Instinctivley I think learning basic grammar is correct, but then again immersion is true learning, because otherwise as said above you end up translating which is wrong.

I like Rosetta stones basic vocab because it is purely pictorial and introduces new things at a refreshing pace. However, I realise that it won’t take me close to being fluent.

I think for me using a variety of methods is going to be best so
a) I don’t get bored
b) I stimulate memory of all aspects of the language
c) I keep on reaffriming things I know in other areas through learing something new.

I think I will learn some grammar, but not let it hold me back from learning new characters, or just litening to the language being spoken.

I am looking to start using Anki this week, with Rosetta stone and some audio books.

I don’t think you think too much with Grammar, in my case. It allows me to quickly make connections between things where as, for me, without grammar, it would take me much longer to start producing.

Doing too much of anything is bad, but you need some grammar to give you a solid foundation, especially as an adult learner. You are not a baby anymore, and you cannot expect to absorp a language like a baby does.

I firmly believe that studying too much grammar will leave you with anything but fluency, as you’ll think too much before you start producing.

I think, to an extent, what we are learning in books/formulated courses is always going to sound a bit unnatural. People are always throwing things into speech that aren’t going to be in text books, from “um” to pronouncing things “wrong” such as “knife” as “ker-ni-fie”. I think of text books etc as a foundation, then watch tv shows etc to see how in real life words are applied. Often I need some subs to actually put two and two together as well, as people mumble and speak faster than the text book counter parts. But slowly I will watch something, and suddenly get jolted back to relatity because I didn’t understand something – and realise I had been watching and actually understanding for a couple of minutes. Now that is a satisfying feeling!

I look forward to living in Japan where I will have more oportunity to apply what I am learning, but for now I make due with what I have.

Thanks for your reply!

I think if schools too used a similar approach.. i.e. teach things in all different kinds of ways and everyone should be able to get something out of it. Unfortunatly, perhaps that is too much time/effort, or something, but it is not the way things usually happen.

I was lucky going through school in that I learn well from reading something teachers have written on the board and then writing my own notes down.