Many beginner students start learning a language with tables, rules, and exceptions. Others start with conversations and listening. Which path is better?
The answer might surprise you: it depends on how you want to use this grammar.
What research says
Excessive focus on grammar inhibits speaking
Research shows that people who learn only rules from the first lessons often speak more slowly and less confidently, because they "check" every sentence in their heads.
Grammar works best in context
It's easier to remember rules when you learn them in practice - for example, by using the preterite indefinido tense when talking about what you did yesterday.
Exposure to the language increases the effectiveness of learning rules
Linguistic studies show that familiarity with structures in speech and listening later helps to understand them more quickly at a theoretical level.
What polyglots say
First communication, then refining the details
Polyglots focus on simple sentences and practical expressions, and learn grammatical rules "along the way."
Small doses of grammar from the beginning
They don't avoid it completely - they introduce the basics (e.g., verb conjugation in the present tense), but immediately use them in conversation.
Grammar as a tool, not an end
For polyglots, grammar is like an instruction manual - necessary, but it's not worth starting to learn by reading the entire textbook.
How to find the golden mean
In the first few weeks, only learn the grammar that you will actually use in conversation.
Combine theory with practice - test each new structure in 3-5 of your own sentences.
Revisit grammar regularly, but in small portions.
Grammar from the beginning makes sense if it is introduced gradually and immediately put into practice. Otherwise, it will become a burden that will slow down your path to fluency.