How to learn English Grammar?
That really is the question, because few aspects of English make new speakers of the language quite so much anguish. People who are used to clear, precise grammatical rules find the challenges English grammar can be both funny and, often, puzzling.
The fact that native English speakers themselves often have little grammatical knowledge does not really help either; they are quite prepared to justify an unusual word order, a totally illogical verb ending or the vagaries of spelling with a shrug of the shoulders and a ‘Well, that’s just the way it is’ kind of comment.
And yet millions of students such as yourself, coming to English as a second or even a third language, have managed to learn English grammar successfully. So let’s look at some ideas that can help point you in the right direction.
The worst way to learn anything is to just keep on relentlessly working your way through a text book, hour after hour. Even the most motivated people struggle to maintain their enthusiasm. One of the key things to remember about how to learn English grammar is to make sure you find some ways that let you have FUN ! Yes, believe it or not, it is grammatically correct to use the words grammar and fun in the same sentence.
Begin your studies of grammar with Reading and Listening
Of the four key skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing, the easiest in terms of picking up the grammar, are those of reading and listening, when you are receiving information rather than trying to give information to someone else. Of course, as in all languages, spoken grammar is not as strict with the rules as written, which makes it more straightforward. Push yourself on to more formal English grammar when you feel confident in yourself with the spoken word. Now, you will be learning about various verb tenses, types of sentence, and technical aspects of language, which can be complicated. Begin with simple aspects, though, and progress steadily and you will soon become familiar with it.
Read, Read, Read and then Read some more
Read anything that you can in English – whether it be a a comic book, a self-help book, a magazine or the instructions on a packet. What you read does not matter – the very act of reading and looking at the ways in which the sentences are structured, the tenses used and the words ordered will be the perfect way to see how the language fits together. It’s a good idea, too, to remember grammatical aspects that look confusing to you, so that you can think about them and perhaps look them up in a text book later.
Set yourself targets
It’s always a good idea to give yourself certain targets to set out to achieve. Give yourself some realistic targets that you can try to reach – perhaps some short term ones, for a week, and some loner term ones to really strive for. When you reach your targets, give yourself a little treat as a reward for your hard, successful work. Regularly setting targets and assessing your progress is one sure way of keeping your level of motivation high. There are times when everybody’s energy levels and sense of commitment drop just a little, but, if your targets are clear and you are choosing enjoyable study techniques, then you will be able to win through these battles. After all, you know it will be well worth it in the end.
Finally, a last piece of advice about how to learn English grammar is not to let it overwhelm you. A famous language teacher once said that the most important thing about communicating in a foreign language is the same as the important thing about tennis – you have to get the ball over the net. In other words, as long as the person the other side of the net – listening to you talk or reading what you have written – is able to understand you, that’s what really matters. If you can hit a wonderful tennis shot – or be absolutely exact with your grammar – then that’s a lovely bonus, but it’s not the only thing to worry about.