The Importance of Grammar

Most people, when they hear the word grammar, think of lots of useless, boring rules that they were forced to learn in school. It is precisely this attitude that has brought about the elimination of grammar in today’s second language classes. In its place the experts in the business of selling second language courses have given us the communicative method in which they guarantee that the students, with little or no effort, will begin to speak the target language from day one. In this method the students are taught sets of phrases corresponding to common everyday situations and, under the direction of the teacher, are carefully guided through simulated conversations. The false sense of achievement is astounding. They have learned what to say but have no idea how or why. Reality hits when the students, after having paid for the course, have to defend themselves out in the real world.