Effective:One-size-fits-all
doesn't work in English language teaching.
In the age of
globalisation, everyone needs to enhance their communication skills in English
in order to cope with the increasingly tough competition in the job market.
Mere subject knowledge in their chosen field, be it engineering, science,
commerce or humanities, is not going to be a guarantee for them to get a good
job or excel at the workplace.
David Crystal
in his book English as a global language states that 85 per
cent of the world’s international organisations use English as their official
language in transnational communication, and 90 per cent of the published
academic articles are written in English.
Multinational
corporations (MNCs) and major information technology (IT) companies in India
recruit candidates who have good English communication skills. In this highly
competitive society, proficiency in English is considered one of the
employability skills. There has been a wide gap between what the students need
and what is taught at the tertiary level. Teaching English to a group of
students without knowing their language needs is just like prescribing a
particular medicine to someone without diagnosing the person’s disease. Somehow,
the ‘one-size-fits-all’ model doesn’t work in English language teaching (ELT).
The fact that
English is not taught as a life skill or survival skill in most schools and
colleges makes me raise the question whether teachers of English are really
competent and whether they have had proper training to teach the language
effectively. The urgent need of the hour is to take appropriate measures to
enable teachers to grow professionally. Teachers of English should stop
considering themselves as the source of knowledge and students as mere sponges.
An effective teacher enables the learner to move from dependent stage to
independent stage and then to interdependent stage. This is the process of
empowering the learner. The education system at the tertiary level also needs
to be transformed radically.
The present system is not conducive for teaching
English as a life skill. Undue importance is given to examination-oriented
coaching, and as a result the English language teacher ceases to be creative.
Educational institutions are slowly becoming coaching centres. Most private
engineering colleges seem to focus only on achieving higher pass percentage
every year at the cost of compromising quality. The teacher who prepares
students for examinations well and who awards marks to the students generously
is adjudged the best teacher, and the one who is creative and who teaches
English for life is considered worthless.
If we want
our future engineers and other professionals to speak and write good English,
we should look into various maladies that affect the effective teaching of
English and find remedies that will purify the system.
Following are
some of the maladies:
Most English
language courses do not reflect the present and future language needs of the
students.
The absence
of skills-oriented teaching results in ineffective learning.
There is a
gap between the target situation (employment market) and the existing
proficiency of learners.
The absence
of standard course books.
Listening and
speaking skills are not given adequate importance.
Remedies
English
language courses should be based on the principles of globalism.
The courses
should be innovative in content (interesting and useful material for reading
and listening, commutainment (communication through entertainment) activities,
oral presentation, group discussion, mock interviews, etc.)), in methodology
(eg. a process approach to oral presentation, focus on the integration of
skills) and in learning outcomes.
An innovative
approach that focuses on creativity, critical thinking skills, group skills,
interpersonal skills, functional competence, intercultural competence, etc.
should be promoted.
Effective
measures must be taken to shift from basic language skills to wide-range of
skills required at work.
The English
language courses should have activities that foster learners’ critical thinking
and group skills.
The courses
should develop learner autonomy through language labs and web-based learning.
Project-based
activities should be given to learners to develop their language skills in a
meaningful manner.
The
increasing focus on tests and exams should be arrested.
Teachers
should be trained to teach creatively based on the target needs.
Corporate
people should be involved in the design of the course.
English
language courses should be evaluated and modified on a regular basis.
It is high
time policy makers realized the need for teaching English as a life skill and
paved the way for it.
It is high time teachers of English equipped themselves
professionally. Better late than never! The ELT community should come together
and strive to achieve the noble cause of empowering their students. It is
possible only if they are ready to undergo a paradigm shift.
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