1. A Study of Approaches of ELT for Primary, Secondary, Tertiary levels-Ahalya Jinna

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the EFL teaching methods, approaches and strategies applied at primary, secondary and tertiary levels across India. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Grammar Translation Method (GTM) and Total Physical Response (TPR) are three major areas of teaching English as a foreign language. While Language teaching activities at primary grade level are limited there are many advanced/complex activities at secondary level which provide many opportunities to communicate fluently. This paper will examine the narrative method of inquiry applied at tertiary level to facilitate teaching/ learning of English at UG level. The paper reflects the lived classroom experiences and challenges faced by the English Language Teachers (ELTs). Further it aims to illuminate the conflicting instructional approaches of ELTs and their efforts to strike a balance between Pedagogy and Ideology in order to make ELT practices best and effective.

Keywords: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, CLT, GTM, TPR, Inquiry method at U

English in India is on the rise in every sphere of life locally and globally. Not only in India and many countries around the world, but English is also encouraged at all levels, “so that it will become a genuine link language of the country, not just as it is at present, the link language of the elite” (Tully, 1977).

English is in high use in domains such as education, government, and employment, inter-state communication, press, media newspapers, and journals, magazines, and in informal social groups. In educational institutions, there is a steady increase of English medium schools both in urban and rural sections. English enjoyed a privileged position in the pre-independent period and continued to grow its importance with practical value. In the past, the major part of learning English was mostly through memorization of vocabulary and translation of sentences. The core learning of English was through vocabulary.

However, this tradition of English Language teaching in India changed in the 20th century. According to D.Kanta Rao and J.M.Kanthi Thilakha:

If language teachers teach as they taught

earlier, then one may not achieve the required

goals of teaching English in the present global

scenario.

So the way one learnt English is not exactly the way one teaches. Again, learning English is not the same as acquiring one’s mother tongue. Let us examine the various approaches/methods of teaching English at Primary level. Today it is not that American education system or India education system is better. There is always a need to modify curriculum, introduces new techniques of instruction, distorted educational set up which are the essential characteristics of school system .

Today there is a great need to modify teaching of English at the primary school in Indian and global context. In India, the teaching of English from Class I and as a subject in primary classes has now become a matter of public policy responding to people's aspirations. The goals of English language learning at primary level are twofold: attainment of English as a natural process and development of language as a medium for knowledge acquisition.

As one of the leading communication languages in a multilingual country like India, English plays a significant role both nationally and internationally. The syllabi and textbooks at the primary level recommend an integrated approach to teaching to connect children to live outside as well. While the new curriculum standards discourage rote learning at primary level, children deserve a quality education that they participate in local and national life. The paper reports on the approaches to teaching ELT at Primary, Secondary and Tertiary levels.

Objectives of teaching English at Elementary level:

Teaching English is skill based: At the Elementary level teaching English is to develop the four fundamental skills in children i.e. LSRW - Listening - Speaking - Reading and - Writing. It is familiarising the child to the English language through rhymes, pictures that connect them to life outside home, farm and town/city. The children listen to spoken English through gestures, letters, words, signs, visuals, pictures, sketches, single word questions and answers. Today teaching of English at the primary level is redefining in Indian and global context. In India, the teaching of English from Class I and as a subject in primary classes has now become a matter of public policy responding to people's aspirations. The goals of English language learning at primary level are twofold: attainment of English as a natural process and development of language as a medium for knowledge acquisition.

The visible indicator of the presence of English is the opening of English medium schools and its introduction in all schools with the advent of the internet. The NCF- 2005 stresses the use of child's mother tongue as a medium of learning at the primary level. The English teaching as a skill and profession is a consistent recommendation in policy documents. The standards of the introduction of English have now become a matter of public policy to respond to people's aspirations irrespective of its outcome of very early introduction.

English is introduced as a subject in class I in many Indian states. In a few states, it is introduced in class III or at class V level. The teaching and learning of English today is characterized by the diversity of schools, classroom procedures and teaching of textbooks for passing the examination.

