Wolfe 1

Laurel Wolfe

Dr. Sunyoger

ENG 327 Grammar and Its Teaching Methods

28 April 2021

Simple and Engaging: Keys to Unlocking the Door to Effective Grammar Instruction at the

Secondary Level

Speaking and writing constitute a significant, essential portion of every person’s daily

life. In terms of written communication, people send text messages, post on social media, write

essays, compose emails, etc. Despite this prevalence of written communication, those who

engage in it often ignore proper grammar. While the convenience of texting culture prizes

abbreviations and fragmented sentences, some cite such shortenings as a possible cause of

grammar’s downfall as they remove the eloquent nature of language and often result in a loss of

comprehension between people (Frederick 1). The “informality of emerging technologies and

means of communication has diminished the emphasis on grammar,” especially in the classroom

(1). Various research studies conducted in the 1960s began to question the necessity of teaching

grammar as a means of preventing students from making errors in writing. The most prominent

of these studies featured in a publication issued by the National Council of Teachers of English

(NCTE) was the Braddock Report which espoused that “the teaching of formal grammar has a

negligible or, because it usually displaces some instruction and practice in composition, even a

harmful effect on improvement in writing” (Lester 3-4). In modern times, emphasis in grammar

instruction has shifted from ensuring that students possess a firm mastery of grammar to

guaranteeing that they can merely convey ideas, even if done improperly (Frederick 1). While
 Wolfe 2

writing improperly may be convenient, it is by no means functional. “Correct grammar serves

explicit and implicit functions that extend to how people structure their thoughts” (1). In

constructing and drawing conclusions from writing that is grammatically correct, students

develop deductive reasoning skills and through grammar learn to construct convincing, effective

arguments (1). 

In most English classrooms, the emphasis has moved from grammar to comprehension,

leading to the misconception that proper grammar is not necessary to express an idea. Many

educators profess that grammar should be taught only insofar as it helps students to edit pieces of

their own writing (Benjamin and Oliva 5). However, this proves impractical because questions

related to other areas of grammar will inevitably arise. For example, when explaining to a

student that his or her work contains multiple comma splices, the teacher must also explain what

constitutes dependent and independent clauses, etc. Teaching grammar in this manner reduces it

to separate pieces, preventing students from understanding how language and grammar in

conjunction create a system and from learning how to truly master rhetoric (6). “Studies suggest

students show little transfer between isolated grammar practice through worksheets and their

own writing” (Collet 6). Moreover, research also implies that introducing traditional parts of

speech and repeatedly reviewing them with drills does not prove effective in instructing students

to write, read, speak, and listen (Tchudi and Thomas 1). To partially remedy this, educators

should possess a firm understanding of syntax and its systems and structures as well as the

conventions and rules that dictate how people use language (1). At the very least, students should

understand the basic terms of grammar, standard sentence patterns, and how to diagram

sentences containing a few modifiers (Benjamin and Oliva 6). The complication which many

educators stumble upon when attempting to teach grammar is finding the means of making
 Wolfe 3

grammar instruction interesting to students. In order for grammar instruction to be effective,

particularly at the secondary level, teachers must strive to make it both simple and engaging so

as to remove students’ apathy for the subject and to ensure that students are interested in the

material.

Pre-service educators preparing to teach English at the high school or middle school level

often feel most uncomfortable with the thought of teaching grammar (Shanahan 14). This

apprehension and even aversion can be attributed to deficiencies in the grammar instruction they

received at the elementary level or simply to a fear of the material altogether (Frederick 2).

Students often recall significant portions of red ink donning their papers, identifying their

mistakes for all to see and deterring them from an appreciation for grammar. Furthermore,

grammar includes a plethora of rules which many disregard in their daily lives, consequently

rendering the subject impractical in the minds of students. The first necessary step in effectively

teaching grammar is to remove the stigma and apathy which surround the material. When

students no longer fear grammar and view it as an insurmountable obstacle which they will never

be able to comprehend, they become more comfortable in the classroom and begin to regard

grammar without suspicion. One means of achieving this is through basic yet innovative

instruction that removes this fear-factor from students and makes their learning enjoyable. 

