Elizabeth,
I agree that the Myers-Briggs is a much more nuanced and subtle typology, and much better tested.
There is one excellent college-level text that I know of that takes diagramming seriously, Mark Lester's Grammar in the Classroom. It also has some of the linguistically most well founded grammatical analyses. His treatment of phrasal verbs is the best I've read in any grammar text, and his handling of tense, aspect, and modality is also very strong.
Herb
Gordon,
I'm not ready to suggest anything yet. I was hoping to get others' ideas. As I mentioned, I've observed that a lot of English faculty don't teach, and don't seem to like to teach, grammar. I think that's because of their personality types or learning styles. Most of the other English faculty I know seem to be what some people classify as right brained. (I personally prefer the Myers Briggs typology, in which they would probably be Ps, Perceivers, rather than Js, Judgers, and maybe Fs, Feelers, rather than Ts, Thinkers. I'm an INTJ.)
I think the traditional, sequential approach to teaching grammar, the way I learned it--which is similar to how math is taught--works for some students, but it doesn't work for a lot of English professors or language arts teachers. I believe
1. Grammar has to be taught in the public schools, starting at an early age.
2. It has to be taught in a manner that the students will be able to learn it, which may not be the same way the teacher would.
I don't think alternate sequence would be feasible, unless through individual computer-based instruction. I do think that diagramming sentences needs to be reintroduced for visual learners. (I'm assuming it's not taught much because I haven't found a textbook for college-level developmental English classes that includes it.)
I'm afraid that doesn't really answer your question.
Elizabeth
----- Original Message -----
From: Gordon Hultberg<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2006 7:10 PM
Subject: Re: Right vs. Left Brain in Teaching Grammar
Dear Elizabeth - I'm intrigued by your suggestion -- go further, would you? Are you suggesting that, for instance, we could implement a "traditional" sequence (once we've established one) and go about it by use of multiple intelligence strategies? Or rather, produce a sequence that works for one group, and an alternate sequence for another?
What do you have in mind?
Gordon Hultberg
At 11:21 AM 11/20/2006, you wrote:
I'm a new member (so new that my check hasn't even come back). I learned about ATEG when I read The War Against Grammar by David Mulroy.
As an adjunct teaching mostly developmental English and first-year writing courses at college in the Denver metro area, I've seen how little students know about grammar--and writing. The developmental coordinator at one college said that the students had been taught grammar in public schools but "it didn't take." From what I've read and observed, that doesn't seem to be the case; students generally aren't being taught grammar--at least not methodically.
I have a hypothesis, and I'm wondering if anyone has read or heard anything related to it. (You may have discussed this before.)
Here's my idea: From what I've observed, most K-12 language arts teachers and English faculty seem to be right brained but the traditional method of teaching grammar is left brained. I happen to be left brained (I was a math major until I was a senior), and I enjoy teaching grammar and diagramming sentences. I think the "traditional" step-by-step approach should work well with left-brained students, but right-brained teachers find it boring and don't want to learn or teach grammar that way. Maybe we need two methods of teaching grammar--or more--to suit different learning styles.
Elizabeth Clark
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