TESL 110 unit 2

The video discussion on creating an interlanguage really stood out to me. To me this is the reason for teaching and learning other languages, the ability to be understood. Being able to have meaningful communication in another language is the standard we all hope to reach. As Betty Azar discusses, vocabulary is the most important, but there is a place for grammar. Native language speaking is not important in todays multicultural society. It is all about fluency and accuracy, this will let students be able to be understood. The discussion that immersion will result in accuracy was also riveting. Her example of the student who was in college and still wrote relatively poorly was shocking. The fact that they had been in the USA for ten years and still wrote that way was crazy. Really showed me that there needs to be a focus on grammar.


resource:
2008 TESOL Panel: Teaching Grammar in Today's Classroom—Introduction: Why Teach Grammar?

TESL 110 unit 1

I found the quiz in this unit to be very eye-opening. It brought to my attention that we use grammar everyday but don't even realize how we are using it and if we are using it properly. I found some of the questions were hard and unfamiliar so how could I teach them. I would definitely have to brush up on a lot of my grammar rules in order to feel confident teaching grammar to students. I felt after this unit that grammar would be quite the undertaking and a long time learning process. I know of many people who are born here that have very disappointing grammar. It is a big subject and requires a lot of attention and foundations. It seems to be me that when grammar becomes more natural to students that their language capabilities would improve significantly. Making the teaching of grammar a very important subject.