Manas Ranjan Misra

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REVAMPING ENGLISH TEACHING IN INDIA

Mr. Manas Ranjan Misra

Lecturer in English

Gopalpur Collge, Gopalpur-on-Sea, Ganjam

The future of English teaching as a discipline at the turn of the century

especially in the Indian context, calls for institutional reform and restructuring. In

accordance with the emerging trends, it seems quite obvious for reinventing and

refashioning of the discipline. English Teaching Language and literature must be

always taught on the basis of race, milieu and moments as a nation is not a static

entity. Teaching of literature attempts to make us understand human life

independent of mechanism and technology. Mechanism always leads to cause and

effect relationship. On the basis of logical thinking it controls matter, but there is

something in man which always defies mechanism. The human spirit is always

defiant of logical applications.

One way of reacting to a particular situation by way of communicationreflects our personality. The language we use to express our ideas, feelings,

emotions, events either true or false reflect level of learning. In the present

scenario of Globalization and socio-cultural evolution, people living in the

different corners of the world prefer English as the language for communication.

Even in countries where English is not the native language, people of different

culture and group use it as the prime medium of communication. It has become the

language of modernity in the contemporary context. In fact it has proved to be a

powerful medium for acquiring knowledge. It is no more the property of its native

speakers its international function has created a different aspect, which deserves

particular attention as nearly two/third of the nationals speak and practice this

language.

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The universities and other centre of learning in spite of being confined to

the boundaries of teaching and advancing of knowledge must try to adopt the

syllabus of English teaching with a wider objective. The basic objective of English

teaching should try to interpret past perception of an individual to the maximum.Hence, these competent individuals can strive to promote all round development in

our society.

Traditionally the English teachers used to provide a conceptual perception

of the universe without application of logic. But with the growth of IT sector

particularly in India the concept of teaching English has developed a new

dimension. The gurus of the IT and management sector realized that an

individuals way of communication plays a vital role in the path of success. These

professionals argue that since the purpose of communication is to transfer

information, there is no necessity of mastering the language. They advocate for a

communicative approach of English teaching, because the better you express or

present yourself it is easier to succeed in life.

This communicative approach of English Teaching advocates use of plain

and simple English to express oneself in a straight way. This of course needs

shifting of strategies of English Teaching from structural approach to

communicative approach.

The past experience of teaching English in India reflect that students after

studying for ten years at school level are inherited with the basics of English

grammar. No doubt, it was the school teachers duty to teach the language. The

college teachers then used to initiate them into the pleasure and joys of English

literature. At school level, English was taught through the grammar and translation

method. In the 1930s Michael Wes who was working in Bengal introduced the

famous reading method. He believed that it would be more effective for Indians.

But after independence i.e. in the 1950s the structural approach was introduced in

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India. After implementation of this approach for decades it was questioned as it

was found that students passing out of school were neither fluent in writing nor in

speaking English.

As a result English language teaching rather then literature was introduced

at college level by different universities. But the Central Institute of English and

Foreign Language of Hyderabad designed courses on language through Literature.

Now with the advent of the communicative approach to language teaching, the

teachers are left in a state of confusion. But being obliged to the task of language

teaching as well the literary texts in the syllabus, they have decided to become

examination tutors, teaching the students how to arrive without travelling.

To the students who come from English medium school the syllabus

appears to be easy but the regional medium students find it difficult on their part to

cope with the syllabus. As a result the teacher is left with no option except

lecturing. Some of us try to deal with the brighter learners and ignore the weaker

ones, further, with more than 100 students sitting in a class, no sensible language

teaching is possible, as discipline becomes a problem.

Every committed teacher is naturally worried by such problems and tries to

offer his own solution. Some suggest that grammar should be taught rigorously.

But it is found that though they succeed in mastering the rules it does not get

transferred into their ability to communicate. If we are able to speak our mother

tongue fluently without knowing its grammar, why should we insist on second

language learners mastering the grammar in order to communicate in the

language?

But as a lover of literature I firmly believe that in comparison to teaching

grammar teaching of literature is more powerful to teach a language, for literature

exemplifies the best words in the best order. The only way of improving the

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competence of students in a particular language is to introduce, more and more

literary texts in the syllabus.

Of course the teachers while teaching English as a second language should

not limit it to their traditional way of teaching. They should try to incorporate

linguistic elements into their method of teaching for making it more effective. The

teacher must make the students realize the fact that they are learning a language

which is different from their mother tongue, the sentence structure, the syntax and

the sounds of English are quite different from the various Indian languages; the

influence of the mother tongue often creates a great problem in learning English.

The teacher should make the students realize this problem of mother tongue

interference and ask them to be conscious in limiting its effect in order to

overcome it. Of course, it needs a lot of practice.

In order to provide them ample scope they should be prescribed with

varieties of prose pieces, stories, essays, poems etc. so that they get familiar with

the different forms of the language. The emphasis should be laid to enhance their

listening and paraphrasing skills. Every reading text should be followed by

questions to test comprehension skill as well us exercises in language study. This

will perhaps provide the students a strong foundation in sentence structure and

usage.

Further our way of English teaching must also pay attention towards the

improvement of the spoken aspect of the students. As a competent leader we have

to train the ears of the students to differentiate the vowels and consonants that

sound somewhat similar. We have to make them familiarize with the stress and

intonation patterns of English. There has to be an oral exercise of conversation

practice, which will encourage them in acquiring confidence in speaking English

fluently.

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In recent years there have been several attempts at improving the teaching

of English in all its facets. The institutions of higher learning have adopted and

initiated a lot of measures for reform. There seems to be a lot of concern for the

needs, expectations, problems and difficulties of students. Therefore, whileteaching English now, we have to take into account the changing role of English

both at the national level and individual level as suggested by the UGC on syllabus

reform in 1977.

At the national level English must serve as our window on the world as the

language in which nearly all contemporary knowledge is accessible.

At the individual level English will serve as the language of opportunity:

any individual seeking socio economic advancement will find ability in English as

an asset.

In the light of these objectives the purpose of teaching English in India

needs a new look:

to equip the student for his present and future academic pursuits to

understand classroom lectures, read text books, do reference work,

participate in classroom discussions and write assignment and examination.

to prepare the students to act effectively in their professional, social

and day to day affairs.

Thus our focus in the classroom has to be on the learner. The present

classrooms which are generally lecture dominated must be changed. The teacher

should create the atmosphere for learning to take place. He should facilitate ratherthan give information. Our aim of teaching is to make our learners communicate

fluently then we have to provide them with the scope for interaction. Language

learning is a skill like swimming. One can learn swimming by plunging into the

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water and swimming. Sitting on the bank of a river and looking someone swim

cant make one learn how to swim.

Thus, the language classroom has to become more learner dominated and

not teacher dominated. In order to make this more effective there is necessity of

creating language laboratories equipped with all modern accessories facilitating an

ambitious future.

REFERENCES

Wilkins, DA.National syllabuses, oxford University Press, Oxford, 1996.

Widows on, H.G.. Teaching Language as Communication, OUP. London. 1 978.

Ellis. R, Understanding Second language Acquisition, OUP, London, 1991.

Howatt, A.P.R.A History of English Language Teaching, OUP, Oxford, 1984.

URLs

www.ugc.org.in

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