It is a difficult task for a teacher to decide over the correct pedagogical approach, whether to follow a homogenous pedagogy or different instruction. Many schools prefer a teacher to use the appropriate teaching methodology for the classroom. Before deciding which method(s) to use, a teacher should understand the mission of the text and what should the students take away from the lesson. A teacher has to reinforce the necessary skills by planning for hands-on activities, brainstorming, pictograms, pair/group learning. A teacher influence lasts on the child unto eternity. Many educationists have framed a variety of teaching methods to make pupils start joyful learning through song, dance, and sport, extra-curricular activities, and stories of interest and other. The reforms in child education are encouraging.

Coming to the Objectives of teaching English at the secondary level. The study of English does not differentiate from Primary to Secondary Level Education. The four fundamental skills viz- Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing (LSRW) continue to be realised. With the objectives of teaching English, fiction is added to make the children at a Secondary level move to a purely higher level of creativity and appreciation. As the seeds of language learning are sown in the elementary level, it enables the child to attain basic proficiency in appreciating abstract thoughts and think creatively. It is an attempt that the pupils familiarised to school atmosphere and appreciate the literary forms of English writings and develop a delight to learn English language. As a teacher by choice, one has to make more activities to do with the primary students to get them understand the subject.

The material thus presented is simple adapts to the needs of the course. The children are introduced to grammar to enable them understand and speak English in simple sentences with correctness on general topics. The students are encouraged to read books and other written material to understand a range of language items. Following short discourses and making notes also helps them understand the structure and vocabulary on a given topic. The aim of the course is to receive and produce what is read.

The material prescribed encourages them to speak with fluency and accuracy and write creatively and independently. It allows the learners to achieve greater proficiency in studying texts through referencing skills. Though there are individual differences in the pupils with different learning levels a lesson as a whole can be taught for secondary students. As the learning processes are different in the pupils, a teacher has to suitably plan her activities.

Main findings :

• The state textbooks at level 1 (classes I & II) focus less on the listening and production skills and do not link the child’s life at school to life outside the school
• Children did not get opportunity to listen to language or speak in English at home. They were not able to narrate experiences and carry out small conversations in English
• A lot of material like charts, boards, colours are bought are not given to children to use for fear of loss/ misuse
• Libraries in schools were found to be adequately equipped and furnished, but never used by students to be kept new for inspection
• Computer labs exist as museum for children to tour around and not for use
• Smart classes are only advertised in the prospectus but in reality are non functional in most the Government run /ZPHS schools
• The minimum qualification of 10+2 for admission to professional training (B.Ed / D.Ed) varies across the state to state
• There is greater emphasis on pedagogy than practice
• Linkages between theory and practice are weak
• In many Indian states, where the medium of instruction is English as per state policy, teachers often resort to regional/ local languages to facilitate child’s learning
• In all the states, the teachers’ effort to develop the skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing (LSRW), it is not there. Lot of emphasis is given to reading and writing instead of listening and productive skills
• There is a misconception among the teachers that listening and speaking comes with reading and writing
• The textbook is pretext, but many teachers are still locked in text books adhering to the printed word as if were a testament
• Many teachers are reluctant to move beyond the textbooks
• Four practices are mainly found in primary classes. They are: silent reading, choral reading, pair reading, and reading aloud
• Poems are taught line by line or word by word and without any delight for the content
• Almost all the teachers teach grammar by making students memorize the rules and make the students work on exercises
• Most of the teachers give and check assignments/homework
• Technique in language teaching is on questions and answers. The teacher asks questions without motivating students to give answers and thus deprive the students of practice for communication, command and confidence.

