ABSTRACT
In Chapter 2, we rethink some common assumptions about grammar and grammar instruction, as well as clarifying a few goals.
We aren’t teaching grammar; we’re teaching language.
Language is really weird, and we have to anticipate, plan for, and build on that weirdness rather than pretend it doesn’t exist.
For almost everyone, grammar instruction has been contaminated by negative experiences. We can’t move forward until we address this significant problem.
Language is bound in people, places, and power structures, and if we’re going to talk about language, we have to understand and respect these connections.
We need to stop and really think about what terminology we want students to learn and be able to justify the reasoning behind it.
Believe it or not, it is okay if you don’t know all the answers. We have to be comfortable in the not-always-knowing.
