4. Teaching English to Mixed Ability Groups: Problems and Solutions --- Bharathi & Patadia

English language is recognized as a world phenomenon today. Without English, no further higher education or inter change of professional knowledge is possible. Today’s educational scenario projects English as a language of learning and communication. But the present educational policies pose certain hindrances in the process of teaching English. With an objective to study the problems encountered by the teachers while teaching English at the U.G.level, a research study was conducted in all the commerce colleges of K.S.K.V.Kachchh University. This article attempts to identify the problems faced by the teachers and it concludes with some adaptable suggestions for minimizing the problems of language teachers.

English language has come to be recognized as a world phenomenon today. It appears to have now become an economic and academic reality. Today’s educational scenario projects English as a language of learning and communication.

English Language teaching today has assumed dimensions that go far beyond the grip of an ordinary class room teacher, unless he is willing to apply his mind in a professional manner for enhancing the quality of his class-room teaching. Teaching English in India has become a complex affair and the problems that arise in our approach to ELT are multi dimensional. We have Colleges/Universities that are of purely English medium and other universities where English is just a compulsory subject. Between these two extremes we have a vide variety of situations with mixed group of students for which suitable ELT methodology needs to be developed.

Today’s schools and colleges have failed to achieve their targets in language teachingdue to some of the constraints in the process of English language teaching-learning. With an objective to study the problems encountered by the teachers while teaching English at the U.G.level, a study was conducted in all the commerce colleges of K.S.K.V.Kachchh University. This article attempts to identify some of the problems faced by the teachers at U.G.level by means of administering an Opinionnaire to all the English teachers. The data collected were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. It concludes with some adaptable suggestions for minimizing the problems of language teachers.

Statement of the Research Problem:

Identification of problems in teaching English in Commerce colleges of the Kachchh District

Objectives:

1. 1. To study problems faced by teachers in teaching English at F.Y. B.Com level.
2. 2. To suggest some adaptable measures to minimize the problems of teaching English at F.Y.B.Com. level.

Delimitation:

The present study is delimited to English Teachers, who teach at F.Y.B.Com. level in commerce colleges affiliated to the K.S.K.V. Kachchh University, Bhuj.

Design of the Study:

The present study is a survey type of study which describes the present status of English language teaching in Commerce Colleges of the Kachchh District.

Population and Sample:

All the English lecturers of all the Eight Commerce colleges of K.S.K.V. Kachchh University constituted the population for the proposed study. All the teachers, teaching compulsory English or Commercial communication subjects at the F.Y.B.Com. level, from all the eight commerce colleges, affiliated to K.S.K.V. Kachchh University constituted the sample of teachers for the study.

Tools:

• Opinionnaire for English Teachers.
• Conduction of Focus Group Discussion

Data Collection:

The data collection was in the form of responses given by respondents collected through opinionnaire. The responses of the teachers focused on the data related to problems of teaching of English at F.Y. B.Com level. After identifying the problems a Focus Group Discussion was conducted. The discussion was conducted under the monitoring of a senior ELT expert Professor.

Data Analysis:

The collected responses were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The responses collected comprised the opinions of the teachers and the experts of English. The frequency and percentage analysis were used wherever required.

Identified Problems of Students:

• All the teachers (100%) opined that overloaded classes create hurdles in the process of teaching-learning.
• 88% of the teachers opined that teaching to heterogeneous group of students could create problems in managing individual differences.
• 63% of the teachers’ opinions revealed that the personal, individual characteristics of the students could create problems in the process of their teaching and learning.
• 88% opined that the passive interaction of the students would disturb the class room atmosphere and learning environment.
• 75% opined that the choice of medium of instruction of their students influenced their language learning abilities.
• All the teachers opined that the students’ background knowledge of the subject affects the present learning of the language subject.
• All the teachers opined that majority of their students faced difficulty in reading books and comprehending their contents.
• 100% of teachers expressed their consensus regarding the examination oriented attitude of their students and reported that this attitude constrained their language learning abilities.
• 100% of teachers opined that the students faced many problems in writing letters and drafting professional reports due to their poor foundation of English language acquisition.
• 88% of the teachers opined that the students belonging to urban areas were more exposed to English language and they performed better in English than those from the rural background.
• 50% of the teachers opined that the present evaluation pattern could not provide enough feedback to the teachers to understand the learning problems of the students in learning English.
• All the teachers opined that the excessive strength in a single class created quantitative pressure in the class on the minds of both the teacher and the students.
• 63% of the teachers opined that ‘lack of exposure’ was a major constraint of their students’ in their English language learning.

