I am a right handed person, so according to the reading I am left brain dominated in the area of language (what a crazy statistic, 95%).
The writer's argument most impactful for me as a self-directed language learner involves what to focus on first. Should I start by examining grammar rules? Should I look at phonetics, or phonology, or syntax? What the writer concludes is that, because grammar exists to give structure to meaning, meaning must first be understood.
The goal of learning a language is communication, communication with one to whom you would not be able to do so without a grasp of the new language. Because this is the point of language learning, I think that it would be a good language learning strategy to focus on the attainment of vocabulary, a build up of words and a grasp of their usage. After your arsenal of words has been established, then moving on to grammar enables the language learner to structure his/her grasp of meaning and vocabulary.
An example of the greater importance on first grasping vocabulary would be when you need to use the bathroom. If you understand how to grammatically formulate a question in your new language, but don't know the word for bathroom, you will not be able to communicate your need to find a bathroom. But if you have a vocabulary base, you can just say, "Toilet?" and the need is understood.
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