I agree with Paul that the what and how of teaching grammar are real
problems.  However, before I can begin to address these critical
issues, I have to answer a more basic questions:

Am I teaching grammar to develop the ability to analyze sentences into
their smallest grammatical component?  Am I teaching grammar because I
believe that an educated adult in today's society needs to be able to
deconstruct sentences? In that case, it's an end unto itself, and
everything is fair game.  This is knowledge for the sake of knowledge,
and seems to be a driving force in lots of curriculums.

If grammar is viewed as a means to an end, then curricular decisions
can be vastly affected.  Am I teaching grammar to help students
express themselves in a manner that is more acceptable (less
stigmatized) in academic and/or business circles?  Am I teaching
grammar as a component in an overall language awareness curriculum? 
Am I teaching grammar primarily to help students appreciate the
construction of good literature?  What exactly do I hope for as an end
product of my instructional efforts?

To me, before we can decide WHAT to teach and HOW to teach it, we
first have to decide WHY we are teaching it at all.

John


> 
> John Crow <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>  
> There is a basic issue with teaching grammar that I would like some
> input on: is knowledge of grammar an end in itself or a means to an
> end? The answer to this question strikes at the heart of what we
> teach, how we teach it, and even when we teach it.
> 
> John
> 
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