Why Study Grammar?

For me, this chapter was more insightful than those in the Williams text. As I read, I realized just how complex grammar is. The chapter reflects upon common approaches to studying grammar, the relationship between grammar study and writing improvement, the relationship between language and culture, and the social nature of error.
In the first paragraph, the author discusses both the technical and social definition of the term grammar.
"Technically, the term grammar refers to the structure or system of a language, which sounds simply enough. But socially, the term grammar can bring up images of diagramming sentences or memorizing rules and definitions, as well as confusion and boredom" (1).
When you hear or think of the term grammar, what images come up in your mind?
For me, grammar was all about memorization. My classmates and I were given grammar rule after grammar rule, and expected to study them repeatedly. I did fairly well i my classes at this point, but it only got harder from here on. As our knowledge of grammar developed, we began diagramming sentences. This was where the confusion set in for me. It took me quite a long time to master the skill of diagramming sentences. Looking back, I wonder if this truly benefited my communication skills. I feel that the relationship between oral and written communication was somwhat lost amid the grammar rules and tests.

Next, I was intrigued by the author's ideas of formality and informality. She said, "Generally (but not always), writing is considered more formal than speech. Therefore, grammatical forms that might be considered appropriate (and not errors) in speech might not be acceptable in writing" (9).
Do you agree with this belief? In other words, do you believe that writing is typically more formal than speech?
While I think that this was once a common belief, I am hesitant to believe that this is a general occurrence today. Of course, inappropriate prounoun usage is much harder to detect in speech than in writing. But, with the rise of the Web, I feel that students are writing more informally than ever. I feel that students have a difficult time distinguishing between universal and community language; in other words, they do not comprehend that text message lingo is not necessarily acceptable in a classroom setting. I think it is imperative for teachers to teach not only grammar, but the ideas of professionalism and formality. If not, students' writing and speech will both continue to be informal.