Is grammar important?

witslanguageschool.com

Is grammar important?

Some people think that correct English grammar matters only to teachers and is of no real importance in daily life.  This is certainly not true. Grammar, regardless of the country or the language, is the foundation for communication.  When a message is relayed with the correct grammar, it is easier to understand the purpose and meaning of that message.  In order to communicate, a learner should know the grammar of the language.  It is important to be able to express yourself, but this should be done in a way that people find easy to understand.

Writing that is poorly punctuated and contains grammatical errors is difficult to read and sometimes impossible to understand.  If the reader has to go back and re-read a sentence several times because they are not quite sure what it means, it spoils their reading experience and they are quite likely to misunderstand the point or even give up and not read any further.

In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules which influences the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given language. It is the systematic study and description of a language, and it helps us to understand how words and their component parts combine to form sentences.

Reasons why you should apply the correct grammar when you speak and write

Grammar rules can help learners develop the habit of thinking logically and clearly.  After studying grammar, learners are able to become more accurate when using a language.

Without good grammar, clear communication is impossible.  Proper grammar keeps you from being misunderstood while expressing your thoughts and ideas.

Grammar improves the development of fluency.  When a person has learned grammar, it will be easier for that person to know how to organise and express the ideas in their mind without difficulty.  As a result, they will be able to speak, read and write the language more fluently.

         Many employers are immediately put off when they receive a cover letter for a job application that contains grammatical errors and is poorly written.  Many employers will simply ignore this application and even delete it. It is therefore important to bear this in mind when applying for a job.

When writing on behalf of your organisation, it is important to use the correct grammar, as this can mean the difference between readers trusting your expertise or questioning your knowledge of the subject matter.  If you can’t write properly, you can’t relay your subject matter with authority.

A person with poor grammar skill can form a negative impression on others.  First impressions can be lasting, and may hide the true judgment of character.  Some people consider good grammar to be a mark of intelligence and education. D on’t allow strangers to form a negative impression of you based on your poor communication skills.

Writing and speaking correctly gives you the appearance of credibility.  If you’re attempting to build a reputation as an expert in your profession, correct use of grammar is extremely important.

With the development of social networks and technology, people have become increasingly more lazy to use grammar in their everyday communications. When texting, using Facebook, MySpace or Twitter, they tend to use sentences that are as simple as possible. Grammar is unnecessary in these mediums and fragments of sentences are quite acceptable. Unfortunately, it is easy to get into a bad habit based on this.

There is no shortcut to learning English grammar. A computer can’t fully grasp the complexities of the English language.  In some cases, a computer grammar check can sometimes suggest the incorrect alternatives when attempting to fix common errors.

Different ways to improve your grammar

Read more in English

One way to improve your grammar is to read more in English. The more you read, the more you improve your grammar and vocabulary.  It may be tiring and difficult to understand everything, but this is one step you cannot skip if you want to get better at grammar. Reading helps you to see how English works and how the grammar works. That knowledge can transfer to your writing.  Find something you like to read, and then keep on reading.  It doesn’t matter what you read – books, magazine articles, or newspapers – as long as they are written in proper English. Try to read as many different genres (e.g. newspaper articles, academic journals, blogs, short-stories, etc.) as you can.

Listen more to English

Listening to others who use good English and watching television also helps.  It works better if you watch what you are really interested in. Remember that the English spoken in America is different from that spoken in England.  Some parts of spelling and grammar are different between the two countries.  

        In South Africa, we follow the British grammar and spelling rules.

Practise more

Make sure you work through all your grammar exercises in your course book regularly.  To learn English grammar well, you will need to practise each grammar point until you can easily use it. Look for a book of grammar exercises that also has answers for additional practice.  Online activities and quizzes can also help.  Focus on one grammar point each time you study.

Write more in English

Try writing a daily journal in English. Any extra practice that you can get is going to help you.

Remember, try not to get discouraged.  Learning English grammar and using it correctly takes a lot of time, effort, and practice.  Be positive and proactive about practising your grammar and you’ll begin seeing more improvement.

Daily Grammar - Why is grammar important?

ask.dailygrammar.com

Daily Grammar - Why is grammar important?

Grammar lays the groundwork for effective communication.  Just as an improperly configured telephone wire can cause static during a phone conversation, improper grammar can likewise affect the meaning and clarity of an intended message.

Grammatical errors come in many forms and all can easily confuse and obscure meaning.  Some common errors are with sentence structure, subject/verb tense, punctuation, spelling, and other basic mechanics and parts of speech.  Even something as simple as a misplaced comma can completely change the meaning of a sentence.  For example: "Let's eat grandpa" vs. "Let's eat, grandpa."