English Language Teaching Methods:

According to Dr. Michael West’s analysis, the English language Teaching Methods used commonly by the teachers of English in India are: the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Grammar Translation Method (GTM) and Total Physical Response (TPR), the direct method, Audio-lingual method &Bilingual method,

The Grammar - Translation Method:

This method was introduced in India with the arrival of the British. According to Tickoo, Grammar - Translation Method has been a model in many schools with the psychological belief that teaching/ learning of a classical language part of liberal education and helps in memory retention. It was aimed at helping to read full texts and communicate orally in everyday situations. So the emphasis was on reading rather on speaking.

While classical language posed a difficulty for students to memorise words and rules, the use of ‘L1’ in the classroom prevented the learner to communicate in English. The learners found it very difficult to overcome the influence of mother tongue. Excessive obsession with accuracy and competence in written rather than oral language inhibited learners from speaking in English. As they resorted to translation methods of words, phrases and passages from mother tongue into English, it resulted in alarming situations.

Till the advent of structural linguistics, the interference of mother tongue left the learners in a universal quandary. The goal of teaching English characteristically remained as follows:

Translation of words into English; rules of grammar with examples; words to word translation of a conversation from mother tongue, list out verbs and give synonyms and antonyms; memorizing at least five words a day providing equivalents to their native language.

Communicative Language Teaching :

Communicative Language Teaching began in the 1960s in response to Chomsky’s criticisms of structural theories of language. Communicative Language Teaching or situation based communication is accepted as the best language teaching strategy/approach in many countries of the world.

A lot of “research has been conducted to investigate if the Communicative Language Teaching approach, a Western innovation can be applied to and followed as a language teaching method in English as a Foreign Language context.”(Burnaby and Sun, 1989; Ellis, 1996; Li, 1998; Xiaoju, 1984). In such “a situation learners become active participants,” says Brown. Brown (2001) ascribes the that the learners, in a communicative class use language, productively and receptively in unrehearsed contexts outside the classroom. Classroom tasks equips them with skills necessary for communication in different contexts. Students are encouraged to construct meaning through genuine linguistic interaction with other.

Richards and Rodgers (2001) illustrate the fact that “Communicative language teaching is chiefly on communication and transforms learners to use in different communicative functions outside classrooms classrooms’(p.166).

Across the world, Comprehensive Approach to English Language Teaching creates two things:

1. Makes communicative competence the goal of language teaching & Develops procedures for the teaching of four language skills (LSRW)
2. CLT governs the Learners to communicate meaningfully, creatively integrating different language skills with fluency.

Since its inception, CLT has served as a major source of influence on language teaching practices helping as building blocks of sentences (i.e., parts of speech, tenses, phrases, clauses and sentence patterns etc.) facilitating the communication process between participants and their functions. The second role of CLT it is in itself an important participant within the learning –teaching group.

Activities in the CLT are often carried out by students in small groups (Larsen-Freman1986) and also favours authentic language use rather than in the merely mechanical practice of Language patterns. Communicative Approach to the Teaching of English as a Second Language methodology is learner centric which has brought a welcome change in the curriculum authorized by NCERT and CIEFL. This has resulted in revising textbooks graded syllabuses and brought reforms in the examination system in English learning/teaching situation in India.

A variety of activities/tasks are carried out in a CLT classroom are: Role Play/ Interviews/ Information gap/ Games/ Language exchange/Surveys/Pair work/ help speaker develop fluency engaging them in meaningful interaction overcoming communication breakdowns. Dr. Sharada Bhat opines that the communicative approach to teaching of English is organized on the basis of certain communicative functions, such as apologizing, describing, inviting, promising etc. that the ESL learners need to know.

Total physical response (TPR):

Total physical response is another language developing tool devised by James Asher, a professor emeritus of psychology at San Jose State University. It is based on the coordination of language through commands where students respond through whole-body actions.

It is a passive method of learning the structure of language and recognizing the meaning. It is a valuable method to learn vocabulary, especially idiomatic terms, e.g., phrasal verbs. Asher developed TPR as a result of his experiences observing young children learning to respond vocabulary psychologically connected between the learner and the facilitator.

