Grammar is helpful with our writing and speaking, however; the methods used to teach it often left me confused on how to use the rules correctly. Many experts have reasoned that Grammar being taught in a formal way doesn’t add to the learner’s development of grammar and I must agree. Throughout my education, grammar classes with rules and worksheets have enlightened me on how to use grammar, however; I often struggle with applying it to my writing. I believe grammar classes shouldn’t exist rather writing classes should. The focus of the writing class would be on improving the ideas of the student to write and then as the writer gets more confident in releasing their ideas than the person mistakes with grammar should be explained.
In the two
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I believe students feel daunted by all the rules that the teachers are trying to teach them with grammar. However, writing classes are encouraging the students to release their barriers with writings and encourage their inner thoughts to be released as well. In the study from Patrick Hartwell’s article, he mentioned that, “So Grammar 1 is eminently usable knowledge—the way we make our life through language—but it is not accessible knowledge; in a profound sense, we do not know that we have it (Hartwell).” This article encourages our grammar knowledge, which we have stored unknowingly, be brought out and one way that this could be is if we let the students hand in their writing unedited to the teacher to look over their mistakes but not to make any corrections. Then the students use a red pen to correct their mistakes and edit their paper themselves so that the teacher has an understanding of what grammar errors students can correct on their own. This way students’ strengths and weakness in grammar are considered more than teaching the rules of grammar. In order to learn and gain an understanding of grammar, it must be a part of students’ education since it helps students correct their overlooked mistakes and for professionalism’s sake. Grammar is needed as Christensen’s article summarizes when she says, “We must teach our students how to match subjects and verbs, how to pronounce lawyer, because they are the ones without power and, for the moment, they have to use the language of the powerful to be heard (Christensen).” Grammar is important for our writing, nevertheless; grammar shouldn’t be the focus of how we write instead our thoughts should
Perfection is not always the answer. I found myself wishing that I had Murray as a teacher. It would be interesting to see if writing badly actually makes ones writing experience different. Instead of policing the writing, Murray actually cares about what is actually being said and that shows that his students are important and that he cares about their voice. Readers can feel satisfied that there is at least one teacher who tries to understand and is actually doing something to change writing in his classroom. Murray finished his essay by saying, “What matters in the journey – at least initially – is not what kind of car you’re driving but where you end up.” This leaves the reader knowing that it is okay if you choose to write with perfect grammar the first time or write badly then go back and fix mistakes if you desire to do so. The readers leave with an extra tool to use when
According to the Susan Adams and Kyle Wiens article writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Grammar helps people look very intelligent towards life, (Adams). It shows you how to organize your resume for a job, (Adams). The poor grammar shows sloppiness toward an essay or interview for jobs, (Adams). The writer’s integrity determines your reputation, (Adams). Always be serious about your subject matter, (Adams). One rule is to listen and pay attention to others, (Adams). They need to have respect for your readers because it shows that you are thinking about the topic and making an effort, (Adams). Grammar errors make people look unintelligent, (Wiens). People judge a person based on their grammar, (Wiens). Good grammar is credibility because of blog posts, Facebook status, and e-mails, (Wiens). Paints the picture of an employee that need to tell a good report of whom, or what was doing at the job, (Wiens). A person attitude can reflect on the company, business, and agency, (Wiens).
As a professional and as a college student; using correct grammar is very important. It is important because, as a professional you want to look “professional”. Correct grammar in college is important to because you want to achieve worthy grades and enhance your knowledge. The one thing that could set you apart in an interview is your use of correct grammar. The use of correct grammar makes you look professional, smart, and trustworthy. Correct grammar will help you to be successful as a professional and a student.
It might be necessary to weigh the worth of grammar in proper English. The world for those who speak it is becoming smaller. Proper English is becoming part of an elitist group which is also becoming smaller. Possibly less stress should be put on grammar. Few people understand perfect business language but a growling cat is understood quite well. English grammar is a created language, having both seperatist powers and anglocentric values. Voice is universal and quite older than grammar. Standards within English speaking areas must be questioned soon for it is becoming smaller and less powerful everyday. A rising population will require social skills. Seperating these from educated grammar will lead to greater problems.(One country under God...)
Muncie, J. (2002). Finding a place for grammar in EFL composition classes. ELT Journal, 56(2),180-86. doi:10.1093/elt/56.2.180
First, articles by Kyle Wiens and Susan Adams depict the importance of good grammar. According to Forbes writer Susan Adams good grammar is imperative in a professional work place. An individual that uses good grammar looks intelligent when they are speaking it shows they are organized. Good grammar reflects how well the individual listens and pays attention to others; they focus on the details of what the other person is saying. When you are not face to face with the individual and you are responding to them via email and or memo your writing reflects you as a person (Adams, 2012). Adams cites Kyle Wiens; people should keep good grammar in mind, and try to follow the rules of good grammar when speaking and writing. Kyle Wiens gave reasons for having good grammar in his article. Grammatical errors make people look unintelligent, when someone is reading your work you want them to focus on the point that you are trying to get across to them not the many grammatical errors that your paper has, it takes away from your work dramatically. Individuals who use bad grammar are more prone to make mistakes in other areas of their job, and bad grammar can lead to misinterpret...
