The Problems of ELT in English Classrooms of Gujarat
In language learning, as in any kind of learning, student’s effort is essential. The teacher should be less useful as a brilliant performer, keeping the class enthralled with the magic of his words, than as a facilitator of learning. He is very much expected to create the conditions which make learning possible, to provide the means by which and the atmosphere in which, students can learn. As a matter of fact, one can only learn by doing something oneself. For instance, one can learn all the theory about riding a bicycle, but not in fact be able to ride one. Similarly, one may know a great deal about how language is structured, but not know how to speak it. In order to speak the language or read or write it, one has to have considerable amount of practice in actually using it. This in not done by hearing the teacher’s speech, but by speaking oneself.
At this point, it would be no exaggeration to add that in the major English classrooms of India, learning the language is an extremely boring and thoroughly painful process. Actually there is a textbook and the teacher, in his loudest voice, reads a few lines from the textbooks and explains those few lines in the children’s vernacular. The children don’t get a chance to speak a syllable in English and they spend about four and a half hours every week, learning nothing of the four basic language skills. What is worse, they are often described as “backward children” by their English teachers. And alas! “Backward” they do remain even after “learning” English for six or seven years.
Yasmin Lukmani rightly says in her article “Developing Reading Skills”-
“If one calculates the average amount of time given per student in every English class to speak/read/write, one finds that it is minimal. At best, two to three students answer a few questions taking up about five to seven minutes of the class. The rest of the time, the teacher holds the stage, the class. This division of time appears disproportionate and not conductive to learning.”
M.L. Tickoo is right in questioning in his article, “Thoughts on and around ELT Methodologies”.
“Why is it that even the most detailed studies of TEPL in India of the last 40 years have failed to recommend a method for use in ordinary state supported schools? There is clear awareness of the fact that tension between established practice and declared policies.”
However, M.L. Tickoo expresses hope when he agress with M.S.Patel and he quotes Patel in his article that-
“In the hands of a teacher appropriately trained a structural syllabus can be an effective tool for teaching English. Implying an activity method. It demand initiative, resourcefulness and imagination on the part of the teacher. It keeps the young learner keen and active... It is indeed a delightful sight to see a class buzzing with activity like the bee-hive as it gainfully learns by doing and speaking.”
Here in this article my effort is to pin point some of the problems of the classrooms of Gujarat where the teaching of English language is either unsatisfactory or rather hopeless. No exaggeration, if it is said that the teaching of English has gone to such bottom from where it would be very difficult to uplift it. We are enlisting some of the problems, difficulties that come across in our teaching of English –
1. Dull, dumb, & unenthusiastic students
2. Escaping from the English classes
3. Preparing or cramming from the guides
4. No pre- preparation nor post- preparation
5. No background of English
6. Students’ hesitation of committing mistakes
7. Teachers adopt translational/vernacular method
8. English as a compulsory subject
9. Neither teacher nor students feel for any improvisations or innovations.
Instinctively or from the school, students learn that English is a difficult language – so it is impossible to learn it- “impossible” – into inverted commas. In school, either the student leaves the English subject or if he opts for it, then willingly or unwillingly attends the classes. But in college, he is free to attend the class or to leave it. Moreover, the students get such a worse company in the college that they have been badly convinced that English lectures are boring, difficult, unappealing and what not. Consequently, the students try to escape from attending the classes.
Now, whether the students attend the classes or not; they are supposed to appear in the exam of English and pass it also. In that case, the students get habituated of cramming readymade answers from the guides and cheap digests available in the markets. Most of the students remain absent throughout the year, they just buy guides and cram up, mug up every answer and get through the exam.
Classroom teaching suffers a lot when there is no link to it with pre-preparation or post-preparation done by the students. Generally, the students come in the class with empty brain and goes with the same. He does not come with any home-preparation nor he does any after-preparation after going home.
Generally, the students belong to the middle, lower, or lower-middle class. They do not come to the college with any such acquaintance of English that can be helpful to them. Most of them leave the English subject in 10th standard. Those who study English in 12th, they also come to the college with a limited knowledge of English of course. There are some cases who keep a good knowledge of English but there are exceptions.
In the classrooms, the main reason why the students do not reply openly is that they hesitate to speak lest any error should not be committed. They keep reserved. Some of the students want to ask something, want to get clarified their doubts and queries but they shy, they think that if the teacher would insult them or act in an unexpected way, or they also feel ashamed of the classmates. Sometimes they respect the “teacher-dominance” education system perhaps.
Helplessly and hopelessly, the teacher not seeing any response from students’ side has to switch over the vernacular language. He has to translate while teaching English lessons or language in the classrooms. If the teacher of English constantly deals only with English, if is very difficult to stimulate the the students’ curiosity to respond therefore for the sake of their responsive ability, the teacher resorts to translation.
It is also somewhat pathetic that English is a compulsory subject in Gujarat University, therefore the students have to opt for it otherwise, no one (probably) can think to go for it. English has to be studied compulsorily in all the three years- F.Y. S.Y. T.Y. in all faculties whether it is Arts, Commerce or Science. Because of this the students unwillingly take the subject and remain dull and unenthusiastic throughout the year.
The tragedy is from both the sides, neither the students want to be taught properly nor the teachers are interested to take the lectures sincerely, regularly and meticulously. The students don’t want to attend the class form some or the other reason and the teacher goes on frightening the students- sometimes for their less attendance, sometimes for their insincerity the teacher tries sometimes for not bringing all students in the class.
Conclusion:
The teaching of English is not something that ‘you do the tough and master the easy’ but the teacher, particularly, the teachers of Gujarat is supposed to start with the easy, he should start his teaching from the beginning, from the basics and gradually he can venture towards the exhaustive details or methodology of English language teaching. As a teacher we should break that long-back tradition of one-way teaching, we should also include actively the students in learning process. We, as teachers, should keep away from making the class- ‘teacher-dominated’
We will conclude with the words of S. Vedayudhan who says in his easy – ‘ Study skills in the classroom’-
“Some of us,(we,the teachers) do carry loads of learned number in our heads and we expect our students to get it from us, like retailers collecting their daily wares from wholesalers. Worth remembering that in a commercial sense wholesalers have a vested interest in not letting the retailers going to the sources.”
So long as the teaching of language is based on prescribed reader/texts teacher-dominance in the pursuit of knowledge is bound to continue. The thing is – can’t we suppress our urge to supply every bit of information? Shouldn’t we invite the students to go, search and find out things for themselves?
On the whole, it is time that we took a second look at the educational process. Blaming the system and waiting for drastic changes and improvement of our resources is no solution. Change should begin with every individual teacher.
Romeo exclaimed:
‘O! She does teach the torches to burn bright.’
When would we think of our students as torches whom we could help burn bright.
References:
- Ali, S. M. ,(2012), Language Teaching in India -The Present Day Challenges
- Bhardwaj, Namrata. (2011), A Study about the perception of Students and Teachers about the role played by the First Language in the learning of English as a Second Language At the Elementary level, J.M.I
- Bhatia, K. K. (2008). Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language, Kalyani Publishers, 39-45.
- Bisht, A.R, (1972).Teaching English in India. Agrawal Publications, Agra-02
- English studies in India (2009) , Institutionalisation of English in India, Vol-1, IGNOU. Delhi.
- Hemamalini, H. C. (2008). English Language anxiety in relation to English achievement among the High School Students
- Thakur, J. (2013). Challenges and Prospects in Teaching of English at Elementary School Level.