Teaching
English as a second language in India: Focus on objectives
By: SHIVENDRA K.
VERMA
(CENTRAL
INSTITUTE OF ENGLISH AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES)
- HYDERABAD
Abstract: after highlighting certain theoretical aspects
of the notion “objectives of language teaching”, we discuss the
functionally-determined sub-categorization of language into first language,
second language, foreign language and classical language. We then moves to
focus on objectives of teaching English as a second language in India.
Teaching English as ‘second
language’ in India
By-
KAPIL KAPOOR
The concept of English a second language is not a purely
pedagogic construct and has to be properly understood in the larger historical,
social and education context.
·
The term
second language is understood in two different ways:
1) English is
second language after one or more Indian languages, which are primary and more
significantly
2) In school
education the second language is what is introduced after the primary stage and
has a pedagogical as well as a functional definition, particularly in the
context of the ‘three-language formula’.
English in India is a symbol of linguistic centralism whereas the numerous Indian languages are
seen to represent linguistic regionalism.
·
The conceptual structure has three parts:
1)
Modernization
2)
Mythology
3) Language
policy
To further buttress this argument, a whole mythology
got built up around the role of english in which the central metaphor is the
metaphor of the ‘window’.
1) English is the language of knowledge (science and
technology)
2) English is the language of liberal, modern thinking
3) English is our window on the world
4) English is the library language; English is the
language of reason
5) English is link language
6) English is the lingua-franca.
The
objectives of language teaching:
The global
objectives of language teaching can be defined as helping children learn a
language or languages to perform a variety of functions. These range from the
sociable use of language for phatic communication and a network of
communicative uses to its use at the highest level of 'catharsis' and 'self-
expression'. Underlying these functions are two fundamental functions helping
children learn how to ask questions, the most important intellectual ability
man has yet developed, and helping children use this language effectively in
different social networks. Languages in a multilingual setting from a
system-network. Each language in this network has a function- determined
value contrasting to the function determined values of the other languages. A
society or a government can assign a new value to anyone of the languages in
the system network in terms of its own policy of language planning, but the
society or government must realise that this assignment of a new value to a
language will produce a chain reaction in the network. The values of the other
language in the network are bound to undergo changes.
The notion of link languages or lingua franca has an important significance
in a multilingual setting. It encourages wider morality, national integration,
and a sense of tolerance. In enriches other languages in contact and gets
enriched by them. Effective bilingualism or trilingualism or even
multilingualism is a powerful way of enriching the linguistic repertoire
of individuals. These resources offered by plurality of languages can be used
for rapid social and economic changes and modernization programmes.
Teaching is not a
unidirectional process of pumping bits and pieces of unrelated and undigested
gobbets of knowledge into empty sacks. It is a bidirectional, interactional
process. Learners are not just passive recipients of socially accepted language
patterns. They play an active role in his teaching-learning process. They
actively strain, filter and reorganize what they are exposed to. Their
imitations are not photographic reproductions but artistic recreations. The
learners are meaning-makers. The main objective at every level of teaching
should be to help learners learn how to draw out their latent creativity.
Every learner is
born with a built-in language-learning mechanism. This mechanism gets activated
when the learner is exposed to that language. What is therefore, essential is
to create an atmosphere where learning tack place. Children learn the language
they hear around them. Exposure to a rich variety of linguistic material is as
important in first language acquisition as in second language learning. The
teaching of English as a second language, in particular, has often been less
successful than it might have been as a result of the restricted variety of
linguistic contexts with which students are provided. Learners should ideally
be exposed to a variety of contextualized language materials. They must hear
and see language in action.
The emphasis
should shift from encouraging learners to memorize paradigms and grammatical
rules to helping the interact with people using different registers of language
in a variety of situations. In that process the learners internalize not only
the linguistic but also the sociolinguistic rules of the game, so that they
capture the system which enables them to focus on “what to say when and how”.
It should also enable them to organize words in sentences and sentences in
texts effectively keeping in view “the topic of discourse”, “addresser –
addressee relationship”, and “Socio-cultural setting” Learning a language is
not just a question of learning to produce sentences and utterances which are
grammatical and acceptable; they must also be appropriate.
Each of the four
major skills; reading, writing, speaking and understanding, is composed of a
hierarchy of sub skills. What is necessary is to identify the sub skills that
are to be strengthened and expanded in the process of teaching a first
language, a second language or Foreign language(s).
The objective of
teaching a language or languages is not simply to make the learner learn the
major language skills but to enable the learners to play their communicative roles
effectively and to select languages / registers / styles according to the roles
they are playing. “Every social person is a bundle of personae, a bundle of
parts, each part having its lines. If you do not know your lines, you are no
use in the play@ (First 1957: 184).
