Another set of articles about grammar, and I’m still left without any real answers. But are there any real answers?
I felt guilty going over these readings because while I hate prescriptivism—as shown in class—(that dash is for Mel)I do have a few pet peeves, and errors tend to jump out and distract me like so many wayward deer on the highway. Perhaps it’s because, as a writer, I’m snobbish and don’t want to let people into my exclusive social group. This is very possible. Completely disregarding the work that I do in school, I probably churn out 3000 words a week on various profitable and unprofitable projects in my spare time – this isn’t bragging; I’m obviously a sick, sick, man. So when I see a mistake published in writing, it’s a sort of affront to what I do, partially because I’m a harsh judge on myself when it comes to checking for what I perceive as errors. Right now, I’m glad I recognize this, because it’s going to put things in perspective when it comes to grading students’ papers. As Pam said in class, I think we react differently to a published mistake than we do to a mistake in a student paper, holding the implicit belief that the writer of the published work should “know better.”
Perspectives aside, I’m a little concerned about what to do with grammar. There are some things I think will be learned in time, and some things I think cannot be learned unless taught in some fashion. The Practice in Context article kind of hinted at this idea by claiming that talking about grammatical issues doesn’t need to be done unless the student really isn’t getting it. I did agree with some parts of this article, like correcting grammar within the context of the work (I did this all of the time when I was a tutor). But some practices, like “responding with correctness” seem to tiptoe around the issue and may make you come off as a little condescending. I’m just speaking from personal experience, here.
A major theme of grammar seems to be insecurity, and dealing with those insecurities. I like to do this by discussing the roots of dying grammatical rules and how ridiculous they are (like split infinitives). But even I find myself stifled and insecure when it comes time to sit down and write an academic paper. I know that I can’t express myself completely, and I’m trapped within the restraints of a very rigid system. And I’m still finding out the many new ways my writing can be incorrect. But deep down inside, I know I’m right.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Grammar IS a tricky issue. We have been going round and round about it all semester. We know from reading article after article that the teaching of it probaly doesn't work, and for that matter is probably unccessary in many cases. Yet, we cannot seem to picture world where grammar is not taught and there, they're, and their, live in perfect harmony together as simply "there."
I don't even know where I stand on this issue. Theoretically, I agree that the teaching of grammar is kind of ridiculous. The rules are so arbitrary and many of them don't aid meaning in any way. At the same time, I am a nazi over sentence fragments and check my papers over for errors relgiously.
I suppose grammar has to be taught as long as "correct" grammar is priveledged by society. We can't send our students out into the professional world with grand ideas about Noam Chomsy and the uselessness of grammar. The fact is, employers will judge them on poor grammar if they are made to write reports, departmental memos, etc. We need to arm them with grammar as long as society says it is important. It may not be in 50 years. The language is always evolving.
Then, I guess it could be argued that programs like Word will make knowing grammar unncessary. As of right now though, the technology is still not there. There are many things that Word does not catch, and many things it does catch that are not wrong.
As for how I will grade grammar in my own classroom--------- haha... Like the use of dashes? I think I will grade my students primarily for their ideas and organization. I am not going to fail a student for misplaced commas, but I feel the need to correct it still. God, strike me down...
See you guys in class.
Ashley
I agree with you, and this is exactly what I was saying when I said in class last week that if we ignore grammer completely we are doing an injustice to our students, because after all aren't we teaching future professionals? Students that aim to be professionals at some level, should be taught how to write correctly to avoid potential errors in the workplace. Educated professionals are held up to a standard. Society says grammer is important, so it is.
All this talk about grammer is interesting, but as the semester is coming to a close, I am begining to panic about the pratical things. We have a syllabus due in our final portforlio, and we are running out of time to talk about issues such as these, as well as grading and other pratical concerns. And I don't know about you, but I have visted two different technology classrooms, and I will get there next semester and know how to turn the lights on. Does anyone know of a department to go to that will give us a tour of how to just operate the technology we are expected to use? I am getting more nervous about the praticality of all of this. Am I alone? Possibly.
Grammer is something that we can question, and like Bob, I am not sure what the answers are. I think once we get in there and gauge where the students are then we will be able to gauge what we need to address. I think paper should be graded for content and coherence first, then grammer second. Then comes the question of what we do in the case of foreign students who may not be fluent or all that familar with english. Do we grade their papers with less rigor, focus more on grammer and structure? All these questions--so little time.
Laurin,
I’m glad you said that! You’re not the only one—I’m nervous about the practical details too. So, no, you’re not alone. I’ve been thinking about this for some time now, but I had a particular freak-out tonight when I sat down to finish up the readings.
I’m glad that these reading are giving me some kind of exposure to pedagogy, and I’m glad I’ll have more informed concepts of teaching approaches when I go into the classroom. But, now that the semester is almost over, I’m starting to wonder about all those other details and logistics involved in teaching a college class. What class am I teaching? Any tips on grading? How much liberty do I have with reading materials and syllabi? How do I get these books ordered, and when do I need do that? Will be discussing any of this in class? The observations have been very helpful in the practical advice area, and I’ve been trying to ask questions and get ideas as I go. However, I still don’t have a finalized course theme in mind. I’m making myself worry!
You also mentioned feeling a bit insecure in the technology classrooms—I totally sympathize, and I find myself wanting some kind of workshop or something. Maybe it’s not as complicated as I’m making it out to be, but would still like to be familiar with everything before I walk in to teach! As for concerns on grading, I did go to that workshop during orientation. I can’t recall the specifics at the moment, but I remember thinking it was helpful (so thanks, ONTAP). I’ll have to review my handouts and notes from that.
I really don’t have a problem with grammar. Sure, we’ve all read, said, and discussed the reasons why grammar exercises are ineffective, but I don’t have a problem with teaching grammar in some contextual way. It’s all part of learning. I guess I just view it as one part of the convention and structure of language—so I don’t exactly feel that grammar rules are arbitrary. Some are archaic, perhaps. Grammar rules usually have some kind of significance or contribute to an implied meaning, even if we no longer recognize them (I’m thinking of Bob’s discussion from the other day). As Ashley mentioned, language is always evolving. To me, grammar is a foundational aspect of language; although the nuances of written language can be particularly difficult. Although, I suppose rules only mean something to those of us who recognize them—to those of us who know the difference between a dash and a hyphen or “there” and “their.”
Like you all, I agree that we would be doing students a disservice if we ignored grammar. I want to help students recognize, practice, and apply these rules in their writing. Part of being a good communicator, after all, is recognizing the appropriate form for a particular context. I don’t see anything wrong, for example, with teaching when—in formal or professional writing—it is “correct” to use a semicolon.
As for your last comment, Laurin, I’m not sure how I will react when grading foreign students’ papers. I don’t think we should assume native speakers write better in English than non-native speakers, though. Sometimes it is easier to write a second language than it is to speak it, which I think is something to consider when non-native speakers are participating in class discussions. I wonder if non-native speakers are more aware of grammar rules and such, just because of the way a second language is taught. Although, I suppose that could make them more preoccupied with—and therefore more debilitated by--the mechanics of an English language paper. But I don’t know. Perhaps I’m drawing too much from my own foreign language experience: I know that my written German is much better than my spoken German!
Anyway, maybe this is wrong, but I think I would grade their written work with slightly less rigor—at least initially. I might also try to find out more about their situation: like how long they are studying on campus/in the US or if they have any out-of-class tutoring.
thanks for all the dash love, guys!
Post a Comment