Speaker

Fluent speaking isn’t about being fast — it’s about sounding natural, clear, and confident. In the SPEAK Skill Builder, you’ll learn to speak with control, rhythm, and emotion using PIE: Pronunciation, Intonation, and Expression. Read through the list below that shows the skills of a fluent speaker at the different levels.

(VISIT SPEAKING SKILL BUILDERS)

A1 – Beginner

  • Can use familiar words and short phrases to talk about basic needs

  • Can introduce themselves and respond to simple personal questions

  • [PIE focus: Begin pronouncing words clearly and practicing set phrases]

A2 – Elementary

  • Can communicate simple ideas in routine tasks

  • Can describe their surroundings and express likes/dislikes in short sentences

  • [PIE focus: Practice word stress and basic sentence rhythm]

B1 – Intermediate

  • Can handle most daily conversations and describe events or plans

  • Can express opinions on familiar topics using connected sentences

  • [PIE focus: Speak in natural phrasing, control tone in questions and ideas]

B2 – Upper-Intermediate

  • Can express themselves clearly and with some detail in conversations

  • Can manage spontaneous interactions with native speakers, even with some errors

  • [PIE focus: Use intonation to clarify meaning, show confidence, or express attitude]

C1 – Advanced

  • Can express themselves fluently without much searching for words

  • Can adjust tone depending on who they're speaking to (formal vs. casual)

  • [PIE focus: Shift intonation and expression based on emotion, purpose, or setting]

C2 – Proficient

  • Can speak effortlessly in any setting — socially, professionally, or emotionally

  • Can use humor, sarcasm, emphasis, and idiomatic expressions naturally

  • [PIE focus: Master voice control, stress placement, and emotional tone]

A Fluent Writer

Fluent writing is more than grammar. It’s writing that feels natural, clear, and complete. In the WRITE Skill Builder, you'll learn how to build strong, simple sentences, expand ideas, and apply PIE to written tone. Read through the list below that shows the skills of a fluent writer at the different levels.

(VISIT WRITING SKILL BUILDERS)

A1 – Beginner

  • Can write simple words and short phrases (e.g., name, country, shopping list)

  • Can fill in forms with basic information

  • [PIE focus: Use correct spelling and word order to form clear meaning]

A2 – Elementary

  • Can write short sentences and paragraphs about personal topics

  • Can describe everyday routines or express basic feelings

  • [PIE focus: Begin to use written tone that matches the message — happy, polite, etc.]

B1 – Intermediate

  • Can write connected paragraphs to tell a story or explain a topic

  • Can describe past events, opinions, and plans with clarity

  • [PIE focus: Practice using punctuation for rhythm, create readable sentence flow]

B2 – Upper-Intermediate

  • Can write clear, detailed texts on familiar subjects

  • Can develop arguments or compare opinions

  • [PIE focus: Adjust sentence stress and written voice for persuasion or emotion]

C1 – Advanced

  • Can express themselves in complex texts using varied sentence structures

  • Can write with style, tone, and purpose (formal emails, opinion essays, creative stories)

  • [PIE focus: Control written intonation and mood, use transitions for smooth expression]

C2 – Proficient

  • Can write smoothly across all formats — casual, formal, academic, creative

  • Can adjust tone and structure to fit audience and context effortlessly

  • [PIE focus: Refine voice and expression to reflect subtle emotion or intent]