What, you didn’t think a CI-espousing comprehension-based and communicative language teacher could be into grammar?!
Well, I totally am, but even moreso into making grammar more comprehensible for learners. For me, that means eliminating explicit grammar entirely, and for many at least never grading it. Still, there seems to be a constant need for clearer explanations for those few learners interested in Latin grammar. In fact, curiosity is perhaps the best reason to have a resource like this handy, even in a communicative classroom.
Drawing examples from the 12 current Pisoverse novellas, concise explanations—perhaps in the style of Randall Munroe’s Thing Explainer—help demystify linguistic terms many have joked might as well be a different language! Here are some uses I can think of at the moment:- a copy for the teacher’s desk (ready to give a pop-up explanation)
- handful of copies for the classroom (for those kids who find grammar compelling)
- as individual student copies (in backpack/at home reference)
- cram before a standardized test (e.g. NLE, AP, etc.)
- the year’s end “Grammar Boot Camp” (before sending to grammar-based teachers)
- prepare for college placement tests
- new approach after years of kids “just not getting it”
- etc.
Magister P. 