CARLA: Spanish Grammar Strategies

I'm looking for a strategy that someone has used successfully to learn a specific grammar form. Moods Subjunctive Imperfect subjunctive Conditional Conditional perfect and pluperfect subjunctive Commands Pronouns Relative pronouns Simultaneous use of direct and indirect object pronouns Direct and indirect object pronouns in affirmative and negative tú commands Reflexive pronouns in present perfect constructions Tenses / Aspect Preterite Imperfect Preterite vs. imperfect Ser and estar Por vs. para Gender / Agreement Gender of nouns Gender and number agreement Other Demonstrative adjectives Lo + adjective Hacer and desde in time expressions Negative words Superlatives I'm looking for strategies that match my learning style and that can apply to various grammar forms. Auditory Rhymes Songs and chants Talking to native speakers Visual Color coding Decision maps Drawings / Mental images Note cards Playing with verbs Quasi-math formulas Quick grammar references Kinesthetic Physical behaviors Writing it over Memory aids Acronyms Initials as a vehicle for mnemonics Phrases as memory aids Phrases as vehicles for syntax Cognitive English sentences with Spanish syntax English sentences with Spanish words inserted Focusing on meaning Learning material as a chunk Learning grammar by explaining it Using archetypical sentences Using L1 to keep forms and functions straight Context-based Making associations Observing use in context Other Avoiding avoidance Combining perceptual modes What's the reason for using one strategy or another? Spanish grammar sites Glossary

Observing contextual use

What does Susan do when she has trouble understanding the difference in meaning when adjectives appear with ser vs. estar? She pays close attention to the context in which the verb is used.

During class in Spain, Susan heard her classmate say the following about another student:

"Ella es muy interesada."

Despite the fact that she had always associated the adjective interesada 'interested' with a positive context (since 'to be interested in something' is usually good), her classmate’s tone of voice signaled that in this context its use was negative.

She kept the sentence in mind, remembering that ser was used. Later on, when she discovered the impact of ser vs. estar on the adjective, she figured out what her classmate meant was actually that their friend was 'self-interested.'

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I'm looking for a strategy that someone has used successfully to learn a specific grammar form.

I'm looking for strategies that match my learning style and that can apply to various grammar forms.

Observing contextual use