How to learn grammar

How do you learn grammar? You learn by inference. This is how you learned English, when you were a child. I know what you are thinking; adults think abstractly and have the ability to use rules. This is true. This works for simple western European languages like German or French. But take a grammatically rich Slavic language; there are more exception than rules. If you think you can study grammar rules of a Slavic language and then start speaking it, go ahead. If that’s what you want to do.

If you are a beginner in a language the way you should learn grammar is first get a lot of exposure to the language. First, hear and memorizes several pages of something from the language. To understand Middle English for example many readers of Chaucer memorizes the prologue. Once you have exposure to the language your brain starts to process the grammar even if you think it makes no sense. Your brain will try to learn by inference. At this point get a grammar book and look over the rules. Then what you need is drills. Drills are another word for memorizing patterns. If you work with a tutor you will have to find someone that can drill you effectively, most tutors do not and simply explain rules to you. Eventually and the last phase is to learn grammar though corrected conversation. You can have conversation all you want but if no one corrects you than you will repeat the same patterns. This is how you learn grammar.

How do you learn grammar in a lazier way?

A simplified version of how to learn grammar is, get exposure to the language try to use it, learn vocabulary. Even with the most complex language your brain will use inference. Languages are not physics, or calculus, your brain has a natural affinity for learning new languages unlike anything else. Let your brain do the work. Then simply casually review a grammar book or tables. Inference is how you learn grammar of a language.