Dear ATEG members, I thought you all might be interested in this passage
from an article by Carol Numrich, "On Becoming a Language Teacher: Insights
from Diary Studies,: in the TESOL Quarterllyl Vol 30 No.1 Spring 1996:
 
Under the section of recommendations for teacher educators:
 
Require a grammar course for novice teachers. (p. 147).  Lack of knowledge
of grammar was probably one of the beggest concerns of the teachers in this stud
y.
Their diary entries consistently reflected a lack of security in their teaching
of grammar.  Novice teachers who have received no formal instruction in English
grammar may feel particularly unequipped to deal with the kinds of questions
posed by ESL students who have previously had a great deal of formal grammar
instruction.  Whether teachers choose to teach grammar explicitly or use
a more inductive approach to teaching grammar, they can be sure that
students' questions will abound.  In the master's program in which these
teachers study, a grammar course is recommended but not required for
degree completion.  If novice teachers were to take a grammar course prior to or
 in conjunction with their first teaching practicum, they might have
more security facing their students' questions.
 
 
This passage was very interesting to me and rang true.  I hope you will
also find it interesting.  Does it ring true for you?  JoAnne Zoller
Wagner, Central College, Pella, Iowa  USA