Welcome to ATEG, Phil!
I enjoyed reading your post as well as the responses from others on the list. I, too, often reflect on the NCTE position statement on teaching grammar with the sense that if it remains as is, unchallenged and inflexible, it will only tighten its grip and expand its influence. Teachers are coming through their preparation programs with only a cursory glance at this statement and rarely a critical analysis. The language arts classroom is facing many problems, and grammar teaching is only one of them (as some colleagues in education like to point out). However, ATEG is a strong, extremely talented organization ready to address the issue of grammar teaching (and already doing so -- I thought Grammar Alive was an excellent start!). Any attempt to ignore the voices in this group (articulate and well-informed voices I would add), seems to me to be an example of clinging to tradition for the sake of tradition. I thi!
nk
that as ATEG utilizes more and more voices like yours, Phil, more and more people will begin to listen.
It sounds like you would be perfect for the Scope and Sequence Project as well as ATEG's endeavors at the NCTE conference. I imagine that lots of ATEGers out there would love to get more involved. One of my main interests is addressing teacher education programs -- how they do or don't offer their students opportunities to specialize/train in language, understanding how it works, where it comes from, how it varies, etc. Is a course in pedagogical grammar the only grammar preparation for language arts teaching? How are language diversity and perspectives on grammar treated in the program's pedagogical framework, goals and objectives? These kinds of research questions might be useful to ATEG, and I would be glad to help in any way I can.
Is there a person to contact for ATEG members who w!
ant to
get more involved in some way, perhaps as an advocate/promoter for the group or as a researcher/member of one of the main projects (i.e. Scope and Sequence)? Is the conference the best place to get "plugged in"?
Thanks for all you do, ATEG! Keep up the good work!
John Dews
As everyone here is aware, the NCTE 1985 Position Statement about teaching
grammar adv!
ocates
against it to the detrimant of all language training
native or foreign. While it seems to couch its criticism in the form of
the supposed lack of benefit that grammar study has on writing alone, it
seems to presuppose that there would be no other sufficiently useful
reason for teaching grammar. The position thereby has the effect of
shutting down all grammar teaching.
It strikes me that of all the groups that exist in academe today, the one
most appropriate to address this embarassment to American education is
ATEG. Is there currently a working group within ATEG which specifically
addresses this issue with the goal of getting NCTE to renege and replace
this statement with something more accurate and more consonant with the
wishes of parents and many, many educators, business men and politicians?
If there is such a group, I would like to participate. If there is no
current group, I would be happy to take responsibility for setti!
ng one
up,
chairing, and spearheading such a group. If there is no current provision
within ATEG for this sort of a group, perhaps interested parties could
form an informal, ad hoc group, put together some joint research and
positions papers, and offer this to ATEG/NCTE at a later point.
Phil Bralich
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