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Perspective
Problems of
Teaching English at College Level in India
by
by Supriya Bhandari
 English
is the 'Lingua Franca' of the world. With the IT Revolution and
most of software and operating system being in English Language, a new
utility for written and oral communication in English Language has
emerged. English is said to be the world's most important language
having communicative and educative value. English is used all over the
world not out of any imposition but because of the realization that it
has certain advantages. A very important reason for regarding English as
a world language is that the world's knowledge is enshrined in English.
It is a progressive language. It is dynamic and flexible. Over and above
English is universally renowned for its power of expression and its rich
literature.
We are going to have children in other parts of the world besides
England, speaking English as their first language. But the gap still
remains like those of the haves and have-nots, developed and developing,
urban and the rural. Much is required to be done by the linguists, the
polyglots, the scholars and the teachers to bridge the gap between the
English literate and the English illiterate population of the world. We
have to go into the intricacies of the English language and simplify the
methodology.
Whatever English now represents or has represented over centuries of
colonization, it belongs to every one. It is a global language, the
first of its kind. The Australian poet Peter Porter emphasized
the point in a World Conference Welcome Poem, published in the
Times Literary Supplement (28th February 1992) to the effect that:
'Everything will be
exposed in English
So delegates and lovers understand'
Education has been the primary factor in the more formal transmission of
English around the world. There developed an indigenous, modernizing,
reform movement in Bengal during the early decades of the nineteenth
century. It was led by Ram Mohan Roy. When Macaulay in his famous 1835 �Minutes�
set out the case for the intellectual improvement of the country;
arguing that, while he himself had not knowledge of the indigenous
languages, he had never found an Orientalist 'who could deny that a
single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native
literature of India and Arabia; and that henceforth available funds
should be employed in imparting knowledge of English literature and
science through the medium of English language.� (1) Not only were
schools and colleges set up as a result of Macaulay�s initiative, but
English replaced Persian as the official state language, and more
gradually, English procedures and assumptions replaced Indian in law and
administration.
English symbolizes in Indian minds, better education, better culture and
higher intellect. In present times, English is the most preferred
language. The Indians and the Indian English language press uses many
words derived from Indian language. Indian accent is sometimes difficult
for non-Indians to understand. Actually English has co-existed in the
Indian sub-continent alongside thousands of local languages. It has
remained at the heart of the Indian society. According to recent
surveys, approximately 4% of the Indian population use English. That
figure might seem insignificant, but out of the total population it
represents 35 million speakers. It means India is the largest English
speaking community outside USA and the UK. As India celebrates its 60th
year of independence from British rule, English continues to expand its
empire. English is virtually the mother-tongue for many educated South
Asian, but for the vast majority, it remains second language. So
English, spoken by such speakers is heavily influenced by speech
patterns of their ethnic language.
Language learning is a natural process for the natives. The approach to
this learning process is called the �behavioristic approach�. But for
the students of other languages, deliberate efforts are required to
learn a foreign language which requires a �mentalistic approach'. The
students of rural and semi-urban areas in India face such problems
because English is not their mother-tongue. It is neither instinctive
nor intuitive. Language acquisition seems to be a process of both of
analogy and application, nature and nurture. Teachers of language have
adopted and invented a variety of methods to teach English. Edward
M. Anthony says in 'Approach, method and Technique-Teaching English
as a Second language', "Method is an overall plan for the orderly
presentation of language material no part of which contradicts and all
of which is based upon, the selected approach. Approach is axiomatic and
a method is procedural. �(2) The orderly presentation of language to
students is influenced by several factors. The teacher has to keep in
mind the age of the student, his native language, his cultural
background and his previous experience with English. The experience of
the teacher and his level of English mastery are equally important. To
achieve the desired effects, the goal of a course much be kept in
mind-whether it is aimed at reading, fluency in speech, inculcating
translation skill. All these objects shape methodology.
