The Guardian

'Stop! Grammar time'
April 18, 2007

Mention the term "verb" and most people can give a definition or an example. Say "preposition" and anyone who studied English before the 60s or who learnt a language at school still knows what you're talking about. However, once you enter the realms of "tenses" or "articles", many speakers start asking interrogatives.
It might seem ironic that those of us who grow up speaking English are often far less equipped to talk about the language itself compared with anyone who has learnt English as second or foreign language. However, for many people poor knowledge of grammatical terms probably isn't of great concern. After all, there are only a few jobs which require a high standard of language awareness: teaching English as a foreign language is one such job.

Understanding grammar - or lack of understanding - causes most budding EFL teachers most concern. When applying for training courses such as the Celta or a certificate in Tesol, many applicants say that this is their biggest worry. New teachers go through sleepless nights, wondering: "What happens when a student asks me a question about grammar and I can't answer it?"

Inevitably this situation will arise - many times. But what happens is that you go and find out and let the student know at the next lesson. So the student gets the answer and you will never forget that language point ever again.

Of course taking a Tefl course is one way to help pre-empt too many of these occasions. Most course providers begin by giving you pre-course reading on grammar followed up by ways of presenting it. However, these courses only last a month and you will be still some way off having understood how language works. It will be at least two more years of full-time teaching at all the different levels of learning - elementary to advanced - before a newly qualified teacher will come close to mastery of the most common aspects of the English language.

What do I mean by mastery? Well, in terms of teaching English there are three key stages. First of all, you need to be able to identify parts of a sentence or know why verbs change. You start to recognise the different forms of words and the use and meaning of them. Then you move on to thinking of ways of presenting these concepts to students and ways of letting them practise. And finally, you're able to start recognising why students have made a mistake, to know what the problem is and how to fix it. You also know you are well on your way when a students puts up his or her hand and asks "Why is X like this?" and you give an on-the-spot answer.

It's also perhaps consoling to know that proficient language awareness doesn't mean that you ever reach a stage where you can throw the grammar reference book away. Even teachers with years of experience come across a language point which they need to look up. What makes it easier for them is that their previous understanding of language gives them the skills to know where to begin looking.

To get you started, here are five questions about language. In each question, read a sentence and answer the question about it. If you don't know the answer, don't panic. Look it up, or take a course.

1. "I'll meet you on five o'clock."

Which type of word is incorrect in this sentence?

a) verb
b) object
c) preposition

2. "I left school in 2001."

What verb tense does the speaker use in this sentence?

a) present simple
b) past simple
c) past difficult

3. "I have a red big dog at home."

What is the mistake in this sentence?

a) Dogs aren't red.
b) The tense.
c) The word order of adjectives.

4. "I'm student in London."

What word is missing from this sentence?

a) An article.
b) A person.
c) A preposition.

5. "Why do we say it like this?"

What type of sentence structure does the speaker use?

a) A question tag.
b) An interrogative.
c) A statement.

· John Hughes is the author of the new online course in English Language Awareness from Cactus Tefl. The 30-lesson course comes complete with video extracts of a students learning grammar in a real classroom. For more information visit www.cactustefl.com/ela

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