Total physical response is popular with beginners and is spent doing drills in which the instructor gives commands in an imperative mode. Students respond to these commands and learn the meaning of the words to use it in novel combinations. Asher suggests that students can learn between 12 and 36 words for every hour of instruction, depending on their language level and class size.

While drills are the mainstay of total physical response classes, some typical other activities are role plays and slide presentations. Asher advises teachers to treat learners’ mistakes the same way a parent would treat their children’s, in correcting their errors. TPR helps in instant understanding of the target language, high speed Long-term retention and is stress-free.

According to Kripa K Gautam, mastery of the structures is more important than the acquisition of vocabulary. Further he states, “Since structure is what is important and unique about a language, early practice should focus on mastery of phonological and grammatical structures rather than on mastery of vocabulary”.

While this approach constitutes the framework of a language, care should be taken to introduce it in a graded manner in terms of both meaning and form.

Structural-Oral-Situational Approach

The Structural-Oral-Situational Approach, popularly known as the S-O-S approach is viewed as structurally related elements for encoding of meaning, phonemes, morphemes, words, structures and sentence types.

To teach required skills of English and make learning interesting, simple the teachers must adopt motivational strategies. Reading programmes enhances the communication skills. Use of humour in English class enlivens the students. Group discussions help for the overall improvement of student’s English language skills. English will be important for many more Indians to improve one’s social and economic position particularly at tertiary level. It has a visible impact on undergraduate education. In states of India, English is taught as a second language at every stage of education. Though regional language is spoken by more than 80 to 85% of people in almost all states, more than half of all business letters and personal letters are written in English. Job interviews are carried out only in English.

In India English is taught as a subject and is more examination oriented. The rural students suffer from low confidence in their use of English. Presently, State and Central Councils of Higher Education stress the importance of speaking and listening skills. Language labs are established in regular degree and professional colleges. English paper has two components: theory and practical. In practical class, students are tested in speaking and listening skills.

The prevailing methods of teaching English needs to adopt simple and well known strategies for imparting effective teaching of English. Motivating the students, conducting reading programmes, using humour in the classroom and involving students in group discussions and Interactive sessions, Proper practice in using the English language can give the best for pupils. Language experts say that a noisy language class is a good and effective class.

Issues to be resolved:

Students are not provided with adequate reading materials. Reading instruction in English is not followed; most of the teachers feel shy to use humour in the class. Consequently, the English language class becomes dull, boring and uninteresting. Teachers don’t provide or extract the background knowledge of the topic and kill the students’ curiosity to learn the language is missing.

Group discussions are excellent method of teaching and learning. Questioning techniques are effective in discussions, group discussion provide greater interaction between teacher and students. Teachers can check what students learn through the questions asked. Students will concentrate on the lesson. In the beginning students may be reluctant to do group work and participate in group discussion. But the teacher should divide the class into small groups and motivate them to participate in discussion, Long and Porter (1985) claim that students engage in more negotiations in the small group led by teacher-cantered, whole class settings.

Teaching English at the Tertiary Level in India through narrative inquiry:

In language education research states narratives offer structural flexibility both as content and form and facilitate the learning. Research has proved the stories of teachers and learners about their lived and imagined experiences. Connelly and Clandinnin (2006) stress the relevance of interpreting teachers' stories within their three-dimensional space proposal: Temporality, Sociality and Place. In Temporality the researcher is considering "the past, present, and future" of the participants.

The educational knowledge is particularly suitable key to teachers’ knowledge. Narrative inquiry then, is a qualitative research method to exploit the potential data provided through the stories of the people.

For the successful implementation of our role as mediators of ideological differences in ELT in Indian context, I would recommend a three I’s model of learning to teach - imitation-indigenization-innovation - for every ELT teacher to try. To start with, motivation to become the teachers we most want to be is of primary significance since it allows us to change our mindsets and to adopt or imitate models of teaching that are promoted globally. These methods if customized make English teaching and learning very innovative .

References :

1. National Curriculum Framework (2005); National Council for Educational Research and Training, New Delhi.
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