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The difference between formal and non formal grammar is very apparent both in every day life and during ones time as a teacher of foreign language. These differences, I believe, play an important part in why many language learners find it so difficult to understand and become fluent. As a native English speaker and an ongoing learner of Spanish I find myself struggling with these differences as well. Much of the English grammar one learns in school In America is grammar that the person knows that he/she is likely to use very sparingly. This is why most student fail to truly pay attention in their literature class. People speak more commonly in short form and with well known slang, especially in the United States. This issue makes it difficult to explain formal grammatical rules to a new learner because, most likely, the explainer has had little day to day use with the formal rules. Also the difference between formal and informal grammar rules makes it hard to learn language because most common speakers that a learner might talk with on a day to day basis will not understand fully his/her own language’s grammar rules. I myself speak with many of my Colombian friends and I find myself frustrated at times because different friends will correct me in opposite ways and I become lost on which grammar rule or suggestion is correct and which is misunderstood. I feel this is even more apparent in the Spanish language. The rules seem to be much more formal than with English speaking and word usage. English is much more compact and, combining the fact that English speakers love to speak quickly and cut words short, formal rules become seldom followed and slang begins to take over.
As a TEFL teacher whether working in Colombia teaching English to native Spanish speakers or teaching English in Asia to native speakers of other languages, I will always push to teach my students both formal and informal grammar, with an emphasis on informal grammar. The problem with teaching informal grammar more than formal grammar is that formal grammar is what is tested by governmental and institutional bodies in order to test language speaking aptitude. Therefore, if I spend to much time teaching informal grammar, even though it is more useful in everyday language use and more helpful to becoming fluent in the language, the students will become less likely to achieve their desired scores on their standardized tests. I will strive every class to teach both informal and formal language together while teaching and informing students how words will be tested while also informing the students in how the language or vocabulary for the particular day is used in day to day practice. I believe this greater understanding of how words are used in day to day practice(informally) will give each student more comfortability and confidence to use the language and practice their skills more often. I will use the skills learned from this course as well as my experiences as both a student and instructor to help teach kids both types of grammar and increase their English learning confidence.
