ELITE: English Language, IT and Economy

ELITE: English Language Teaching, Information Technology & Economy


Backdrop
Society expects a lot from its educational system. Educational institutions are expected to train the work force, prepare the citizenry for active participation in the democratic process, preserve and enrich the cultural environment, develop the full potential of each student, provide opportunity for individual advancement, produce some level of social integration and equity across the population, and create a society that addresses some of the pressing problems of the time such as persistent poverty, health, security, energy shortage, environmental degradation, to name a few. And, all this must happen within budgetary constraints.

Weaving policies and programmes to foster economic growth is absolutely necessary. There, certainly, is a direct correlation between education and economic prosperity. The index of literacy of a community or a country can be decided by its economic index. This paper presents a bird’s eye view of the correlation between proficiency in the use of the English language as well as ICT skills and growth in economy in India.

ELITE in India
Over the past four decades, the global economy has been shifting from manufacturing economy to service economy. In every one of the world’s largest economies, services either account for more than 50% of the GNP or they are the largest sector in the economy (Apte, Kamarkar & Nath). Within the service sector, the highest growth in the recent decade has come from information services, such as financial services, broadcast services, education, rather than material services such as transportation, construction and retailing. Indeed, between information services and information products (computers, books, television, software). Most developed countries have what economists call an information economy.

The following table shows how stages of development in terms of proficiency in the English language as well as IT and economy are related: the higher the proficiency in the former two the higher the stage of economy.

Stage 1
ELT: (Pre-independence era)
Anti-English feelings among the masses
until almost 1960’s
English studies for survival purposes, basic requirement in higher posts

ICT: Almost non – existent
Poor transport facilities, telephone connectivity mainly for official purposes, STD calls difficult

West-East divide based on poverty/ affluence (even basic amenities, infrastructure non –existent) Higher education a luxury for most
Subsistence Economy

Survival issues addressed: Joblessness and poverty prevail.

Stage 2
ELT :Late 1970’s
Resistance to English continued. But the need for English was felt by a few: role of some ELTIs recognised.
ICT: At nascent stage. Huge computers: difficult to afford and cumbersome to operate. Used mainly for data entry.

Transportation improved.
More people travel abroad for education and employment
STD calls easier, ISD almost unthinkable for the masses
Radio, a major means of entertainment for the masses
Commercial Economy

People in cities and villages enter work force, earn, save on a small scale and pay taxes
Stage 3
ELT: 1980’s English recognized as a necessity for upward social mobility UGC introduced Functional English courses Need for English medium education felt strongly More students go for higher education
ICT: numerous institutions offering ICT courses, computer education an in-thing (confined to technical know-how), STD calls become part of life, ISD calls easier, by the year 2000 the mobile phone enters public life breaking down numerous barriers of time and space. Indian IT acumen makes an entry into the global market. Funds flow into the country.
Emerging Economy

Nearly complete coverage of basic education, infrastructure, health services, safe drinking water, sanitation.
Economy becomes an exporter of manufactured goods and perhaps some construction and information-based services.
Capital accumulation continues to play a role in growth but increasingly productivity becomes the source of sustained growth.

Singapore and many other Southeastern countriesare some of the examples.
Stage 4
ELT: Pervasive use of English
Expenses on education seen as an investment and a global link, increased demand for proficiency in English, more jobs linked to proficiency in English irrespective of formal degrees (call centres, promotions in jobs, international placements), IT sector, a basic necessity for higher quality of education, exposure and life style.

Improved transport and other channels of communication, ISD calls easier, cheaper, mobiles omnipresent breaking the barriers of time and space
Exporting expertise through on-line consultancies, courses, commerce, business, banking
Technology has seeped deep into varying kinds of societal interaction

The young generation in the metros almost born tech-savvy
Indian IT talent has carved a niche in the international market. Indian economy grows.

Information/ Knowledge Economy

This is where the knowledge ladder comes into play. Foreign investment brings in know-how, technology and linkages to global production and distribution systems. Products and services become more sophisticated and move up the value chain. This leads to more indigenous economic growth. From emerging to an information technology: transition to full-fledged science-based innovative activities, ie technology-based economy. That is the information economy and knowledge society. This stage is characterized by wide spread tertiary education, extensive public funding of scientific studies, extensive private-sector led research and development, techno-based economy and a sophisticated information-based society. The economy continues to import technologies from abroad but now foreign exchange is also earned by exporting knowledge and technological advances.


