Grammar is as Grammar Does.

For this interview I spoke with a professor from the English Department about how grammar effects students and how well they perform in the classroom. According to this teacher, grammar is very important for academic success in the field of English Studies. As an undergraduate, poor grammar can be a determining factor in lowered essay and test grades. Many students, who have solidly thought out papers, loose points on grammatical elements such as misused punctuation and poorly structured sentences. Since English is the language being studied in this field its nuances can be lost through misuse. An example of this is the common occurrence of word swapping found in student papers. Instead of "where" a student might use "were" in their writing exercise. While this isn't a major infraction, it might still be counted against the author when grading time eventually arrives.

This professor also made it very clear that academic writing is an important element of English Studies. If a student has difficulties with grammar usage as an undergraduate, and they plan on continuing their education, this deficiency could play a significant role in how successfully they become professional academians. The wonderful thing about grammar, this teacher was quick to point out, is that it can be picked up at any time. It is not a skill that is either age or time specific. Because of this, students shouldn't be afraid of taking on their grammatical demons.

Interview

As an English and German major, I decided to interview a professor in the Foreign Languages Dept. just so we get some variety. I'm taking some poetic justice because I only scribbled down key words during the interview.

1. Role of correctness/grammar- how is it important in the field.
~It's important to build a skeleton, a solid structure of grammar, to be able to speak a foreign language. It's important to know the rules and when to break them. (Like when native speakers break their own rules for slang and dialect).

2. What do you expect students to know?
~Subject, noun, verb, object, and adjective. Without students knowledge of these basic building blocks, if they don't know what these words mean in English, learning a foreign language is just going to be that much more difficult. Knowing these parts of speech is crucial.

3. To what degree does lack of effective communication matter?
~In the classroom and when I'm grading, it's fairly easy for me to figure out what people are saying. However, if someone is traveling in a foreign country and they mess up the word foot for food, it's going to cause a lot of problems. It's very important to be able to communicate well in other languages.

4. How important is grammar in regards to grading? (We discussed the affect of English grammar on other language's grammar)
~ When problems like dyslexia come into the picture, it's a different situation. Otherwise, teaching first and second year language classes where the grammar of the language is being learned, to grade the errors is just part of the daily structure. There also is the problem of being able to decipher what the student is trying to say- if I can translate it word for word back into English and understand then it's okay- when it's evident that something on the side of English grammar is wrong- I can't really grade down for that. I'm here to teach one language not two. I just worry when I notice these kinds of problems.

5. Do your students have a good grasp on grammar?
~Because most of my students have learned another language, yes, they have a good understanding of grammar and it's easier to move through material.

6. What changes have you seen over time?
~I've only been teaching a few years, and I've moved here from the south, so it's more of a geographical change. Coming from the south- well it's a completely different scene there than here in Oregon. (Example: leaving out articles. )

7.What bothers you the most? What errors do you see the most?
~Like I said, I've seen it all. The biggest problem I've seen has been with possessives. Some people just have no idea. It doesn't bother me unless the problem is so overwhelming that I can't understand the text.

8. Can a writer's style keep you from understanding what they're trying to say.
~Absolutely. And bad penmanship. Sometimes I simply can't read it. Or when they try to put English expressions into the language and it's usually not possible to do a literal translation, which is difficult to piece out.

9. Tips for success?
~ Learn another language, and your understanding of English grammar will improve ten fold. Also be aware of parts of speech.

That's it!
~Kelly Butler

First Impressions

I met with one of the Animal Science professors about his views on language and power. The main consensus of the interview was simple: using the language of power is not only important, it is crucial to survival in the field of Animal Sciences. Because your speech or writing is the first thing potential customers or employers experience when communicating with you, it is important that your language does not give them any reason to question your technical competence or intelligence. For example, if you are a company representative and you send out a poorly-written letter to a potential client, the client may judge your entire company unworthy based on your unacceptable language skills. Companies who cannot get and keep clients don't survive for long.
Using the language of power can also be a determiner in other matters. Scientific journals are very selective about what they publish; papers with grammar errors or papers that aren't concise are turned down. If two competing scientists attempt to get their findings on the same subject published at the same time but one of them has grammatical errors in his paper, the other scientist will get the credit because his will be the only paper that gets published.
In addition to scientific journals, graduate schools are also very critical of writing which does not fit the standards of the language of power. In Animal Science, many students wish to become veterinarians; due to the small number of United States vet schools, admissions are very selective. Use of language can be a deciding factor between otherwise equal candidates.
So overall, even though Animal Science is a very science-and-results-based discipline, language is still an important factor.