College professors Stephen Tchudi and Lee Thomas created a course designed for those

seeking to teach English at a secondary level with the goals to explore the rules and concepts of

grammar in a creative manner so as to empower future educators to include grammar instruction

in their own classrooms. They began the semester by writing the phrase “specialists those

bearded old Lithuanian ten linguist” and then asking students to rearrange the words into “those

ten old bearded Lithuanian linguist specialists” (Tchudi and Thomas 47). When students
 Wolfe 4

successfully did so, they found themselves unable to articulate why the words belong in that

particular order, proving that the average speaker of English knows more about the language

than he or she might initially think. The students completed a similar exercise with Lewis

Caroll’s poem, “Jabberwocky,” which “helped them see that their intuitive, native grammar is

what allows them to figure out that ‘slithy’ is a description, not an action, that ‘toves’ is a plural”

noun (Tchudi and Thomas 47). The professors began teaching traditional grammar by discussing

and distinguishing nouns and verbs. Afterwards, they had students play around with the parts of

speech and then conclude how they are used and can be identified both in sentences and in oral

language. In another follow-up lesson, they explained that certain tests can be used to identify

different parts of speech. For example, the the test applies to common nouns and states that if the

definite article “the” makes sense when used before a word, that word is a noun while the adverb

movement test says that if a word is able to be moved to another position within the sentence, it

is an adverb modifying the verb (Lester 21, 57). This simple, unassuming approach to grammar

utilized by Tchudi and Thomas which begins with its basic elements helps students to build their

confidence as opposed to apprehension and encourages them to continue their studies. Once

students grasped the basics of grammar, they began to tackle slightly more complicated

assignments like rewriting Hamlet’s soliloquy using only action verbs or taking ordinary nouns

and turning them into verbs before turning them back into nouns once more. For instance, the

noun “cow” becomes “cowify” and then “cowification.” Playing with language in this manner

removes the fear many students feel when approached with traditional grammar (Tchudi and

Thomas 49). While these activities and assignments were geared towards college students,

simpler variations of them can be incorporated into classrooms of any grade level. After tackling

the conventions and rules of grammar, Tchudi and Thomas had their students examine the
 Wolfe 5

speech patterns and grammar of 2- and 4-year-olds, listening for the adult grammatical structures

they had been studying for the last few weeks. Surprisingly, the vast majority of these structures

like gerunds and present participles were heard, reinforcing to students the idea that everyone is a

natural grammarian. While Tchudi and Thomas do not recommend teaching grammar in a

middle school or high school classroom exactly as they taught it, they do suggest that teachers

creatively incorporate grammar into their curricula and review it with their students regularly

(52). At the same time, educators should refrain from “immediately link[ing] grammar to matters

of correctness and usage,” but rather ought to “teach traditional grammar as a set of tools for

discussion and analysis” (Tchudi and Thomas 52). This emphasis on the wonder of grammar

assists students in overcoming the fear and apprehension they often initially feel and

consequently makes their learning more enjoyable (Shanahan 18).

Even once students no longer fear learning grammar, teachers often struggle to maintain

students’ interest in the subject matter. In order to engage students in the material, teachers

should explicitly explain why grammar plays a relevant role in their own lives (Pandolpho 1).

Not only does this promote greater student-interest, but it also aids students when applying what

they learn, encouraging them to formulate real-world connections. “Students shouldn’t be left

without an answer to the question, ‘Why do we need to learn this stuff?’ Instead, [teachers] can

introduce or follow up our instruction by explaining why [they are] asking them to perform a

task, or by explaining how the task matters to them in school and beyond” (1). Additionally,

educators can spur students to make these real-world connections on their own by including

guided questions prompting them to consider the applications of the material. Providing students

options for homework and writing assignments fosters engagement, particularly in grammar,

because students prove more likely to focus on and put effort into work that possesses meaning
 Wolfe 6

for them. Furthermore, activities that require students to move around the classroom and

converse with fellow students serve as effective means of promoting interest because students

can voice their own thoughts and opinions (1). Incorporating time for reflection helps students

“consolidate what they’ve learned and determine what they did well, what they can do

differently next time, and how they would like to move forward” (1). This proves particularly

useful towards the end of the school year as student motivation and engagement begins to falter.

“Student engagement should be… the highest priority because there is no real learning without

it” (1).

