The study has two divisions: in the first part, major directions within the field of language research are presented, whereas the second part consists of an analysis of students’ attitudes to grammar and language learning. The purpose of this research is to uncover students’ attitudes to grammar in second language acquisition. The study is based on a quantitative research, in questionnaire form, in which 77 learners of Italian in Swedish upper secondary school are asked questions and their personal opinions about the notion of grammar: how important is grammar in the process of developing the capacity of an active use of the foreign language? How do they work with grammar in language classrooms? How are the aims expressed in the syllabus for foreign languages represented in the classroom activities, and to what extent do they agree with the students’ opinions and theories on how second languages should be learnt? The study shows that most of the students that participated in the quantitative research have absorbed the concept of modern Swedish language learning, as they aspire an active use of their language knowledge. Their attitudes to grammar are somewhat separate: one major tendency is to consider grammar and the knowledge of it as an indisputable necessity to develop language awareness as well as language fluency. Adherents of the other point of view do admit the importance of some basic grammar knowledge, but believe that it should be used and taught with moderation, as the finishing touch to the language only is given by orally practise of the language. Independent to either of the trends of opinion that one may associate with, it is somewhat concluded that awareness of how a foreign language is learned is a fairly individual matter, and will probably remain as such until the great enigma is resolved.