Teacher's Grammar Errors Spark Debate; Is it Okay or Not?

We took this discussion to the Smart Parenting Village, an online community of 100,000 parents, and asked for their insights. 

For most parents, it is inappropriate for teachers to make grammatical mistakes.

“Teachers are expected to be knowledgeable about basic grammar. How can they correct their students if they are not equipped?” Naira Abbey Undang answered. 

“For me, mas maganda pa din kung tama ang grammar,” Nicka Villocillo Overio said and explained why she thinks so, “Maa-adopt kasi ng bata yun, aakalain nila na tama yung grammar kaya baka gayahin. Saka kahit anong major pa ni teacher, dapat alam niya ang basic grammar. No need naman na malalalim na words ang gamitin niya. Kahit simpleng words lang basta correct ang grammar.”

“I find grammar errors in teachers horrifying. If it’s a typo error, I can be forgiving. Iisipin ko, kinulang lang sa pag proofread. However, a poorly constructed announcement or post from a teacher would make me question whether the teacher can be effective. They don’t need to be perfect, but at the very least, they should have GOOD communication skills,” Aprille Lao explained, saying that it’s not just about grammar, but more about communication skills. 

Irene Llagas-Bautista added, “As a parent and also an incoming educator, it's not okay. As a teacher kasi, you will lead by setting an example and default po sa teachers na dapat maayos ang basic grammar. Sa college pa lang ini-emphasize na yan ng mga professors na 'it’s a must' kahit ano pang major mo dahil kasama yan sa bini-build sayo bilang isang guro.”

Patricia Pualengco agreed, “How can a teacher be effective if they struggle with basic communication skills? They should know at least the basics of grammar—that’s something they’re supposed to learn in BEED (Bachelor of Elementary Education) or BSED (Bachelor of Secondary Education). One of my biggest concerns is that some teachers speak or write in ways that students might pick up and copy. It’s particularly concerning, especially if those mistakes become a regular occurrence in the classroom. I think DepEd should come up with trainings focused on effective communications, not just English but also Filipino, to help address such an issue.”

Crislyn Joyce Gaviola shared her thoughts, as well as a suggestion, “Honestly, nakaka-bother especially kapag galing sa teacher, kasi expected talaga na knowledgeable sila about diyan. Sila kasi ang mag-seset ng example sa students nila. Kasi kahit anong sabihin nila, most likely, kids will believe them, kasi they are TEACHERS. I mean, okay lang sana if isang part lang pero if halos lahat, may mali talaga. Accessible naman ngayon ang internet, may Google/ChatGPT. Pwede pa rin mag-research.”

Kaice Romero agreed that a teacher’s grammar is important, “We keep on saying 'Ok lang,' thus we receive mediocre quality of education. Teachers are expected to teach our children. How can they teach something that they are not knowledgeable about or have mastery of?” But on the other hand, she suggested a way of resolving the issue just in case it happens to her, “Though I would message the teacher kindly and not be a Facebook grammar-nazi to prove my point. I will also suggest using tools like a spell checker and Grammarly, etc., if there are items she is unsure of. We can help educate and not settle for less, kindly.”

On the other hand, other parents said it’s okay for teachers to make grammar errors. 

“Yung mga nagsasabing hindi okay, mga grammar nazi yun. Pwede kasing ang major ng teacher ay Math o Physical Education, so dapat ba fluent yung English niya? Mismong mga Brits and Americans nga, parang ewan yung pag-buo ng sentences eh,” Jack Napier shared his thoughts. 

John Mark Bordeos added, “For me, it does not matter. As long as the teacher can effectively teach my kids good grammar, it's immaterial if the same teacher makes grammatical errors. You don't have to be perfect or super good at something to be able to teach. Just enough competence to be able to lift whatever academic knowledge from a legitimate source material, and then translate this knowledge into a digestible format for kids to absorb.”

He continued, “My English teacher when I was in high school had a strong Filipino accent. Matigas ang dila nya. But it didn't matter; the materials used allowed him to teach us proper enunciation anyway. My science teacher wasn't a scientist, and my math teacher wasn't a mathematician; heck, my PE teacher was overweight. It didn't matter. As long as they have enough competence to convey the information and explain it to the kids in a way that's easily absorbed, that's all that matters. Let's not be too nitpicky or overly sensitive. Focus on assessing your kids' competence; if they're doing fine, give the teachers some slack.”

Teachers who are also parents shared their insights, balancing their perspective from both roles.

Abby Singzon, mom of one, and a preschool teacher who homeschools her daughter, shared, “As a parent and a preschool teacher, this is quite bothersome. I will be really concerned pag nakita ko yan sa school ng anak ko. If hindi marunong ang teacher, anong ituturo nila sa bata?”

But she also suggested ways on how teachers can improve, “Understandable that we are not perfect, and we have different capabilities. If hindi talaga kaya, pwede naman magpatulong sa ibang teacher. Pwede rin mag-ChatGPT. Learning never stops, and we should be the first ones to model that to our students.”

Olivia Ivy O. Rañola also shared the same perspective, “I am a teacher. Personally, I am open to constructive corrections. Teachers should also be corrected. Ito ang mga pagkakataon na hindi pwede palagpasin kasi nasa learning institution siya/kami. Ang daily conversation and informal letters, pwede palagpasin. Ang mga formal letters should be grammatically correct. If hindi sigurado, pwede naman gamitin ang technology.”

On the other hand, Myrna Villanueva-Tinio, mom of two and school directress, shared a much more critical factor she considers for a teacher, “Sad no? Na buong elementary at high school, and minsan pa nga hanggang college, nagtuturo ng grammar pero marami pa ding hindi nakakapag-apply ng proper grammar rules sa communication.”

She tends to be more forgiving, “Kung hindi naman sobrang glaring ang mistake, or yung mga medyo mahirap na grammar mechanics, hinahayaan ko na. Kung medyo glaring, I politely tell the teacher, from one teacher to another, I share kung anong alam ko about it.”

But, most importantly, Myrna learned this as a school directress, “PERO! Kaya kong talikuran ang wrong grammar ni teacher basta nakikita ko yung bait, sincere na paglingap, at pagmamahal niya sa mga students niya. For me, sobrang laking bagay nun kasi mas madaling aralin ang grammar rules kesa sa mabuting ugali. Sa bahay na lang kami magreview ng mga bata ng tamang grammar, kung ang mapipick up naman nila eh kabutihan ni teacher.”

Grammatically correct or not, we tend to put teachers on a high pedestal as they are supposed to teach our kids. But at the end of the day, teachers are humans, too. We all make mistakes, including teachers. Whenever we see or notice these mistakes, as the other teachers mentioned in the discussion, kindly point them out in private, not through social media. We can also suggest ways to improve by leveraging artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and Grammarly.

Aside from that, kids’ learning should not be a teacher’s sole responsibility. A child’s holistic learning includes guidance from parents and his/her environment, too. Learning is a collaborative effort that involves parents, teachers, and the community working together to support students.