>From: EDWARD VAVRA <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Horrors before a long weekend.
>Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 15:42:37 -0400
>
> The discussion started by Kathleen Ward has been fascinating. I was
>surprised at first by the circle-up-the-wagons response, but then I
>realized I should have expected it. Although the particular student may
>have misinterpreted the teacher, the fact remains that most English
>Professors, not to mention English majors, have little knowledge, and
>much mis-knowledge of English grammar.
I apologize if I came across in a circle-up-the-wagons sort of way. I was
attempting to assuage the horror of Prof. Ward by pointing to other
possibilities within the dynamics of the classroom. I should have been
careful with my words or tone, especially as it was my first posting to the
list. I have found the discussion fascinating, also. That said, I have
noticed the lack of grammatical knowledge among various majors in the
English department here at Purdue. Like Kathleen, tutors in the writing lab,
where I work, often see strange, incorrect or inappropriate markings on
student papers during tutoring sessions. Interesting to me, also, is the
tensions concerning language, writing and pedagogy that exist across majors
in the English department.
New TA's at Purdue attend a weekly mentoring group that is usually headed by
an advanced Phd. in Rhet and Comp. When I was being mentored, there was no
discussion whatsoever about grammar and the teaching of grammar. Rhetoric,
genres, and critical thinking constituted discussions while grammar was
considered marginal and lower-order. Unfortunately, this approach in
mentoring was carried into the classroom by many TA's.
The mentoring group was fascinating as there were many different majors
interacting: MFA's, Lit people, Linguistics and Rhet and Comp people. A very
volatile, but educational mix, when it came down to language, writing, and
pedagogy. As a linguistics major who, at the time, was troubled by my
students' papers, I wanted to bring grammar and linguistics into the
classroom. But, I felt very uneasy about initiating discussion about
grammar. Often, the non-linguistics majors perceived linguistics as chopping
up language or simply the wrong approach. One of my MFA colleagues asked me
one day in a sarcastic tone, "What are you doing to the language?I'd like
you to try and make a syntax tree of one of my poems." My Rhet and Comp
mentor frowned at my linguistics colleague as he shared a method for
explaining grammatical issues to his class. I was wondering if there are any
grad students on the list or profs that perceive these tensions about "who
knows writing and language best" across majors in English departments.
Enjoying reading the discussion,
David Neyhart
------------------------------------------------------------
David K. Neyhart
Purdue OWL Coordinator
414 Heavilon Hall
Purdue University
Office: (765) 494-3762
Home: (765) 743-7487
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
------------------------------------------------------------
"Perfection of means and confusion of goals is, in my opinion,
characteristic of our age." --Albert Einstein
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