Is grammar losing its importance?
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
A language cannot sustain without grammar as grammar is the backbone of any language. English has been one of the most popular languages worldwide. It has some of the most cherished literature in the store. Great writers like Shakespeare, Joseph Conrad, James Joyce, Robert Burns, Dylan Thomas and many more were actually instrumental in decorating English language with their great literally work while keeping the essence of grammar intact. The language used in those days differed from the English we use today. The grammar was the strongest element in their literature then. However the English language underwent numerous changes in due course of time. Certain words changed for instance:- Thou and thee replaced with you.
Traditional grammar displayed the process of thinking in the literally works; the grammatical problems soon attracted considerate attention not for the set of rules and restrictions but for the beauty of the literature. In the due course of time we have an academy set up to rectify the flaws in grammar however traditionally the authorities were publically chosen by a consensus. These authorities were well acquainted with the grammar skills and would have consistent review and consideration. However the scenario is changing gradually academy is formed to rectify grammar but the rules are isolated to books and grammar is restricted to schools and colleges. Prescriptive grammar has passed out of the realm of criticism, where it sat for two hundred years, to become instead a branch of cultural heraldry.
I remember working on do as directed in schools. The most scoring and entertaining task for me as a student. However this was restricted till schools and nobody is bothered about it in today’s arena. When we say the standard of grammar is deteriorating, it means the grammar is no more looked upon as an important part of language study. Though English is one of the most popular languages worldwide, very few speak grammatically correct English. The subjective and objectives are merged without proper conjunctions. It is also been observed that grammar is taken for granted. For instance my friend a well known French professor had a debate with me on whether subjunctive do exists or do not exist in English however it does. The grammar is so much sidelined that a well educated professor can commit such faults.
A study was carried out in Sweden in order to comprehend the role of grammar teacher in the academic lives of the student. The text books of four different languages were researched in order to acquire focus on grammar explanation in different languages. The study intended to analyze the grammar explanation, grammatical terms, features and the measures through which the features are presented. The approaches evident in each of these texts were compared with one another and with the approach evident in a Latin textbook from the late 1800s. The analysis clearly showed the modern courses to be less grammar intensive than the Latin course
Grammar is gradually losing its hold over the language. Grammar once known as the backbone of the language is losing its importance to such an extent that it is just restricted to schools and colleges. It is no problem if anyone is speaking grammatically incorrect English as almost everyone does it while there are very few who know what grammatically correct English is but don’t bother to correct those who are at fault. Understanding the traditional English is a tough task not only for children but also for adults. Deterioration of grammar took place gradually and the upgrade would also take it due course of time. In the meanwhile it is required to understand the importance of grammar and its soul place in language and literature.