I’ve received tons of questions by email about how to memorize grammar.
It’s a good question and one of the most challenging aspects of learning another language.
That said…
There’s a time and place for memorizing grammar amongst other activities that will provide many of us much faster gains along the road to fluency.
On this page, I’ll share some of my best tips as someone who studied languages as part of earning my PhD at York University. Later, I gave lectures in German as part of my work at the University of Saarland.
Sometimes I used memory techniques to help me understand various grammatical principles. Other times, I used different strategies.
Sometimes I used no strategies at all.
This statement might surprise you. So as we go through today’s tips, please keep this point in mind:
When you can memorize individual words, you can memorize phrases. When you can memorize phrases, you can observe how grammar works within your mind.
I mention this point because when you start memorizing how the language is used rather than what rules govern its use, grammar can stop being such a huge barrier.
And language learning overall can become a lot more fun.
So, if you’re ready to learn how to memorize grammar, let’s dive in!
How to Memorize Grammar: 7 Powerful Strategies
The following strategies have no particular order of importance. Think of them as a grab-bag of possible approaches.
It’s worth considering each and every one. But you don’t have to use them all.
Frankly, I found some of them tedious when studying various languages. Nonetheless, I’ve included them because different people have different needs and learning styles.
Not only that, but it’s hard to track certain outcomes. Sometimes you get more benefits out of techniques you don’t like than you might realize.
That’s why it’s important to experiment widely and let variety expand your horizons, especially when tackling a tough learning goal like mastering grammar.
One: Limit Yourself To Grammar Basics As Much As Possible
Unless you want to become a grammarian, you don’t have to know much grammar at all to learn a new language.
Prepare yourself, especially if you’re someone who is convinced that you have to master grammar rules to achieve fluency.
In this study, scientists found that young children were better at learning nouns and verbs before they learned to read.
As the researchers speculate, one reason for this effect is that children simply don’t overthink it. But thinking is precisely what looking at grammar in books causes us to do.
This is the reason behind why so many polyglots recommend that you simply limit how much grammar you study. It’s largely a distraction from the activities much more likely to help you become bilingual.
Now, of course, you came here to learn grammar better. And I won’t disappoint. I just want to make sure that you understand that in certain circumstances, it’s actually not all that recommendable.
Two: Apply Mnemonic Devices To Grammar Rules
When I started accelerating my path to learning Latin again after a long break, I was instantly reminded that you have to know grammar with this particular language if you’re going to learn it alone.
That’s because there are a lot of cases, declensions and conjugations, amongst other features.
Unless you are able to read, write, speak and listen to a language frequently, you will need to not only memorize the names of these rules. You’ll have to learn how to apply them.
For this goal, I recommend learning to use a Memory Palace for language learning. Here’s an example of how I always start this process with a simple drawing:
I know that it can be hard to make out what’s going on here, so let me explain.
The square represents a Memory Palace based on my friend Mike’s home.
Along the left side you have the cases nominative, genitive and dative. On the right wall, accusative, ablative and vocative.
Each of the sketches helps me remember those rules. The man with the guitar for accusative is the guitarist in AC/DC, for example. That reminds me of the name of this case. Sega is shorthand for Sega Genesis to remind me of the genitive case.
There’s a chess piece in the middle for the Latin word “magnus” (large). Using the walls of Mike’s house, I learned the declension for this word by following a journey using the method of loci.
There are many other memory techniques you can learn about. The process you’ve just discovered is my favorite way to memorize grammar rules.
Three: Use Spaced Repetition
As much as I wish the Memory Palace technique was a one-time strategy, the real reason to use it involves optimizing spaced repetition.
Basically, this term describes a finding from memory science that helps you determine how many repetitions you need to learn something. When combined with mnemonics, spaced repetition can help you skip rote learning.
Other ways to use spaced repetition without Memory Palaces exist. These include:
I’ve used each of these approaches. They’re all powerful.
Four: Diagram Sentences
Although visualizing sentences using diagrams has fallen out of favor, and at least one dissertation failed to find that it helped seventh graders, some teachers are not happy that the technique has disappeared.
Dawn Burnette acknowledges, for example, that diagramming sentences is not for every learner. But as the board certified teacher behind English Writing Teacher has argued, its removal largely comes from the introduction of computers into the classroom.
Personally, I learn a lot by drawing out things that I don’t understand. It’s one of my go-to reading comprehension strategies.
To try it for yourself:
- Write out a sentence you’re learning.
- Identify each part of speech by labelling it using arrows or lines (kind of like mind mapping).
- Study the relationships between subjects, predicates and modifiers, etc..
- Practice recognizing patterns as you work with more sentences over time.
- Visual your diagram later while you’re resting, literally reconstructing it in your mind.
Five: Complete Grammar Games & Puzzles
Here’s one of the activities that I don’t like very much.
However, this study found that students who experienced games as part of language acquisition performed better.
More generally, in this study puzzles were found to help dental students learn as well.
I completed a lot of crossword puzzles when learning German in a Berlin school. So even though I didn’t like it, I’m sure the research is right and that it helped me.
Six: Memorize Passages & Write Them From Memory
In every language I’ve tackled, I have taken time to learn songs by heart.
It teaches you so much about how sentences work, while giving you an opportunity to memorize new vocabulary.
After memorizing the lyrics, I always combine writing them out with singing them from memory.
This gives me multiple levels of exercise by engaging the levels of processing effect.
Want an example? Here’s me practicing the Mandarin song I performed at my wedding:
Seven: Immerse Yourself In The Language
At the end of the day, there is no substitute for combining what I call “the Big five of language learning.”
As we know from studies in interleaving, simply by rotating through a small set of activities, you will remember more.
In this case, the Big Five involves:
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
- Listening
- Memorizing
All you need to do is get ample doses of each. And as many memory champs who learn languages have shared, it really helps to study in short blasts.
I’ve done this personally to learn German phrases, master enough Mandarin to enjoy small talk at my wedding and gain skills in Sanskrit.
You can do, and making strides in any language won’t take you nearly as long as you might think.
You Can Memorize Grammar Rules Quickly
As daunting as grammar can be, you have options that will make it much easier.
The best part is that everything we’ve discussed today is also fun.
If you’d like more help with the Memory Palace part of the puzzle, feel free to get my free course:
It gives you four video lessons and three worksheets.
Complete them, apply the techniques to grammar and before you know it, you’ll know grammar better.
And that way, you’ll avoid common grammar mistakes when writing and speaking.
You might even be able to identify a few of them when reading and listening too.
Native speakers make grammar mistakes too, after all. One more reason to go easy on yourself as you’re learning to master this area of human knowledge.
In many cases, it’s much closer to art than science.
