Learning grammar of a foreign language is not easy. If your native language is English and you learn for example, Russian, you have in front of you quite a demanding task as both languages are very different and have different alphabet and grammar systems. I hate grammar. But like it or not, if I wanted to progress in my foreign language learning, I had to deal with it and the way how to learn grammar. Here is how I did it.

First examine the topic

You have to understand clearly what the topic is about. I found it useful to work with a grammar book at an appropriate level. You can find all grammar topics in there with examples and exercises. You will also have access to explanations of rules and examples of usage. It is also great as a reference. You can highlight interesting parts, write your notes and use it for revision. In case you don’t understand it, try to find the topic in another source. You cannot use anything correctly if you don’t understand the rules.

Learn basic examples off by heart

It will help you to build the right grammar structure at the right time. For example, my basic sentence for present perfect in English is 'Have you ever been to Europe?' There is a clear characteristic of present perfect in this sentence and clear grammar structure, have plus past participle of the verb.

Exercise

The next step is to do as many exercises as possible and as many as you need to. The best way to train is to use grammar exercises on the computer. There are many free sources you can use. You will get instant correction so you know straight away if you are doing well or not. If not, go back to the rules and try again. Some easy topics are quite clear. But you will have to work hard on grammar which is different from your native language. It is hard to understand present perfect if no such thing exists in your native language. You either learn it, or keep it as a huge gap in your knowledge.

Try to recognize the topic in text or speech

Try to catch usage of your grammar topic in text or speech. Think why was the grammar structure used, what the contest was and which rule was followed. Write down sentences you like or you think you can use in the future.

Try to use the grammar topic in your text or speech

If you are able to recognise the grammar topic in speech and are familiar with rules then now is the right time to use it! Try to use it in the correct manner and in the right circumstances. Ask native speakers or your teacher if you are not sure. And there we go, you now can use new grammar in a topic.

Summary

I wanted to show in this article how to learn grammar topics. I hope it helped you to focus on grammar. I hate grammar! But unfortunately I cannot ignore it and have to try to improve my grammar as much as I can. There is a possibility to ignore many grammar topics if you are a beginner. But there is no way to ignore grammar if you are an advanced learner. Learning grammar is simply a must.