Grammar makes written content more readable and in turn more interesting.  If it is necessary to repeatedly reword sentences while reading, the flow becomes disrupted and involvement in the story halted.

Grammar skills are useful in every aspect of life from education to leadership, and social life to employment opportunities.  They are equally important at home where children learn their grammatical patterns from their parents and family.  This puts the next generation at an immediate disadvantage if learning incorrectly.

Grammar skills are important to be an effective leader.  Communication skills are indispensable to effectively give direction and provide assurance of leading ability.  In addition, if continuing education is desired, grammatically correct papers will be expected from college professors.

Proper grammar is also essential for understanding English as a second language as well as for learning a new language, since all languages follow grammatical patterns.  With the United States being a melting pot of nationalities and foreign language speakers, hearing proper, consistent English is extremely helpful to encourage any newcomers in becoming fluent.  This, in turn, aids native English speakers in understanding other dialects as well.

From persuasive papers to resumes, grammatical errors immediately take away the intended strength necessary to acquire an ally on an issue or an invitation for a job interview.  In both situations, grammatical inconsistencies make influential words less poignant.

While correct grammar is a valuable tool for success in many areas of life, it is not used to create a gap in the social world.  It is not a tool for segregation, but a tool to opening doors by being heard and understood more clearly.  While correct grammar will offer an edge in a job interview it won't be so obvious as to cause a separation from the masses in casual conversation.

In conclusion, just as rules are necessary in everyday situations, grammar rules are likewise essential in everyday life for clarity of meaning and intent.

Why Grammar Counts At Work

forbes.com

Why Grammar Counts At Work     Susan Adams

Grammar has been getting attention in the media lately, and for good reason.

The Wall Street Journal started the discussion last month with a piece about the growing number of grammar gaffes in the office, especially among younger employees.   Examples: “There’s new people you should meet,” instead of “there are new people you should meet,” and “he expected Helen and I to help him,” instead of “he expected Helen and me.” The piece quoted managers and bosses who were fed up with younger employees who bring the vernacular of emails, Twitter messages and casual conversations into the office, including the ubiquitous use of the word “like” and those who say, “I could care less,” when they mean “I couldn’t care less.” The piece mentioned a survey of 430 employers taken earlier this year, in which 45% said they planned to increase training programs to improve employees’ use of grammar and other skills.

Because I am over 50 and I was raised by grammar sticklers, I am sympathetic to managers’ complaints about rampant grammar mistakes. One of my parents’ pet peeves: The improper use of “lay” and “lie.” Anytime someone says “I’m tired and I’m going to lay down,” I cringe. You lay down an object, but you lie down on the bed.

On the other hand, as my colleague Alison Griswold  points out in a thoughtful, well-researched piece, experts recognize that language rules evolve, rather than remain static. Alison gives some great examples, like the use of the words “google,” “access” and “reference” as verbs. “Access” only went from being a noun to a verb in 1962, Alison learned from the Online Etymology Dictionary. Alison has several wonderful quotes from linguistics professor Alice Harris at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Harris’s conclusion, in short: language is constantly changing, and often those changes bubble up from informal usage. I should probably let go of my fixation on “lay” and “lie.”

Still, as a plainspoken piece on today’s Harvard Business Review blog points out, it’s better to err on the side of grammar caution. The story is written by Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, an online repair manual. Wiens says, simply, that he won’t hire people who have bad grammar. He gives all of his job applicants a grammar test, making exceptions only for people with serious extenuating circumstances like dyslexia or those who are learning English as a second language. “If job hopefuls can't distinguish between ‘to’ and ‘too,’ their applications go into the bin,” he writes. Wiens explains that he cares about grammar for two reasons. One, he points out, is that in this digital age, when we communicate increasingly in written texts and posts, “your words are all you have.” We project ourselves through our written words, he notes.   Another reason is that poor grammar shows a kind of sloppiness.  Wiens wants to hire people who pay attention to detail.

I can think of several other reasons that grammar is important, in spoken English as well as in the written word. When you speak, you project your level of intelligence and thoughtfulness.  You also demonstrate how organized you are, in your thoughts and in your intentions.  If you can get your sentences straight before you say them, you’re promising that you’re more likely to master tasks at work.  In addition to good grammar, it’s best if you can scrub your speech of awkward pauses, “ums” and “uhs.” The other thing eloquence suggests is that you are listening closely to the other person, and you’re serious about what you want to convey to that person. Good grammar and clear sentences suggest respect.

Given how fast the digital world is changing the way we communicate, we may witness a more rapid change in grammar rules. But for now, as Kyle Wiens sensibly points out, it’s best to keep grammar rules in mind and try to abide by them, when writing and speaking.

