The Myth of Natural Speech

So of course, natural speech per se isn't a myth, but mimicking it certainly is.

Natural speech is an emergent phenomenon, and does not occur by people trying to sound natural. Rather, as native speakers — of any language — we learn the phonics as children, then speak and get corrected for many, many years. We learn an "ideal" form, and then gradually relax into the natural patterns that are understandable within the native linguistic culture.

This is fully achievable for students, even without a native environment!

It is important to learn the phonics from the base level, ensuring that they are