Thus, as the populace of a country climbs higher on the ladder of education, their circle of interaction expands, which in turn, further sharpens their skills, deepens their knowledge-base, equipping them once again for a higher rung on the ladder. ICT is a unique opportunity for access to remote experts and resources. It can provide media-rich simulated environment for learning, support teacher’s work in the classroom, reinforce learning, increase efficacy of the educational system. In the long run, it reduces the cost of education, too. Proficiency in the use of English as well as IT has been a major reason for upward socioeconomic mobility not only in India but the world over.

Conclusion
In reality there are no clear cut stages. Or, even within the same country/ geographical region, different stages of each of these three might co-exist. Nevertheless, some positive relationship is noticed between education and economy. All those rich and famous Indians are found to be fluent in the use of English, perhaps with a few exceptions. All those with IT skills are in demand, either in the same sector or in other careers. Literacy and economic development are, thus, correlated. As education improves, economies develop. Thus, the size of the middle class of a country is in equal proportion to the degree of literacy. From sheer subsistence, education places people on a higher ladder. If India is to enter in the community of knowledge society, the growth will have to be shift from physical capital to the one that increasingly depends on the development of human capital----- development of their skills, knowledge, creativity and innovation of its people. The need of the hour, therefore, is to strengthen the teaching of English and IT skills at all the stages of education: primary, secondary and tertiary.

Campus Interviews

Question Bank for Mock/ Campus Interviews
General

Tell us about yourself.
Apart from teaching, what else do you like? / What are your hobbies?
As a teacher, what do you think is important: marks, student interaction, attitude formation, values?
Do you think technology helps in teaching effectively? How?
What was the COP project at the WMCE?
Who is an effective communicator?
Why should teachers need to be good communicators?
While teaching, how will you know whether students are learning or not?
Would you like to stay on the campus?
How are co-curricular activities important?
Who are your favourite writers?
As a teacher, what do you think is important: content or method?
Many times even if teachers work hard students do not learn. What could be the reasons for such a situation?
How can you make the teaching of English/ Sanskrit/ Maths/ Social Science interesting?
Some learners are audio-oriented, some visual-oriented, some kinesthetic. What kind of activities can you give to each one of them? Or, how can you cater to individual differences among learners?
Can you teach without a textbook?
Textbook materials are not complete. How will you supplement the textbooks?
What different teaching aids can you make/ use for teaching your subject/s?
What are your sources of learning? Which sources do you use to develop yourself?
How can you use ICT for making your subject more effective and interesting?
How can you teach abstract concepts? The Solar system, the Black Holes, Force, wind energy. Difference between Time and Tense, (English), the equator (geography) etc.
Where would you like to work: in a city or a small village? Why?
Which are your favourite topics in English/ Maths/ Science/ Social Science/ economics?
Which activities can you organize outside the classroom to develop proficiency in English?
How well can you conduct the Assembly? What experience do you have of the same?
What are you fond of reading? Which newspapers, magazines, etc do you read? Which are your favourite columns?
How can you use stories/ songs for teaching in the classroom?
What is meant by ‘process-oriented’ teaching?
What is meant by participatory learning?
What is meant by ‘Experiential learning’?
What are ‘Ice-breaking’ exercises?
Which Board is this school affiliated to? Have you seen the textbooks taught at this school? Are you familiar wit the syllabus?
If selected, what are your expectations?
What are your strengths/ limitations?
How long can you work in a day? How long are you ready to work in a day?
If selected, how long will you stay in this job?







Sanskrit
Recite a shlok and explain its meaning.
Why should we teach Sanskrit?
What is the difference between teaching English and teaching Sanskrit?
What different teaching aids can you make/ use for teaching Sanskrit?
What is the place of stories/ songs/ games in Sanskrit classes?







Social Science
Can you engage a geography class outside the classroom?
What different teaching aids can you use for teaching geography/ history/ civics?
History is normally considered to be a boring subject? How can you make it interesting?



