GRAMMAR HERO: The Rebel’s Guide

to Effortless Grammar & Natural Conversation

Video 3: Grammar In Action

This is part 3 of our deep-dive into grammar.

Let's quickly recap what you've learned so far.

In part 1, we saw why you have this experience of "translating in your head" and how that destroys
your ability to speak other languages naturally...always relying on English to get your point across.

In part two you learned how learning rules of grammar leaves you in endless frustration, as you
don't internalise the grammar, and you stay "trapped in logic" inside your head.

The most effective way to learn grammar is by flooding your brain with rich material in the language,
ideally stories, and actively noticing the grammar, so you can internalise it from context, not rules.

Telling you to stop memorising grammar with rules is the equivalent of Galileo telling people that
the Earth is not the centre of the universe...

The hardest part of all is believing that what you thought was true all this time actually might not be!

Take for example, a study cited by Dr Stephen Krashen in a 2012 Washington Post article.

(https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/the-wrong-and-right-way-to-learn-a-
foreign-language/2012/06/16/gJQAK2xBhV_blog.html)

Grammar Hero
In this study, they tested language students in a normal, traditional classroom, versus another class
of students who learned languages on a diet of reading and listening.

The students who learned through reading and listening perform better in tests of real
communication - pretty cool, right?

But get this…

The “listening & reading” students even performed better in grammar tests!

Think about that. Take it in.

The best results on grammar tests do NOT come from people who study grammar.

And I have to admit, when I started my journey to learn Italian through input alone - without
grammar, I also doubted that I was going to get very far.

As the weeks passed, in my Italian project, I noticed that I was learning grammar. It was starting to
make sense. But the question was… Was I going to be able to USE the grammar?

How would I activate the grammar I learned, so I could use it in the real world?

The problem here is that when it comes to speaking with someone, getting the grammar right
suddenly isn't so easy any more!

This was summed up nicely by one reader, who told me:

For me, it’s not understanding that’s holding me back.

Grammar Hero
You have to choose the correct preposition or verb form, get the case right... you have to stop and
think for too long, right?

Or when you have to choose between similar tenses, you end up mixing them up and then confusing
yourself even more…

Even if you know the rules and can choose the perfect form... conversations move too quickly….

You have to develop a natural feel for the grammar or else you'll never keep up!

It's an experience that EVERY language learner knows!

And you know what?

This is particularly frustrating for smart people!

What do I mean by that?

"I don't get it. I'm fairly smart. I did well at school. I'm good at learning things. Why am I so utterly
defeated by grammar?"

Grammar is one of those fascinating things that has the power to defeat otherwise smart people.

"I understand it logically. I’ve studied the rules in depth. I can recognise when I see it… But I fall apart
when speaking" --

Now if you've been paying attention, you might be able to identify the problem right there.

"I understand the grammar logically have studied the rules in depth..."

The problem is hiding in plain sight

It's our old friends "rules and logic" again.

Grammar Hero
It's the mistake of thinking that

Step 1: learn rules

Nope!

Doesn't work like that.

If your head is stuck in "rules and logic" ... more & more speaking won't help you. It'll just confuse
you as you get more and more frustrated and panicked about "getting the rules right".

Remember that video where you saw me confusing Italian grammar with Spanish? That was after 1
month of controlled immersion.

Can you imagine how many grammar questions were in my head? One choice at that stage would’ve
been to undertake a serious study of all intermediate Italian grammar.

That's what most people do.

But in my mind, there were three things:

I know RULES-BASED study won’t get me to the natural state of fluency that I want
How much TIME will it take? I would prefer to spend that time on immersion
I want to ENJOY myself -- because if I can learn and internalise grammar while also using an
approach that I LOVE...life really is too short NOT to do that

This is the stage that many of you watching will be at. Whether after 3 months or 3 years.

I could have spent the whole next month studying Italian grammar (and the next year after that
too!) but I didn't want to take the time away from my immersion.

I knew that that was how I would internalise the language… so I calmly continued with my controlled
immersion, focusing on the top 4-5 grammar points I wanted to master.

Grammar Hero
Now here's what's key...

I didn't just read and have fun.

(Although I did have lots of fun!)

There was lots going on in here (my head) that worked to build my understanding of grammar over
time:

First of all, I knew which grammar I wanted to focus on.

I wasn't going to waste time learning every exception to every rule, or more advanced concepts that
didn't really help me speak.

Instead, I focused on the really BIG areas of Italian grammar that were essential to get right, such as
prepositions...

