On Tue, 22 Jul 1997, Michael Kischner wrote:
 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
> Ed (and Martha and all others who had anything to do with putting on the
> recent conference):  many, many thanks for a rich and very smoothly run
> conference.
 
Sorry I had to miss it! Glad Seattle is the proposed venue for next year;
I can make it there much more easily from here in CA.
>
> THen there was the chance to talk shop with a group of concerned,
> insightful people.  I was wondering whether we perhaps reinforced each
> other's feelings that grammar study continues to be in big trouble in the
> country's schools and colleges ...
>
> Among other things, this reminded me of Bill McLear's comment from the
> floor last week -- about how everything comes down to people's knowing
> what they're doing, so that NOTHING turns out to work -- not Whole
> Language, not traditional grammar, nothing -- because it's being tried by
> p[eople who don't know what they're doing.
>
> If my son is right, and if we can put something together that sounds
> useful to secondary teachers as well as to college and university people
> and get the word out to them, we may have a nice crowd in Seattle next
> year.
 
Do I have permission to quote this man?? Perhaps it would help convince my
college to take grammar/language preparation of future teachers more
seriously!!
 
I would love to participate in answering this need -- in an overall
'movement' as well as specific things like contributing to programs next
year in Seattle. I am presently developing a new
course for future teachers on grammar, mechanics, and usage. It's only a
2-unit course (the usual is 3 or 4 units), but I hope we can get our
college to upgrade that. I am finding, in researching course material, all
kinds of wonderful stuff (most of it from ten and twenty  years ago!!) And
the question arises in my mind over and over again: why didn't reforms and
improvements 'take' in past tries?? I think I have some clues to the
answer, but those of you who have been in this area far longer than I have
probably have the true insights.
 
I would be very happy to share ideas and materials for such a course with
others on the list.
 
Speaking of which, I am trying to get my hands on a copy of a textbook
that was published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in 1985 and is now out of
print and permanently out of stock, acc. to HBJ's phone rep. It's called
_Writing Step by Step_ and is by Robert de Beaugrande. Some of you may be
familiar with his 1984 article that sets out a little bit of a methodology
for teaching grammar concepts and analysis skills using the English
competence of the students. "Forward to the basics: Getting down to
grammar" fom 1984's CCC journal. The book's ISBN # is 0155982583.
 
If anyone knows of a source of this book, or has a spare copy they could
send me (I will take very good care of it!), please get in touch.
 
Forward to the basics!
 
Johanna
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Johanna Rubba   Assistant Professor, Linguistics              ~
English Department, California Polytechnic State University   ~
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407                                     ~
Tel. (805)-756-2184  E-mail: [log in to unmask]      ~
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