English
Recite a poem.
What are the different ways in which future time can be expressed in English?
What is the difference between time and tense?
What is a clause? Give examples.
Correct these sentences. If it will rain, I will not go out. One of my friend is an architect.
How is the teaching of English different from the teaching of Social Science/ Science/ Sanskrit?
Students in Gujarat have problems vis-à-vis certain sounds in the English language? Which are they? How will you help the learners to oversome these problems?
Talk about any book you have read.
What is the place of stories/ songs/ games in language classes?
What is meant by ‘Communicative Language Teaching’?
The textbooks of English these days emphasise functional grammar. What are language functions?


Science
1. How will you help students identify presence of Carbon dioxide?
2. Which concepts in physics can you teach visually?
3. How are ‘force’ and ‘pressure’ different?
4. ‘Sound’ as a wave is difficult to understand. How will you make the students understand it?
5.

Quality & Excellence

Quality & Excellence: Rationale

I. Quality Consciousness Checklist

Quality is preventing problems rather than picking up the pieces afterwards.
First impressions are not important in creating a quality environment.
Quality is the little things as well as the big things.
Quality guidelines are best communicated by word of mouth.
Most people want to do quality work.
A quality programme must integrate with the institution’s goals.
Quality means conformance to standards.
Personal quality standards and professional quality standards have little in common.
Quality requires commitment.
A quality programme must have management support to be successful.
Quality relates to the process as much as to the product.
People who talk about quality are idealists

“We’ll have to learn from the mistakes that others make. We can’t live long enough to make them all ourselves.” W E Demings



II. Why care for Quality?

To survive and thrive
To lower costs
To maintain students’ trust and loyalty
To retain employees
To develop a good reputation
To enjoy results
To solve problems effectively
To increase competitiveness
To reinforce personal quality standards
To maintain professional vitality
To use employees’ creative energies
To develop internal cooperation
To build team spirit
To promote human dignity
To contribute to the society

If you are content with the best you have done, you will never do the best you can do.

Developing Reading

Developing Reading Skills

Objectives

This chapter aims at
v Understanding the skills of reading
v Developing the skills of reading
v Activities for use in the classroom

Introduction

There are two types of comprehension skills: listening and reading. Between the two, reading involves more complex set of sub-skills. To comprehend something is ‘to grasp it with the mind, to understand, or to be able to follow the working, logic, meaning’ etc of it all. It is in this context that when you read a piece of prose, you cannot claim to have comprehended it unless you are able to understand the meaning that the writer meant to convey, or logic involved in the structure of his/her prose composition. This implies that one has to concentrate on what one is reading, focusing complete attention on the important ideas in the passage.

Reading is an individual act. Hence it requires efforts by the individual learner to develop skills of reading. There are numerous sub-skills of reading. Oral reading, for instance, is a set of sub-skills useful in developing oral skills such as intelligibility in pronunciation. During initial years, however, reading aloud is also associated with understanding the link between the symbol and the script. Hence it proves to be helpful. In case of English it is even more so because it provides an opportunity to the learners to listen to the language in a relatively natural and fluent manner.

However, as the learner advances in her/his competence of English, s/he must be taught to read silently. There are two main reasons for this.

In real life situations, one is normally required to read silently, to oneself. Only on a few occasions, such as reading aloud a newspaper or a story, we are called upon to read aloud.
Reading aloud is an aspect of speech development, not reading itself. Since silent reading is difficult to measure, it is not seen to be ‘happening’. Therefore, reading aloud, which is an overt activity is followed or resorted to. When a passage, a story or a poem is being read aloud, the focus is mainly on the oral production, and in making the listeners understand the text through the oral production. Therefore, there is no guarantee that what is read aloud would be remembered.

In the act of reading silently, it is difficult to see much happening. Only when some response is generated, or discussion takes place, it is possible to make out whether someone was reading or not. Everything is a covert event. For this reason, reading, like listening, is said to be a ‘passive’ skill.

Reading essentially implies interacting with the text. This happens at the individual level. Hence meanings that different individuals derive vary. Every individual reading the text derives one’s own personal meaning depending on one’s own experience in the past, intellectual abilities, emotional state at the time of reading, aspirations, expectations from life etc. Therefore, initially all the responses, howsoever varied they may be, should be accepted in the classroom. Then the students may be asked to explain the individual viewpoint.

