DO I NEED to KNOW GRAMMAR?

How important is it to know English grammar?

Grammar is really the nuts and bolts of English, and so having a good grounding is essential. It is impossible to be an effective teacher of English without this knowledge. If a student asks you why one tense is right and another is wrong, you need to be able to explain - and in a way that the student understands. This doesn’t of course mean that you have to know the entire grammar of English before you take the course. Nor does it mean that we are going to teach you the entire grammar of English during the course. The idea is that you familiarize yourself with the basics before the course (we will help you with this), have your awareness further raised on the course (during input sessions and in teaching practice) and then when you start teaching you will develop an ever-deepening knowledge. Each time you teach a grammar item you will learn about it, so that the next time you teach it, you’ll be more ready. But don’t worry, it’s still normal for even the most experienced teachers to refer to a grammar book to answer certain questions.

"I really cannot overstate how good the CELTA course was for me. I entered the course with no ESL teaching experience. I came out the other side of the course with a strong portfolio as well as the knowledge and perspective necessary to be a good teacher." Steve, March 2009
	CELTA Teacher Training in San Diego