(teach) English Grammar

I wasn't aware that anyone was making such a claim. This seems a
specious argument.  In China, as we are all aware, there are the CET
exams and the TEM ones (Test for English Majors) and whether we like
it or not they are grammar heavy. Therefore, I do not see how any
foreign teacher can teach English in a Chnese university and not be
able to explain grammar points as and when they crop in class, usually
as errors.I don't think anyone here is talking about teaching solely
an English grammar class, but being to illustrate how the language is
working by differentiating between verb tenses or different parts of
speech, for example, as I do and have done as a grammar in use
exercise is,I think, fully justified and useful. Plenty of students do
remember the differences; plenty of course do not but that is a
question more of their individual ability i learning  a language as
well as about how often they get to use the language and less about
the efficacy of teaching grammar I believe.

Russ Taylor
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May I point out two errors in your message Russ.
1.  There are no grammar questions in any of the national or
provincial exams.  I have old papers and I can vouch for that.  There
is a lot of usage, that is filling in the correct word, but that is
not a grammar question.  A grammar question asks you to change these
verbs to adverbs or other similar exercises.
Therefore, actual grammar and terminology is not needed by the
students.  If they speak the language in every lesson they will know
the fill in answers easily.

2. I train teachers every summer, and the only thing that they want to
know how to teach is grammar and vocabulary, because that is all they
see a reason for knowing.  They really teach only grammar and
vocabulary.  I have even been told that there is not time to do the
exercises in the text book because the grammar takes up so much time.
They are usually shocked when I tell them that I will not train them
how to teach either grammar or vocabulary.

These are junior high school teachers and I just tell them to teach
the book, teach what is in the book.  Don't teach what is not in the
book.  (Horror, horror!)

Ria
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Ria Smit, Zhengzhou, China
Phone:(0371) 6761 2725
Mobile: 13523091304
SKYPE: riacalling
www.yellowwattleenglish.com
www.betterphoto.com?englishteacherinchina
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Why is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least
triviality that happens to us,
and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the
same person?
                            -- Francois de La Rochefoucauld  (1613-1680)