Grammar

I feel like everywhere that I have went so far dealing with ESL students has a different perspective on grammar. It's so controversial! At the community center where I volunteer teaching English, my boss is insistent that I do not teach verb conjugations or grammar, only phrases. I understand where he is coming from since the class is entitled, "Survival English." However, in the ESL classroom, I notice that the teacher puts an emphasis on grammar, but does not overwhelm his students with it. The other day my CT told me, "You can really only address one grammar issue a day. Otherwise the students get discouraged. Writing is already hard enough for them. Then the next you review the issue you already talked about, then work on another one. Each day builds upon the other." I 100% agree with him. I see the frustration in my practicum classroom when I have to make multiple corrections in their essays. Sometimes I just let their errors (even in their writing) because I understand what point they are trying to make. But then that brings up the issue of error correction, never would I correct a student in their speech. I might reiterate what they say to me to make sure I have a clear understanding of what they are saying and so that they can hear it with proper grammar, but I don't know how far to take it when correcting a paper. There is nothing more discouraging than a paragraph you are proud of filled with red marks!

Reflecting back on my own language experience in high school, I noticed we mainly focused on grammar, probably at least 80% of the time. It was tedious work and very boring I might add. It's very testable and, as the book says, a security blanket. If a teacher has been teaching grammar over and over, they develop a habit and get into a rhythm with their teaching. It's hard to break the cycle of not using as much grammar when it's what they know. At a recent teaching conference, I ran into my old high school Spanish teacher. She said the tables are turning and they are focusing a lot more on culture and connections in the classroom rather than grammar. The grammar is still important, but it's not worksheet after worksheet day in and day out. How great!

Where do I stand? Error correction is definitely important if that is what you happen to be focusing on. If you are teaching students how to properly write a well written essay, then it is important to get into the nitty gritty. If the purpose of the lesson is communication, for example, then there is no reason to correct grammar errors. In terms of teaching grammar, I feel the same way. To be honest, I still don't think I have fully developed a sense of what I think about it just yet. I know I'm a "circumstantialist," if anything (meaning I look at the outside context of grammar and error correction).