Teacher Resources: Grammar, Error, Syntax: Grammar Presentations, Other Resources

Patterns of Error | Patterns of Error, Cont. | Grammar Presentations, Other Resources

Grammar Presentations
Students must do at least one oral presentation on a grammatical issue, based on the handbook and examples they come up with themselves. As an instructor, you can facilitate the class working out how to identify grammatical errors, and how to understand and apply grammatical rules. To be effective, the emphasis needs to fall on the students taking responsibility for instruction in a setting of peer review. As a minimum these topics need to be covered within the semester: "MLA Citation Guidelines," "Plagiarism and Boundaries: Your Words and the Writer's," "Sentence Integrity When Using a Quote," "Subject-Verb Agreement," "Verb Tense Shift," "Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement," "Vague Pronoun Reference," "Sentence Fragments," "Run-on or Fused Sentences," "Comma Splices," "Other Comma Usage," and "Apostrophe to Show Possession." It is up to each instructor when these presentations are made and in what order. We would recommend fitting them into the revision day when samples from the rough drafts are discussed, that is, after the peer reviews are done and before the final draft is due. You could then go over the topic again on the day the final draft is due. You might assign two students to each type of error, and have them present at different times so that the material is covered at least twice using different examples.

Other resources for students
There are a number of places students (particularly ESL students) can go to get the extra help it is impractical to give them in class or during office hours. The Douglass Writing Center at 135 George St. (732-932-9212) and the Plangere Writing Center in Murray 303 (732-932-1149) offer free tutoring to students with some grammar and ESL problems. Tutors are trained to give the students exercises and practice correcting the patterns of error you identify. They follow the same pedagogy as instructors and will not proofread the student's paper.

Students with medium to high-end ESL problems should sign up for special tutoring at the Livingston Writing Center in Lucy Stone Hall, B-Wing, 103 (732-445-4048). Special tutors there have been designated to work with students having language problems, so be sure your student self-identifies her or his language problems when signing up.

The Writing Program also offers grammar workshops open to students, teachers and tutors. Details on these workshops will be announced during the semester.

Extra Resources

• Teaching Grammar: Word | PDF
  A brief outline of basic requirements for teaching grammar in 101.

• Things That Work for Grammar: Word | PDF
  A collection of activities you can use to incorporate grammar instruction into your classroom.

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