Relying too much on grammar to avoid making mistakes when speaking
I am about a year in my learning journey and I know I shouldn't be afraid to make mistakes when speaking but I feel like I am relying too much on trying to learn grammar based on the fear of sounding dumb. I have a pretty good grasp of grammar and actually like learning it but I think it's becoming a crutch. Has anyone else experienced this?
10 Answers
It would be great to have perfect grammar all the time, but it doesn't work for me. I prefer to "communicate" and although my grammar is "fair" I don't rely on it being right a lot of the time. I know if I keep revising it, it will come naturally after a while. In the meantime, I speak as much as possible in the best way possible even if it is wrong. Just don't be afraid to talk like a Red Indian from the old western films - 'Me, go, peace" etc.! LOL!!
I am about a year in my learning journey and I know I shouldn't be afraid to mistakes when speaking but I feel like I am relying too much on trying to learn grammar based on the fear of sounding dumb. I have a pretty good grasp of grammar and actually like learning it but I think it's becoming a crutch. Has anyone else experienced this?
Yep, when I stopped focusing on grammar and focused on conversation instead I progressed at a rate that was unbelievable. No lie, I started learning 3x as fast once I decided to put grammar to the side.
Think about it, how many of us as children learned our native language by studying grammar? The answer is ZERO.
Children learn how to speak from the people around them. By listening and imitating what they hear. They get corrected when they make mistakes, but nobody starts studying grammar until long after they've already learned how to talk.
IMO, grammar is something you study later. Spanish speakers want to be able to talk to you, regardless of how good or bad your grammar is. They'll figure out what you're trying to say and probably even correct you when you make a mistake, just like your parents did. What Spanish speakers don't like is the dead silence or you stuttering and stammering because you're busying worrying about whether to use the subjunctive or conditional during a conversation.
I'm not saying don't study grammar at all, just don't make it your focus in the beginning. Worry about being able to communicate.
Spanish is meant to be spoken, not studied. What good is being able to recite all the grammar rules for the subjunctive tense if you can't order a glass of water?
Although I have been learning Spanish for a very long time and throughout my whole life, my Spanish didn't begin to "click" until I knew and understood the grammar rules(basically why are sentences constructed the way the are). I understand that most people learn differently, but I would suggest that you should stick with it because you are still very early in the learning process and if you learn the grammar rules it will begin to makes sense quicker. It make 0 sense to learn 1000 words in a foreign language and you don't know how to form a sentence.
Your Spanish will be better for it. The average learner(if you implement grammar)can be high intermediate to advanced speaker in a minimum of 3 years.
My first "foreign" language was Latin which had expired as a spoken language a few years before I was born (ha, ha); therefore, was studied from a grammatical approach only. I still think it is a legitimate and useful way to learn a new language particularly for adults. As Annie has and can attest to immersion is always preferable, but if you cannot find a way to immerse then having a good understanding of the grammar of a language is great!
As far a being a crutch that's a good image because it should be that but not a hindrance. Having the confidence to use Spanish and the willingness to accept that you will make mistakes has nothing to do with grammar. Use all tools to your benefit and remember making, recognizing, and correcting mistakes are probably the most important learning tools we have.
I think you're doing fine and you should continue using you strong understanding of grammar.
No, I started the other way round, no grammar and being in a situation in which I had to speak.
I only had three tenses and didn't even know the subjunctive existed.
Oh happy days!
I really got on well, it's true.
A couple of years ago when I was attending a weekly conversation class, a fellow student was like a walking computer. She knew everything and had a vocabulary like a dictionary. But was so bogged down by it all she could hardly hold a conversation so determined was she to speak "perfectly"...........I am sure that by now she has overcome her "blocks", but it was a lesson to be learned by me. Just speak. Just listen. Just learn.
It honestly depends on what your goals are, and what you intend to do with the language. To me, learning to play an instrument is a great analogy. People can become very proficient at it learning by ear, but at some point your weaknesses and lack of knowledge will hold you back. Of course you can sound good and get by, but it sounds awful to a native speaker when your gender agreement is wrong, or you don't use the subjunctive correctly. These are things that people tend to keep messing up in their conversational spanish for years, and yet they could easily understand them with a better understanding of grammar.
Maybe it doesn't matter to you that much, and your only goal is to get most of what you mean across. Maybe you don't want to be able to explain things, or you don't want to use your bilingual abilities in some kind of career. That's fine, we all have to decide how far we want to go in language learning.
That being said I think no matter what your approach you need to incorporate some kind of grammar into your regimen. Listening, reading, writing, speaking, translating etc. are all extremely important to improving your Spanish and grammar will help improve them all.
At first it may seem like a hindrance because you have so many things going on. After a lot of speaking these hindrances will slowly go away. Just keep incorporating your grammar knowledge into your conversation. A good knowledge of grammar will give you a lot of confidence speaking. You don't have to guess so much about making the "right" choices.
Thanks to all for the advice..I have been afraid to practice speaking spanish which really is sad. So now I am just going to jump in ... and speak as often as I can.
Yes, take the plunge. I have to say, almost without exception every native Spanish person I have spoken to has been truly delighted and helpful. They have always been polite and anxious to understand. Of course, when you speak some Spanish, they generally assume you speak well and their replies usually at great speed are hard to understand. Just learn the words for " Please can you speak more slowly" - you'll be fine. If all else fails, learn to do impressions!!! My "chicken" impression was a sight to be seen, but it raised some laughs!
This conversation sounds like something from Fiddler on the Roof....
Avram: (gestures at Perchik and Mordcha) "He's right, and he's right? They can't both be right."
Tevye: "You know... you are also right."
lol I agree with everyone! Ok, enough procrastinating... time to get back to Lesson 2.6.