Reading is a process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning. That is, while reading the reader tries to find out what the words and expressions mean, and, at the same time s/he tries to construct the meaning in the light of one’s own experience. The process of extracting meaning is called ‘decoding’, whereas the process of expressing what one has read is called ‘encoding’. For example, the description of a city with sky scrappers may be given in the text, but the actual meaning is constructed only when the individual reader creates visual images, sees a city with many skyscrapers on the screen of one’s own mind. Later, there may be oral description about the same. This is where the individual variations take place. Unless this creation of meaning at the individual level takes place, reading cannot be said to have happened. It is a process that requires a great deal of active participation on the part of the reader. Good readers give as much to the text as they receive. They make meaning from the text using their own prior knowledge and experiences. They are able to make guesses about what might happen next. Thus, they are able to read fluently.

Fluency in reading means the ability to read a text accurately and quickly. When fluent readers read silently, they recognise words automatically. They group words quickly to help them understand what they read. Fluent readers also read aloud effortlessly and with expression, their reading sounds natural, like speaking. Readers, who have not yet developed fluency, read slowly, word by word. Their oral reading is full of jerks and too many pauses.


Enabling Reading

Helping learners to read implies creating conditions and opportunities to read. Since reading is essentially an individual act, it can be made an overt activity through discussion. When students are able to participate in the discussion it is a proof that they have read and understood the text. In order to help learners understand the text, the teacher needs to ensure that they know the words, phrases and the contexts/ socio-cultural situations of what they read. It is necessary to set achievable targets and create avenues to reach the targets. Hence, pre-reading session activities are important. The long text, for instance, may be broken into small convenient bits and students could work in groups on different aspects of the entire passage. Some picture or a song could be used to develop the theme that the students are likely to come across in the passage.

The focus in reading comprehension is constantly on language and graphic symbols, ideas and tone and style among other things.

Language and graphic symbols are attended to by focusing on (1) the comprehension of a large number of the lexical items occurring in the passage, and by making guesses about meanings of the unfamiliar words from the context in which they appear, (2) the understanding of the syntactic patterns and morphological forms, and (3) by responding to graphic symbols in the form of the use of punctuation, paragraphing etc used in order to convey and/or even clarify meaning.

The focus on ideas requires (a) the identification of the writer's intention as well as the central idea of the passage, (b) understanding of the related ideas supporting and strengthening the main one/s, and (c) drawing valid inferences and correct conclusions from what is given.

In terms of tone and style, the concern is usually with (i) the providing of evidence of our recognition of the author's attitude to the subject as well as his/her readers, (ii) understanding of the tone of the argument, and (iii) the identification of methods and stylistic devices used by the writer to convey his/her ideas.

Numerous activities can be given to the students to develop their skills of reading.

Cloze Reading

This technique aims at developing skills of silent reading and improving the sense of grammatical accuracy. Further, since there are numerous gaps in the text, it helps the reader to make guesses and produce numerous responses.

Materials: A Cloze Passage

Methodology: Students work individually and read the entire passage. They try to arrive at an overall meaning of the text. Then they fill in the gaps with a single word or a phrase. During the process of filling the gaps they may read back and forth to find out if the sentences make sense. Once all the blanks have been filled they read the entire passage again to check if the sentences are grammatically correct, or if words they filled in the blanks are appropriate. Once the students have completed the passage, they work in pairs and compare their answers with that of their partners. They discuss the different options and discuss how the meaning might vary with different options. When the whole class has completed this, the teacher can ask some student to read aloud the entire text. Discussion on the different options offered by the class can be undertaken at this stage.
The teacher can help students appreciate the need to use words appropriately.

Example: Read the following passage carefully and try to complete it by filling in the blanks with appropriate expressions. You may fill in the blanks either by a single word or a phrase.

An artist, who was a poor __1___ kind man, was once traveling by ____2____ train. After sometime, he saw a ____3_____. So the artist put his hand ____4____his pocket and gave away whatever ____5____ he had in his pocket. After ___6___while, another beggar approached him. The ____7_____took pity on him and invited ___8___ beggar for a lunch. After the ___9___, came the bill which the artist obviously ____10____not pay. Feeling bad and sad ____11_____ the incident, the artist told the _____12_____, “Come home with me in a ____13_____. I’ll pay you the money”. “No, ____14___. I paid for your lunch. I ___15___ not want to pay for your taxi, too”, said the beggar.


