Grammar: A Vapid Subject Or A Vital Tool

Upon hearing the word ‘grammar’, the average student’s mind often becomes clouded with words and phrases that usually connote a single state of being: boredom. For centuries, grammar has been viewed by students - and even teachers - as a tedious subject that involves unthinking memorization of strict rules and laws; we see it as a subject that strips away our individuality and steals our freedom of expression. However, this prejudiced and biased view on the subject often blinds us, forcing us to overlook what ‘grammar’ truly means. No, it is not a set of firm linguistic rules and terminology that we are obliged to learn and follow. One can learn grammar and understand how to use it without learning terms such as “subjunctive” and “imperative”- even though those words would make it easier to identify and differentiate between concepts.

Grammar, in its essence, is how we organize our words and sentences in a way that enable us to communicate and express our thoughts. It is a tool that allows us to present ourselves with a sense of flair and creativity that we would otherwise lack if all we were taught was basic spoken English. A research study conducted by an elementary school teacher called Kathy Powers and university faculty in 2005 on a group of fifth grade students to test the effects of grammar instructions showed positive results that supported continuing to teach grammar at schools. Student’s written tasks were evaluated and their grammatical errors were analyzed, and they were then taught grammar lessons targeting these specific errors. Afterwards, their work was re-analyzed and the result showed significant improvements in the student’s writing skills, thought-organization, sentence structure, flair and even confidence in writing. During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, grammar was no longer taught as it was thought to ‘stifle creativity’. However, a failure to teach grammar would inevitably lead to children growing up to speak how they write, which in many ways would smother their creativity and limit their self-expression. Students who are not taught grammar in any form are likely to be unaware of just how impactful language really is, and would probably be incapable of using written language with precision and effect to achieve their purpose or neatly present their ideas.

Not only does grammar allow students to access the full depths of their creativity, but it also aids in teaching literature and creative writing classes. Marie Rackham, a retired public-school teacher, notes that teaching her students grammar allowed her to help them develop their creative writing skills. Instead of telling a student that a sentence lacked flow, she would instead say “try to place the subject at the end of this sentence” or “here you used an adjective where you should have used an adverb”. The student’s grammar knowledge in this case would allow him/her to make appropriate changes to their writing, fully understanding the effects of those alterations. In addition, we can hinder student’s their learning abilities in other subject by not teaching them grammar. As the student travels up the educational system and approaches higher education, the language used in learning resources grows more and more complex, and a lack of sufficient grammatical knowledge may impede the student’s ability to gain further knowledge in that subject area. They may fail to understand key concepts due to not recognizing the effects of grammatical techniques such as punctuation and complex syntax. However, many still argue that putting too much focus on grammar takes away from the time dedicated to ‘more important’ aspects of language such as composition and fluency. A reply to those who think learning grammar is futile can be found in this statement made by the American linguist Mark Liberman:We don’t put chemistry into the school curriculum because it will make students better cooks, or even because it might make them better doctors, much less because we need a relatively small number of professional chemists. We believe (I hope) that a basic understanding of atoms and molecules is knowledge that every citizen of the modern world should have.

To sum up Liberman’s words, it is important for us as humans to have a simple understanding of the world around us and how it functions, which includes knowledge of basic grammar, basic math and basic science. The human species has been gifted with a capacity for knowledge acquisition and self-expression that allows our communication to exceed the use of simple sentences. Why is it that we always cower from making use of our own skills and capabilities?

Another benefit to studying grammar at school is that it facilitates the learning of a new language. Learning the grammar of one language aids in learning of the grammar of another, either due to similarities in concepts or due to having experience in how to practice what is learnt in a way that is specific to the student. For example, if a student finds that learning how to conjugate verbs to different pronouns in English was best achieved by practicing online games, they may attempt to do the same when learning verbs in French or Spanish. It is also worth noting that some students, contrary to popular belief, do enjoy grammar classes and find the subject interesting and highly beneficial. Perhaps we should stop arguing about whether to teach grammar or not, and instead focus on how to teach students the linguistic skills they need to learn in a practical and valuable way. Rather than concentrating grammar classes on learning terminology and taking tests, maybe we should try to incorporate literature and relatable scenarios into our grammar books and classes. We need to show students that grammar is real, and that the power of language is evident in everything around us.