Nothing there is in the English department with which issue is not taken.

As part of my curricular responsibilities I am required to teach grammar. Naturally, all are in agreement that educated people must know and use their own language correctly, the issue is how does one teach grammar to those children who have learned substandard dialectical versions of our language, or who, because of a brain variation, do not HEAR the correct rhythm of language, for the ear is the primary avenue of our learning language.

The data was collected: young children three months old, six months old, etc. were propped in front of a screen onto which was projected a picture of their mother sitting on a chair and their mother standing next to the chair. Auditory cues were played stating, "Mother is sitting on the chair." or, "Mother is standing next to the chair." A video camera recorded the eyes of the child. Ninety percent of the nine month old group of children looked at the image which correlated to the correct prepositional phrase "on the chair" or "next to the chair". Conclusions might be drawn that by nine months of age children understand the complexities of their spoken language. (This is from memory. Could be flawed.)

In the halls of learning, years of battle continue, because, the rule is that one must teach as one was taught, data be damned.

To understand why the teaching of grammar continues you have to understand the English department. Although stereotypical, this pecking order seems almost universal. At the top of the order is the p/matriarch of the department, a rigid, unyielding proponent of daily diagraming. It is to this person that one sends one's personal resume and manuscripts for cold-hearted editing. There will be no gentle encouragement nor enabling from the m/patriarch, only the blood drops of correction splattered on the page from this one's hand. (I judged Lincoln Douglas debate in our state and often rode on the bus to the state meets with a local school district's team . One lovely lady in tie shoes and silky blue print dress accompanied the debate team on the bus. I sat in the empty seat next to her. I knew her slightly. My own three sons had been, in equal parts honored to have her and persecuted by her. She was a co-coach of the debate team, the matriarch of her school district's high school and the president of our local English teacher's organization. We chatted convivially on route and I asked her what she did for fun? She didn't understand the question. "You know, what do you do on a daily basis...that is fun?" She replied that sometimes, when her school work was done she WATCHED TV WHILE SHE IRONED.) (That is a true anecdote!)

Then, in the English department, there are the liberals whose curriculum resonates of the humanities. These teach what it means to be human. They are literature oriented and love Socratic questioning and discussion. Meaning over form. Always.

Close to the humanities-based are the writers. Their classes demand that students constantly improve in written communication. Writing teachers rarely have time to pursue their own reading and writing as they mumble and sputter and shake and rock amidst piles of essays that must be returned by the next class. Writing is one of the best methods to learn our language, but, who among us wants to sacrifice our personal life for the cause. These teachers must take sabbaticals and apply for grants and scholarships to writing symposiums in order to refuel and re-create themselves. There is nothing more draining in education then facing 130 essays which begin, Hello, my name is.

There are those among us who lecture directly from a book and give easy-score, book tests. They put little in and take little away but a pay check.

When curriculum is decided the p/matriarchs fight with spirit for the continuance of tradition, the liberals see both sides of the fight, the writers are not paying attention but are grading student papers and the lecturers just want to get home. Grammar continues.

(correlates: EmersonOnSelfImprovement, SafetyFirst, KnowingChoosingDoing, ...)