Class Description

The focus on this class is to help with trouble areas, not introduce grammar newly. A basic understanding of grammar is expected for learners of this class as we are going to be looking for any specific confusions on what they have learned previously.

Getting tired of going over grammar again and again?

While those grammar things are important, let's talk about them from a different angle; maybe a new perspective will help you out. So while we are still going to talk about them, we are going to talk about them from a different view which might give you some meaning behind the crazy.

Some of the things we are going to talk about:
1) English has words from over 350 languages in it
2) what writing looked like before punctuation (no spaces between words at all!)
3) how punctuation changes a sentence (do you mean "Let's eat Grandma" or "Let's eat, Grandma"?).
4) sentences that go on too long (however, there is a novel with a sentence of 1,288 words, how?).

This is primarily a discussion-based class; there will be a shared google document for us to collaborate on as we discuss issues if needed.

Overall, classes will generally break down as follows:

Week 1:
Introduction to the purpose for grammar, why we should care. We will go over the history of grammar, how the English language is a hodge-podge of languages from around the world.
Learners will have a chance to talk about any specific areas that they have trouble with, are slightly anxious about or just completely stresses them out (for preparation for week 4).

Week 2:
Focus will be on issues of punctuation. History of punctuation (what it was like before and why we got them). We will also discuss why we care about these rules and how you can break rules but you have to understand their purpose to successfully break them.

Week 3:
Focus on vocabulary and structure of writing formal and informal. Will discuss either fiction or non-fiction writing depending on the areas the learners are trying to handle.

Week 4:
Review week and will ask learners to have specific areas they want to discuss and resolve.

Additional Information

Class size: 3-10 students

Supplies: Paper and pencil to take notes

Prerequisites This is not a class to teach grammar, but to address issues in things they have already learned. I hope to get kids out of any ruts they find themselves in.

Class tags:
General General Grammar/Spelling Writing