Grammar gets more respect

By: Dennis M. Clausen - Commentary | Sunday, March 25, 2007 8:28 PM PDT ∞

I suppose it was only a matter of time before a university professor who writes a column would start talking about English grammar. For readers who want to run for the exits at the mere mention of the word, this is your first opportunity.

For years, most of my students at the University of San Diego indicated that they studied very little grammar in their local K-12 classes. In recent years, however, informal surveys of my students reveal that instruction in grammar is back in vogue in our local schools. My son, a fifth grader, is studying so much grammar that I gave him one of my college handbooks to use as a reference tool.

The San Diego County Office of Education certainly believes grammar is an essential tool in the teaching of English composition. Searching the SDCOE's Web site for the word "grammar" reveals numerous programs to assist teachers and students who are struggling with the rules of English grammar. The SDCOE's Web site, which reflects the courses and subjects that are taught in our local schools, is reassuring to those of us who still believe grammar plays an important role in the writing and editing process.

History has witnessed some wild swings in the way grammar is taught. The generations prior to 1960 were thoroughly indoctrinated in the rules of grammar. The 1960s and 1970s saw a 180-degree swing in the other direction, as many educators argued that grammar should not be taught at all. Instead, they believed students would naturally learn the principles of grammar if they were required to read and write extensively.

Today, the pendulum is swinging back in the other direction again. The new SAT has a multiple-choice section on grammar that will require K-12 teachers to teach the subject at all grade levels. These educators will seldom win popularity contests. They may, however, be the difference between a student receiving a letter of acceptance or rejection from a major university.

There was a time when some of my students referred to me ---- none too affectionately, I am afraid ---- as the "grammar god" because of my relentless insistence that their writing had to respect the basic rules of English grammar. I have mellowed somewhat. I have seen too many writers with a little knowledge of English grammar lord it over others who occasionally violate some obscure grammatical rule. On the other hand, I am loath to join the ranks of those who insist instruction in grammar serves no useful purpose.

Students do not need to memorize 300 pages of grammar to be effective writers, but they do need to understand some basic grammatical principles to edit their papers more effectively if they are to succeed in our universities and in life.

Grammar is merely a set of conventions that have evolved over the years so writers can communicate their ideas more clearly and forcefully. Without these conventions, traffic on the information highway would move as slowly and chaotically as traffic on our city streets if we removed all signs and traffic lights.

Nuff said!

Escondido resident Dennis M. Clausen is a freelance columnist for the North County Times and a professor of American literature at the University of San Diego.