Actually I buy most of the points posed by the author. I do agree that we shouldn't teach isolated grammar rules, instead, we should apply grammar lesson to our real writing practices.
However, I suddenly think of a problem: for native English speakers, they might acquire grammar naturally, I mean, they are immersed in English while reading and speaking this language every day. They may be reading sentences with apposition, absolute, etc. and using it in their own writings, even though they might not know the exact definition of what an apposition/participle phrase is. It will possibly be efficient with native speakers of English. But how will you do with the ELL students, in whose mother tongues there aren't even such long sentences with clauses and participle phrases like in English?
How will you let them understand what are apposition, adverbial clauses and absolute? What can we do to show the students how to use them? And how can you let them understand the effectiveness those may bring into their own writings?
Those are just several aspects of grammar, which can help to improve the students' writing, but what about other aspects, such as irregular verbs, the consistency between the subjects and the verbs?
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Wow, this is a tough question. I really don't know how to begin answering this, because I am obviously not learning English as a secondary language. I also have not had success learning a second language, but I think that is evidence of what NOT to do. I have not had success learning a second language, I believe, because it is all grammar and vocabulary drills. One much be immersed in the language in order to learn it effectively. They should be having conversations and reading in English. Also, try to think about how you learned English yourself. What was effective? What wasn't? Use your own experiences as a model of how to teach English to ELL students.
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