Step 2: Grammar
For grammar, you will use your textbook. Choose one small topic or part of a topic for daily grammar, or choose one whole larger topic or a couple of smaller topics for grammar once a week or every five days.
For example, for daily grammar, one day you might learn how to conjugate an irregular verb in the present tense. For a one day grammar session, you might choose to learn how to conjugate an irregular verb in the present tense. For a one day grammar session, you might choose to learn how to conjugate all verbs in the past tense and 1 irregular verb in the past tense.
Once you’ve chosen your topic, read through the grammar explanation. Hopefully your books come with examples of the usage. Read through the examples and study the topic until you completely understand it.
Next, go through all the exercises. Use a separate notebook or section of a notebook just for exercises. Rewrite the entire exercise with the answer. For example, if it’s a sentence with a fill in the blank, rewrite the whole sentence with the blank filled in like this:
Example:
Nous _________ un examen dans la classe de maths aujourd’hui et je ne _________ pas très content.
Nous avons un examen dans la classe de maths aujourd’hui et je ne suis pas très content.
Once you’ve finished doing the exercises, do some examples of your own. Write five to ten sentences of your own using the new grammar principles you have learned.
This is also a perfect opportunity to continue studying your vocabulary. Study the vocabulary before the grammar so that you are able to use them in your example sentences and so that you have some time to recall the vocabulary words.
Try to write sentences using your vocabulary words without looking them up again. If possible use each word at least once in your sentences. Use them as much as possible.
Write fewer sentences for the daily grammar lessons, and more for the one day grammar sessions.
Once you’ve finished writing your sentences, look up the vocabulary words to make sure you used them correctly. Also, check over the sentences to make sure you used the grammar correctly.
Finally, look over the grammar topics again. Jot down the major points on note cards that you can look over later.
Again, keep in mind what grammar you learned for the week because you will continue to use it later on in the bits.
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