The English Dichotomy

In reading Chapter 4 of Within and Beyond the Writing Process, by Reade W. Dornan, Lois Matz Rosen, and Marilyn Wilson, I found the multiple definitions of grammar to be quite interesting. The authors see grammar as being much more complex than a set of rules, but rather grammar is a set of rules that revolves around the speaker, the observation of language, and the ideal form of the language. Dornan, et al, defines grammar with three distinct definitions:

• Grammar I: "Linguistic knowledge that speakers of a language operate with, for the most party unconsciously -- the internalized system of rules by which we operate in our production and comprehension of language" (p. 79-8).

• Grammar II: "The descriptions of those rules that linguist have constructed from observing language in use" (p. 78).

• Grammar III: "The study of usage -- table manners of language -- that focus on 'correctness' of usage, that prescribe some feature and proscribe others. Correct usage [in this sense] primarily reflects the language patterns of some idealized version of 'Standard English' and the non-stigmatized usages of dialect patterns of middle-class speech, even though few speakers of any dialect operate with all the usage rules of 'Standard English' consistently" (p. 78).

These three distinct definitions make me think about how our language can vary so much day-to-day depending on certain social situations. I have thought about these different definitions and roles of grammar in different social situations and have come up with three places why may be more likely to use each grammar. Grammar I seems to be a definition of grammar of daily speech. These are the rules we come to be familiar with and are expected by the speakers of the same English/dialect. These are the rules that come naturally to us -- what sounds right, and are often different and more informal than say rules applied to writing. Grammar II seems to be the definition of grammar as it is studied and used in school such as: sentence diagramming, labeling parts of speech, etc. This form of grammar is the actual looking at and using of the rules of grammar that have developed. Grammar III seems to be referring to the most formal and strict use of grammar. This definition seems to be in play during times of writing, where often how we say something on paper is different than how we would say it in person. This idealized form of grammar, or "Standard English" is what we all strive for in writing because it is supposed to be a more universally understandable form of English, and the "correct" way to communicate in English. Grammar II and III seem to have a lot of overlap, and I'm sure you could say that grammar III is the one most studied in school, I feel it is a little bit of both II and III as how we speak differs from how we write.

Thinking about the "correct" English described in Grammar III, in context of the diversity of spoken English that you can find, some questions come to mind: What is the basis for these rules? Who or What determines what the English is we all strive for or conform to in our writing? These questions are definitely worth discussion. Exploring these questions with students will no doubt help students to better understand why their spoken language can differ from the written language expected of them in school and the real world. I'm sure many student share a frustration in this dichotomy of English. By bringing these issues alive to the classroom may help to alleviate that frustration and help students see the value and purpose of learning the Grammar III.

In closing, I leave you with two questions that this topic always brings up -- two questions I have difficulty finding answers to:

• Is this issue of the possible vast differences in spoken English versus written English unique to the English language? Are there any other languages with one common written form, and a multitude of spoken forms?

• Will English always have one standard/idealized form such as Grammar III? Or will the varying dialects of English become further and further removed from each other that new languages will emerge?

Link of the Week:

Do You Speak American?

This portion of the PBS Teachers website provides a unit plan for looking at how spoken and written language differs. This unit also explores the issues surrounding norms of language in both written and spoken forms as well as how current technologies may be influencing a change in the English language.