Addressing Language in Secondary Education: Advantages of a Scientific Approach to Grammar Teaching*

Abstract

Abstract In the Spanish secondary education, first-language teaching is conceived of as a mixture of instrumental skills (writing and reading) and grammar. It is fair to say, though, that the connection between both domains has never been pursued in a harmonic, truly interdisciplinary, fashion. Instrumental techniques are typically associated to normative guidelines and communicative approaches, whereas grammar is seen as a set of mechanical exercises. Here we argue in favor of approaching grammar from a scientific point of view. This does not mean that secondary school students should necessarily become apprentice scientists, but rather that they should get used to describing and analyzing linguistic objects in the same way they are taught to describe and analyze other objects of the world in other courses. We further claim that this scientific take should have an impact on what concepts are taught and how they are trained. We briefly discuss some contemporary concepts that we think could be incorporated in secondary education, as just one possible example of what could be done. We also argue that traditional grammatical exercises should be complemented with problem-raising strategies.