I strongly disagree. To be able to understand anything on a deeper level, you need to have the “vocabulary” to explain the higher-level concepts. Memorization is not always trivia; it’s the lowest-level foundation of all learning.
The power of knowing things comes largely from the associative characteristics of knowledge. Having 2 facts on the net and 2 facts in your brain are entirely different. You can't create much with 2 facts in the net while 2 facts in your brain can be used to create so much. Even if you constantly look up whatever you want to use on an as needed basis, you'd run into working memory limits.
It's funny you asked, I'm actually learning a new foreign language this year, and I'm doing just fine without memorizing anything. Based on my method and goals, I'll be able to speak at least 20 languages before the end of next year.
