The reason why I need a lot of input, listening and reading, in order to get used to words and phrases, has to do with the word “credibility” in a way. The thought just crossed my mind as I was reading in Russian on my deck this afternoon. In other words, only after I have seen or heard a word or phrase many times, does my brain accept that this is the way things are said in a language. If I just see one example, or even a few, I feel that I am still, consciously or subconsciously, reluctant to use that word or phrase. I don’t yet believe in this word or phrase.
At some point, with enough exposure, words and phrases, including how they are used, become established, credible, and I start using them with confidence, perhaps timidly at first, but then increasingly naturally.
