Is grammar essential to speak English?

In some previous articles, We have studied that English is a language and it can only be learnt as a language and not as a subject or a course. Apart from that, we have understood two core principles of the languages. We also explored the natural way to learn the languages.here, in this article we would focus on whether grammar is required to speak English fluently.

Generally, the focus of the people remains mostly on what they should do to achieve their goal.This is a good thing that your focus is on your target that you always concentrate on what you wanted and how you would achieve your goal.

I know that you are definitely going to do the things which you should do. But for the time being, I would like to divert your attention to something else. You see, it is equally important to keep in mind, what you should not do as what you should, to achieve your goal.

In other words, if you keep on doing the things which you should not do, together with, the thing which you should. There is always a possibility that your work would be balanced at the end of the day. When you are working so hard on your fluency in English, it is vitally important that you know the fact of what should not be done? It would block the way of your fluency building, so, as far as possible try to avoid the things which you should not do. What not to do can be referred as misconceptions.

There are plenty of misconceptions which people have in their mind while learning English language. We would discuss some of the most prevalent misconceptions here, in this article we would discuss whether grammar is necessary for spoken English or not.

You must have heard from the most of the people that grammar is the most essential part to learn English.In other words, if you want to speak fluently, you should have the knowledge of grammar. This is the most popular misconception. It is generally believed that learning and speaking English is not possible without grammar, and most of the people agree with this statement because they have heard it from everyone- teachers,schools and colleges and so called spoken English classes and books. It starts from the day we get the admission in schools.We start our English learning by cramming the vague rules of grammar.

Most people believe that if someone wants to learn to speak English, he has to cram and remember all the vague rules of grammar. However, it, at all, is not necessary, purist may get sore with this statement but it’s true.

Let’s give it a logical reason. As you know, by reading some previous articles in this website that English is a language just like your mother tongue.

Now think about your own mother tongue.

Did you learn your mother tongue by learning grammar?

Did you cram rules of grammar?

No, definitely not. We have never crammed any rule of grammar to learn our mother tongue. We have the feeling of speaking our mother tongue.

When a child starts to learn his mother tongue he simply follows the principle of listening and whatever he listens, he tries to speak, and by doing this practice he gradually becomes fluent. So for a child anything he listens represents the idea and he speaks ideas not grammar and words.

Furthermore, we have some people in our villages who have never gone to any schools, colleges or classes. Still they can speak their mother tongue fluently.They have never heard the name of grammar in their life.still,they are fluent.

Similarly, In English speaking countries, there may be some people in villages who have never gone to any spoken English classes,still they are fluent in English.

How is it possible for them to speak their mother tongue without knowing the rules of grammar?

So, don’t you think it’s ridiculous when someone emphasizes so much on grammar and rules that without that we are never going to speak fluently?

See, grammar is essential. But the way it is taught in traditional way is really horrible. The languages are used for communication and grammar is the part of the language by which we can transfer our messages and ideas to other people.

But, we never learn the grammar from the point of communication. We simply cram different tenses, structures and other unnecessary things. We remember that such and such tense starts with such and such structure. For example, if we are learning something about past. We are following the procedure of remembering the tenses like simple past tense, past perfect tense, and other tenses. Then, we remember the format of that structure and in exam we are asked to fill up the blanks according to those tenses. However, we never learn to use them.

Then you will cram like, I, is first person, we, is, second person, then singular, plural, to be, pronouns, object, subject, verbal, non verbal.

I don’t want to press the point unduly but in some classes and schools, the students are asked the question that how many tenses are there in English?  How ridiculous?

So, the point is grammar is essential but we have never had the opportunity to learn it in a natural way. What have we done so far? Crammed the vague rules of the grammar, gave the examination, passed it and forgot it. We never learnt where to use those structures.

In my book “oxygen for English aspirants.” all the structures of grammar have been taught with thrilling,natural exciting way and not in a dull boring traditional way.