Can ESL Grammar Study Make Us Ill?

After making the decision to teach ESL grammar in a way that inspires cooperative learning and aims for real-life practice, my students seem to be happier and healthier.

I'm probably overstating it a bit, but the fact is that by using a democratic approach to teaching grammar, as opposed to the traditional "drill and kill" method built on primarily on textbook exercises and strict memorization of rules, I seem to have created a "healthier" learning environment.

I'm all for competition in business, sports, etc., but when it comes to grammar study, competition can be debilitating for some students, and the particular strengths of each student can be utilized in a way that favors the entire group.

For example, an initial step I take when teaching a grammar class is to introduce a copying lesson, a writing practice that asks students to write a variety of sentences on one idea - "Pizza is my favorite food," "I like pizza more than any other food," "No food satisfies me more than pizza," etc.

From here I allow my students to share their sentences, rank their favorites, comment on how to make others better, and then give them a chance to revise their work based upon some standard grammar rules that I introduce after their initial creative impulse. I'm a great believer that form follows function, and I think it is essential that students be given the opportunity to see a philosophy behind the grammar structures they choose to use.

Now my grammar classes look and feel more like meetings of professional editors and writers, my students seem more confident about expressing their opinions and receiving feedback - both positive and negative - about their own work, and absenteeism is extremely low.

We'd love to hear about ideas you have for turning the often dreaded ill-feeling of grammar class into a healthier learning environment, so take a minute or two to start a discussion.