The object
in teaching a language ... its to enable the learner to behave in such a way
that he can participate to some degree and for certain purposes as a member of
a community other than his own. The degree to which any particular learner may
wish to participate will vary. He may seek only to read technical literature,
or he may wish to preach the gospel in a foreign country. These varying degrees
of participation require different levels of skill in language performance. (Pit Corder
1973: 27)
A teacher
full of life and vigour, resourcefulness and innovative power, love and
understanding, can turn a dull class into a lively two-way interactional game.
A well-qualified, energetic and inventive teacher can be a “living” model, and
act as the best audio – visual aid.
Functionally – determined sub – categories
L1 is used for performing all the
essential, personal functions. These are gradually expanded to cover all types
of interpersonal functions. “In order to live, the young human has to be
progressively incorporated into social organization, and the main condition of
the incorporation is sharing the local magic – that is, the language” (First
1957: 185). L1 is an indispensable instrument of national culture. It is the
primary means for the transmission of culture from one generation to another.
“Learning through the mother tongue is the most potent and comprehensive medium
for the expression of the student’s entire personality” (Government of India
1956), for it is learning the basis of all his or her future activities, the
means by which he or she is going to learn almost everything else (Abercrombie
1956: 23). The education commission in 1902 recommended mother tongue as the
proper medium of instruction for all classes up to the higher secondary level.
Second Language (L2)
L2 may be used as an auxiliary or
associate language, as a slot – filler, performing those functions which are
not normally performed by L1. For a vast majority of educated people living in
towns and cities, English as a second language functions primarily as an
interstate or international link language . Some of them also use it as an
question here is : is L2 the main or associated medium of instruction at all
levels or at a particular level, or is it taught as a subject listed under
“other languages?” When an “exoglossic” language is used by a country as its
official language and / or as a medium of instruction at all levels, it
generates its own problems.
Foreign language
It is used by a select group of
learners in a very restricted set of situations. The main objective of learning
a foreign language is to have direct access to the speakers of these languages
and their cultures. It enables the learners to participate in a foreign society
in certain roles and certain situations. A foreign language like Russian is
used in India for absorbing the cultural patterns of the USSR: English as a
second language is used in India as an alternative way of expressing Indian
patterns of life.
Classical language
A classical
language like Sanskrit provides access to ancient culture, learning and
philosophy of life and is assumed to contribute to the intellectual enrichment
of its learners. Its real value cannot be measured in terms of what it helps
you do in everyday life but in terms the
modern languages and offering “insights” into a variety of linguistic problems.
Objectives of teaching English as a second language in India
The
objectives have to be formulated in the light of what we perceive our needs for
English to be in a multilingual setting, at both the national and individual
levels. This is related to the following questions: What are the roles of
Hindi, English, regional languages, classical languages, foreign languages, and
languages of the minority group in our multilingual setting? What are the topics
and situations that will necessitate the se of English? What is the kind and
amount of English that the learners will need?
At the
national level, English must serve as our “window on the world”, as the
language in which nearly all contemporary knowledge is accessible. As the
language of science and technology, trade and commerce, political science,
economics and international relations English will be important for industrial
and economic development. It will function as the “language of development”.
Our scientists, technologists, engineers, doctors and economists must be able
not only to have access to professional literature in English but also to
contribute to it, and to communicate with their counterparts in other
countries. The continuation of English seems important if our science and
technology, trade and commerce are to be truly international. It is heartening
o note that English-based Indian bilinguals constitute the third largest pool
of trained and technical manpower in the world. As an international link
language (restricted at the moment to urban, educated bilinguals), it is a
promoter of interstate mobility contributing to national unity and integration.
As the
associate official language, an international “link language”, the language
favoured by all-India institutions, the legal and banking systems, trade and
commerce and defence, English has important functions to serve intently, in
addition to its role as our “Window on the world”.
English may
continue to be the medium of instruction in several faculties at the college
level. These students will need a greater proficiency in the skills of
listening, writing and (perhaps) speaking than students being taught through
other languages.
Where the
medium of instruction is to be some language other English, the “library
language” function of English may have to be stressed.
At the
individual level, English continues to be “the language of opportunity” and
“the language of upward social mobility” Any individual seeking socioeconomic
advancement will find ability in English an asset.
It is clear,
therefore, that English has important functions in communications of diverse
types. The skills of communication will continue to be at a premium, and
teaching will have to try to impart a certain minimal competence in these
skills.
THANK
YOU...
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