And here's the process for doing this:

1. Make sure you understand WHAT the main grammar points are and WHY they are used -
you can do this with a quick lookup of the rules in a grammar book, just to put on the map
mentally
2. As you're reading and listening to the language, NOTICE when that grammar crops up in the
content
3. Ask yourself WHY that grammar is being used there (and not something else) - how does it
change the meaning of that sentence in the story when that particular grammar point, or
that case, or that verb tense is used?
4. Directly compare different similar or confusing grammar points - such as the different past
tenses in Spanish or French - so you can learn how to use them in different situations
5. And then when you get stuck, go and search out specific exercises to solve your SPECIFIC
problem. For example, in Italian I got a bit confused between the verb endings in two
different tenses, so I went and looked up and exercises to clear that up for me, and also had
my teacher drill me a little with targeted grammar exercises

Grammar Hero
There's a lot going on.

But do you see how natural this is?

And do you see how, at every turn, every little thing you notice or learn comes from this RICH
CONTEXT...

So that if you do this every day, and keep it up, it's almost impossible NOT to internalise the
grammar, and develop this deep NATURAL understanding of how grammar works, so when it does
come time for you to speak, you really don't have to think, because all the decisions are already
made for you.

Can you see the power of this approach to learning grammar?

Now this obviously doesn't happen overnight... and it maybe difficult to stomach for someone who
is used to TRADITIONAL, LOGICAL STUDY...

But this is how to create "NEW REALITY".

This is how to get yourself to the point where grammar just "sounds right" and you know
instinctively what to choose and when.

Grammar Hero
 “I want to sound like the intelligent adult I am, but
speaking a different language.”

Will there be bumps along the road? Yes.

Will everything always make sense to you? No.

Will you have to fight the temptation to run back to the safety and security of your textbook, with its
familiar rules and explanations? Yes -- and you will resist!!

But...

Will you have fun? Yes.

Will you take the pressure off yourself? Yes.

Will you start to internalise grammar that you thought was impossible? Yes

Will you start to speak more articulately, more intelligently in conversations? Oh yes.

Will you feel like a HERO? Yes.

This is how you become... a natural.

So it's time to recap everything we've covered in this series

In video 1, we saw how traditional grammar study keeps us from reaching the point where we can
stop translating in our heads, because it makes us dependant on rules and doesn't take us anywhere
near where we need to be in order to start to think in that language.

Grammar Hero
In video 2 we saw how you don't need to learn every rule! Every language has 4-5 key grammar
points that you'll need most of the time and you should focus on those first.

And the way to learn and internalise that difficult grammar is not through rules. Out in the real
world, learning rules doesn't lead to speaking fluency!

Instead, put all your focus into seeing this grammar in context. But not just any context…

Literally flood your brain with an tsunami of rich context - “controlled immersion” - using story-
based material at your level, so you can see the grammar in action.

(And don’t forget the audio - grammar becomes more memorable with text and audio!)

And then finally we saw how you can activate that grammar, so you can make fast, natural grammar
choices when speaking...

Then, DURING your immersion, actively LOOK FOR & NOTICE the grammar as it crops up in your
stories. Ask yourself WHY that grammar point, why that case, why that preposition... comparing it to
other grammar… and then continue reading and listening to your stories every day.

(If you have a good teacher to help explain why some grammar has been used, and to help you with
some targeted practice… that can help too!)

Gradually, you begin to get USED TO the grammar you’re focusing on. You no longer have to
translate in your head, the grammar starts to just "sounds right".

But if, and only if, you can stick to the process, keep up the controlled immersion, and resist the
temptation that EVERYONE will feel, to return to the safety and security of rules.

Trust in the process. Trust in the power of your brain.

Grammar Hero
Finally, I've shown you how, if you can summon the focus and sticktoitiveness you need, this
transformation can happen very, very quickly, and you can enjoy a new feeling of FUN and
EMPOWERMENT in your learning that can set you free, and clear the path to fluency.

So however long you've been struggling, even tearing your hair out with grammar...

The end is in sight.

I hope you've enjoyed this series.

It's probably not what you were expecting.

It wasn't what I was expecting earlier, before I discovered how language really works.

Who would have thought the sun doesn't go round the Earth?

You can imagine that, once you accept the Earth orbits the sun, that begins a chain reaction of
opening your eyes to everything else that might be going on in your universe.

Now as you may know, when I discover a solution to a problem in language learning, especially such
a powerful solution to such a big problem, I like to do my very best to help others solve it.

And with grammar, this is no exception.

Indeed, I've created an opportunity that I suspect is really rather innovative and dangerously
effective. Look out for a message about that very soon.

For now, it's comment time.

We’ve covered a lot in this series. And I'd like to know your biggest takeaway.

What have you learned or realised about yourself? What will you do differently from now on?

Leave me comment below, and we’ll talk very soon.

Grammar Hero