Why Learning New Grammar Makes You “Forget” Old Grammar
Many years ago, German linguist Dr. Nina Garrett made a fascinating observation: when students learn a new grammatical category—say, the past tense—they often start making mistakes in something they had already mastered, like the present tense. It feels counterintuitive. Shouldn’t learning more make you better, not worse? Here’s what’s actually happening. 1. Your brain is reorganizing the system, not adding a file Grammar isn’t stored as isolated rules. When you learn a new category, your brain reshapes the entire network of forms, meanings, and patterns. That reorganization temporarily destabilizes what was previously solid. It’s not regression; it’s restructuring. 2. Similar forms compete for airtime Past and present tense share a lot of features—same verbs, similar endings, overlapping contexts. When a new form enters the system, the brain tests it everywhere, including places it doesn’t belong. This is why learners suddenly say things like “I go-ed” or “I am go y...