Students of the rural colleges face a number of problems. English is
their second language. Learning a second language means acquiring a
system of rules, but just as a very little is known about these rules,
even less is known about how such rule systems are acquired. Students
find themselves unable to express in English. They have no idea of
proper sentence structure. They do not know proper pronunciation,
spellings and grammatical rules. The sole objective of the teacher and
the learner remain to clear the exams. The students never realize the
importance of learning English as a language. In the past, in rural
areas, English was introduced to students in the fifth class. But now
there is no dearth of English medium schools in such area yet the
standards of English are falling rapidly. If we compare a graduate of
present time with a graduate of the past, the result is shockingly
amazing. The emphasis on passing the exams lies so heavy on the students
that they opt for the cramming method. Such an approach helps
unscrupulous elements to flourish. They help the students in achieving
their goals of passing the exams. The inter-disciplinary relation of
teaching and learning process brings home the fact that the problems of
the teachers can be solved if we concentrate on the causes of the
problem of the students.
The changing times have witnessed the growing importance of English
language in all walks of life. It does not seem that we are using
English language as non-native speakers or as a second language.
Conscious and unconscious use of the words in our everyday conversation
from the English language bears evidence to this fact. Even the English
illiterates in the rural areas use such words effortlessly. May be that
is the flexibility of English language to let foreign, cultural
influences mould, and shape and enrich it. The result is that we have
about 40,000 words from the Hindustani incorporated in the world famous
dictionaries like Oxford English Language Dictionary, COD, Collins
Cobuild English Dictionary. To cite a few examples of such words we may
say;
'Kachha, pucca, Thug, Thuggee, Jungle, Stations, School-bags, Computers,
Television, Programme, Malls, College Convert, Dinner, Lunch, Breakfast,
Airport�� and even in our own people settled in European and America
Countries :
Pump, Agriculture, Medicine, Medical college, Construction Building,
Readymade Garments, cupboards, Jewellery, Tailor, Master, Library,
Pictures, CD, Cell phones, .............' We may continue to add to the
common usages from the English Language as a part of our daily
conversation in the rural, semi-urban areas. Even the designations of
officers are political authorities are frequently used. It is quite
ironical that in spite of such a good store of English Language words
our students and in some cases even teachers cannot either write or
speak English language properly.
Because of the rapidly increasing web of Educational facilities, the
rural areas have been enjoying the facilities of the convents. But it
has neither helped in raising the level of the students, nor made them
learn English as a language. The infrastructure of such schools is weak.
Some teachers have good accent, but they do not posses a good command
over the language. Now In the rural and semi-Urban areas, study of
English language begins at an early age, at the KG level, it continues
up to Senior Secondary or first Degree level. Even in the Professional
Courses, the teaching of English as a communication skill is an integral
part of the curriculum or the course obligations. It is quite
unfortunate that whatever our English language teachers gain in the
completion of their course or education as eligibility for seeking a job
or an employment, it stays there and the teaching learning stagnates.
The process of teaching is not updated even after the passage of years.
So much so as the experience shows in many cases, they have no idea of
good dictionaries meant for the students or for themselves or even for
the office managers or Administrators. It may be pertinently mentioned
here that to cater to the tremendously growing demand for English
Language teachers and learners, there exists ''the bank of English"
with an envious corpus of about 400 million words of written and spoken
English. For this purpose, they are using a wide range of different
types of writing and speech from hundreds different sources:
Newspapers, Magazines fiction and Non-Fiction, Books, Brochures,
Leaflets, Reports Letter Radio, T.V. Airports. Informal spoken language
is represented by recording of everyday casual conversations, meetings,
interview and discussions. (3)
Students of the rural areas do not realize the importance of English as
a language of communication whereas this is the most important aspect of
this global language. They lack the confidence to speak in English;
expression in the language is weak. First reason is that they have been
taught English through Grammar-Translation Method. This method
makes them dependent on their mother tongue. Whatever they read, they
translate it into their own vernacular. During the time of exams, they
cram the expected questions because they cannot write one original
sentence of their own. Because of GT Method, they have no
vocabulary of English words. While writing, they depend on the cheap
material from the help books.
The hackneyed, stereotyped and traditional pattern of exams aims at
clearing English not as a language but as a subject. The students,
therefore, are guided to practice pick and chose method from the
sub-standard material available in the market. So that students merely
pass the subject far from learning any level of the Language. It is more
shocking to learn that even the questions that students are supposed to
answer are told to learn through translation from English to their own
vernacular. Poor performance in translation, lack of proper vocabulary,
no knowledge proverbs all are results of a casual approach. Even after
reading English for 14 or 15 years the level of the students remains
poor.