You may follow these steps.

1. First read the passage as fast as you can and try to understand the overall meaning that it conveys.
2. Read the passage again. This time think of words/ phrases that could fit into the blank slots.
3. Fill in the blanks.
4. Read the passage again. Consider not only the meaning that the passage conveys but also the grammar of each sentence.
5. Read the complete passage once again. Think of the alternatives (other words/ expressions) that may appropriately fit into the blanks.
6. Compare your answers with those of your partner.

(Key: but, a, beggar, into, coins, a, artist, the, meal, could, about, beggar, taxi, thanks, do)

Jig-saw-reading

The focus of this technique is help learners to arrive at the whole on the basis of bits and pieces. Prior to reading the text, the students are 'prepared through discussion'. They are given bits and pieces of the story on the basis of which they try to build stories in groups. Each group may come out with their own stories. The stories are presented before the class during the plenary session. The viability of each story is discussed, questioned, verified. Individual listeners take their own decisions.

Having listened to numerous presentations during which the new contexts as well as vocabulary items are taken care of, the students are asked to read silently. This time they are given a few questions to guide them in their reading.

When they have finished reading the text, they are able to see the difference between what they thought the story was, and finally, what it turned out to be.

Strip Story

A story is a sequence of events. Understanding this sequence is a sign of reading. The strip story technique is one based on developing this sense of relationship among events.

How is the strip story written?

1. It should be a new story. Or, it could be an old story with a new twist. If the story is a highly familiar one, there is no challenge, hence little learning.
2. Although the theme and the development of the story may be new, it should be written in known language known words, grammar, etc.
3. The sentences should be short, simple for they are to be remembered.
4. They must have a fixed order.
5. Each sentence must be inevitable in the story.

How is it organised in the class?

a. The sentences of the story are written on separate slips of paper---one sentence on a slip.
b. They are distributed among students to read and memorise.
c. The strips are collected back.
d. Students are asked to report their sentences to the class.
e. As the sentences are reported, the students listen and try to see a link among them.
f. Students decide the order of sentences. They may come out to the front of the class and stand in a line, each one saying his/her sentence aloud.
g. The sentences are repeated until the story is formed.
h. The whole story is narrated by a couple of students.
i. A couple of other students are encouraged to narrate the story with a few alterations/ modifications: additions, deletions of details.
j. Having ensured that the class has understood how the events in the story are related. The teacher can take up discussion on various ways of organising details. For example, the story could begin with the end itself. Some details could be presented in the form of a dialogue, etc.
k. After the above discussion, students engage themselves in writing the story. This is an individual effort wherein they need to be encouraged to write in a creative manner.

When the students are struggling to build the story, the teacher may be tempted to give answers. However, this must be resisted. Instead, the teacher may intervene at times to ask questions that guide. At no point should the answer be given. The students struggle to arrive at the meaning by repeating the sentences, by arguing about their place in the story, by justifying their response, etc. This 'small talk', that is, the language not directly associated with the task but generated with a view to accomplishing the task leads to natural use of language. This is meaningful use of language because it is for a genuine reason.


Information Transfer

In real life, we read not only the textbooks but also newspapers, magazines, comics, advertisements, vouchers of different kinds, brochures, pamphlets, notices, circulars, membership forms, train/ bus schedules, timetables for events at school, sports events, hoardings, etc. The information in such materials is not given directly in the form of a passage. It could be in the form of figures, graphs, charts, tables, which need to be interpreted. Students need to be given practice in reading such materials, too.

In this activity, information about Mother Teresa’s life is given in the form of a table. Read it carefully and present it in the form of a paragraph.

26 August, 1910 : Born in An Albanian family, Skopjee, Yugoslavia.
1928 Attended lyceum, vow to enter the church and joined Sister
of our Lady of Loretto Abbey near Dublin for formal training.
1929 Reached India and was accepted as a novice.
1929-1946 Taught at St.Mary’s High School, Calcutta.
1952 Started Missionaries of Charity.and served the society
1962 Awarded Padmashri.
1971 Pope John XXIII, Peace Prize.
1979 Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Sept. 5, 1997 Passed away.


