Teaching+Grammar

Asselin, M. (June 2002). Teaching Grammar. //Teacher Librarian//, //29//(5), 52. Retrieved Apr. 10, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database. Asselin’s article examines the various definitions of grammar, synthesizes available research of grammar, and recommends an examination of one’s attitudes toward grammar to promote instruction that is “informal, needs-based, and significant to students” (¶ 11). She begins by breaking grammar into three components, Grammar 1, which is the automatic production and knowledge of language that every person is capable of; Grammar 2, which is the deliberately acquired understanding of the configurations of language, including concepts, vocabulary, and critical examinations and usage; and Grammar 3, which basically is the rules of “proper” usage of grammar. Asselin next examines what happened to grammar training in the classroom, which began as strict methodical instruction, but then ceased to exist in many classrooms in the ’70s and ’80s. During that time, research suggested that grammar had a negligible effect on student writing, thus many teachers chose not to include it as part of their curriculum. Currently, however, research suggests that grammar should be taught as a means of creating and comprehending relevant texts in a manner that demonstrates the utility of grammar in allowing students to be able to do so, in other words learning in authentic contexts.

Finally, Asselin suggests that in order to be able to teach grammar, educators must come to terms with their own perspective on grammar and be able to develop their professional proficiency in order to facilitate students’ ability to utilize the more formal grammars of Grammar 2 and 3. She particularly mentioned that educators should look into the resources available at the website for the Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar ([|www.ateg.org]). Another of her suggestions was to provide frameworks for students to utilize grammar, through technical writing, studying authentic texts, and research projects, which could even be focused on having students study grammar usage in various authentic context within their daily lives). I enjoyed this article particularly because it helped put a few things into perspective about how to include grammar in the classroom. I now believe that utilizing grammar as part of the whole instruction in Language Arts, rather than utilizing it merely as a separate component can easily accomplish student comprehension and proficiency. In order to do this, educators must include grammar lessons amidst novel studies and writing assignments, instead of devoting a few classes at the end of the year to it.  It was especially noteworthy to me that in the ’70s and ’80s, grammar instruction was diminished, which explains why many students who entered college straight from high school needed to be enrolled in remedial classes in order to improve their writing. I think that if grammar is presented in an authentic manner that is relevant to the way that it will be used both in and out of the classroom, the need for remedial teaching of the subject will be significantly reduced. An article by Dennis Baron (2003), entitled “Teaching Grammar Doesn’t Lead to Better Writing,” further examined this issue due to the implications of the report by the ACT that “college professors rank grammar as the most important skill for students entering college, while high-school teachers consider it the least important” (¶ 1). Overall, I can see how easy it would be to introduce the explicit instruction of grammar, particularly the eight parts of speech at the beginning of the year, and then insert further lessons in context with various authentic texts. In this manner, students can then draw from a broad basis forms and styles, including nonfiction and fiction, particularly expository, technical, persuasive and narrative writing. I think that as educators, we must move away from the idea that grammatical instruction has a negligible effect on writing, because it makes far more sense that students should see the parts (grammar) in order understand the whole (effective writing and communication). Once that has been established, it will be much easier to promote good expression and voice in student works, because students will be able to understand writing and communication with a broader awareness than they would if grammatical instruction had been overlooked.