It is time to bring back the glamour into grammar. In fact,
etymologically the two words are related. Believe it or not, “grammar” is the
precursor of “glamour”. Here is what the Oxford Dictionaries say about the
origin of the word “glamour”:
Origin
early 18th century (originally
Scots in the sense 'enchantment, magic'): alteration of grammar. Although grammar itself was not used in this
sense, the Latin word grammatica (from
which it derives) was often used in the Middle Ages to mean 'scholarship,
learning', including the occult practices popularly associated with learning.
The Scottish online newspaper Caledonian Mercury confirms the origin of the word: “Glamour was
originally a modified form of the word grammar. Grammar originally meant
learning in general, rather than its modern sense, and it also referred to a
knowledge of the occult or magic. Thus, grammar and glamour were both caught up
in witchcraft” (“Useful
Scots Word: Glamour”).
It is interesting to note a connection between magic and
learning. The association between learning and power has traditionally been
more salient, as in Francis Bacon’s “Knowledge is power”. Yet students need to realize
the magic of grammar. Since it can enchant or disenchant readers, it can
transform people’s lives. In “information literacy”, grammar is one of the
criteria used in judging the credibility of a source!
Mind you, it is not only students that need guidance in
grammar. Faculty members and non-teaching staff can also benefit from polishing
it up as indicated in The Huffington Post
article “Why
Grammar Is Important” by William Bradshaw, author of The Big Ten of Grammar: Identifying and Fixing the Ten Most Frequent
Grammatical Errors. Bradshaw reminds us that effective grammar gives
leaders an advantage and that correct grammar is the basis of clear, effective
communication: “… the better the grammar, the clearer the message, the more
likelihood of understanding the message's intent and meaning. That is what
communication is all about.” The author interestingly notes that non-native
learners of English often have better knowledge of grammar than native
speakers: “For those of us who have had international students in our
classrooms, although they usually speak with a noticeable accent, their
knowledge of English grammar is frequently superior to that of our own
students.” A British Council source has made a similar observation:
Isn't there any difference
between “knowing grammar” and “knowing about grammar”? In fact, there is a
difference as “knowing grammar” is a facility which developed when we were
small children and “knowing about grammar” is a reflective process, i.e. to be
able to describe what the rules are. It is not a secret that sometimes native
speakers of English don’t know any grammar and foreigners speak more correctly
than the natives. The native speakers often fail to describe their own grammar
knowledge and it is either because they have not thought to do so or because of
poor teaching methods. (“The
Importance of Grammar”)
A couple of grammar sites that I have found
particularly useful are Mignon Fogarty’s Grammar Girl and the
University of Northern Iowa’s Dr Grammar.
On the other hand, research into the teaching of grammar and writing indicates
that the former should preferably not be taught separately from the latter, out
of context, but rather as part of the teaching of writing – and that the best
way of improving students’ grammar is by relating it to their writing. After
all, grammar without content can be pretty vacuous. Still, without grammar,
where are real success and glamour?