Grammatik och språkorientering på grundskolan

Abstract The debate on grammar has been on the agenda for thousands of years. Several different arguments and theories have been used in order to explain the importance of grammar in school. Some newer arguments have been added, while others have stayed, either in their original version, or in a modernised one. This essay aims to clarify the role grammar play in school. In order to do that we have looked into its history, the curriculum, modern research and interviews made with active teachers. The results of the literary studies, the studies of the curriculum and the field studies show that the very presence of grammar in school is disputed. The curriculum of today speaks of an orientation in language, with grammar as a part of it, based on the students’ own language. This way of thinking is also visible in modern research. The field studies, on the other hand, show a more conservative view. The teachers that were interviewed for this essay were unfamiliar with the exact content of the curriculum and tended to teach based on old arguments and ways of thinking. The fact that modern research shows the disadvantages of traditional education in grammar is something that the interviewed teachers seem to be unaware of. Modern studies of grammar adapted to the language of the students’ demand an effort from the teachers as the teaching aids are not adapted to this way of thinking. One solution to this problem ought to be further training of the teachers, so that these get a fair opportunity to be up to date with newer research