Reading Aloud

As mentioned earlier, reading aloud is an exercise in developing oral reading skills. They are skills of articulation, modulation of voice, using appropriate sentence and word stress, use of appropriate intonation, pauses and overall rhythm suitable for the passage or poem being read aloud or recited. For this purpose, it is necessary to understand the meaning of the text to be read aloud. The aim is to create the climate intended by the author of the literary piece.
Read the following poem aloud. In order to read it aloud effectively, you need to read it silently and understand its meaning.

The Blind Men and the Elephant

John Codfrey Saxe

It was six men of Indostan, to learning much inclined.
Who went to see the Elephant (Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation might satisfy his mind.

The first approached the Elephant, and happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side, at once began to bawl:
“God bless me! But the Elephant is very like a wall.

The second, feeling of the tusk cried,” Ho! What have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me it’s very clear
This wonder of an Elephant is very like a spear!

The third approached the animal and, happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands
Thus boldly up he spake: “ I see, the Elephant is like a snake”!

The fourth reached out an eager hand and felt about his knee:
“What most his wondrous beast is like is very plain,” quoth he:
“ ‘Tis clear enough the Elephant is very like a tree”!

The fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: “Even the blindest man can tell what this resembles most”
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant is very like a fan”!

The sixth no sooner had begun about the beast to grope
Than, seizing on the swinging tail that felt within his scope.
“I see”, quoth he, “ the Elephant is very like a rope”!
And so these men of Indostan disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion exceeding stiff and strong.
Though each was partly in the right, they all were in the wrong!

Riddles

Riddles bring a lot of fun as well as challenge to language learning. students may explore numerous options to answer the riddles, thereby they develop thinking. This develops not only their skills of language but also of thinking. Here are a few examples of riddles.

It is a precious thing. Neither can we buy nor can we keep it safe. We can only spend it lavishly. What is it?
Everyday I come fro the North, East, West and South. Who am I?
A man goes with some fruits. Which fruits are they?
Which two words have thousands of letters in them?
Ten cats were in the boat. One fell out. How many were left?
It runs night and day, yet does not go anywhere. What is it?

(Key: Time, News, Mangoes, Post Office, None, Watch)

v Can you give a single letter for each of the following?
Example: An insect which makes honey: B

A large body of water:
Standing in a row:
A drink often called the queen of all drinks:
A sense organ of our body:
Plural of ‘I’
A delicious vegetable:
A present tense form of ‘to be’:
A helping verb that follows ‘I’:
A tool used for cutting trees:
Are __________ happy with this activity?

Y R U so confused?

(Key: C, Q, T, I, V, P, R, M, X, U)


Vocabulary Development

Since language is essentially formed of words, successful reading is a result of an adequate range of vocabulary. In other words, in order to become a successful reader, one must be able to comprehend the words within the context in which they occur. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a wide range of vocabulary.

There are numerous word games which provide joy with knowledge. Here is a game wherein words which are normally used as pairs are separated. Match A with B and create appropriate word combinations. Take help of a dictionary, if needed.


A
B
Ozone
Oil
Cut down
Greenhouse
Animal
Endangered
Melting
Recycle


Spills
Effect
Waste
Layer
Trees
Polar ice-caps
Species
Poaching
Pairs of words frequently confused

Study the following pairs of words. What difference do you find between the two words in each pair? Make sentences to bring out the difference.

Mail- male
Stationary – stationery
Then – than
Adopt – adapt – adept
All together – altogether
Council – counsel
Defective- deficient
Considerable – considerate
Comprehensive – comprehension
Beside – besides
Beneficial – beneficiary
Cloth – clothes
Complement –compliment
Alter – altar
Ascent – assent
Honorary – honorable
Later – latter
Judicious – judicial
Respectful – respectable – respective
Lose – loose –loss
Principal – principle
Zealous – jealous
Carrier – career


Silent Reading

Lets’ remember silent reading requires a great deal of concentration. It is absolutely necessary for you to do a very careful reading of the passage. Reading of this kind is clearly purposeful and requires the use of your imagination as you progress along. Skimming or merely scanning the passage will land you in trouble. If you find the passage to be very lengthy, then identify the theme statement in each of the paragraphs, and try to get to the overall meaning of the passage.

