In every language, there are differences in the ways native speakers communicate. What is shared between native speakers is their ability to use language quickly and effectively.

📝 Realizations

This idea of native speech came to be during a conversation with my coworker.

One of my coworkers mentioned that she sometimes has a hard time understanding our boss. She also added that she sometimes even has a hard time understanding me and our other coworkers. We are co-teachers in the same classroom so we communicate the most throughout the day. I apologized because I know that I don't enunciate all the time and mess up my words when I speak. My coworker said that none of that was the issue.

The reason why she had a hard time understanding was because we were all native English speakers and she wasn't. My co-teacher is from Afghanistan and lived in Russia before coming to Canada. She speaks at least 3 to 4 languages with English being her most recent. My co-teacher mentioned that in her past work experiences, she did not have any difficulty understanding her coworkers because they were also not native speakers.

She said when she speaks her native language, she's much quicker at speaking and can understand fast speech. When it comes to English, it takes her some time to comprehend before she can respond.

Communicating with my co-teacher was easy. I felt comfortable speaking normally because she understood me. She did understand me, but there were levels and obstacles she had to get through to fully comprehend.

What my co-teacher identified was a phenomenon of how native speakers communicate with one another. Additional variations can be found in how native speakers of different generations communicate. While I understand how the children in my classroom talk, I hear a lot of slang and phrases I know would probably go over the heads of older teachers.

Speech changes over time. As someone learning another language, it can feel difficult to catch up.

My Experience Understanding Native Speech

Most of my experience listening to native speakers of my target languages has involved listening to media such as tv shows, videos and podcasts. In these contexts, there is no expectation for me to respond.

While it is still a challenge to understand, there is no pressure to confirm my comprehension. I don’t have to agree or disagree with a question or form a response. Even still, a lack of exposure to native speech can make it difficult to understand what is happening even if I understand all the words.

Language learners sometimes experience understanding visual media like movies when there are subtitles available but lose all comprehension when subtitles are turned off. When we read as we listen, we notice words we know. Without subtitles, we are left to comprehend based on sounds alone. If we are not exposed to native speech, it can feel like we are hearing words for the first time due to the ways they are pronounced.

Some Challenges of Native Speech

Speed

The rate at which native speakers speak can result in words becoming shortened to a few sounds.

Slang and Idioms

A complex idea can be conveyed in a few words with the use of slang or idioms. Simple messages can be layered with metaphors or sarcasm that may be missed by a non-native speaker.

Understanding Native Speech When Learning Another Language

How exactly can you start understanding native speech? The answer is the same as with any other skill you want to learn or develop. Listen to native speech.

But first, you should probably have a good understanding of the sounds in the language. When I first started learning Mandarin, I didn’t know when the sound of one word started and ended. It all sounded like one long run-on sentence because I did not understand the language's speech patterns. Although this post was written for Mandarin learners, I recommend using comprehensible input and subtitles when you start listening to your target language.

Not all speech is the same

We speak differently depending on who we are talking to or the environment we are in. Thus, getting a variety of exposure to native speakers in different contexts is vital to understanding native speech. While your language teacher may be easy to understand, it’s likely your teacher has adapted their speech to be comprehensible to you.

Exposing yourself to speakers with different accents provides you with a deeper understanding of the language. Over time, you will form holistic conceptualizations of the language as you notice intonation, stress and rhythm patterns.

General Tips

• Subtitles can help when “studying” language patterns. Notice when subtitles don’t match what the speaker said. Were certain sounds missing or pronounced differently than expected?

• To actually understand native speech, don’t rely on subtitles. In real conversations, there are no subtitles. Get used to listening to native speech without tools.

• Use authentic media especially ones that involve colloquial speech (variety shows, podcasts, YouTube videos). You’re more likely to have speakers naturally talk over each other unlike in movies and tv shows.

• Stay consistent

  • If you don’t hear your TL often, you’ll have to be intentional about exposing yourself to native speech

• Embrace ambiguity

  • It’s okay to feel lost and confused sometimes. Even if you don’t notice the progress, you’re still noticing patterns.

Do you have any other tips to add?

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