“The Outlook” hosted Ellen Jovin’s The Grammar Table on the student center patio from 1 to 3 p.m., on Oct. 23. During this event, students and faculty could come visit Jovin’s table to discuss her favorite topic: grammar.
Jovin is a grammarian and national bestselling author of her book “Rebel with a Clause.”
In 2018, Jovin extended her love for grammar to the streets of NYC when she decided to set up a table outside of her Manhattan apartment. She began to recieve questions from people passing by, and since then, she hasn’t stopped. Jovin has journeyed across the country with her table to advocate for grammar and language, showcasing that the ways people communicate can be interesting rather than mundane.
Jovin explained, “Before the Grammar Table, I had a project called Words & Worlds of New York, for which I serially studied different languages and tested/reviewed hundreds of language-learning products. After years of that, I started to realize I was spending too much time online in various language groups, mostly on Facebook. It was great to be able to talk to people from around the world about all kinds of language topics… but I wanted to get offline and use language for more in-person human connection.” Thus, she decided to take her love of language to the streets. She ordered a folding table and made a sign.
“The very first time I set up the Grammar Table outside my building,” she continued, “it took me less than a minute to get my first visitor. Not everyone loves nerding out about language, but an awful lot of people do!”
Jovin’s Grammar Table might have been around for six years, but her love for words started at a young age. “I have loved words my whole life,” she started. “The majority of my earliest memories are specifically about language—writing the alphabet, learning to spell, etc. Back in grade school, I loved writing, I loved reading, I loved spelling tests, I loved my Spanish class. So I just kept doing that same kind of stuff my entire life.”
“The Outlook” staff first encountered Jovin at the 2023 ACP Conference in La Jolla, California. Since then, the team has always had a mission to bring her to campus.
Bailey Fredericks, senior communications major and Managing Editor and Lifestyles Editor for “The Outlook”, explained, “I heard about and met Ellen last spring at the ACP conference in California. I think it was important to bring her to campus because she knows how to teach grammar in a fun and engaging way!”
Although Jovin mostly parks her Grammar Table on busy city sidewalks, she always finds time to visit college campuses and engage with students. She elaborated, “When I was in college, I thought I probably wanted to be a college professor. Even though I changed my mind about that and left graduate school after getting an M.A. (in comparative literature), I made my living for several years teaching writing as an adjunct at local colleges. I love campus life, and I love connecting with young people who help keep me current and who are filled with enthusiasm and exuberance. I learn a lot from students.”
Jovin’s mission with The Grammar Table isn’t stopping with her tabling events. Next year, she will be screening the new Grammar Table documentary at universities around the country. The filmmaker is Jovin’s husband Brandt Johnson, and the two took The Grammar Table to all 50 states together to talk to curious citizens all around the country.
Jovin concluded, “The students [at Monmouth University] were impressive and charming, everyone was so welcoming, and visitors kept getting the answers to my quiz questions right! Great job! And what a beautiful campus. I loved the view from the Grammar Table, and I was honored to be there. Thank you so much for the hospitality. I hope to be back!”
