Relevance. The relevance of the study is due to the insufficient level of development of one of the main components of the formation of foreign language competence. Purpose. The purpose of the study is to examine the features of the development of reading skills. Methodology. The methods of logical analysis, induction, deduction, synthesis, comparative, etc were used. Results. A survey using a questionnaire was conducted in two stages; as a result, the form of speech activity that is most effective at the initial stage of language learning was determined. The importance of the correct development of phonetic reading techniques at the earliest stage of language learning was noted. It was highlighted that a substantial role is played by the development of �mature reading� skills, which provides an opportunity to develop critical thinking, the main problems for its implementation were considered. Among other necessary components for the development of reading skills, the need for systematic work with a dictionary, and linguistic, etymological, ethnographic comments on the material were highlighted. Conclusions. The study examined the main causes of low foreign language competence in adults, namely regression, decreased interest, uncertainty, and insufficient allocated time. According to this, the possibilities of resolving these aspects were considered. The recommendations that interact with each other in the system and allow the most effective way to form the necessary reading skills were presented. The practical value of the results obtained is to provide recommendations that will allow forming or improving the skills of one of the most important aspects of foreign language competence in various types of training. Keywords: adult personality; independent language learning; Kazakh language; speech activity; motivation