I'm learning Spanish too and this is something I've recently come across [at least adding a after some verbs but not others]. But I don't like using grammar rules too much; I learn from example. So rather than learn the verb asistir, I would rememebr it as "asistir a" as one verb in my mind. This way, I know I won't forget it. Like learn the phrase "ma's que" as one phrase in its entirety.

As for correcting ingrained errors, just remember to practice [correctly!] and they'll go away with time.

Don't worry about it much . As long as you realize the mistake it's all good and you'll stop making it in time. Just try to correct yourself if you spot it in time in order to prevent bad habits.

But yes, phrasal verbs and expressions are best learned together. And even then, you sometimes find yourself using the wrong one in speech since you don't over-analyze everything before it comes out.

(maybe try to remember them as part of a bigger context? As in, instead of thinking of mas de and mas que, think of it as mas de eso & mas que yo to keep the use in mind. Also, "asistir a" is not that different from "assist with" in English. )

I don't think simply absorbing from correct input is the right way to look at it.  If you want to fix a mistake quickly the fastest way is to be aware of it intellectually and actively take steps to solve the problem.

That's certainly true with learning an instrument, which is really very similar to learning a language.  You can be aware of making a mistake, but if you don't take active steps to fight againt it it will take a very long time to be rid of the mistake.

(For example, I recently noticed that when I play Wonderwall on guitar [sorry, I know it's a cheezy song], I make a mistake when I strum the chorus in an DdDduuududu pattern.  The capital Ds are emphasized strums.  However, I play DdDduUududu by mistake, and screw up the rhythm by playing the up-stroke on the beat and emphasizing it.  It should be off the beat and not emphasized.  Never noticed it because I always just played the song by myself until recently.  Anyway, even though I noticed it I kept playing it wrong for a while against my will, until I practiced deliberately with a metronome a bunch of times.)

Personally, when I hear myself making a similar mistake over and over again I find that practicing saying the phrase or grammar correctly many times helps (for example, coming up with sentences that use the grammar and repeating them to myself at home).  And whenever I notice myself making the mistake I make note of it mentally and then run through the sentence in my head again but correctly--or outloud if it's appropriate in the situation.

Last edited by Tzadeck (2012 May 16, 1:02 am)

Answer: cloze deletion flashcards using examples of both más...de and más...que (so your brain can learn the difference).

http://ankisrs.net/docs/ClozeDeletion.html