Suggestions and Recommendations:

In order to realize the second objective of the study, with a view to find out some feasible remedial measures to minimize the problems of English language teaching in commerce colleges of the Kachchh district, a focus group discussion was conducted under the monitoring of a senior ELT Expert Professor. Some of the major suggestions and revelations of FGD are mentioned below:

• More Exposure to English Language: In order to develop the attitudinal aspects of the learners, it is suggested that the learners should be exposed more to that language in different ways.
• Creation of Conducive Climate in the Class: It is suggested that the teacher should make the learners feel comfortable in English. The teacher has to develop homely atmosphere in the class room.
• Enriched Class Room Environment: It is suggested that individual differences which are reflected in the language learning attitude of the learners can be tackled easily by enriching the class room environment and adopting innovative teaching strategies to ensure better language learning environment.
• Developing Confidence: It was revealed that the learners were not able to learn the difference between the words that have similar spelling or sounds of pronunciation. In order to fill up this lacuna, it is suggested that the teacher should direct all the learners and encourage them to use the language frequently in their day to day lives. This acquaintance will surely help the learners to develop their confidence.
• Development of Skills and Techniques: The teacher has to know the responsibility of his/her profession and should try to justify in performing various roles to ensure better teaching-learning environment. Therefore, it is suggested that the teacher has to develop that level of skills and techniques to inspire majority of the learners.
• Optimal Strength: The increasing number of students in a single class will definitely affect the class room teaching of a language adversely. So, it is suggested that the strength has to be constrained to an optimal limit for ensuring better language learning facilities.
• Enhancement of Comprehensive Abilities: It is suggested that the learners should be encouraged to develop reading habits and in order to minimize their language problems; they should be constantly encouraged to make use of the dictionary for their enhancement.
• Remedial Classes: It has been recommended that the academically weak learners should be directed to attend special remedial classes compulsorily to improve their language efficiency.
• Language Laboratory: The study revealed that the present syllabus and curriculum do not cater to the needs of the present day generation. So, all the colleges should be encouraged to initiate with language laboratory facilities to encourage and providing better language learning opportunities.
• Teaching Strategies: It has been observed that some methods of teaching have greater motivating power in built in them than others. It has been suggested that the Discussion method of teaching is significantly more effective in creating interaction in the class. So, the teacher has to follow an innovative strategy to motivate the students’ language learning attitude.
• Usage of Audio-Visual Aids: Innovative techniques should be made in the curriculum with the advancement of ELT and Communication Technology. Audio-visual teaching, OHP, Internet should be encouraged with the change of time. So, all the teachers should be acquainted to use these latest tools of teaching quite frequently in their class rooms to motivate their students further.
• Encouraging Project Works: Involving learners in team projects motivates them towards engaging themselves in such team works. It will lead to vocabulary development, enhancement of computer skills, and systematic improvement in framing sentences and so on. So, this type of project works should be encouraged.
• Developing Positive Attitude: The thinking, personal characteristics, intellectual abilities and maturity levels differ from one person to one person. So, it was suggested that all the teachers should develop positive attitude to encourage the students with multiple levels of intelligence.
• Counseling: Counseling sessions should be made with the students and their parents regularly, so that it provides a platform to clear their doubts and confusions. The concerned teacher should pay immediate attention to their queries.

* * *

• Banerjee AK (2002) New Directions in Grammar and English Language Teaching Published by Pointer Publishers, Jaipur.
• Bhatia K. K. (1967) New Techniques of Teaching English as a foreign language Published by New Academic Publishing Co.
• Khan Masood Ali (2004) Modern Approach to Teaching English, Sublime Publications, Jaipur
• Singh Shiela (2002), Teachers Handbook of Practical English, Common Wealth Publishers, New Delhi.
• Srivastava, A.K., Shekar, R. and Jayaram, B.D., (1978) the Language Load,CIIL, Mysore University.

References