very English teacher knows this student.
He speaks slowly.
He speaks carefully.
And…it… takes… him… forever… to… finish… a… sentence.
What’s going on?
Did he fall down the stairs too many times?
Does he race motorcycles without a helmet?
Is his picnic basket missing a few sandwiches?
No, he just has “Grammar Mouth.”
You see, this student first learn English in school.
Day one he learned some rules.
Day two he learned some more rules.
Eventually there was a test.
The object of the test was: don’t make a mistake.
And he repeated that for years.
So now, when he opens his mouth to speak, he’s making two mistakes. He’s:
- thinking about the rules
- trying to be perfect
And… he… talks… like… this.
So what’s the cure for Grammar Mouth?
Change the rules.
Instead of “I must not make a mistake,” your new rule is “I must make many
mistakes.”
Instead of, “I must remember all the grammar rules,” your new rule is “I
must show the other person I’m interested in him/her.”
Make sense?
Good.
Now go practise.