I mentored a project that was vaguely like the one you describe; my student was trying to understand why she hadn't been required to study more grammar throughout her education, and she was ultimately arguing for more grammar education. One source that she found important early on was the "Grammar" entry, by W. Ross Winterowd, in The Encyclopedia of Composition and Rhetoric (Theresa Enos, ed.) It was especially useful as an introduction to the assertion that "massive evidence leads one to conclude that systematic grammatical study of any kind does not improve one's writing or speaking ability." Winterowd offers a list of articles as examples of this "massive evidence," and several of articles those became important to my student's history and to her argument--if only as counterarguments.
Brian O'Sullivan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of English
Director of the Writing Center
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Montgomery Hall 50
18952 E. Fisher Rd.
St. Mary’s City, Maryland
20686
240-895-4242
-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar on behalf of Nancy Tuten
Sent: Thu 2/7/2008 9:22 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: essays & books on the "grammar wars"
Three questions:
(1) What essays, books, or articles would you recommend to an undergraduate
English major who is writing a senior honors project on the history of the
grammar wars? She wants to put together a notebook of information that will
be helpful to her and other future secondary English teachers. It will
include an introductory essay tracing the history of grammar
instruction-from "drill and kill" through "teach no grammar" to the
present-day acknowledgment that there is, indeed, a connection between an
understanding of syntax and better writing. It will also include an
annotated bibliography of 8-10 works "for further reading." Finally, she is
going to describe our state's grade-level standards for teaching grammar and
mention those forces (SAT essay, etc.) that are currently driving an
increase in grammar instruction-despite the lack of training that most
English teachers now have.
I thought I remembered reading an essay by Rebecca Wheeler called "Exploring
the Grammar Wars," but all I can find now is a link to a slide show
presentation-not an essay.
(2) In what year did ATEG publish "On the Value of Systematic Grammar
Study"?
(3) Who is working on the "scope and sequence" project, and when might it be
published?
Thanks for your help,
Nancy
Nancy L. Tuten, PhD
Professor of English
Director of the Writing-across-the-Curriculum Program
Columbia College
Columbia, South Carolina
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]
803-786-3706
To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"
Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"
Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
|
