Is grammar the alcohol of ELT?

"If I’m going to be completely honest, I probably drink a bit too much. I don’t drink every day – not quite. And I hardly ever get drunk – I’m not a teenager, after all! But I generally exceed the healthy limit and it can affect my mood and my energy levels. I worry that I might be dependent on alcohol and so every now and again, I’ll take a month off. But I always go back to drinking in the end. I am starting to think that total abstinence might be the answer. But that would be a shame because there’s nothing quite like a cold beer on a summer’s day or a glass of wine with your pizza."

🍺 A profession with a problem?

This text came to me through a targeted Facebook advert. It was trying to get me to sign up for a programme called “One year no beer”. The timing was interesting – not because I drink too much (which I probably do) – but because I had recently come across an interesting idea on page 14 of Scott Thornbury’s How to teach grammar:

“The history of language teaching is essentially the history of the claims and counterclaims for and against the teaching of grammar.”

What a strange relationship. It’s almost as if we are aware of our grammar problem and are constantly trying to quit. Could it be that grammar is the alcohol of English language teaching?

“Wine is a mockery” by Jan Steel (c. 1663)

☯ All or nothing at all?

If grammar is the alcohol of ELT, let’s look back at some of our attempts to give up or cut down.

• Grammar translation: Back in the old days, we were unashamedly grammarholics. Grammar was placed at the heart of everything we did. It formed the basis of the syllabus. And texts were selected according to the grammar points that they illustrated. After a while, however, some sober person pointed out that we were all so drunk on grammar that it was affecting our students’ ability to speak English. It was time to take a more moderate approach.

• The direct method: At the start of the 20th century, language teachers continued to serve grammar to students. And although it remained at the heart of the syllabus, it was the teacher’s job to keep the bottles out of the students’ reach and sight at all times. Teachers were the strict guardians of the grammar cabinet, the contents of which were to be imbibed but never discussed.

• Audiolingualism: I wonder how many of you remember language labs. There was one in my secondary school in the 1980s and our French teacher would take us there once a week. It was thought that a program of listen-and-repeat drills would instil good communicative habits in students. But they were wrong. Audiolingualism was effective only in producing a generation of solitary grammar junkies. As one prominent academic put it: “If you are going to get drunk, you might as well do it with friends and not on your own.”

A Russian language class in an East German language laboratory (1975) Creative Commons image by Katscherowski

• Communicative language teaching: In the 1970s, a new science called sociolinguistics got people thinking. “Language learning takes place through social interactions”, it was argued. “If grammar is to feature, let it serve the communication”, they said. And for a while, it was all quite beautiful. But inevitably, the social gatherings were infiltrated by certain players with grammar agendas. And years of gentle manipulation have given rise to an unhealthy mindset. Sadly, too many of us believe that it is impossible to have a good time without opening a bottle of present perfect.

The natural approach: The natural approach was developed by Stephen Krashen and Tracy Terrell in the late 1970s. Whereas Krashen was a hard-core prohibitionist who called for a total ban on grammar, Terrell had more moderate views. Terrell felt that grammar should not be banned from the classroom but that consumption was in no way obligatory and drunkenness should be discouraged. It is worth mentioning that the Dogme ELT movement that was born in 2000 has a similar attitude towards grammar.

The Drunkard’s Progress (1946) by lithographer Nathaniel Currier. An innocent grammar lesson can lead to harder substances like modals of deduction or the future perfect continuous.

🤔 Grammar syllabus and/or grammar interaction

Different language teaching methodologies and approaches have different relationships with grammar. Most notably, the relationships depend on two things:
1. The extent to which grammar runs through the backbone of the syllabus
2. The extent to which formal grammar instruction can or should be given

“Drunkenness of Noah” by Giovanni Bellini (c. 1515)

🍎 A healthier relationship

In moderation, a bit of meaningful grammar teaching can be a wonderful thing. But as a profession, we take it too far. Grammar dominates coursebooks, training courses, syllabuses, curriculums and examinations.

Grammar even managed to hijack the communicative approach and this is most notable in our course books. Too often, we are promised meaning-focussed communication. But the reality is that we get speaking tasks and activities that are little more than Trojan horses for grammar practice.

I love a cold beer on a summer’s day. I love a glass of wine with my pizza. And I love incorporating meaningful grammar instruction into my classes and lesson plans.

If we really want to teach grammar, we have to change our relationship with it. We need a more balanced approach in which grammar is important but not the goal; an approach where grammar instruction is given in response to communicative activities; an approach in which the teacher is a grammar guide but not a grammar pusher.

❤️ The LessonStream Membership

If you feel like you have a problem with grammar addiction, do not despair – help is at hand!

LessonStream is a community of supportive teachers with a passion for story in the classroom. We will help you to put the people and the communication first (and the grammar second).

Members get access to a wealth of story-based teaching ideas as well as the LessonStream Story Course.

It would be great to have you on board 🚢

Thank you for reading!
Jamie

Jamie Keddie

Jamie Keddie

Jamie Keddie is a Barcelona-based teacher trainer and storyteller. He is the author of 'Images' (Oxford University Press, 2008), 'Bringing online video into the classroom' (Oxford University Press, 2014) and 'Videotelling: YouTube Stories for the Classroom' (LessonStream Books, 2017).

Get your free LESSON PLAN

And sign up for the LessonStream Post (= regular teaching ideas straight to your inbox)

I will use the information you provide on this form to keep in touch and provide you with updates and news about my courses, books, and other products. Please let me know how you would like to hear from me. PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST CLICK ON THE BOX BELOW.

You can change your mind at any time by clicking 'unsubscribe' at the footer of any email that you receive from me.