“Teaching English as a second language in India – Focus on Objectives” with the reference of S. K. Verma's research paper

This blog is a part of our ELT-1 class activity,

Þ  The references has been taken from the research paper of S. K. Verma : “Teaching English as a second language in India – Focus on Objectives”

              In this research paper, S. K. Verma has given an explanation of First language (L₁), second language (L₂), Foreign language (L₃) and Classical language. He has focused upon the objectives of teaching English as a second language.

             
             First of all he has given a global objective of language teaching that helping children to learn language or languages is important, because children can learn language easily with interaction and practice and the important point is they are not aware with other languages. Children learn language they heard around.

          
           Languages in a multilingual setting form a system network and “link language” or “lingua franca” has a very important significance in this setting. Community should play its role as a whole and accept English language not only because of need but with respect as a language.

       
           S. K. Verma has also talked about the process of teaching and learning that it is a ‘bidirectional’ and international process. Learners are not only a photocopy of learning but meaningful and cultural creation, learners are meaning makers. Every learner is born with a built – in language learning mechanism and this mechanism get activated in the atmosphere of learning.

       
          By narrowing down his research he talks about the materials of English in ‘language actions’. Grammatical rules and interaction both are important in the learning of any language and grammar correction gives you confidence to speak. Both are important to learn and understand language. As it is said that,

“Learning is a painful process”

 Then he talked about the four kinds of languages,

1)    First language: first language is our mother tongue and it helps us in learning second as well as foreign language. it is our personal language, and it supports in day to day communication with people around us.

2)    Second language: this is the language we learn after our mother tongue. This language helps the learner when the use of first language cannot be possible, for example a person from another state or country cannot understand our mother tongue so English as a second language helps us in interaction. It is an international language of knowledge and research; it is ‘link language’ and ‘lingua franca’.

3)     Foreign language: foreign language has a different concept than L₁ and L₂. it is a language of those people who have their own community in other country for example many Gujarati families have created their community in Australia so Gujarati language is a foreign language for Australians.

4)    Classical language: this language is connected with our history and myths. India has a Sanskrit language as its classical language. India has very important literature in this language such as the life of mythical characters and philosophy of life. 

 At last S.K. Verma has suggested objectives of teaching English language as a second language:

ü First of all ‘Need identification” is important, the need of nation as well as personal need of a learner.

ü The ability to read easily and with understanding

ü A more advanced reading stage, with personal interest and with the help of bilingual dictionaries.

ü The ability to understand an English conversation and good enough vocabulary, speaking and comprehension.

ü The ability to write comprehensibly in English without arrors.

ü The ability to have a conversation in English language in both, topic of interest and of syllabus.

            The level of active command on English is demanded. India has a culture with restrictions, most of the time parents do not allow children to learn English language, so this attitude towards English should change and all should learn English as a language of knowledge.

          
            In last part of his research paper S. K. Verma has explained the role of a teacher that teacher should provide proper atmosphere of learning and should give enough space to student so s/he could learn properly. Syllabus, methodology of language teaching, materials and training programmes changes the attitude of learning towards language. it increases the level of interest in student.

"Teaching of English - A plea for practical attitude" with the reference of R. K. Singh's research paper

This blog is a part of our ELT-1 class activity,

Þ  The references has been taken from the research paper of R. K. Singh : “Teaching of English – A plea for practical attitude”

             

             In this research paper R. K. Singh has requested every teacher and student to treat English practically. His focus is more upon teacher that how far teachers are able to make learning more need based, flexible and innovative.

             

             English is linked language before and after independence, about 750 million people around the world use it either as a first or second language. R. K. Singh has started his paper with positive points of English and then he described the serious facts of learning and teaching English language, as per him English is not only a global language but it is a language of prestige, it is an official language which is widely preferred by people around the world. He requests Indians to have English language as a ‘neutral language’.

           

            Practical attitude suggests that teaching should have an approach which contains tolerance and flexibility with learners. There are language tensions in India because India is a multilingual country, with almost 1650 languages and more than 200 dialects.

          

            He make remarks that, every teacher after adopting this attitude should think about their role as a teacher of second language, and how they can contribute in the life of learner with the help of second and third language.

He has given three aims to teach well:

1)    Encourage a teaching programme that is responsive to their specific needs

2)    Pursue such teaching activities from which pupils know they are learning something useful.

3)    Adopt a flexible learning approach.

       

          Practical approach first focuses upon the need of learners, and the first need is to communicate in second language with intelligent interaction. Teacher should encourage learners to use language at all levels and reading serious texts to every conversation. As per R. K. Singh, language can be understood only when thinking enters in the mind of students, so the teacher should give a challenging tasks to learners. English can also be practiced in its Indian version. He differentiated method and approach by saying that,

“Approach is flexible but method is rigid”

         

          He has concluded his paper by saying that the teacher of language should be active in teaching, s/he should create an atmosphere in which learners do not feel bore and as a teacher s/he should evaluate his/her own approach so teaching can be improved.

