The History of Grammar

My relationship with grammar has always been problematic. Having no formal instruction of grammar myself, I tend to have self-confidence issues regarding my own writing. While it seems as though I have a natural grasp of basic conventions, having made it this far into my studies, I have to acknowledge that my own understanding of grammar must have hindered me on some level.

            Even with my own schooling lacking formal grammar instruction, I was tasked with the responsibility to teach grammar to middle school students for three years. As is common sense, I found myself having learned more about grammar when I was teaching grammar than even the fleeting moments when I was “taught” grammar.

            I mention that I was taught grammar, even after mentioning a lack of formal training, because what I did know about grammar is added to and revised through teacher-response comments on my essays. I found this process of learning difficult and led to an incredibly limited sense of my own understanding of grammar. Even now, my knowledge of grammar can be summed up to the level of an incredibly competent middle school student.

            I do not understand complex rules, and as such, fail to write in complex forms. While I can combine my sentences effectively and create writing considered ‘correct’, my writing lacks the sophistication and beauty that I covet. Of course, I can always go out on a limb and attempt creativity in my writing, the confidence to do so alludes me.

            So, when I begin to think about the value of grammar instruction, I have some reservations. First, I can see that grammar instruction is not imperative to success. I somehow managed to weave my way through the academic discourse without any formal instruction. Second, the research seems to suggest that conventions can get in the way of students’ creativity and personal joy of writing. Not only that, but an emphasis on conventions can counter-productively keep students from transferring their writing skills to other writing (genre, discipline, assignments, etc).

            However, by not learning grammar, I personally have always felt behind my peers who had a strong grasp of these rules. More knowledge of writing, like grammar, can help a student build confidence in the various writing tasks they are assigned. Just like knowledge of ‘rhetoric’ or ‘genre’ can enhance an awareness of each writing situation students face, knowledge of grammar can help students, especially in situations that students do not have a lot of information to go off.

            For instance, if a student is asked to do a writing task, like writing an analytical essay that evaluates the cultural issues in so-and-so Shakespeare play. A student may have had limited experience analyzing literature (as a genre) or with Shakespeare. They might have difficulty integrating the types of quotes the teacher might want to see or any other difficulty. However, with a strong grasp on writing clearly through the grammar conventions students have learned, the students may at least have enough confidence to write clearly enough for whatever they were able to accomplish with the task.

            I certainly do not believe that an emphasis in teaching grammar (especially labeling parts) is effective teaching of writing. However, there may be some place for it in our classes.