Quote Originally Posted by DDT
You jest if you think you can learn Russian quickly without a thorough knowledge of grammar. You need to know grammar so that you can make up your own sentences and have the person you are talking to know what and who you are talking about or referring to. Not only that, it is the grammar of language that makes it interesting, otherwise it is simply just the repetitive learning of vocabulary.
Did you acquire a thorough knowledge of English grammar when you were learning it as a child?

Of course in some sense you did, but you were unaware of it.

If you ever get a chance, read some of the recent literature on language acquisition. I'm not aware that ANYONE in that field pushes a grammar based approach these days. Obviously grammar is a component of language, and it has its place in learning, but there are indirect ways of learning it effectively.