I used to date a makeup artist.
When we’d go to a café in Prague, while I would read, she would draw.
And she was pretty good.
I wish I still had one of her pictures I could show you.
Once, I asked her if she ever took lessons and she gave me her secret.
She said good drawing is good observing.
She explained that, for example, when I try to draw a flower it’s hard.
And the result isn’t good.
And it’s because I never really looked at a flower.
Sure, I’ve seen flowers. but I’ve never REALLY looked at a flower.
What are the shapes? What are the lines? What are the colors?
And because I’ve never really looked, when I try to draw a flower I can’t remember what one looks like. And my drawing sucks.
Could it be the same with good speaking?
Is your speaking full of mistakes and mispronounced words and strange phrases no native speaker would ever say… because you don’t listen?
I mean REALLY listen?
Sure, you hear the words the other person says, and you might even listen to podcasts or watch TV as part of your daily routine.
But do you REALLY listen?
To the word combinations?
To the sounds?
To the rise and fall of the sentences?
Maybe if you did one day you would choose words and tenses and natural pronunciation not because you quickly remembered the rule, but because it sounds correct and feels correct.
Just like a native speaker does it.