Educators often structure their English classes around literature to improve reading scores

on standardized tests while leaving grammar to the wayside. Yet, they become increasingly

irritated by students’ poor writing abilities and find themselves scrawling all through students’

papers (Shanahan 14). However, incorporating grammar instruction along with literature

instruction helps to remedy the problem and serves as another effective means of promoting

engagement and teaching grammar in a secondary classroom. Instead of telling students to “stop

what we are doing and do grammar,” educators ought to have students identify sentences they

like in a text they find engaging (Benjamin and Oliva 7). This makes the lesson more personal,

more meaningful, and ultimately more enjoyable and serves to sustain students’ attention. “The

analysis and enjoyment of literature is infused with observations about how language is used;

this experience, in turn, informs the writing process” of which grammar plays a pivotal role (7).

When students possess a sound knowledge of grammar and the English language, other areas of

their English improve including spelling, vocabulary, writing, and literary analysis. “A person

who has been taught grammar in an active and enlightened manner is in a position to learn more
 Wolfe 7

about academic and social language, to craft and read complicated sentences simply because that

person can speak objectively about language” (8).

In addition to incorporating grammar into literature instruction, sentence combining has

proven to be one effective means of teaching punctuation (Collet 17). However, this exercise

could be improved by making it a collaborative activity, printing out strips of paper containing

parts of sentences which students can work in groups to move and manipulate. Working in small

groups in which students can collaboratively create sentences fosters an increase in students'

knowledge and understanding of both grammar and punctuation. Students' ideas circulate and

flow when they physically move the strips and are able to provide their peers explanations

justifying why they did so (17).  In turn, this exercise reinforces students’ abilities to create more

complex and comprehensive sentences of their own. Furthermore, this lesson possesses the

potential for scaffolding as teachers can initially teach sentence combining through the use of

conjunctions and later work up to utilizing adverbial clauses (17).

Teaching grammar in a flipped classroom format has also shown to be a constructive

method for teaching grammar because it makes instruction both more interactive and more

engaging (Jia, Li, Wang, and Wang 254). In a flipped classroom, the teacher provides students

with the lecture, power point, or basic lesson in a video or electronic format which the students

view outside of class. However, during the class period, students ask questions and discuss what

they learned outside of class, leaving time for students to work on assignments which they

typically would complete at home in the classroom. Essentially, “the flipped model is an

interactive teaching method with a student-centered approach that ‘flips’ the traditional

classroom by moving information transfer out and moving information assimilation into the

classroom” (255). The technological aspect of this method provides an opportunity for
 Wolfe 8

innovation. Furthermore, this makes instruction more flexible as the lectures can be accessed

virtually anywhere and provides chances for students who fall behind in class to become caught

up (257).

Finally, educators can incorporate grammar instruction into writing practice and

workshops, whether they be formal or informal, creative or academic. “In order to teach students

to read like writers, they must write” (Shanahan 17). Not only is writing an essential component

of everyday life, but it helps students to apply the grammatical concepts they learn in a more

substantial format than a mere few sentences. “Students need authentic, extended writing

assignments replete with opportunities to play with words and consider their rhetorical

significance” (15-16). When students reflect upon the ways in which language, and by extension,

grammar, operates in texts to constitute rhythm, structure, tone, and meaning, they develop a

greater appreciation for grammar and language as a whole, provoking thought and interest (14).

One means of achieving this is through show and tell essays. Prior to writing, students work as a

class to identify how authors can apply certain grammatical concepts to achieve a certain effect

or purpose. “For example, appositives are used across writing forms to rename nouns, especially

at the beginning of narratives to introduce characters and the settings” (16). When writing,

students create comments on the sides of their work explaining and justifying their reasons for

using a specific concept for the rhetorical impact it has on the reader. 

In conclusion, writing, and consequently grammar, constitute an essential component of

one’s daily life. Teaching grammar proves challenging when teachers themselves fail to

understand its basic conventions due to the poor grammar instruction they received in grade

school. Thus, they often do away with grammar instruction entirely, preferring to focus

instruction on literature. However, grammar provides clarity, power, and artistry and thus should
 Wolfe 9

be taught in schools to aid students in becoming proficient readers and writers. At the secondary

level, grammar instruction is effective once educators remove students’ apprehension and fear of

the subject matter and create interesting lessons which engage their students. In order to achieve

this, lessons must be simple enough for students to comprehend without becoming overwhelmed,

allowing them to rely upon and apply their intuitive knowledge of grammar. To maintain

student-interest, teachers must take the time to explain to students why grammar content is

pertinent to their daily lives. When teachers integrate grammar and literature instruction, they

encourage students to associate grammar with content that bears personal significance.