To solve all the problems, a systematic approach should be followed. The
teachers should aim at teaching primarily, not knowledge but skill,
the different skills required for good
Listening-Speaking-Reading-Writing. Teachers should find some way of
helping pupils to enjoy their language activities, and of building their
confidence. A teacher who tries to help his pupils in this way has
rightly rejected the image of the teacher who acts as the arbitrary
dispenser of all knowledge. As children learn by way of imitation,
similarly, the students tend to follow the example set by their teacher.
The English teacher should have the wide-ranging enthusiasm and
Imagination, It can make English course 'a sort of clearing house for
ideas and interests which branch out into all the other subjects that
the pupils are studying in school, and beyond them.�(4)
To tackle with the problem of lack of vocabulary in the students,
Productive and receptive Use of words should be kept in mind. The
students should be made to learn simple words. This will help in
inculcating a habit of learning new words in them. Their newly learnt
words will become a part of their own vocabulary and they will be in a
position to use those words. This is the natural process of movement at
need from receptive to productive use of the words. This enhancement of
vocabulary will result into better expression. The common errors made by
the students in the different usages of the same word can be cured by
this technique. Normally, the students can not differentiate between
Noun and Verb, adjective or adverb. They should be clearly guided about
the difference between the parts of speech by practice. They can be made
aware of the different parts of a word; root, suffix, prefix and how can
they change the total meaning of the word by adding suffix or prefix
with the root i.e.
(i) Nouns related to verbs and marked by suffix:
a) Deny (verb) Noun:
Denial
b) Close (verb) Noun: Closure
c) Mock (verb) Noun: Mockery
d) Collide (verb) Noun: Collision
e) Use (verb) Noun: Usage
f) Flatter (verb) Noun: Flattery
g) Apply (verb) Noun: Application
h) Achieve (verb) Noun: Achievement
(ii) Nouns related to adjectives and marked by suffix:
a) Frail (adjective)
Noun: Frailty
b) Close (adjective) Noun: Closeness
c) Capable (adjective) Noun: Capability
d) Intense (adjective) Noun: Intensity
Such practices will help them enjoying their play with words. They can
understand the importance of suffixes and prefixes. They can be given
exercise of making words negatives from positives by prefixes for
example: dis as a prefix changes the meaning of the word : (all the
following words are negative in meaning)
'dislike, disobey,
displeasure, disorder, disloyal, disprove, dishonorable',
They can enjoy these exercise and they can also strengthen their
vocabulary. It will help in breaking the monotonous routine of the
class. Regular tests can be held to evaluate the progress of the
students. After laying stress on their vocabulary building, students
should be given exercises of Reading. Books provide most pupils with the
situations in which learning take place. Reading is the core of Language
learning. Students can acquire the speed and skills for practical
purposes. In our literate society, professional competence depends on
reading skills. Practice in exact reading should occur frequently, at
least once a week and preferably twice. The vocabulary drills can help
them understand the usages of words in the books. They should be made to
underline the Noun, Verb, adjective, and Adverb, in the given passage of
reading. Similarly, they can be taught the proper usage of Articles,
Determiners, Proposition and Conjunctions.
They should be guided to mark the idioms and how the use of idioms makes
the expression better. They should notice the difference between.
Put up, Put of, Put on,
and Put with�
Laugh at, Laugh with, Laugh away'
By noticing all such components of the language they can enjoy the
richness and flexibility of language. Once their interest is aroused,
they will show tremendous improvement. Reading can also help them in
making aware of spellings. When the students have practiced different
uses of words and have developed habit of reading, they can avoid the
common errors of Translations. In rural areas, the students tend to
choose the literal way of translating the sentences from Hindi or
Punjabi into English. Some examples need consideration here. Students
make errors while translation of the following sentences:
1 He is my underwear
friend.
2. Oh mother Ganga, send me telegram!
3. He killed my ten rupees.
Such problems arise because of translating each word of English into
Hindi or Punjabi and vice versa. Whereas the students should be made
aware of the fact that it is impossible to find an exact equivalent for
every English word.
