Seven Bad Reasons for Teaching Grammar (and a couple of good ones!)

Do you want to know seven BAD reasons to teach grammar (and a couple of very good ones)? Nearly 30 years ago, Michael Swan wrote a great paper on this... but it really stands the test of time. So if you’re interested in what these 7 horsemen of the apocalypse, are according to him, keep watching!

If this is the first time we’re meeting, I’m Jo Gakonga, I’ve been teaching for 35 years, and training teachers on CELTA and MA TESOL programmes for 25 of those. I’ve also got a website at ELT-Training.com where I make video based material for teachers at all stages of their careers. Check it out and don’t forget to like and subscribe if you want to see more – I make a new video every week.

Before we get into this- just stop me for a minute… what do YOU think are bad reasons to teach grammar? And good ones? Go on- do it! (timer)

OK here we go…

Bad Reason number 1- Because it’s there.

Famously, when he was asked why he wanted to climb Mt Everest, Edmund Hilary said ‘because it’s there’ and some teachers approach grammar with the same mindset. They see it in the course book and feel compelled to teach it all. But the reality is that not all grammar points are equally relevant for every class so you need to think about what your learners actually NEED.

Bad Reason 2 - It’s Tidy

Vocabulary can be messy and overwhelming. There’s so much of it. Pronunciation is tricky, too - but grammar? Grammar seems tidy and teachable. It can be neatly presented in rows and boxes, and that makes it tempting to focus on. But it’s important to keep in mind that grammar is not the same as learning a language.

Bad Reason 3 - It’s Testable

Tests can be a great way to gauge progress but designing something that tests a persons holistic language ability is tricky to design and time consuming to mark and difficult to standardise. Grammar tests, on the other hand, are really straightforward. It’s like maths- right or wrong. So this can lead to an emphasis on teaching grammar just because it's easy to test. But the question you have to ask is- are we teaching to the test or really helping students learn the language?

Bad Reason 4 - It can be a Security Blanket

Grammar rules can be comforting. Learning a language is a big, messy task and grammar rules can offer a sense of control in a very complex world. BUT the problem here is that relying too heavily on these rules can focus attention away from other crucial aspects of language learning, like fluency and vocabulary.

Bad Reason 5 - It Made Me Who I Am

Personal experience plays a big role in being a teacher and if you learned those grammar rules diligently, and it worked for you, you probably feel this is essential. This mindset can really perpetuate an overemphasis on grammar, even when it's not always necessary for effective communication.

Bad Reason 6 - You Have to Teach the Whole System

Some people believe that grammar is a single interconnected system, like a car engine. But the truth is that it's more of a collection of independent elements and we don’t need to teach the whole thing. The simple past tense, for example, is really necessary and useful- the past perfect passive? Not so much….

Bad Reason 7 - Power!

Finally we get to number seven and it’s a really bad reason (I’m sure it doesn’t apply to you). For some people, grammar teaching can be about maintaining authority. Grammar's complexity can give teachers a sense of control. But obviously, education should be more about empowering students than reinforcing power dynamics.

So what are the results of over-prioritizing grammar? It’s pretty obvious. Like my own experience in learning French, I knew the rules but I couldn’t actually speak the language. You might find that your learners can pass the tests they need to pass, but then not have enough vocabulary or fluency to actually use what they know in the real world.

BUT – get this- Despite all of these reasons NOT to teach grammar, there are a couple of reasons that mean it still DOES have a place and importance in the classroom. AND it’s also important for teachers to KNOW about the grammar they’re teaching…

Good Reason number 1 is comprehensibility.

An odd missing article won’t stop communication, but mixing up word order, incorrect use of tenses or modal verbs might well get in the way of the message. Making sure that learners can express themselves so that they can be understood IS important.

Good Reason number 2 is acceptability.

It might well be that your learners don’t want to be JUST understood on a basic level- they might want to interact in social or business contexts – or they might need to take exams where they’ll be judged, on some level, by the accuracy of their language. And it might make a big difference to how successful they are in these situations if their language is more standard.

So the bottom line is that there IS a place for grammar teaching – it just needs to be purposeful and tailored to students' needs. If you focus on essential structures for comprehensibility and acceptability, we can teach English effectively without overwhelming our learners.

If you enjoyed this, I’d highly recommend you read the original paper and all of the other great material that’s on Michael Swan’s site – don’t miss his poetry, either!

Thanks for watching! Bye.