Grammar

As an educator I have never thought about what Standard English really means. I had always been under the impression that it was what the majority of society was using when they spoke English. It is what society has chosen as certain linguistic rules that many different groups of people define themselves. Many linguistic specialists do not have a set definition due to different social classes and views on the English language. Therefore, I believe it’s not so much important the definition of Standard English but the how it is used and taught.

Many people believe that it all depends on where and what kind of social class one belongs to, or the one chooses to associate themselves with that defines their Standard English. Grammar on the other hand is viewed as essential to the human mind. It doesn’t separate social classes. It is more of an assessment to communicate with the rest of the world in a correct and common way.

I personally believe that Grammar is a center piece of every ESL/ELL teacher’s classroom. As educators we are constantly taking vital steps in helping the ELL student to become a fluent speaker of the English language. A lot of the steps include teaching the Grammar that the state or school system has chosen as part of the curriculum. I believe in preparing the students in speaking, writing, and reading grammar the correct way prepares them for usage in the future. Of course it is up to the educator to decide how an ELL student needs to be taught grammar.

One of the first things I do is have the student tested to see what level of English proficiency they are on, and then build my lessons around that information. I usually don’t grade on correct grammar usage as long as they are in the beginning levels of English proficiency. Modeling and full immersion is a method that I have used and seen progress with some students. The interactions between the teacher and students really expose the ELL student to the correct grammar usage because they must work to make their words comprehendible. There are many ways I go about teaching grammar but this seems to be my favorite method.