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Post being replied to

If I've learned anything over my career by starburns

and lots of language study, it's that people toss the word "fluent" around much too freely. People seem to think being able to generally understand a news broadcast or a newspaper article connotes fluency.

And you're exactly right about having true fluency in a native language. It's nearly impossible to learn another language properly without a full grasp on grammar and syntax in your native language.