misses rogers work in IT-port

[bagheera_san]

I'm grading my first class test (English for electrician apprentices) and it's very boring. No one wrote anything hilariously stupid. Their grammar is terrible, as is their spelling, but not in creative ways. And I'm not allowed to deduct points for grammar or spelling unless it's so bad that you have problems understanding what they want to say. The newest grading system pretty much says that grammar isn't important, and insteads privileges vocabulary and "communication". I disagree - not because I like grammar (there's nothing more boring than a grammar lesson) but because I believe that the most important aspect of speaking a language is grammar: the point where you can actually speak a language (rather than struggle to communicate in it) is when you've internalized the basic aspects of its grammar.

And now, a sample for your edification:
"You stay in Rezeption here now. Misses Rogers work in IT-Port. You must walk right along the floor, then climb upstairs untill you are in first floor. The room of Rogers is in the end of the company."

Now my task is to decide whether your response to this would be -

A: Thank you very much, now I'm sure to find Ms Rogers' office!
or
B: ???

Comments

[bagheera-san.livejournal.com]

There seem to be two ways in which second language learning can be achieved - either through massive exposure to that language (and thus, imitation) or through learning rules and practising them until they become internalized. But practising a language without knowledge of its grammar doesn't improve your skill in it - at worst, you practice your own mistakes. And once you have internalized all the stupid rules you can just forget about them, but not before that.