#language_advice Idiomaticity Creates Authenticity To define | The High Speech

#language_advice
Idiomaticity Creates Authenticity

To define idiomaticity, I would like to borrow the definition I came up with quite a while ago. Idiomaticity is the conventional use of words in form and order within expressions the meaning of which is rather determined by history and language tradition than by grammar and lexical meaning of the words in them. Thus, idiomaticity embraces not only idioms but also set expressions.

In their writing and speaking, English native speakers rely largely on set and idiomatic expressions. They are more frequent in spoken English and appear more or less in all styles of speech probably accept the frozen. So, for those who want to master English and be able to use it or at a near-native level it is imperative to learn idiomatic and set expressions.

This knowledge is important not only for expressing yourself eloquently but also for understanding your interlocutor. This is especially the case with well-educated native speakers whose word-stock exceeds 30,000 words, and whose knowledge of idiomatic English is impressive.

To learn idioms thoroughly, you may go different ways, and they may be more or less productive depending on your present mastery of the language. And it certainly takes a substantial amount of patience and persistence.

One option is to read fiction novels, especially more classic ones. The dialogues in them contain quite many idiomatic expressions. Another is to learn idiomatic expressions on purpose. To do this, it will be best to move from word to word to memorise set expressions and idioms containing one similar word to make the memorisation process more consistent. To make it more efficient, you can write them down in a notebook: the writing will make them imprint better in your memory, and you will be able to refresh them in your memory after a time.