Intelligent grammar practice is still vitally important in language learning. It is still one of the most powerful tools at a student’s disposal. These days, there is a lot of material on language learning online. Many people are emphasizing the importance of intensive listening work. Numerous sites make great learning videos available. There are delightful podcasts, filled with humor, vocabulary and cultural knowledge. Some writers are actually saying that 90 percent of the work can be done simply by listening to a lot of recordings of natural language. They say that the need to learn grammar formally comes later. Vocabulary, they say, is King. Your level of knowledge of a language is defined by how many words of vocabulary you know.
Grammar Practice in the Internet Age
April 13th, 2010 by jpfocus
I agree with them to a certain degree. Lack of vocabulary knowledge is a crippling blow to communication and understanding of a new language. However, I have found in my own learning, that a clear and precise understanding of grammar allows for a much deeper and active kmnowledge of a new language. I found that understanding native speakers, catching the gyst of what I was hearing did improve my capabilities. It definitely improved my pronunciation and allowed me to form my own sentences much more naturally. It also taught me high-frequency expressions and language mannerisms. All this is quite useful. However my capacity to speak and form intelligible sentences seemed limited – on the level of syntax – by how much of that syntax I had absorbed unconsciously and intuitively. I somehow knew how to say something: unconscious competence. The problem with this approach is that is can be random and passive.
I have found that good practical grammar practice goes a long way towards developing my fluency systematically. The three steps I like to use are the following. 1. Study and understand a specific pattern. 2. Learn how to use the pattern reliably. 3. Do a lot of “English to the New language” translation. Translation is frowned upon as a learning tool by many. Yet the ability to translate compentently demonstrates a deep and real knowledge of a language. When you are bilingual, translation can be almost instantaneous and flawless. It can also be a great learning tool.
My favorite structure for practicing involves using a good recording with numerous examples of the new pattern being learned. The best format is “English – pause – new language – pause – new language – pause.” This allows me to look for the translation in my own memory and set of tools, to compare it to a native version; and finally to repeat it twice if I am incorrect or not sure. It instantly lets me know what my capacity is. If I try to say”I have been working here for two years” in Chinese or in French, I can either do it or not.
So although it may not be in style, I find grammar drill practice to be vital and extremely powerful as a learning tool. Done intelligently, it is akin to practicing a basic sport technique until it becomes automatic. The trick is to do it in an interesting way.
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