Teaching Grammar

   Writing is a skill, like music or art or carpentry or plumbing or cooking. Anyone can be taught the basics, like playing the piano, but few people have the talent to rise to the level of Dave Brubeck.
   Similarly, everyone can and should be taught the basics of grammar, punctuation, spelling and sentence structure as a means of clear communication in writing. 
   Few become as good at writing as Ernest Hemingway. Even there, however, Hemingway was notoriously poor at spelling. That's what editors are for.
   In an earlier time, newspapers employed reporters, who were on their beats and called in information to rewriters, who composed the story. Many reporters, good as they were at the job of gathering information, were terrible writers. And many writers were and are poor at grammar, punctuation, style and spelling. That's what copy editors were and are for.
   Times have changed, and many journalists have become skilled at several of the various steps of gathering, reporting, writing and editing stories. But these are all separate skills. And as with many other fields, some have the talent needed to be competent in more than one skill.
   Whether they become masters at the craft is another issue, and this principle applies to many other professions, including those mentioned above.
   Even so, those who wish to succeed in their chosen fields need to become at least competent in the basics.
   For journalists -- indeed for nearly everyone working today -- the ability to communicate well, especially in writing, is an important ingredient for success.
   There are, of course, various dialects within any language, and that includes English as spoken in America.    Linguistically, all dialects are equal. Each enables its speakers to communicate with others within the same dialect with full understanding.
   A conflict, however, often arises when those speaking or writing in one dialect attempt to communicate with those who favor another dialect. Some dialects have more prestige than another, but that is a social judgment, not linguistic.
   Therefore, success in society can often depend on whether one speaks or writes well in the prestige dialect. This does not mean abandoning entirely the regional or social dialect that is home to the speaker or writer. Indeed, politicians are especially adept at switching back and forth from the home dialect when campaigning to a different dialect when in the confines of a government or legislative office.
   The ruling factor is communication, and within that there are standards. It's important, then, that educators teach students to write and speak according to the standards of the society in which they function.
   This is not to say, however, that a 12-year-old should always speak in the same manner as an academic philosopher. Try that on the street and see how fast the kid gets ignored at least, or beaten up at worst.
   Nor should football players attempt to use locker-room talk in a philosophy class. Both situations result in judgments by those who feel they occupy a more socially prestigious position.
   Nonetheless, there are standards. The skill is in knowing the standards and using them to enable communication and easy understanding.
   This is why the rules of grammar are taught in schools, and why the early grades are called "grammar schools."
   To a grammarian, rules are what you must do. To a linguist, rules are what speakers and writers actually do when forming sentences and communicating.
   Grammarians are judgmental. Linguists merely describe. Successful communication depends on knowing the difference.