I communicate a lot about input. I've identified it elsewhere as, purely, "correct phrases and sentences in the native language." I've revealed that it's been a thing that I've focused on heavily in my own studies. I've said that it is possibly the most important portion of learning a language - that with no input, you'll never be fluent. But there's one question I haven't yet answered at length: why is language input highly recommended? Let's take a look at two causes.
The first reason is that it is the main method to obtain the vocabulary we will want to use or understand the language effectively. This is certainly almost a no-brainer. If you aren't getting language input, then where have you been learning those words? Have you been making them up? Could they be coming down to you through the atmosphere in your sleep? But, it's imperative that you note that the type of input you have will greatly effect the grade of the vocabulary you could learn.
If you're getting input from a textbook, the vocabulary you happen to be learning may not sometimes be the most frequently used vocabulary. In fact, it could be vocabulary that is thoroughly useless to you in real life. Did you ever hear of people complaining that whatever they learned in language courses is not the way they actually speak in the streets? That's why. If you had learned that vocabulary by reading genuine literature in the target language, observing real TV shows in the target language, or even better, listening to real people converse life in the target language, you'd probably have been more inclined to learn vocabulary that would be useful to you.
Another factor to consider is that input is the main supplier for how to design your sentences. This can be a more subtle, and yet much more important reason than the last one. It's less obvious that the only way to learn correct sentences is through real input. Whilst you can't learn new vocabulary by making it up without having input, you possibly can "learn" sentences by making them up without having input. I put the word "learn" in quotation marks, because normally, the sentences you might be imprinting in your brain are not accurate.
You just made them up, using the grammar rules that you simply learned. But even if they are really grammatically correct, they may still sound incorrect to a native's ears. Through input, you need to focus on, as opposed to creating your own sentences, simply repeating the same exact sentences that you've obtained directly through input. Or duplicating sentences very close to things that you've already heard. The farther you get, needless to say, from the direct input that you received, the higher the chances of you getting the sentence wrong. So be careful.
The first reason is that it is the main method to obtain the vocabulary we will want to use or understand the language effectively. This is certainly almost a no-brainer. If you aren't getting language input, then where have you been learning those words? Have you been making them up? Could they be coming down to you through the atmosphere in your sleep? But, it's imperative that you note that the type of input you have will greatly effect the grade of the vocabulary you could learn.
If you're getting input from a textbook, the vocabulary you happen to be learning may not sometimes be the most frequently used vocabulary. In fact, it could be vocabulary that is thoroughly useless to you in real life. Did you ever hear of people complaining that whatever they learned in language courses is not the way they actually speak in the streets? That's why. If you had learned that vocabulary by reading genuine literature in the target language, observing real TV shows in the target language, or even better, listening to real people converse life in the target language, you'd probably have been more inclined to learn vocabulary that would be useful to you.
Another factor to consider is that input is the main supplier for how to design your sentences. This can be a more subtle, and yet much more important reason than the last one. It's less obvious that the only way to learn correct sentences is through real input. Whilst you can't learn new vocabulary by making it up without having input, you possibly can "learn" sentences by making them up without having input. I put the word "learn" in quotation marks, because normally, the sentences you might be imprinting in your brain are not accurate.
You just made them up, using the grammar rules that you simply learned. But even if they are really grammatically correct, they may still sound incorrect to a native's ears. Through input, you need to focus on, as opposed to creating your own sentences, simply repeating the same exact sentences that you've obtained directly through input. Or duplicating sentences very close to things that you've already heard. The farther you get, needless to say, from the direct input that you received, the higher the chances of you getting the sentence wrong. So be careful.
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Would you like to carry on doing all that you are able to to learn languages? Read a handful of my other articles on what it takes for being fluent in a language.
