The importance of grammar

By: Runa Nesje

I think that when learning a second language, it often (personally experienced) happens that the main focus while learning is just get the basic of the language and to be understood when communicating orally with someone in the foreign language. The world we live in today, a lot of communication happens on the internet with other people from other countries. I think that it is very important that we have the grammatical rules for the English language we have today. Without them, I think it would be almost impossible to communicate with other people from other countries if no one followed the same rules.

I think the reasons why a lot of pupils dislike grammar so much, is that grammar can be at times a bit boring and hard, especially if you struggle with it in your mother tongue, than it can be even harder in a foreign language. And if the pupil struggles with it at an early age, it will possible for the rest of their life relate grammar to something boring or difficult. Here I think it is important for the teacher to not only have the standard lessons on the black board, but have more varity if the lesson is only goning to be about grammar.

I do not have that much experience with teaching grammar and in my last practice period, I did not do any grammar teaching. The pupils did not have that much about grammar when we were there. But almost every week, the pupils would have glossary tests, with glossaries from texts they had been working with that week. In primary school, I actually enjoyed glossary tests, and I think that they are a great way to expand the pupil’s vocabulary. And it is not that difficult, if the pupils, just a little time before the test revice the glossary they can do very well. And if as a teacher you only uses glossary or for example verb conjugations you know the pupils will manage at their level.