          Thus, in this research paper R. K. Singh has given an approach to use practical attitude so learner and teacher both could get their goal.

"Socio-culture Dimensions of English" with the reference of Rekha Aslam's research paper

This blog is a part of our ELT-1 class activity,

Þ  The references has been taken from the research paper of Rekha Aslam : Socio-cultural Dimensions of English as a second language¹

                In this research paper Rekha Aslam has presented use of English in India with social and cultural aspects. Indian English has different idioms, metaphors, symbolism and use of structure. As it is a second language, there are many Indians words which cannot be found in English,  so we have to use those words in Indian concept such as, panipuri( food item), salwar kamiz( Indian attire) and many more which has not any translation in English. 

              
              There are two facts about using English in Indian context, first is English language would not able to express the real feelings of writer and second is it could exploit the discourse. This kind of English can also be observed in Chetan Bhagat’s novels, where he uses Indian-English to describe the feelings of character.

           
              Native words find their way in English because there is not English words for this Indian words, even these words are so deep rooted in the Indian culture, religion, philosophy etc. If English language tries to explain some Indian words, simply it fails to raise the same images or arouse the same emotions because it is not just a word but it takes whole culture with it and it has multi dimensional meaning behind it from years.

For example,

Þ  ‘kum kum – red powder used as a beauty mark by women

Þ  Namaskar – a greeting or salutation, a specific Indian gesture for greeting.

Þ   Mami – mother’s brother’s wife, (auntie)

Þ  Akshat – rice which is used for worship, (religious rice)

Þ  Churail – Supernatural evil power

Þ  Biris – Smoking items

Þ  Langur, Bandars – animals like monkey

          Rekha Aslam has given examples of this kind of English from, Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai, Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya and The Dark Room by R. K. Narayan.

1)   “Fire on Mountain” by Anita Desai :

‘Why, for the weeks he was brittle as a bamboo before it brusts into flames’

‘Perhaps... perhaps.....the alternatives were as many and as bothersome as flies....’

2)   “The Dark Room” by R. K. Narayan :

‘I will do this tiffin business myself’

‘Savitri gave him a tumbler of milk’

‘What do you know of the fire in a mother’s belly when her child is suffering?’ (Literal translation)

3)   “Nectar in a Sieve” by Kamala Markandaya :

‘.....and you, Ruku, are indeed a cleaver woman’

‘My husband, whom I will call here Nathan’

‘....and one day she beckons me near and placed in my hand a small stone lingam’

  

              Thus the discourse cannot be aroused properly if the concept is not clear, all the above examples could confuse us if we do not read the whole novel. This research paper is an attempt to explore the creative dimension of English as a second language. This paper shows us that how the use of English language can be possible in Indian concept.

"English for science and technology" with the refrence of R. S. Sharma's research paper

This blog is a part of our ELT-1 class activity,

The references has been taken from the research paper of R. Sharma on teaching of EST in Indian conditions¹

            

            

              In this paper, R. S. Sharma has focused upon the “needs of students”. English language for science and technology requires advanced vocabulary and good materials. Most of the Indians have not good command over English language because it is second language for them and when it becomes necessary to learn English, it requires good materials and proper methodology.

              
             Science and technology has a different language than we have in our day to day communication, there is a vast difference between technical English language and normal English. There are many limitations of English language in India, first we have L1 and L2 conflicts,  second is not using proper English language or we can say Indian version of English, English has always treated as a language of ‘need’ rather than knowledge.

             
             There are many limitations of English in academics also, like, teachers are not using English properly or they have not enough knowledge of English and that is the reason that students are not able to communicate properly. The financial condition of a student also matters because the fees of this kind of courses are out of budget for many Indian middle class families.

There are two abilities of the student of science and Technology:

     
      Þ   Reading and comprehension

      Þ   Able to speak English properly

  
          R.S. Sharma has criticized the method of developing materials and use of that materials by teachers. As per Sharma teachers should be aware about the learner and the learner should be analyzed by the teacher. Teacher should also motivate the learners. Teacher should always give challenges to the learner so it can be helpful in expanding the knowledge about the subject.

The most important instructions which Sharma has given to the teachers are, 
 

      Þ  Teacher should always get ready to change for the learner

      Þ  “Identifying the nature of the learner’s need” is the first priority of a teacher.

       Thus R.S. Sharma has studied the needs of learners, limitations of EST, ill equipment of teachers, lack of good materials, and training of teachers for teaching EST.