Comments on: Why We Don’t Teach Grammar

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:15:14 +0000

I spent over 10 years going to school in the United States. They barely mentioned a thing about grammar! For the past two years I have been studying abroad (in Spain). Everybody is obligated to take English (as a foreign language). That includes me. At first I thought it would be easy, but then I found myself questioning myself about even the most basic grammar exercises. I had never heard of anything grammar related. My classmates would ask me “Why do you have to write/say it like this?”. Sadly, I could only say “I don’t know why, I just know that it’s correct.” Thanks to studying abroad, I now have a better understanding of my mother tongue. I just can’t believe I had to move to Spain to find that out. Knowing English grammar has also helped me learn three other languages. I think that grammar is very useful. I don’t understand why they don’t teach it!

By: Mark Pennington

Mark Pennington — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 14:10:40 +0000

Patrice,

Yes grammatical instruction has been pushed to the side; however, the new Common Core State Standards restore grammar to its proper position in the language arts pantheon in the Language Strand. Check it out, as well as my numerous articles.

Mark

By: Patrice

Patrice — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:49:38 +0000

I very much appreciate your thoughts on teaching grammar. I am an eighth grade English teacher, but I currently teach mostly ninth grade Honors classes. I agree that over time, grammar instruction has been quietly “phased out” of classrooms. Please know that not every teacher avoids it purposely but rather because standards do not emphasize it as a core component (although it is our native language) and also because there are no supplementary materials/books provided to us for teaching grammar.
I must say, however, that I teach grammar every single day for only a few minutes, and it has proven to be extremely effective! It is imperative that students know the pieces of our language in order to be effect writers and communicators. How can I ask them to improve their writing by incorporating more adverbs and complex sentences if they do not know what those things are? Please don’t count us all out. I am spreading the word of its importance one student at a time!
Good enough doesn’t cut it in my mind, and I correct grammar regularly (not only that of my students)-thank you very much.
Our students are required to study foreign languages to graduate from high school especially if they plan to attend college. They should know English FIRST!
I left education briefly to work in corporate America, and I must say that there were many, many people in that Fortune 500 company, who could not write/speak proper English. I found it very difficult to respect/follow a manager who sounded so utterly uneducated. Needless to say, I am back in the classroom trying, single handedly (much to my chagrin) to teach GRAMMAR.

By: Mark Pennington

Mark Pennington — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:02:59 +0000

I would definitely agree with your first reason.

By: C Koeffler

C Koeffler — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:23:56 +0000

Thank you for this. Three more quick ideas about which I’d love to hear agreement or disagreement from others to whom proper English and grammar are sacred.
1) English grammar has declined because students no longer have to study a second language. There’s no substitute for getting the point that all pronouns are not created equally and that plural nouns really deserve plural verbs.
2) It’s considered elitist or rude to correct someone’s langauge. I don’t know why it isn’t rude if someone is told that 2+2 does not =5, but it is rude to point out that “lay” is transitive and “lie” is not.
3) Many (maybe most) people don’t really care if English is correct, so long as the point is communicated. “Good enough” has set the bar very low.

In any case, glad to see others share my concerns and consternation.

By: Flora Hill

Flora Hill — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 01:41:32 +0000

Thank you for your article. I have recently started teaching in an ESL/EFL environment in a high school in an Asian country. Most of the specially hired native English speaking teachers come directly from high and primary schools in their home countries and have a one month CELTA type of certificate in addition to their basic teaching qualifications. In the staffroom they discuss the problems the students have with grammar – with one teacher with further ESL credentials identifying the problem with diffrentiating the usage of the verb “be”. However I was told, “We don’t teach grammar here” “Students only need to be taught the past and the rest they pick up from their reading”. My short interaction with the students shows they are very interested in learning grammar – they crowd around the white board when we play grammar auctions and other language games, and I elicit information about their writing and what word forms might be most appropriate to convey the message. Thank you for your article – I don’t feel so alone and as if I am a grammar pariah.

By: Mark Pennington

Mark Pennington — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 02:07:19 +0000

Things go in cycles. Grammar was definitely “out” for a bit.

By: Angela

Angela — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:37:59 +0000

Thank you for writing this! I’m an amateur writer. I do it for fun, and I publish at times on fanfiction. I’ve also read some fanfiction, and it’s TERRIBLE! Why? Because nobody knows how to use proper grammar, especially the teens. Their punctuation is non-existent and their spelling nearly as bad. Why can’t they use grammar check and spelling check on their computers? Why aren’t they being taught basic grammar and spelling in school? If this keeps up, the written language will die on the vine! I went back and read some of my stuff from when I was in junior high and guess what? I used proper punctuation. If I was taught it in the 70s-80s, why isn’t it being taught now? There’s no excuse to graduate children that don’t know how to write.

By: David A. Crist

David A. Crist — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:37:57 +0000

Thank you for writing this. I am not an educator, but a parent who has run head long into exactly this attitude from public school teachers. My two older children went to Catholic school and are able to spell and fully understand grammar. They also learned the discipline and sense of achievement that comes from mastering spelling, grammar, knowing the definitions, synonyms, and antonyms, for these words. Both are excellent at “language arts” and have great creativity and imagination. Apparently, learning proper grammar and spelling didn’t hamper their imagination at all. For various reasons our youngest is going to public school and we have been amazed at the absolute lack of attention to spelling or grammar. We correct her papers when she brings them home, most often with an “A”, yet riddled with mistakes. I am told it spelling and grammer are just “rote memorization” and not of much benefit to the broader development of the child. Imagination and creativity are valued above all else with the implicit implication that also requiring spelling and grammar will somehow stifle this creativity. This is a travesty for the children and a failure on the part of the educators. I cannot fathom how or where this educational philosophy came from, but it is a sad, sad indictment of our education system. Please continue to state these issues forcefully and often to all who will listen. I know many parents who are looking for just someone like you to rally around. The education establishment is very convicted in the superiority of their position and is doing an injustice to all our children.