Why do we need English grammar in speaking?

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Answered by Elo Kasia

Elo Kasia is the Group Mentor for English Time | What I Learned Today

Do we need English grammar in speaking | Elo Kasia

Do we need  English grammar in speaking?  

The short answer is we don’t. Actually, worrying too much about grammar and correctness often prevents English learners from progressing to fluency.

Most of us are still taught in educational institutions across the world which rely heavily on traditional methods of teaching and view grammar as the foundation for developing language competency. They focus on grammar exercises, tables, translation or sentence formation. Many teachers insist that their students know all the grammar terms and love assigning such tasks as conjugating the verbs, memorizing tables of irregular verbs or endless exercises whose aim is to change one grammatical form into another, such as active into passive voice, present into past, statements into reported speech, first conditional into second conditional and so on. Some hypothetical situations depicted in these exercises belong to the world of fiction rather than reality and have no relation to the real world.

There are students who excel at such exercises, however when it comes to speaking many of them are unable to produce a response to a simple question, such as How are you? or Where do you live?

In fact, it is the inability to speak or to speak fluently that is the most frequent complaint from students across the globe. One of the reasons why this happens is because our schools and universities put too much emphasis on learning grammar and not enough on teaching us how to speak.

Let me explain some of the reasons why it is necessary for you as a student to stop worrying about grammar in order to become a better speaker.

First of all, you did not become a speaker of your own language by studying grammar. You were a fluent speaker long before you went to primary school and well before you were able to read and write. Children learn by being immersed in the language, by imitating adults and by receiving constant feedback and encouragement. By the age of three most children are able to use complex sentences and differentiate between present, past, future without ever been taught a single grammar rule or term. They make a lot of mistakes, but they often correct themselves over time with some instruction from their parents. But what is most important, they use language to communicate, first their needs, then feelings and observations. And that is the primary reason for the existence of language. We can learn so much as adult learners by observing how children acquire language.

There are too many English learners who get stressed about grammar unnecessarily and this fear holds them back. They study grammar rules, do plenty of written exercises, make complex sentences in their heads, (such as “By the time tea is served I will have been working in my garden for 2 hours”) but then when it comes to actually using their knowledge in practice, their focus on being correct is actually an impediment.

Instead of studying grammar rules, you should focus on the meaning and function of the language you are trying to learn. Learn in phrases, repeat as often as you can, and do not try to understand every single rule. Language, as many things in life, is often illogical. With time, and knowledge of more structures and expressions it will all come together and you will be able to use different structures intuitively without having them “studied”.

End of Question: ” do we need English grammar in speaking?”