The Importance Of Grammar In Communication English Language Essay

The Importance Of Grammar In Communication English Language Essay

Published: 23rd March, 2015

The importance of grammar in communication

"Grammatical competence was a part of communicative competence" (Lock, 1996, p.266). Therefore, to obtain an effective communication skill, people should pay attention to grammar due to these following reasons.

First, grammar is very importance because it may help enhance accuracy. Marcel (1853) highlights this point in his book. He clarifies how grammar develops accuracy in communication as "it forms the mind to habits of order and clearness; concurrently with logic and rhetoric, it accustoms learners to accuracy of language, and hence, to accuracy of thinking"(p.424). This means grammar rules can help learners develop a habit of thinking logically and clearly. Therefore, after studying grammar, they will become more accurate when using language.

In addition to accuracy, Ellis also says that grammar learning can make the internalization of syntactic system become easier. Hence, it improves the development of fluency (Hinkel and Fotos, 2002,p.10). When a person has learned grammar, it will be easier for him to acquire other grammar rules afterwards compared to those who have never learned before. That person will know how to organize and express the ideas in his mind without difficulty.  As a result, he will be able to speak, read or write a language in a smooth and skillful way.

Second, a proper use of grammar is a sign of respect, both for speakers and listeners (Clack, 2010).  For speakers, speaking clearly means they take time to polish themselves with a good impression from the listeners. A person with a poor grammar skill can form negative impression on the first time meeting and this may last for a long time. For listeners, a proper use of grammar shows that their thought is concerned. Speakers do not want them to waste time trying to figure out what they are saying.

The problems facing grammar use today

In sum, we cannot deny the importance of grammar in communication.  Nevertheless, today there are still some problems facing grammar use.  Clark (2010) points out one of them which is: "as the world becomes more technologically inclined, good grammar seems to go to the sideway.  People, used to taking shortcuts with the help of new technology, also take shortcuts with grammar".  Nowadays, some people seem to get used to the fast and modern life.  Everything should be brief and short. With the development of social network and technology, people become grammatically lazier.   When texting, using Facebook, Myspace or Twitter, they tend to use sentences that are as simple as possible. Moreover, they also use fragments of sentences.   For them, grammar is unneccessary as long as what they say is understandable.  Nevertheless, this often causes misunderstanding among readers Therefore, to overcome this problem, teaching grammar should be paid more attention in classrooms.

(https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-language/the-importance-of-grammar-in-communication-english-language-essay.php)

Importance of Teaching English Grammar

wordsworthelt.com

Importance of Teaching English Grammar

http://www.wordsworthelt.com/blog/importance-of-teaching-english-grammar/digital language teaching, teaching english grammar1

The importance of teaching grammar in English language is an ongoing debate. Where on one hand theorists and practitioners have felt that its significance in language learning cannot be mitigated, on the other hand it is seen as nothing but a set of arbitrary rules and merely an exercise in naming parts of a sentence; something that can easily be done away with.

An analysis of this ongoing debate has nevertheless brought to the fore the necessity of grammar teaching and its significance in language learning and enhancement.

That grammar has a positive and real effect on all the four skills of language learning is being gradually recognised.  Although the benefits of grammar on teaching and improving writing skills have been better accepted, its impact on reading, listening and speaking is also now being seen to be prominent.

Enhanced communication skills call for a high degree of grammatical competence.  Communicative proficiency involves knowledge and application of grammar and use of appropriate vocabulary of the language to convey meanings in a socially acceptable way.  This is also the reason why grammar teaching is considered imperative and has found its way into language teaching labs.

Grammar is the base of English language.  English especially as a second or a foreign language is not acquired naturally; instruction and structured learning are important. Through grammar, an ESL learner learns how to operate at the sentence level and studies the governance of the syntax or word orders that are the rule of the game in the language. While, it is argued that some learners ‘notice’ grammar rules and logic naturally, yet it cannot be denied that if one hopes to acquire and use English language accurately and fluently, grammar learning is necessary.

Though grammar teaching generally would involve the intervention of a teacher in the classroom, some language teaching labs have also introduced this feature in their teaching content.  Words Worth English language lab is one such digital language teaching lab that has an audio visual teaching content for grammar for schools.

To add punch to their contention of grammar being important for English language learning, grammarians talk about researches which prove that learners who received grammar instructions made marked progress within two weeks of tutored sessions as compared to those who tried to pick up the language naturally.  The three dimensions of grammar: form, meaning and use that tutored grammar learning brings to the learner’s attention enable him/her to progress in their language competencies. Their risk of hitting a learning plateau is largely reduced thus, in comparison to those who went through an untutored language learning process.