speech and writing typically are so established in everyday speech that they go
unnoticed by all except the most astute observers. Generally, however, native
speakers find it so difficult after about age 6 to produce an ungrammatical sen-
tence that they cannot do so without a conscious effort, and even then they usu-
ally get it wrong and generate a sentence that is grammatical but that displays
incorrect usage. Research on this phenomenon has led to two major models of
language acquisition—the induction model and the association model.
Acquisition and Learning. The two models of language acquisition dif-
fer in many respects, and each has its supporters. But they also have many fea-
tures in common. Both models recognize that language has a genetic foundation,
that the brain is structured for language, and that children are able to produce
grammatical utterances without any instruction in grammar. In addition, both
propose that grammar operates in the background of language processing. A
6-year-old can produce grammatical utterances yet have no conscious knowl-
edge of grammar. Furthermore, grammar is so deep in the background that it is
extremely difficult for people to attend to grammar when they listen to a conver-
sation; it is only slightly less difficult when they are reading. We are predisposed
to focus on meaning, not structure—a fact that has significant implications for in-
struction. Finally, both models recognize that children acquire the language of
their communities, what we call theirhome languageorhome dialect.The home
dialect is so thoroughly ingrained that only significant motivation and conscious
effort enable a person to adopt another dialect.
The problem teachers face is transparent. Although Standard English is the
norm in many households, huge numbers of children are reared in families
where the home dialect is nonstandard English, where books are rarely found
and reading is seldom encouraged and practiced even less. It seems reasonable
to assume that few if any children are reared in families where the home dialect
is formal Standard English. Standard and formal Standard English are the tar-
gets of instruction, yet our students bring to school and to classroom writing as-
signments home dialects that are measurably different from these targets.What
we are striving to do when we teach the conventions of Standard and formal
Standard English is help our students master a new dialect.
The study of grammar is supposed to give students the tools they need to
move their language closer to Standard and formal Standard English. It is
viewed as the bridge between home language and Standard English. The as-
sumption is that once this bridge is in place (once students learn the grammar),
they will speak and write Standard English. This approach is misguided.
We must consider the following: Linguists describe the process of grammar
study aslanguage learningto distinguish it from language acquisition. Whereas
acquisition involves the unconscious, easy mastery of grammar, learning is both
TEACHING GRAMMAR 39