After the usages of all such practices in the classrooms, the students
should be given exposure. There can be no learning without exposure.
Group discussions can be arranged. Texts should be read loudly by the
students. Simple usage of words will become a part of their speech only
when they are exposed to deliver a speech and express their own ideas.
The zeal for learning will help them in their own advancement. The
problems of the students and the teachers are inter-related. It is
necessary to assure that the learner makes a tremendous contribution in
the process.
English has been successfully taught through literature for many years.
But now when the students are taking their exams of other subjects of
post graduation i.e. History, Political Science, Economics etc. in Hindi
or Punjabi, their interest and efficiency in English is decreasing. Even
those students, who have passed their post graduation in English, are
not able to write and speak it accurately. Whereas the fluency in the
spoken language should be stressed. Teachers should aim at teaching of
pragmatics. Pragmatic competence is central to Communication ��the
ability to use language effectively to fulfill intentions and goals�.
(5) Different languages use differ strategies. It is important that the
learners of English are given such information as possible the ways in
which to use their language. English should be taught as a language, not
as a subject. The course material should be designed in such a manner
that emphasis on language should be there. For example while teaching a
simple poem like Daffodils by Wordsworth to the students, the
teacher can ask the student to underline the different words used by the
poet for the expression of happiness.
�Sprightly, glee, jocund, pleasure�. Similarly cryptic, pithy,
terse and valuable lines of Pope can be taught to them. Students will
make those lines a part of their memory. Teaching can be enjoyed by both
the teacher and the students in this manner. Students do enjoy poetry
and drama provided the feed back is given in the same spirit. The
enthusiasm, the zeal and interest of the teacher can kindle the spark of
learning in the students. Presentations by the students can help them
enhancing their level of confidence. Teacher can change subject matter
from prose to poetry, from essay writing to letter writing to prevent
the class from monotonous routine. Audio-Visual aids can add to the
presentation of the topic. Students can be encouraged to listen to
English news and English commentaries broad cast on Radio and telecast
on TV. Motivation in the initial phase, proper methodology in the next
phase should be followed. Teacher�s own personality and command over
language counts a lot. Faculty improvement programmes should be held.
Teachers should be made aware of the latest techniques and methods. An
English language teacher should be capable of arising the interest and
imagination of the students. As a seasoned teacher of English once
warned a callow colleague: 'Never forget, my, boy that the English
teacher's business is with the imagination' (6). If the students
enjoy literature, only then they can quote from it. Literature taught in
such a way will be enjoyed and remembered for a long time.
If we take into consideration the role of teacher and learner in
acquiring the knowledge of a language; the problems can be solved
effectively. Only then the students will realize the practical use of
English language. English will be used by them as a medium of
expression. They will be able to use English as a language of
communication. Fluency in the speech, proper knowledge of sentence
structure, confidence of speaking in the public will make them able to
keep their pace with the developing world. It will also help in raising
the standards of English as a language at the college level. On the
basis of suggestions given above, the critical situations in the
teaching of English can be checked from further deteriorations.
Decidedly one or two persons can't do anything solid. Let everyone
concerned with it take the responsibility. Only then we can create a
congenial environmental & we can be able to achieve better results in
the teaching and learning of English.
References
1) P.48. �Post colonial Literatures in English - History Language
Theory' by Dennis Walder, Blackwell Publishing.
2) Edward M. Anthony's 'Approach, Method & Technique English as a Second
Language' by Allen & Campbell. T.M.H. Edition.
3) Collins co builds English Dictionary for Advanced Learners Published
by Harper Collins 3rd edition 2001.
4) P.6. 'Teaching of English As a second language by J.A. Bright and G.P.
McGregor�, Published by English Language Books Society and Longman Group
Limited.
5) Collins co builds English Dictionary for Advanced Learners Published
by Harper Collins 3rd edition 2001.
6) P.6. 'Teaching of English As a second language by J.A. Bright and G.P.
McGregor�, Published by English Language Books Society and Longman Group
Limited.
May 24, 2009
Supriya Bhandari, M.A. (Eng.) UGC-NET is Lecturer in English at S.D.
College for women, Moga.
Image under license with Gettyimages.com
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