When I left that job, Jinny had moved on to an American university. Jacky,
however, was still stuck in the language school. She was still studying
grammar and still failing to achieve success.
Jinny and Jacky’s story is powerful because it shows us how strong the
hidden curriculum can be. Despite years of frustration and failure, some
people just can’t seem to break free from grammar study. They will continue
using the same failed method for years, never learning to speak English
powerfully.
To me, that is the worst tragedy of the hidden curriculum. These limiting
beliefs imprison many people into a downward spiral of failure. It saddens
me to see this cycle of frustration and stress.
For some, it may be difficult to accept Rule Two, but this rule is essential
for your speaking success. As Jinny and countless Effortless English™
members have proven, spoken grammar can be mastered without studying
grammar rules.
What I want you to remember is very simple: Do not study grammar rules.
If you focus on grammar rules, it will hurt your speaking. You will speak
more slowly. You will understand more slowly. To put it strongly, grammar
kills your English speaking.
So if you have grammar books, throw them away. Say goodbye to
grammar books forever. If you want, you can even burn them, set them on
fire. Have a little celebration. Because grammar translation is worse than
useless, it is actually harmful to your speaking ability.
For Practice
Exercise: Take a grammar holiday. For the next six months, just decide you
are not going to study grammar. In fact, do your best to completely forget
about grammar rules. Unlearn this information by avoiding grammar books.
Whenever you catch yourself thinking about grammar, immediately change
your focus. During this time, instead of worrying about mistakes, accept
them. Accept that mistakes are normal and necessary.
