Good that you brought that up: that works pretty well to me in my mother tongue. I still learn and absorb beautiful and useful patterns reading good authors. But that doesn't seem to work in other languages as well. I somehow don't manage to appropriate the new patterns, or maybe I do, but very slowly.
Interestingly, when it comes to spoken English, I can learn by imitation way faster.
Interestingly, when it comes to spoken English, I can learn by imitation way faster.