People like to rag on teaching grammar rules. While it's certaintly not what makes you fluent - that's an intuitive grasp of grammar, it allows you to start und

People like to rag on teaching grammar rules. While it's certaintly not what makes you fluent - that's an intuitive grasp of grammar, it allows you to start understanding and enjoying native content much faster. Learning a language from a book has another issue, though - I just can't sustain the enthusiam. For me, taking formal classes (so there's something on the line) allows a foundation to be built without me having to delicately balance overenthusiam and underenthusiasm when pacing it.