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Learning GrammarHaving a conversation is a basic skill which we learn from a very young age. From the day we are born or possibly even earlier we hone our ability to recognize the meaning of words. Just by listening and interacting you learn to speak a language. But how many of us really understand the grammar? Why did we choose these words? Did we use the correct tense? Does a comma go here? Which is correct, ?me and you?, ?you and me?, ?you and I?? And does it really matter? After all, we understand the question either way. Well I think it matters a great deal. We?ve all probably heard someone say something that is not correct or didn?t use the word in its proper sense, but what are you going to do, stop them in mid conversation and correct them? Unless it is one of your students or your own children, it?s something you just don?t do. We just accept it and move on. This is why it is important that we teach proper grammar from a very young age, making sure the topic is understood before moving on to more complicated aspects of our language. Baby steps are the key. From using the correct form of verbs to proper word order, to infinitives and prepositions, gerunds and moods, it?s not an easy task. So how does a teacher go about this challenge? Like anything else, practice and exposure is the key. Fortunately, there are plenty of good exercises for teachers to help students understand the complex world of good grammar while at the same time, keeping it fun. Also encouraging students to listen to and use english as much as possible outside of class will help tremendously. Teaching students to deduce the correct grammar on their own is most important. Speaking as much as possible and listening to determine whether the grammar being used is correct, is the true test of understanding. When a student truly has succeeded in knowing whether they or their partner used the correct grammar or not, and can explain why, they?ve moved above a prior plateau and reached a new language level. The TEFL student has an additional challenge of learning a whole new grammatical structure. In a perfect world, we would be able to translate a sentence word for word and be able to speak that language. Of course that is not the case. For the TEFL student and native speakers alike, speaking correctly shows dedication and is a reflection of your education and character. I?ve been living in South Florida for 25 years and have many Latin friends and acquaintances from just about every South and Central American country. All can communicate to get by, and for some that is enough, but others are looking to better their life here in America. For many, their current grasp of the language is not enough to further their career. Learning to use proper grammar is a huge advantage in any job market. When I start my TEFL career, I plan on having my students make a game out of listening to the radio, listening to TV, reading signs and reporting back to me their successes, challenges and any questions that they may have. Without a doubt, one of my main goals is to make sure my students have a good grasp of proper grammar.
