English grammar used to send a lump down my throat. For some reason, grade school managed to paint a picture of horror for me anytime grammar was involved. I know that a lot of people are, as well. Fact is, you don’t have to be afraid of it, even with the new language you’re learning.
At its most basic, grammar is an aid for communication. Without these rules to govern our speech, each individual can end up having their own version of a language. Imagine three people talking, every one of them using a different set of structure for the language. The likelihood for misunderstanding is momentous.
When you learn a language through immersion, naturally integrating it into your speech, you actually end up internalizing the grammar, provided you’re following the patterns, structures and usage that you to identify from them. Of course, once those rules are laid down for you to memorize, it can get pretty daunting. Regardless, know that if you can speak a language, there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with its grammar – you just haven’t verbalized the specific rules.
If you think you have to obsess over grammar to reach high facility with a language, let me assure you that you don’t. The purpose of learning grammar is not to memorize all the rules. Rather, it’s to be able to apply them to form clear sentences that will communicate your ideas to others.
Keep that in time the next time you sit down for the grammar portion of your language software. No need to sweat it.