I failed out of Latin because I thought all I had to was be able to recite all the declensions and conjugations from memory–easy enough to accomplish, but not very helpful.
What happens is you learn the table as a sequential blob, you know this follows that, and you have to go through the whole table until you find what you’re looking for. Not very efficient and extremely distracting.
What you REALLY want to do is be able to pick the form you need from it’s USE, not from it’s position out of the table.
The way to do that is to drill on picking out the exact form you need. Your magic tool for this is: flash cards (anki or physical), or a website like Conjuguemos or Linguno.
My experiment this week is to learn portuguese conjugations just from drilling the individual forms, without ever learning the table. Being able to recite the table should be the result of learning the conjugation.
Sorry if this is all horribly obvious to you, but it took me fucking forever to figure this out.
Any little tips you’ve learned?
Grammatical texts are still useful for one thing. Self-assessment when a native speaker or some other teacher is not available.
A rational comprehension of a target language’s grammar can accelerate production acquisition. What improves language proficiency is not raw mindless consumption or practice alone. But focused practice with a well structured intentionality. I’ve met my fair share of fellow language learners who can, for example, watch a whole anime episode without subs. But still can’t produce a single word of original Japanese expression.
Can full on immersion produce language proficiency? Of course, eventually. Raw memorization is still not the answer. But eventually is not enough for most people. Study of grammar and guided exercises will reduce the time required to acquire language skills.
People who mix study modes still fare the best compared to those who rely on a single source of methodology. Yes, memorize words (in context is best, with example sentences). Yes, study grammar books (with a focus on practicing the concepts, not just memorizing tables). Yes, consume content (written and spoken) in the target language. Yes, find a learning partner. It can be the difference between being stuck in A2 for a decade and actually progressing over a couple of years.