Vocabulary VS Grammar, which is more important?

The main idea comes from Kauferman’s video.

Vocabulary vs. Grammar

Kaufmann argues that a learner's potential in a language is measured by their passive vocabulary (how many words they recognize), not their grammar skills.

The "Chunking" Concept: When he taught English, he noticed that students' biggest mistakes weren't specific grammar rules (like tenses or articles). Their main problem was using words together unnaturally.

Collocations: Native speakers use natural collections of words (phrasal verbs, idioms, "chunks"). For example, in French, Kaufmann used to incorrectly say "de mon avis" instead of the correct phrase "à mon avis" (in my opinion). This is a phrase-level mistake, not a deep grammatical failure.

The "Output" Challenge

Input (Reading/Listening): Grammar mistakes don't matter much here. Even if you don't fully understand a case ending, the surrounding context (redundancy) tells you the meaning of the sentence.

Output (Writing/Speaking): This is where grammar becomes a roadblock. When speaking, you are forced to automatically produce the correct gender, case, or article in real-time. This automaticity is incredibly hard for the adult brain to achieve just by memorizing rules.

Adults Struggle

The Child: Children make constant grammar mistakes. When parents correct them, the child usually ignores it. However, through massive exposure (input) over time, the child's brain naturally "autocorrects."

The Adult: Adults have already solidified the language patterns of their native tongue (fossilization). Even if a teacher explicitly points out an adult's mistake, the adult will often keep making the exact same mistake over and over because their brain is stuck in its native pattern.

The Only Moment That Grammar Book Work

Grammar explanations are written by people who already know the language, making them overly complex and confusing. You almost have to already know the language for a grammar book to make sense. Once you have a strong feel for the language, glancing at a grammar table can help you "notice" a pattern you've been struggling with, but it should not be your starting point.

Advice

1. Prioritize Vocabulary: Make your #1 goal acquiring as many words as possible to build your reading, listening, and communication skills.
2. Learn in Chunks: Focus on how words behave together rather than isolating grammar rules.
3. Accept Mistakes: Accept that you will speak with grammatical inaccuracies for a long time.
4. Practice "Noticing": Gradually try to pay attention to (notice) the specific mistakes you make (like his "à mon avis" example) and slowly correct them one by one through exposure.