Learn the grammar. Put it into practice. In that order.
"I think the Graf Method is really very logical. It's almost like developmental milestones, things progress in a logical manner. Almost the same as crawling before walking. I have now completed Levels 2 - 5 and I am looking forward to doing Basic Conversation. I would definitely recommend this School to anyone who wants to improve or learn Spanish from scratch."
"The Graf Method for learning Spanish is excellent. I was very pleased with how the lessons were presented, the material and the way the classes moved quickly where necessary. I also was very please with a private lesson I had that covered 3 lessons I had missed. The instructor, Rolando González, moved me through the material easily and quickly. I highly recommend the Method and form of instruction."
"I am very happy that I took this class, it totally met my expectations. The book and the method are great, everything is organized, and I appreciate the reminder emails for schedule and homework. It is very good to have the option to make up for a class on another day if one cannot attend the regular class. Víctor S. at the front desk is super helpful."
Most modern second language (L2) learning methods are inductive: students perform tasks using the target language and eventually pick up patterns. The grammar-translation method, which was used in Europe from the 1840s to the 1940s for foreign and classical language training (Richards & Rodgers, 2001, p. 6), is deductive: students learn rules and then practice them by translating from and to the target language. It often lacks speaking practice.
The Graf Method (Graf derives from the term "gramática functional") is a modified grammar-translation L2 teaching approach in which speaking practice is emphasized.
While inductive methods mimic the natural language acquisition process children go through when learning their first language (L1), research shows deductive L2 instruction works better in adults (Gör et al., 2009). The Graf Method solves the limitations of the traditional grammar-translation method by complementing translation tasks with conversational practice.
References:
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Gör, Ö., Kolat, T., İstanbul, A., Üniversitesi, A., Meslek, Y., Okulu, B., & İnönü. (2009). Deductive vs. inductive approach on English grammar teaching for elementary students