Collaborative grammar activities, particularly those involving sentence combining, foster student

engagement through interaction with peers and develop students’ abilities to create complex

sentences. Furthermore, teaching grammar in a flipped classroom allows for more interactive

class periods in which students can ask questions about grammar and complete assignments with

peers or with guidance from their teacher. Finally, emphasizing grammar and its rhetorical

functions during writing instruction opens students’ eyes to the wonder and power of grammar,

promoting engagement in the process. The application of some or all of these methods of

instruction reinforces grammar’s importance and effectively establishes a basis from which

students become both excellent readers and superb writers.

Works Cited

Benjamin, Amy, and Oliva, Tom. Engaging Grammar: Practical Advice for REAL Classrooms. 

Urbana, Illinois, National Council of Teachers of English, 2007.

Collet, Vicki. “Revisioning Grammar Instruction Through Collaborative Lesson Study: A New 

Apprenticeship of Observation.”  Literacy Research & Instruction, vol. 59, no. 2, 2020,

pp. 95-120. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vicki-

Collet/publication/338286831_Revisioning_Grammar_Instruction_through_Collaborativ

e_Lesson_Study_A_New_Apprenticeship_of_Observation/links/5e7abeb7a6fdcc57b7bb

b1a5/Revisioning-Grammar-Instruction-through-Collaborative-Lesson-Study-A-New-

Apprenticeship-of-Observation.pdf

Frederick, Nicole. “The Professional Importance of Grammar and How it Should be Taught.” 

PIT Journal, cycle 6, 2015, pp. 1-2. Retrieved from

https://pitjournal.unc.edu/article/professional-importance-grammar-and-how-it-should-

be-taught

Jia, Xiao-Juan, Li, Zuo, Wang, Hai-Ming, and Dong-Ge, Wang. “Application of Flipped 

Classroom in Grammar Teaching.” Atlantis Press, vol. 90, 2017, pp. 254-260. Retrieved

from https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/sschd-17/25884684

Lester, Mark. Grammar and Usage in the Classroom. New York, Longman Publishers, Inc., 

2001.

Pandolpho, Beth. “Designing Lessons for Engagement.” edutopia, 

https://www.edutopia.org/article/designing-lessons-engagement. Accessed April 17, 2021

Shanahan, Eileen. “From Finding Error to Finding Wonder: A Shift in Grammar Instruction.” 
 Wolfe 11

Voices from the Middle, vol.28, no. 3, 2021, pp. 14-19. Retrieved from

https://library.ncte.org/journals/VM/issues/v28-3/31174

Tchudi, Stephen and Thomas, Lee. “Taking the G-r-r-r Out of Grammar.” The English Journal, 

vol. 85, no. 7, 2016, pp. 46-54. Retrieved from

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/820506.pdf
 Wolfe 12

Teacher Implications

Having researched both the importance of grammar and the most effective methods of

teaching it in a secondary English Language Arts classroom, I would begin the school year by

emphasizing to my students the necessity of both good grammar and grammar instruction. In

making the connection between content and the students’ own lives, I hope to interest them in

learning grammar. Secondly, I would assess my students’ current knowledge of grammar and

either teach or review the areas in which they are deficient. In order to remove the negative

stigma which my students likely attach to grammar, I intend to begin with simple lessons so that

students have the opportunity to become comfortable with the material and develop self-

confidence. Additionally, I would avoid using a red pen to correct students’ papers as this could

heighten students’ anxiety and apathy towards grammar. Furthermore, throughout the school

year, I would implement various inventive grammar lessons either in conjunction with literature

and writing instruction or in place of it when necessary. Initially, I would like to teach grammar

in a flipped classroom format so that my students can participate in engaging grammar activities

during the class period to encourage interest and foster an appreciation for grammar. However, if

this method proves ineffective for my students, I would consider changing approaches and

attempting different strategies.

These findings greatly impact both the content which English teachers present in the

classroom, and the manner in which they teach. They underscore the necessity of grammar

instruction and provide a plethora of ways in which it can be incorporated into the classroom

alongside standard English Language Arts instruction. I would recommend that educators

implement one or more of these strategies into their own classrooms, experimenting with the
 Wolfe 13

aspects that work and changing those that do not. I also encourage them to test their own

creativity, creating engaging lessons that will resonate with their own unique groups of students.