We cannot deny the importance of learning proper English grammar, whether we are talking about a five-year-old who is about to begin learning to read or a thirty-year-old woman who is attempting to write a thesis for her master’s degree.
Many people I know immediately cringe when they see or hear about English grammar. They are reminded of junior high and high school English classes and how their English teachers forced them to complete English grammar exercise after English grammar exercise. Because English grammar is often viewed negatively, it is critical that people replace those lies with the truth that learning English grammar is essential for anyone who wishes to gain a proper understanding of the English language.
When we speak or hear English, few of us stop to consider the fact that English grammar is the very thing that allows us to communicate with and understand one another. We can understand each other not so much because we use the same English words, but because we all put our words together in different ways to form thoughts and sentences. In a nutshell, this is the goal of English grammar.
English grammar refers to the mechanics of the English language that allow two people who use the same vocabulary to communicate without misunderstanding. There will always be some level of miscommunication when two people communicate, but so many of our problems will be alleviated if we all take the time to learn English grammar.
Today, many schools are moving away from including English grammar in the regular curriculum. So, while students may learn to read and write successfully, they will almost certainly never learn English grammar or why they speak and write the way they do. So, if you or someone you know is having difficulty with any aspect of the English language, or if you know a child or someone who is attempting to learn English for the first time, make English grammar an important part of the learning process.
Being able to speak, understand, and write a language is an important part of being successful in life, regardless of what you do. Taking the time to learn even the fundamentals of English grammar will go a long way toward improving communication.
