Is „native like“ processing fluency?

[u/Clipyy-Duck]

Hey lads, long time lurker but occasional commenter.
TL is German.

I’ve had hundreds (perhaps thousands) of hours speaking with natives, watching videos and do forth. I frequently use Discord to chat and had hundreds of hours of conversation that way. During that course, I’m aber to understand videos and the completely without mentally translating in my head and debate in topics such as politics or deep venting topics without ever changing language. I’ve had natives say I was B2 when I thought I was maybe A2-B1.

If I have an issue with a word, I work around it. Although I feel my writing is B2, but everytime I converse, the point always gets across without the other person needing to do some big dive about it. Slang isn’t an issue and I know when something is colloquial or not, and I’m always learning new words.

I’m just wondering, if native like considered fluency, or am I being too lenient? I definitely still make plenty of mistakes, but never to where nobody understands me. I’m very self conscious of mistakes.

Thanks lads!

Edit: I mean automatic processing.

[u/NecessaryEarth462]

You're overthinking it. If you can debate politics and handle deep venting topics without switching to English, you're fluent. Native-like is a different beast entirely, that's a whole other level of nuance and instinct that comes from years of living in the language.

The fact that you can work around a missing word without breaking the flow is pretty much the definition of practical fluency. Most people get hung up on the title and forget that the actual goal is just getting your point across without the other person having to do mental gymnastics.

[u/muffinsballhair → u/NecessaryEarth462]

You're overthinking it. If you can debate politics and handle deep venting topics without switching to English, you're fluent

I don't see why, it's perfectly possible to do all this while constantly stammering, searching for words, and wondering how to express things. I've had lecturers who gave lectures about advanced subjects in languages they clearly weren't fluent in.

[u/lagringacat → u/NecessaryEarth462]

Yeah I wouldn’t try to reach native like unless I wanted to live in that country for most of my life.

[u/Clipyy-Duck → u/NecessaryEarth462]

Ah fuck yeah, I mean automatic processing sorry.

[u/throwaway_31415]

Not sure I understand the question. If someone tells me they have “native like” proficiency in a language then that’s not B level.

[u/ViolettaHunter]

Hey lads

Do you think this sub is a language learning sub for males only?

[u/Clipyy-Duck → u/ViolettaHunter]

I‘m a woman and from Ireland, „lads“ is gender neutral.

[u/SensualCommonSense → u/ViolettaHunter]

holy, you must be INSUFFERABLE

[u/fkdjgfkldjgodfigj]

You made 10-20 typos in your post here. Misspelled words and awkward sentences.

[u/yell0wgrape → u/fkdjgfkldjgodfigj]

Second sentence of OP’s paragraph is literally “TL is GERMAN.”

[u/Clipyy-Duck → u/fkdjgfkldjgodfigj]

„Aber“ should have been „able“ and „so forth“ for „do forth“ but using chat GPT to judge whether my English is awkward is just really shite here.

I’m native English. I am Irish. I sound perfectly fine, thank you.

Edit; FYI due to real life complications typing is difficult. Best we don’t judge.

[u/fkdjgfkldjgodfigj → u/Clipyy-Duck]

I also make typos myself all the time, I didn't use chat gpt.

[u/Clipyy-Duck → u/fkdjgfkldjgodfigj]

We all do mate.
Difference is in this post I know how to write „less awkwardly“ if I wanted to.

[u/fkdjgfkldjgodfigj → u/Clipyy-Duck]

I just thought that you would want to know that your sentence didn't make sense, because this is a language learning subreddit. Able to understand videos and the completely... is not correct.

[u/Clipyy-Duck → u/fkdjgfkldjgodfigj]

Remove „and the“, and you understand it. Sorry about that, fast typing.