Learning grammar should be a priority

The argument

Learning grammar is important because it is the foundation of our language. Without it, students wouldn't be able to tackle higher forms of communication, and the case for treating it as a priority follows from that dependency rather than from any special interest in grammar for its own sake. Just as in any subject, more time should be spent at the fundamental level in order to serve as the building blocks for the higher level skills. Those building blocks are specific and teachable. The building blocks of the English language — parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation — should be well understood by any student who endeavors to excel in their communication skills, and the reason is that written communication is assembled in stages, each resting on the one below it. One must learn how to put words together to build a sentence, one must learn how to put sentences together to form a paragraph, and one must learn to put paragraphs together to form essays, short stories, novels, letters, speeches, and the rest. A student who has not mastered the first stage does not simply produce weaker work at the later ones; they are attempting to assemble something out of components they cannot yet reliably make. That is why sequence matters as much as content on this argument. Since the foundational level is so important, the most time should be spent there until mastery of grammar rules and conventions is achieved. Time spent on the fundamentals is not time taken away from the more interesting work; it is what makes the more interesting work possible. Only after achieving mastery can one move on and be successful in higher forms of communication. Grammar earns priority, on this view, not because it is the goal of learning to write but because it is the condition of everything that comes after it.

Premises

Counter-arguments

Learning grammar is a waste of time because we automatically learn grammar as we learn a language. A student doesn't need to know what the parts of speech are in order to form a coherent sentence; they only need to have a solid model to follow. The foundation of English and communication isn't in grammar, it is in the speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Students should spend more time practicing these skills, rather than wasting time on confusing and pointless grammar rules which only serve to impede their progress.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Grammar is not the foundation of our language; speaking, listening, reading, and writing are. [Rejecting P2] A significant amount of time needs to be spent on practicing the real foundational skills in order for students to advance and master the art of communication.