IN A TYPICAL day, each of us is prone to make more than a few grammatical errors. We spell incorrectly, misuse homophones and even make up words. Fortunately for us, we overlook these minor lapses when conversing, instead choosing to focus on the main ideas being communicated. Were we insistent upon correcting every linguistic mistake, sustained dialogue would be impossible; every ten seconds would be interrupted by "Excuse me, but your grammar is incorrect."
This manner of speech we have adopted, where perfection is not essential, ought to be a lesson to the University's Spanish department as it devises methods for teaching students in low-level courses. For the considerable attention paid to certain linguistic details in these classes deters such courses from what ought to be their primary goal: making students fluent.
On any given day in my Spanish class, students practice a number of grammatical concepts. My classmates and I consider whether certain nouns ought to be considered masculine or feminine. We decide whether we ought to be using the preterite or the imperfect form of a past tense verb. And as is the case with any language class, we scrutinize spelling.
Fully understanding these linguistic conventions poses quite the challenge to indigenous English speakers. For one thing, some of these Spanish grammatical subjects are new to those familiar with English alone, which does not have gendered nouns, nor considers accent marks or tildes when spelling.
Despite the difficulty in obtaining a perfect understanding of these concepts, it seems as if this is exactly what the Spanish department desires from its entry-level students. Grade points are lost for a single confusion of a noun's gender and for the slightest misstep in spelling. This gives students the idea that perfecting such grammatical rules is of utmost importance.
And this notion, that learning Spanish is primarily about gaining exact knowledge of the language's conventions, is detrimental to students' ability to actually grasp the communicative aspect of Spanish. Learning a language is not about obtaining a complete understanding of its formalities. Language was developed so that individuals could convey their ideas and understand what others had going on inside their heads. Thus, Spanish classes at the University should focus their efforts on teaching students to effectively and efficiently communicate.
We are able to overlook minor lapses while conversing in English. When holding an everyday conversation, I do not judge someone else's understanding of the English language by the exactness with which he adheres to its grammatical principles. Instead, I determine that someone understands English if he can talk to me fluidly and coherently.
Apply this to Spanish. I doubt a fully fluent Spanish speaker would question my understanding of the language if I made a single confusion of a noun's gender. Nor would he likely look down on my comprehension of Spanish if I spelled a word incorrectly. My high school Spanish teacher, a native of Cuba, said many of his friends and family have little concern for the correct usage of the preterite and imperfect. So long as I can speak coherently of what is on my mind, I do not think a native speaker would hold any gripes. The Spanish department seems to overlook this, as it continually hammers home the importance of learning grammatical rules.
I do not mean to say a basic comprehension of these grammatical rules and linguistic concepts is not important; certainly, we could not even begin to learn a language without having at least some knowledge of these areas. But the Spanish department seems to desire a perfect understanding of grammar from its entry-level students. And frankly, such perfection is not needed when considering the ultimate goal of fluency, which is a matter of espousing our thoughts, feelings and emotions, as well as listening to those of others.
So, how do I suggest the Spanish department alter its methods? Simply put, get students talking and get them listening - in Spanish. Ask them not to stare at the rules listed in a textbook, but rather to talk about what they did during the weekend or what their political views are. In addition, have them listen to and report on what others are saying. Have them do anything that resembles what a fluent Spanish speaker might do.
How many times have we heard students come back from trips abroad and report that their Spanish improved immeasurably? This was not because they studied grammatical details extensively while in the foreign country, but because they were forced to immerse themselves in the daily practices of the language.
It is certainly possible that I made a grammatical mistake in this column, but because of how we use English, few of us will even realize an error exists. So too should the Spanish department overlook when students make minute mistakes.
Cameron Seib is a Viewpoint writer for The Cavalier Daily.
Read More
CARTER: U.Va. Health owes clarity to transplant patients
By Nathaniel Carter | 3 days agoUnfortunately, this negative press is fully the fault of U.Va. Health — it failed to address significant stakeholder concerns when crafting its justification.
EDITORIAL: Upholding medical amnesty is a collective effort
By Editorial Board | 4 days agoUniversity leadership, Greek life organizations and students themselves must recommit to the safety provided by an effective and knowledgeable use of medical amnesty.
KURTZWEIL: Dockworkers’ unions cannot avoid the threat of automation
By Paul Kurtzweil | 5 days agoInstead of continuing to demand decreased automation, the union should work with the legislature in the hopes of driving investment into the reorganization of the current workforce.
