Native, Not Perfect

“Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing.” -Robert Benchley.

One of the biggest roadblocks to progressing in language learning is the fear of sounding and looking foolish. I have mentioned this topic in this blog before, time and again, because it is a recurring theme and one that I continue to grapple with every day—ever since I started learning Spanish in school in the seventh grade.

Nobody wants to look foolish. No one wants to stumble through a sentence, misunderstand a speaker, or hear snickers from the listener after trying to say everything just right. And if you’re a type A personality, a perfectionist, a linguistic masochist, in essence, then taking the bumpy path of expression in a non-native language, a path inherently prone to accident and collision, is a terrifying ordeal indeed.

Now, after 15+ years of using Spanish with my patients, and gaining experience in listening comprehension and speaking – not to mention increased vocabulary – I don’t feel the same level of anxiety that I did when I first began. But I still have my good and bad days. These include days when I have to ask the patient to repeat what he said, or days when I hear myself conjugating incorrectly or failing to use the subjunctive when expressing a concern to the patient.

But, it occurred to me the other day, just how many native speakers/writers of English make mistakes daily in their own communications? Many. If you really listen, the mistakes are too numerous to count. I list some examples below of common errors I hear all the time and correct them in parentheses:

“He should have went to the movies.” (He should have gone to the movies)

“I could of gone to the bookstore, but didn’t have enough time.” (I could have gone to the...)

“It is between you and I.” (It is between you and me)

“Don’t worry, I got this.” (Don’t worry, I have this (under control))

“If you’re tired, you can lay down.” (If you’re tired, you can lie down)

“How are you? I’m good.” (How are you? I’m well)

“Can I go outside now?” (May I go outside now?)

These are just the few that I recall hearing most recently. So, I think to myself, if native English speakers don’t always get the grammar right, if they’re making mistakes in their own language, then:

1) I shouldn’t be so hard on myself for slipping up in Spanish grammar either. I’m learning, and mistakes lead to (they should, anyway) more learning.

2) It’s very possible that native Spanish listeners do not even hear or recognize my mistake. Their grammar my not be up to the perfection I think it is. Native doesn’t mean perfect grammar.

So the next time you find yourself speaking a non-native language with native speakers, don’t be intimidated. Your skills are better than you think they are, and their grammar may not be as good as you assume it is. Keep on speaking and listening, reading and writing. And learning.

Skull Rock, Joshua Tree National Park