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In this article, we present an example of learning based on grammar rules. Then we explain why we think this way of learning is much less effective than input-based learning.

Example of learning by grammar rules

Here is an excerpt from a modern ESL textbook ("Workout Advanced" by Paul Radley and Kathy Burke, published by Nelson English Language Teaching). The textbook was used in an English class Tom attended at a language school in England.

Unit 4. Grammar: Adjectives

When two or more adjectives are used before a noun, the adjectives follow a certain order:

opinion adjectives: general/specific
descriptive adjectives: size/age/shape/colour/nationality/material

Example: They bought a lovely, stylish, large, old, rectangular, brown, English oak table.

Unit 4. Practice (next page)

Use the adjectives in the correct order before each noun to make noun phrases.

Example:
beach — white, sandy, soft --> a soft, white, sandy beach

hotel — modern, large, expensive
climate — sunny, warm, Mediterranean
water — blue, clear, clean
restaurant — international, open-air, clean
rooms — spacious, comfortable, twin-bedded

The textbook presents a grammar rule for ordering adjectives ("size/age/shape/colour/nationality/material"). Then it gives only two examples. After that, you are expected to do an exercise.

Obviously, you cannot do the exercise using your intuition (what intuition can you get from seeing only two examples?). The textbook wants you to use the grammar rule. You are supposed to classify the adjectives into one of the groups ("size", "age", etc.), and then put them in order according to the rule. In other words, you are supposed to:

Now imagine doing all these things whenever you're writing or saying a sentence with 2 or more adjectives. Can you guess how much time it would take you to build the sentence?

Is there another way? Yes, there is. You can learn by input. You can read a lot of sentences with adjectives and get a natural, intuitive knowledge of adjective order. Instead of memorizing the rule and using it to build sentences, you can get correct sentences into your head and your brain will imitate them. The "input way" is easier and it lets you speak and write faster.

Of course, learning by input is not effortless. You have to spend a lot of time reading and listening to English. However, if you learn e.g. by reading a book that you like, it can give you pleasure and motivation.

Grammar rules vs. input — summary

Learning with grammar rules has two important disadvantages:

Can grammar rules be useful?

Yes, they can. For example, if you don't hear (or read) some word or grammar pattern frequently, it may be hard to acquire a natural, intuitive knowledge of it. For example, it may be hard to acquire an intuitive knowledge of the future perfect tense (a grammar structure used e.g. in this sentence: "By 2050, life in Europe will have changed.") just by reading books in English, because the future perfect occurs relatively rarely in books.

If you want to use the future perfect in your own sentences, you can memorize a rule for it. The rule will tell you when to use the future perfect and how to use it correctly. In a similar way, you can memorize other rules or definitions of words which are used rarely.

So you could substitute grammar rules for intuition. The problem with this method is that you can't remember too many rules (memory limit). Also, it would slow you down if you had to use many rules when speaking or writing (time limit). Therefore, most of your knowledge must be intuitive (based on input).

Grammar rules may be useful for using rare words and grammar patterns, but we think there is a better way. You can build your intuition "the input way" for every rare grammar pattern. How? You can artificially increase the frequency with which you see that grammar pattern. For example, if you don't see the future perfect often, you can add 20 example sentences with the future perfect to your SuperMemo collection. SuperMemo will make you repeat the sentences regularly, and so will help you to build an intuitive knowledge of the future perfect.

Stop asking people to tell you grammar rules

Many learners have a strange habit. When somebody (e.g. a teacher) tells them the correct way to say something in English ("We say big red car.") or corrects their mistake ("You can't say red big car"), they like to ask "why?".

However, the question "why?" has no real answer. When asking the question, learners want to hear a grammar rule (e.g. "We say big red car because adjectives of size come before adjectives of color"). But the rule is not the reason why we don't say "red big car". The rule is only a description of native speakers' habits. It was invented by some linguist who simply noticed that native speakers never say "red big car" or "white small house".

In other words, it is not true that native speakers say "big red car" because they know the rule and follow it. It's the other way around. The size-color rule exists because native speakers say "big red car". Native speakers are the ones who create the language. Grammar rules only follow native speakers' habits.

Here are some tips to help you on your teaching experience

Dress right. Jeans, sneakers, and just-out-of-bed hair may be okay for teachers in the U.S., but in many parts of the world, a neat appearance counts far more than credentials. In Korea dark clothes lend an air of authority. Red is to be avoided at all costs. In Morocco female teachers don’t wear pants, sleeveless blouses, or short skirts.

 Behave appropriately. When it asked 250 students at the Sichuan Institute of Foreign Languages in China what they liked and disliked about native speaker English teachers, the students’ main gripe was the informality of foreign teachers, who often seem to undermine their own authority by acting in undignified ways. In the U.S. teachers go on a first-name basis with students, sit on their desks, sip coffee, and even bounce off the walls without causing student discomfort or losing prestige. But these behaviors don’t export well.

 Don’t worry if students seem unresponsive at first. Americans are used to participatory classrooms with plenty of teacher-student dialogue. Elsewhere, students are often trained to be silent, good listeners, and memorizers. It’s disconcerting to stand in front of a sea of blank faces, but expecting it reduces the shock. Introduce new concepts, such as discussion and role-play gradually. You’ll be surprised at how students will come to embrace the change.

 Choose topics carefully. There are still many countries in the world where people are hesitant to voice opinions because of a fear of reprisal. If you’re conducting a classroom debate, remember that there’s a distaste for Western-style argumentation in Middle-Eastern societies, and in Japan it’s offensive for an individual to urge others to accept his opinion.
Certain topics may be taboo for cultural reasons: Most Americans don’t want to discuss their salaries or religious beliefs; Japanese may be disinclined to talk about their inner feelings; the French think questions about their family life are rude.

 Don’t ask, “Do you understand?” In China and Japan, students will nod yes, even if they’re totally lost, in an attempt to save face for the teacher. Even in a country as far west as Turkey, yes often means no.

 Avoid singling students out. Our society fosters a competitive individualism which is clearly manifested in our classrooms. American students are not shy about displaying their knowledge. In classrooms outside the U.S., however, showing solidarity with classmates and conforming to the status quo is often more important than looking good for the teacher. In Turkey and Montenegro students told me they disliked volunteering answers too often because it made them look like show-offs and attracted the evil eye of envy. If you want to play a game, make the competition among groups rather than among individuals. If you need to discipline a student, do so in private.

 Be aware of cross-cultural communication styles. French students appreciate wit. Venezuelan students like boisterous rapid-fire exchanges. In Japan, where debate is not as valued as in the U.S., students appreciate long pauses in discussions and silent “think time” after you ask a question. “Hollow drums make the most noise” goes a Japanese proverb, and Japanese students are uncomfortable blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. American teachers, who are uncomfortable with silence, tend to anticipate the student’s words or repeat their original question—both irritating interruptions for the Japanese student.

 Present a rationale for what you do in class. Your pedagogy is going to be very different from what students are used to. They’ll conform much more eagerly to new classroom content and procedures if they understand the benefits.

 Expect the best of your students. They’ll be serious about learning English because their economic advancement often depends upon mastering it.

 Relax and enjoy yourself. Happiness in the classroom is contagious.