You can't learn math by memorizing formulas. Well, you do need to memorize some formulas, but that's only a small part of learning math, and if that's all you do, you'll never be any good at math. 

And yes, I think it's the same for languages. It's quite useful to memorize some "formulas," but if that's all you do, you'll never become a functional speaker (or reader/writer/listener). 

Hmmm. Actually, I think the reverse would be more promising — teach math “conversationally” — as if it were a language of everyday life. Have people actually use and experience math in relevant ways so they truly understand the concepts, not just the memorized formulae.