Chapter 12

Bad grammar

Although linguists have made great strides in revealing the internal logic of the Spanish language, as evidenced by the chapters in this volume, the debate about whether, or how, grammar is to be taught in Spanish classes has largely ignored the content of grammar explanations themselves. I explore three varieties of bad grammar: (1) failure to account for normal usage, exemplified by conventional explanations of ser/estar, (2) rules that could not possibly be acquired by native speakers, exemplified by the “emotion” category of subjunctive usage, and (3) failure to link usage with meaning, exemplified by preterite/imperfect rules. In addition, I call for linguists to contribute their expertise to the formulation of pedagogical grammar and the linguistic training of future teachers.