​A lot has to do with the way foreign language has been taught.  There are four skills of a language.  Two skills require you to gather information: reading and listening.  The other two skills require you to produce information: writing and speaking.  Many schools have taught students to read the language (literature), write the language (grammar and verb drills), and occasionally listen to a pre-recorded audio file pronouncing the vocabulary and verbs for you.  Little emphasis may have been placed on actually speaking the language or listening to it extensively.  The way languages are taught in high schools and colleges is changing.  But for many who have been taught using the old methods, you simply had much more practice in reading and writing than you had in listening and speaking. But don’t give up. There are a variety of ways you can now increase your listening and speaking skills.