In the article, “Current Developments in Research on the Teaching of Grammar” by Hossein Nassaji and Sandra Fotos two main issues had been discussed. The first one is whether grammar teaching make any differences to language learning where the questions raised are whether grammar should be taught or not. The second issue is what kinds of grammar teaching have been suggested to facilitate second language learning. If grammar should be taught, how much and should it be implicit or explicit grammar teaching? Lastly, the article discussed on the current approaches to grammar teaching in which formal instruction can be integrated with communicative activities which are processing instruction, interactional feedback, textual enhancement, task-based
The pen was once said to be mightier than the sword. Writing letters, books, and poetry by hand was the sign of a scholar. However over time the pen became weak and typewriters ushered in the new theory that speed is better than quality. With the invention of computer programs such as spell check, audio books, and even texting humankinds’ knowledge of language has suffered. Spell check has decreased peoples understanding of spelling and grammar. In past years schools made a point to teach grammar and spelling but having essays and papers written out by hand but in modern times schools lean towards typing up paper on computers and using spell check to fix any problems causing concern among parents and teachers. With the invention of the typewriter it became not how well an individual could write but how fast one could type. This was one of the first steps in a society that didn’t care about the quality of writing but how fast it could be done. Now in modern times with the advancements in computers knowing proper spelling and grammar of one’s own language have become very poor. It has become accepted and even taught that it is fine to have poor grammar and spelling as long as one can type fast. By simply click on one icon that says “spell check” on any typing/writing device all ones grammar and spelling errors will be fixed without having to know why it was wrong in the first place. “When being a student in grade school as well as in high school (1934-1946), grammar was heavily emphasized in English/language arts classes, particularly in grades four through the senior year in high school” (Marlow pg1). Grammar and proper spelling was once taught greatly in schools but as typing became a new staple in schools way of teaching writing ...
According to Edgar Allan Poe “A man's grammar, like Caesar's wife, should not only be pure, but above suspicion of impurity." (goodreads.com). Grammar should be one of the most important characteristics of an academic essay. Imagine reading an essay with misspelt words, a exclamation mark where a question mark should be and a run on sentence upon another run on sentence with no full stops, how confused you would be after reading for awhile. Perfection is the aim but nothing done can be completely perfect, but to atleast reach the stage of 'almost perfect' flawlessness should be aimed for. It is really hard for a reader to be there trying to figure out what you were trying to say or spell when the grammar is poor. The lecturer should be able to read the things that are written in an essay and be able to distingush the level at which your academic writing is at.
Language proficiency can achieved through grammatically correct and effective use of language structure. Therefore, a sound of knowledge of the fundamental rules of grammar is essential for the acquisition of language competence.
For teachers, this allows them to evaluate the student’s work. The nice part of the Glossing process is that grammar instruction is individualized. The teacher can assist students individually while others fill out their “Glossing Sheets.” This process also allows the teacher, depending on the grade, to steer the process based on what they are teaching their students. For instance, Johansen and Shaw explain how a freshman teacher may highlight fragments and run-ons in their students’ papers while a senior teacher might highlight parallelism (98). However, to keep students from feeling overwhelmed by the amount of grammar rules, a list of twenty most difficult grammar rules for students in 9th to 12th grade was created, English Conventions Rule Sheet. Based upon this list, the teachers would go through the student’s compositions and highlight the rules that were violated. Johansen and Shaw conclude the article with the results of their research which consisted of students understanding the Glossing process, a better understanding of the grammar rules, or finding the process tedious yet
A large part of an English teacher’s job deals with helping students find their own voices amidst the many teachings of their parents and peers. A student’s voice can be their values, their interests, and their perspectives of the world in which they live. Their voice can be their critical questioning of the many situations they face, whether in a text, the school cafeteria, or a park after school. It is the job of an English teacher to aid in finding this voice through their writing. It is by putting words and thoughts down on paper that a student can sometimes feel comfortable enough to take risks and find their true voices. Although traditional grammar instruction has long been thought to improve this skill, this is no longer the case. Instead, by providing a classroom environment in which students are immersed in classic literature from many genres including poetry, short stories, and novels, students will learn how to harness grammar for their own purposes of finding their voice in their writing.
Susan Adams and Kyle Weins have both written articles on the importance of using good grammar in the workplace. Each article gives numerous compelling reasons why this is a good practice. Susan Adams’ article first reason for doing so is in regards to how other people would view someone who uses bad grammar. She brings out that someone’s image can be damaged when they have improper speech habits; consequently their chances of advancing at work could be limited. Second, she shows how using poor grammar could cause a manager to view an employee as unorganized or unable to perform more advanced tasks. Finally, she brings out that someone who has poor speaking habits could be perceived as not having a firm grasp on the subject they are speaking about (Adams). Kyle Weins article also brings out some important points on bad grammar in the workplace. First, he shows that in today’s world people’s intelligence is judged based on what they say or what they type. The second point relates to how a manager could perceive someone with poor grammar. A manager could see an employee who uses poor grammar as someone who struggles to concentrate on tasks and doesn’t show attention to detail. Finally, he shows that peo...
Syntax is the study of how words are combined to create phrases and causes in the sentences of a specific language (Freeman and Freeman, 2014). Syntax helps us to make clear sentences that “sound right,” where words, phrases, and clauses each serve their function and are correctly ordered to form and communicate a complete sentence with meaning. The rules of syntax combine words into phrases and phrases into sentences. Not only does it focus on the correct word order for a language, but it also helps show the relationship between the meaning of a group of words. Without proper syntax, a sentence can be meaningless. It is key to understand that while every language does have certain syntax, the syntax does vary from language to language. It
Students should be able to know grammar well enough to teach it to another as that is a test of proficiency, comprehension, and true understanding. The end goal of grammar instruction is lifelong grammar proficiency and understanding. As an English Instructor, there is a lot to keep in mind in terms of keeping grammar in context. Students should have big takeaways they keep for life from grammar class as writing is essential to everyday life as an adult. And finally, It should