Monday, September 15, 2008

Literal Meaning in Disfavor?

Over the past few weeks, students from our Approaches to Grammar class interviewed a number of faculty in the ECU English department (and beyond) about a controversial claim made by the author of the first textbook we are reading, David Mulroy’s The War Against Grammar (that's Mulroy in the photo at right).

According to Mulroy, one of the reasons traditional grammar instruction has become less common in the schools is that “the whole concept of literal meaning has fallen into disfavor in academia.” Below you will find links to the reports the students posted on their blogs (in random order) and the answers they heard their subjects give to the questions: “Do you believe literal meaning has fallen into disfavor in academia?”, “Do you think this phenomenon is something to be worried about?”, and “Do you think there is connection between this trend and the declining interest in grammar instruction?”

Thanks to all who agreed to be interviewed!

Wendy Leraas (interviewed by Amanda Dill).



Ken Hada (interviewed by Brandon Michaels).











Trisha Yarbrough interviewed by Christi Carruth.










Josh Grasso: version I and version II (interviewed by Adam Bishop and Rachel McCready).










Kevin Davis (interviewed by Jon Bergner).







Eril Hughes (interviewed by Katy Benson).













Teresa Rothrock (interviewed by Ray Lackey and Aaron Buchanon).













Robin Murphy: version I and version II(interviewed by Kasey McKinzie and Michaela Worcester).













Hugh Tribbey (interviewed by Laurie Schweinle and Bethany Gardner).













John Yozzo (interviewed by Jeff Harrison).












Jennifer McMahon (interviewed by Tommy Hammons).











Mark Walling (interviewed by Summer Emarthle).








Rayshell Palmer of Seminole State (interviewed by Holly Fipps).

Steve Benton (interviewed by Steve Benton). ).

1 comment:

Steve said...

Some initial feedback I'm receiving from some of my colleagues is that some of the student interviewers had difficulty discerning the literal meaning of the answers given by their subjects.