The Case for a Realistic Beginning-Level Grammar Syllabus: The Round Peg in the Round Hole

We have read the reports. We comprehend the data from the research. We acknowledge that circumstances as we had known them have changed. The time has come to create a realistic grammar syllabus in our beginning language courses. Yet why do some in our profession insist that all grammar must be taught in the first year of language learning? Abundant data from decades of research on topics such as human memory, chunking, and second language acquisition exist that overwhelmingly support not to do so, but rather to frontload language learning with only the necessary grammar to have students communicate at a beginning, appropriate level. The research supports the goal of presenting grammar at the point of need and usage. This position paper will explore (1) how we arrived at our current state of affairs, and (2) the support for a realistic, doable grammar syllabus in beginning language courses.

Arriving at Our Current State of the Profession

The 1970s through the mid-1980s were not good times for foreign language teaching and learning in the United States. We know this from the compelling data available from multiple sources such as the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Studies such as the one from the NCES report a peak in bachelor's degrees in foreign languages in 1969 with a drastic plummet in numbers from 1975 to 1984 (MLA "Higher Education").

Era of Pragmatics

Several circumstances conjoined to cause the dramatic hemorrhage in numbers of those interested in pursuing languages other than English. One was that in the 1970s we entered an era of pragmatics.

Foreign language students in earlier decades were the best and brightest, studying a language in addition to English for the sake of studying it. The usual goal was to translate or read the original versions of great works of literature. Students pre-1970s also diagrammed sentences and compared and contrasted linguistics. These goals interested academically outstanding students with a strong desire to be educated in the liberal arts tradition.

When the goal of communicating in a language in addition to English blasted on the scene in the 1970s and 1980s, students came to, and left foreign language classes in droves. The curriculum was not structured for communication. Additionally, students wanted to enroll in college courses that would help them acquire a well-paying career. The notion of studying a foreign language because it made you more educated and well rounded evaporated virtually overnight.

Higher Education Requirements

Perhaps the deadliest blows to language class enrollments came from the colleges and universities themselves. Institutions of higher education across the United States revised their graduation requirements, and many dropped foreign language from the list of essentials. Students were paying close attention to what courses were required to graduate and land a high-paying job. Why take a foreign language when it was not required? Compound the fact that English had become the lingua franca, and it was a resounding message to students that their busy schedules did not need to include any language other than English.

Change in Demographics

As the 1980s arrived, our profession had made some slow progress as we moved from "languages for the elite" to "languages for many." In the past decades we have gone a step further to "languages for all." This inclusive philosophy, coupled with the desire to create a plurilingual, global society in the United States, has created instructional delivery challenges, especially in beginning language classes. The students arriving in our beginning college language classes are diverse in their backgrounds, needs, and preparation.

The Current State of Affairs

Data support the fact that we have never fully recovered from the dark days of the 1970s in most foreign languages. Although enrollments in beginning Spanish undergraduate language classes are increasing owing to a variety of well-documented reasons, students are still voting with their feet and not electing to continue with intermediate and advanced language courses.

Why is this occurring? Students who discontinue language...