Cries of: “But when will we use this in real life?” » resonate in classrooms, debilitating teachers in their quest for student excellence. Once a staple in schools, grammar has become anathema to the standard course of English teaching. With the advent of looming “real world” relevance, the arduousness and technicality of studying grammar has come under microscopic scrutiny. However, the real world sometimes requires people to deal with technical and tedious situations. Thus, the technical construction of grammar should not justify its immediate rejection. Grammar is essential to mastery of any language, whether it is the student's native language or a foreign language learned later in life (Kolln 17, Burke 441). In fact, studies have proven that when students have learned a language in a classroom based on grammar instruction, rather than simple meaning-based instruction, the second language is learned more successfully (Burke 441, 456). Grammar has had a history in English classes over the years and, despite the paradigm shift in its teaching, it deserves attention in today's classrooms. There was a time when grammar was prevalent in almost every classroom in the United States. Moreover, the authorities did not question its inclusion – its importance was taken for granted (Kolln 13). However, this will not always be the case. From the beginning of the 20th century, professionals “stressed the need to evaluate the time devoted to the formal study of grammar in an overcrowded curriculum” (Kolln 13). In a system where teachers were expected to teach increasingly varied subjects, grammar became the non-essential subject to be examined. Critics have dubbed rote memorization ... middle of paper ... lessons to better prepare their students for school and life. Works Cited Burke, Brigid Moira. “Creating communicative classrooms with experiential design.” Annals of Foreign Languages ​​40.3 (2007): 441-462. Educational research completed. Internet. April 26, 2014. Kolln, Martha and Craig Hancock. “The History of English Grammar in the Schools of the United States.” Teaching English: Practice and Criticism 4.3 (2005): 11-31. Educational research completed. Internet. April 26, 2014. Hartwell, Patrick. “Grammar, grammars and grammar teaching”. Academic English 47.2 (1985): 105-27. JSTOR. Internet. April 25, 2014. Hatfield, Walter Wilbur. An English experience program. New York: D. Appleton-Century, Incorporated, 1935. Internet Archive. Internet. April 25, 2014. Minchew, Sue S. "Teaching English with humor and fun." American Secondary Education 30.1 (2001): 58. Academic Search Premier. Internet. April 26. 2014.