Do I need to study grammar?
The easy answer is ‘Of course not’. You learned your first language, as all young children do, without the help of a grammar book. You could use verbs correctly for many years before you knew what they were.
On the other hand, you are now an adult. Children spend many, many more hours than you can, learning their first language, so it is a good idea to look for some more direct, quicker ways of learning. And as an adult you can understand how grammar works, but a young child can not.
So perhaps it is not very clever only to imitate the methods of the child (although quite a lot of teachers still believe that this is the main way we learn). If you look at the answer to Question 2, you’ll see that grammar is just part of the bigger question, and so the answer is the same: nobody really knows how much knowledge of grammatical rules helps you to speak better, but most teachers think it helps most learners. The important thing is to decide if you feel it helps you. Your state of mind is so much the most important factor that if you feel it helps you, it probably does, and if you feel it’s a waste of time, it probably is (see also Question 3).
Click on a question to go straight to the answer:
1. Why learn English?
2. What is the best way to learn English?
3. So how do I find the best way of learning English for me?
4. How can I describe my level of English now?
5. Does my native ( = first) language make any difference?
6. How long will it take me to learn English?
7. Is it necessary to go to an English-speaking country?
8. Which English-speaking country is the best to learn in?
9. What kind of place is it best to study in – city or countryside?
10. What kind of accommodation is best?
11. Which is better – a big school or a small one?
12. Do small classes matter?
13. How can I compare one English language school with another?
14. Do I need to study grammar?
15. How do I learn enough words?
16. Which is the best dictionary to get?
17. How important is pronunciation?
18. What about exams?
19. If I need to use English for my work, should I study Business English?
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