What if there was a bond between language and chemistry?
In my years as an English language trainer and content creator, I’ve often had to answer the question, “Why doesn’t my English sound like yours?” It’s a difficult one to answer as there may be different reasons. But generally speaking, learners feel frustrated when they realize that to say something, a native speaker will often use different words than they do. Same idea. Same language. Different Coding.
Welcome to the Gap, a language coding gap or difference in the choice of words which is perceived by both the speaker of English as a second language as well as the native English speaker. But is the gap really a problem? Well, that just really depends on what a learner wants out of his or her English. If the grammar is correct, then it’s a question of how learners wish to use the language, how much they mind the gap. Or perhaps how deep it is.
The truth? Memorizing lots of words may be useful for a test, a television game show or to impress people who are not really your friends, but it has little practicality in real life. What really matters is the language you use spontaneously when you write or speak - in other words, when you code language to say whatever it is you want to say. "Fine. But is there a way to acquire vocabulary so that you use it spontaneously?", some might ask. Sure there is. People who get a lot of meaningful input (reading, research, media) about the same subject, generally learn the vocabulary of that subject. If not, ask your friend who loves crime stories in English what the difference between alibi and clue is. They'll know. But knowing vocabulary alone does not narrow the gap. Sorry.
Deep into the Gap
To figure out how we can bridge the gap between the way native speakers say something and the way non-native speakers do it, we need to understand where the gap comes from. First though, keep in mind there is also a gap among native speakers, as there is one among non-native speakers. But generally speaking, the gap between the way native and non-native English speakers code language boils down to how the language is acquired.
A native speaker of any language (including English) learns to speak naturally as an infant by being exposed to endless hours of input from his or her closest beings. In this context, the brain (yes, the brain) recognizes patterns in language and begins the process of decoding what they mean in relation to real and basic life situations. Food, play, potty, the 5 senses, discipline or sleep. In this process of decoding, the brain begins its life-long habit of acquiring meaning through chunks or groups of words. The best part: all happens before they ever set foot in school. That's the place where the process of natural acquisition is by and large not strongly encouraged. (Chomsky, Krashen)
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| From Pink Floyd - The Wall |
So then, what does the language acquisition process look like for a non-native speaker of a language he or she wants to learn? It usually happens in a context of formal education. So it is anything but natural. In the traditional model, foreign language is taught through grammar, vocabulary and listening comprehension. Examples are usually out of context, as is reading and writing. Speaking tends to be limited. Those who still manage to acquire the language often feel that any inadequacy is the result of poor grammar and insufficient vocabulary. While those who - despite all the obstacles - manage to become proficient English users, still feel the the gap when speaking to native English speakers.
Here is the logic. When native speakers of any language construct a message, they don’t do it word for word. They think in terms of chunks of language. Remember, that's how they learned it. These chunks or groups of words commonly used together for a similar purpose are what we call collocations. Language is full of collocations or ways in which language can be chunked together. Here are six main types.
- adjective + noun: tough life, strong accent
- noun + noun:glass of water, bar of soap
- verb + noun: do my taxes, make a call
- adverb + adjective: highly productive, deeply concerned
- verb + prepositional phrase (phrasal verb): make up your mind, look for the answer
- verb + adverb: spoke quietly, waited patiently
Think about water, also known by its chemical shorthand, H2O. As a chemical compound, a single water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds.
But imagine going up to the bar and saying to the guy there, "Hi, I'd like a glass of oxygen and hydrogen, please." Technically, it would be correct, but it would sound pretty strange. There is a gap between the conventional way to say it and an alternate way which may be right in its own way, but is not easily recognized. Language is above all communication. So recognition is vital.
A real life example with a fin
When I provided him with feedback, I modeled an alternate version of his question more likely used by a native speaker: “How many shark attacks are there in Florida every year?” I offered alternate versions of other parts of his part in our talk. Finally, we looked at the breakdown of the chunks (or collocations) for each model version I provided:
- How many >> correct
- Shark attacks >> just like snake attack, dog attack and cat attack, the most commonly-used collocation when referring to animals attacking people or other animals
- are there >> plural of is there: commonly used to ask about existence of things, a very underused collocation by non-native speakers
- every year >> alternate way of saying “in one year” (also correct)
- in Florida >> correct
Breaking Gap
So then, what is a good way to narrow the gap and sound more like a native speaker? Here is a road map.
- Find meaningful content (reading, listening, viewing) - something you really like
- Divide into short segments (a chapter, 5 minutes, a scene)
- Text: if it's audio or video, get a copy of the dialogue or transcript (easy to find that on the internet these days)
- Repeat input many times: If it's a segment of a book read it many times. If it's audio or video, listen to or view repeatedly.
- Extract chunks or collocations that you find interesting from the input and enter them into a notebook, file or wherever you want to keep it.
- Forget writing the meaning, instead, write a few sentences using that collocation.
- Read, listen to or view again.
- Review your list
- If possible, use with someone in English
