Darren Crovitz
Kennesaw State University, English, Faculty Member
If grammar is a benighted term, let’s set it aside, at least temporarily. What are we really after, anyway, when we teach sentencelevel concepts and conventions? “Grammatical correctness” may seem like the obvious shortterm answer. But... more
If grammar is a benighted term, let’s set it aside, at least temporarily. What are we really after, anyway, when we teach sentencelevel concepts and conventions? “Grammatical correctness” may seem like the obvious shortterm answer. But “correctness” is an externally imposed, negatively reinforced, schoolcentric criteria that doesn’t motivate many students. People need to feel personally invested in challenging work to create something of value. Why would student composing be any different? A better goal might be grammatical fit, with students recognizing the power of specific language choices and the range of rhetorical options for communication, whether academic, professional, social, or personal. Substituting the more innocuous phrase language study for the Gword suggests a wider purpose and shifts students to more constructive work with words. Consider these benefits:
