Language Matters

 Language instruction may be one of my least topics to discuss in a classroom setting. With so many conventions, grammar rules, and diversity in the English language, it seems like a difficult task to pull off. While in school, many of these topics were covered on worksheets and handouts which were not that effective or impactful to my learning. I do not want to be THAT teacher who covers these topics with a single handout and expect my students to walk away with a complete understanding of the language "rules." 

When starting to teach language, I think the best way to frame it would not be as "rules" but as tools for effective communication. Your writing may look different to a friend than to an employer, it's important to show the difference between the two. The English language is also unique in that when you understand the conventions and the "rules" that are present in writing, you can become fluent and use "break" the rules to show intentional breakage. This may be useful when writing with dialogue and incorporating dialects that are present in the English language. 

When I am planning language instruction, the class and I would be discussing a novel or a reading. The text to choose would need to show off a diverse range of voices. A wide range of voices may include a large experience pool which may provide a door for students to walk into the story and see themselves or their identities present. After reading a text with uncommon dialects and language systems, it's crucial to emphasize that there isn't a "one size fits all" to talk or to write. This would also help students to understand that writing an essay isn't formulaic and that they shouldn't confine themselves to the 5-paragraph essay. 

The text I choose may also show different language uses that are used in different contexts. These different uses would encourage students to consider their audience and to show another example of a "no right way" to the English language. During this activity, I may have students refer back to their identity lists, which Ebarvia requires her students to fill out near the beginning of the year so that students can return and reflect on their different identities and how those reflect their reading and writing. Encouraging students to explore their background with language usage would also give them a chance to look at their writing style and how that may be improved for certain audiences.

While reading content posted in my classroom materials, I have thinking about language instruction in my classroom. One method that I enjoyed reading about (and might steal for my future practice) was in the article, "A Critique of Daily Sentence-Editing Exercises," in the article, Pezzetti speaks about a classroom teacher who presents an incorrect sentence to the students at the beginning of class and has the students "fix" the sentence. There are many flaws in this method that is already spoken about, but the biggest takeaway I got from it is the consistency of incorrect sentences may impact the student writer in negative ways. The students were not given a correct sentence after their "guessing" game and were left wondering what it was supposed to look like. In this same article, Pezzetti gives another example in which students come into class and reflect on the reading that was due by answering, "What (one line) did you like or what puzzled you?" While students begin writing, the teacher also writes with the same prompt in mind and choosing a student leader to be a facilitator. This gives the teacher time to take attendance and get anything else done quickly. The teacher then uses the share-out as a way for students to write a sentence with the "Powerful Sentence Pattern." Students then share with their neighbors and the teacher chooses one to share with the class. This fun, creative activity got students excited for their work, gave the teacher time to take attendance, and also opened into a great opportunity to write a complete sentence. The pattern also uses words you'd see in typical grammar instruction, preposition, subject, verb, and adverb. Which means students understand what the teacher is asking for. 

Another piece of content that I have enjoyed reading about (and will go get the book soon) was Harry Noden's first chapter which discusses the basic brush strokes to writing. Talking about these brush strokes will teach students noun, verb, adjective, etc. it will also develop their storytelling to a story"showing." Students will learn how to paint the picture in their readers' minds to make the reading come to life and have more meaning. Not only will incorporating the brush strokes enhance their writing, but also deepen their understanding of grammar systems and the English conventions. 

I still have more thinking and reading to do regarding grammar instruction, I have found these readings especially useful when considering my future teaching.

Have a great week!

Sources

Noden, Harry R. Image Grammar: Using Grammatical Structures to Teach Writing. Heinemann, 1999.

Pezzetti, Karen. “Daily oral language, the bell tolls for thee: A critique of daily sentence-editing exercises.” Language Arts Journal of Michigan, vol. 34, no. 1, 1 Aug. 2018, https://doi.org/10.9707/2168-149x.2182.