Role of Grammar in learning English has to be discussed as well as debated. Learners fear the grammar of a second language as something which shall stop them from mastering the language.
What they miss is that fact that Grammar is actually the driver who will take them to a reasonably good competence in the usage of a language.
Grammar stands for a set of rules that the users follow. It is nothing beyond two things: First is changing the forms of words and second is the Making of sentences. This simple definition makes us feel that it is not so difficult to master the grammar of a language. However, in our ignorance, we start learning the grammar of a language, forgetting about the already 'understood' grammar of our native/first language.
These two purposes are served with the minimal as well as mastered use of the grammar in English. One who is at the first level of knowing grammar has to manage with an erroneous structure and the one who is seen as impressive and fluent has the mastery over grammar.
One must understand that the grammar has to be learned only once; language learning never ends. As the language evolves each day with the social and cultural evolution of the users, one has to continue with the interactions. However, once we learn how to handle-manage-master the tools-equipment, we can drive the wagon ceaselessly. Just suppose that you learnt to drive the car once, however, a perfect driving life is a process, unending one. The ELT experts have long been toiling hard to find a sustainable solution but seem to have failed terribly. It is the Teacher who needs to understand that a Language is not forced upon anyone. It is the participation that works. Language is a type of Religion that you have in hand and need to spread the ethical practice.
Many of the teachers and trainers prefer to vote for speaking whatever way the students can. They say that speaking in English should start, even if it is erroneous and does not comply with the grammar rules. This benevolent concession has been there since English entered our life. Has it done any favour to us? Not actually! We turned careless and second-class users of a language which equally belongs to us as to the native speakers. I call upon the Teachers in English Teaching to shun the messiah-managed Speak somehow methodology and adopt a more rational one – Speak Smart and Correct!
A Child learns by the environment. As our justification says that we don’t have English speaking environment around us, do we really think this is enough to fail us at Communicative Competence in English?
We need to understand that a warrior who is trained in the training fields gets to fight a war only when it happens. Same way, we shall get to use a language in ‘full’ when we get at and among the place-people. But, can we stop the preparation assuming that we may end up ‘Not Facing the Real Need’ in life?
Prepare them to Speak and Write in English rather than ‘Filling the Blanks”. We don’t do that in life. We are asked for complete expressions, not ‘blanked’ sentences.
I is willing to telling you that if you doesn’t felt like appreciated this sentence, (I am willing to tell you that if you don’t feel like appreciating this sentence,) how can you expect others to acknowledge your Wrong Grammar Based English!
One way or the other- this way or that, we need to be just with Grammar!
That’s it!
ImageSrc: PEXELS
