Questions tagged [grammar]
The grammar of a language defines the way in which its sentences are constructed by establishing its structure, syntax, and morphology
70
questions
5
votes
0answers
59 views
How and where can I begin learning grammar and syntax in their most abstract form?
I am interested in learning grammar and syntax. I use those words because that's what I learned in middle school, perhaps what I'm really trying to learn is more aptly described by the term '...
11
votes
5answers
181 views
Are there learning resources to drill my Dutch?
When I was learning English we used lots of exercises that were referred to as use of English, which help you train some particular grammar.
Now, I am learning Dutch and most of the exercises ...
6
votes
2answers
94 views
How can an advanced learner in an FL context get rid of grammatical errors?
Imagine someone who learnt foreign language (FL) from the same language family as his native language (L1) for three years at secondary school and then continued studying this language at university. ...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
How can I put grammar rules into flashcards?
Putting vocabulary into flashcards is (relatively) a no-brainer: word -> translation, translation -> word. (Yes, it can be more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it.)
Grammar rules, on ...
8
votes
1answer
111 views
Are second languages processed the same way as first languages?
Everyone who is cognitively normal is capable of learning a language natively. The fact that humans seem to have an innate capacity to learn any natural language is one of the underlying principles of ...
6
votes
3answers
720 views
When studying German, how much time should be spent on learning grammar rules vs. vocabulary?
How much time do I need to give to learning grammar rules versus vocabulary while studying German, or is it possible to speak a foreign language without needing to learn grammar rules?
7
votes
2answers
125 views
How can I speak in impromptu situations without organizing my thoughts beforehand but still communicate properly?
I have a problem that has been bothering me since I became conscious of it. I am not fluent in my speech. This has really affected my confidence such that I'm not able to speak in impromptu situations,...
3
votes
1answer
59 views
How does the existence of a separate present progressive tense affect the learnability of a foreign language?
In English, the present progressive tense has its own distinguished syntax.
For example, the present progressive I am writing differs from the simple present tense I write.
On the other hand, in ...
7
votes
1answer
85 views
How does the existence of a case system affect the learnability of a foreign language?
Case is a grammatical category that can be found in Slavic languages, Finnic languages, Greek, Japanese, Tamil, etc. (The Finnic language Veps apparently has 23 grammatical cases, and tops even ...
6
votes
1answer
107 views
Is there any research on the effectiveness of learning verb tables?
I own books with verb tables for French, German and Spanish, i.e. for several languages with rather elaborate verb conjugations. At school, I was made to learn such conjugations for French verbs and ...
18
votes
3answers
2k views
What resources are there for learning Toki Pona?
I recently started using Memrise to learn Toki Pona, because I find that language to be very interesting. Memrise is indeed useful regarding vocabulary, but I think it is not enough.
Are there other ...
7
votes
2answers
127 views
Is there an online resource to exchange grammar corrections in one's native and target languages?
I have a text written in English (scientific). I want to ask somebody to give me some advice in writing and grammar. I have time to do the same for other persons in Spanish, my native language. Is ...
9
votes
1answer
239 views
What resources can I use to master German word order?
There are a number of tricky parts to learning German, but for this question I'm particularly concerned about word order. I'm using Duolingo and I often miss questions where this is the only thing I ...
8
votes
3answers
92 views
Slightly Incomplete Sequential Acquisition, Possible to Fix?
I have had my first exposure to English at about six years of age (and have used it ever since), and I generally consider myself a native speaker since I use it a lot (even if this is probably ...
5
votes
3answers
97 views
Explain contemporary high-school language teaching to me [closed]
I do appreciate the answer to this question varies on where you are in the world but I'm happy to hear of different approaches from different countries. I'd be particularly interested in responses ...
4
votes
1answer
62 views
What strategies can students use to learn grammar when studying independently? [closed]
I would never advise students to focus mostly on grammar, but spending some time focused on grammar can be useful (Paul Nation recommends spending 25% of time focused on language, including grammar ...
9
votes
2answers
111 views
What are the advantages of tables with declension endings to study a declension system?
Update: What I'm asking is if there's any evidence in the field of language learning stating if a mere table with declensions is useful for learning those declensions.
This is opposed to the usual ...
4
votes
0answers
64 views
Is there evidence that supports the idea that vocabulary is more important than grammar in conversation? [duplicate]
"Focus on your vocabulary first, then fix your grammar."
This is a maxim that has been drilled into my head over several years of my Spanish teachers saying this, but is there really any truth to ...
12
votes
2answers
86 views
Strategies to deal with declensions
Languages like German or Russian have declensions. However my native language does not have those declensions, and thus I have a hard time understanding their “point”, that is their added meaning and ...
23
votes
4answers
1k views
Is doing a huge amount of grammar exercises helpful for learning English?
Some books that teach English come with pages and pages of grammar exercises. Are these helpful?
I see that a few exercises are helpful to help you understanding the grammar. However, after that, ...
