Grammar Book for School teachers?

[Johanna Rubba]

What an interesting request! I have been working on grammar for a few
years now.

Your friend may have a lot of trouble finding a book, if the one
recommended by Simon Kirby doesn't work out. Books that are not
prescriptive and yet are still accessible to nonlinguists or those not
interested in college-level texts are very hard to find. From all of my
experience so far, publishers are not terribly interested in grammar
books that innovate or question the prescriptive tradition, at least as
far as books for 'lower schools' are concerned. I have examined most of
the major language-arts teaching packages for California schools (by
major publishers), and only one has anything like a linguistic approach.
I'll get the title on that one for you, though.

I don't know if these would be appropriate to fill the reference-book
role, but you might send the titles along for your friend to check out:

Max Morenberg, Doing Grammar, Oxford U P
Anne Lobeck, Discovering English Grammar, also Oxford U P
Ronald Wardhaugh, Understanding English Grammar, Blackwell
Martha Kolln, Understanding English Grammar, 5th ed., Macmillan
THomas P. Klammer & Muriel R. Schulz, Analyzing English Grammar, Allyn & Bacon

There is one more title I will send later. Don't have it right now.
These are all intended as college-level textbooks for 'structure of
English'-type courses, often required of future teachers or of English
majors. A schoolteacher committed to serious study could make use of them.

I am writing a book and will be working on adaptations of it for grades
6-12, but, alas, it is not ready yet.

I'd be interested in seeing a summary of recommendations you get. I
collect grammar books.

Jo Rubba

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Johanna Rubba   Assistant Professor, Linguistics
English Department, California Polytechnic State University
One Grand Avenue  • San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Tel. (805)-756-2184  •  Fax: (805)-756-6374 • Dept. Phone.  756-259
• E-mail: jrubba at calpoly.edu •  Home page: http://www.calpoly.edu/~jrubba
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"Understanding is a lot like sex; it's got a practical purpose,
but that's not why people do it normally"  -            Frank  Oppenheimer
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