Thesis: The function of
grammar in the modern high school English classroom is a reflection of the
society around it, where students live bombarded by stimuli integrated into
their existence from a plethora of mediums as they face a wide variety of
academic and assessment challenges. Effective teaching of any concept therefore requires
multi-tiered approaches.
Counter-thesis: Grammar
should provide the foundation on which writing is built, and basic concepts
must be understood before construction of complex sentences can even begin.
Commentary: The lessons of
the English classroom are the most universally applicable of high school
constructs. Students need to be able to read and write to achieve success in
any of their other subjects – including math and science. Grammar is the
foundation of those skills, much as numbers are for math, or molecules are for
science. The most effective way to teach the skills of grammar requires an
understanding of its applications – first in the classroom, and then in the world.
The research required for this paper will, hopefully, provide insight into some
current practices of teaching grammar, and instances of success or failure of
an integrated vs. isolated approach to instruction.
Invention Process: discernment
of the potential topic, and a focus within it, were accomplished through the
processes of brainstorming, freewriting, heuristic questioning and stases analysis.
The flow between techniques was fluid, as one or more ideas emerged, it was
refined through other aspects of invention. They laid a foundation for the next
step of the writing process: research.
I am glad you will be writing about approaches to teaching grammar, Peg. The readings on delivery in our class -- coming up shortly -- address this issue *a little* and might point you to some additional sources and approaches. You might therefore look at those readings a little early.
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