Grammar

Make grammar meaningful

I used to believe that learning grammar was imperative to being able to write and speak English. However, after studying Thornbury (1999) and Williams (2005) in the Pedagogic Grammar class at UTSA, I realize that the key to language is communication and grammar is but one tool.

According to Thornbury (1999), "...the teacher's energies should be directed mainly at providing opportunities for authentic language use, employing grammar as a resource rather than as an end in itself" (p. 25).

Williams (2005) says "...we should begin to understand that we cannot continue to define good writing merely in terms of form, of structure. Good writing -- and thus good teaching -- should focus on content, on having something worthwhile to share with readers" (p. 25).

To this end, my goal in teaching grammar is to make it meaningful. Ways to achieve this goal include using realia in the classroom, using student language as a way to generate context, and incorporating fun and humor into the lesson. One great tip my professor, Dr. Hult, taught me was to use different colors of chalk to outline the different aspects of language on the chalkboard. Parrott (2000) gives great ideas for following the pattern of language through the use of charts, and Thornbury (1999) provides an array of creative ideas on ways to teach grammar while incorporating meaning.

For more information about grammar, I recommend the following resources:

Parrott, M. (2000). Grammar for English language teachers. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Swan, M., & Smith, B. (2001). Learner English: A teacher’s guide to interference and other problems. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Thornbury, S. (1999). How to teach grammar. Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited

Thurman, S. (2003). The only grammar book you’ll ever need: A one-stop source for every writing assignment. Avon, MA: F+W Publications, Inc.