The focus could be on
1. choice of the title
2. the reason/s for the main argument
3. the implication of a certain statement/s
4. the purpose of the paragraph/s
5. the crucial bits of evidence etc,

As you read the passage, raise questions to yourself about what you are reading. The number of questions may vary from paragraph to paragraph. You will find three readings beneficial. The first reading will enable you only to understand the gist of the passage. The second reading of the passage will help you to discover the spirit of the passage when you are able to locate the key words and phrases, and arrive at both the implicit meaning and explicit sense. It is here that you will find yourself reading between the lines and, therefore, in a position to decipher the writer's intentions, besides what and the how of these intentions. Keep the items before you during the third reading when you will be able to find the cues built into the items. Then, you will be able to answer the questions that follow.

Now read the following passage carefully and complete the items appearing thereafter by marking the most appropriate choices on your answer sheet.



Nature has always favoured early education of children, bestowing upon them an insatiable sense of curiosity right from their birth. Children have a natural tendency to touch, smell, taste, see, and hear and so great is their urge to explore the world around them that they end up learning a lot of things on their own. The more they learn, the more they want to learn. However, this is dependent on the environment in which they grow up. In homes, where discovery is discouraged, they end up learning how not to learn but when early explorations are encouraged, their minds and personalities register a steady growth and their potential develops to the maximum. This is where parents have a vital role to play.

Nonetheless, in order to be able to do that they are required to have the ability to identify and understand the skills that need to be acquired and mastered, to introduce activities and materials that lead to learning, to take interest in their learning discoveries, to interpret and enlarge experiences, to relate learning to their children’s overall framework of knowledge, to be patient with their weaknesses, and to praise them for their strengths and achievements. Learning is a long-drawn process and, therefore, any attempt to rush it is likely to have a negative fall-out with the children learning a lesson that learning is no fun at all.

Good parents accept their children for what they are and encourage them to develop their potential at their awn pace. They enjoy their children’s learning discoveries as an exciting aspect of their overall growth, sharing but never forcing their natural development sensing what good teachers know" It is apparent that children learn from experiences that are concrete and active. The fact that they are always ready to learn at their own level and pace, that they have individual learning styles which enable them to learn things from hearing and trying to do them en their own, and that providing effect1ve learning experiences, are vital to our understanding of things. Popular perception has it that our system of education has become largely politicised and, hence, the problem of indiscipline on the campuses. This is further tainted by the general aura of corruption that surrounds them. Therefore, the entire system is now the constant target of the critics.

The poor academic showing by both the teachers and the taught is often the result of a faulty perception of the government of the largely tenuous link between the two. There is the need for change and it is here that the parent-student-teacher-government connection comes into full play. Alert parents, zealous students, gifted teachers, and a far-sighted policy of a caring government alone can combine to make education an instrument of social change. Mere legislation or even only one these elements in the change would hardly help things change for the better.

Questions:

“Instable is a word usually connected with

[A] Money. [B] Shelter. [C] Hunger. [D] Employment.

The technical names for the sense of touch, smell, taste, seeing, and hearing, in that order, are

[A] olfactory, visual, tactile, gustatory, and auditory senses respectively.
[B] tactile, olfactory, gustatory, visual, and auditory senses respectively.
[C] gustatory, visual, audition, olfactory, and auditory senses respectively.
[D] olfactory, tactile, gustatory, auditory, and auditory senses respectively.

Learning according to the author of this passage, has to do with the desire to explore one's

[A] world of opportunities.
[B] world of ideas.
[C] own immediate world.
[D] own inner experiences.

It is foolhardy to accelerate the pace of learning because it

[A] destroys the pleasure a child gets from it.
[B] militates against the age and learning correlation.
[C] stands vindicated in view of the accepted canons.
[D] enhances the pleasure a child gets from it.

The passage suggests that parents and teachers should assume

[A] an advisory role in the education of their children.
[B] a collaborative role in the education of their children.
[C] a evaluative role in the education of their children.
[D] a leading role in the education of their children.

Parents can understand and identify the skills to be acquired and mastered by their children because they are

[A] favourably disposed towards them all the time.
[b] clear about what their children should or should not be.
[C] trained for the purpose by virtue of their relationship".
[D] familiar with their mental make-up and aptitude.


Children learn how learning is no fun at all

[A] when the process of learning is rushed.
[B] as they are subject to corporal punishment.
[C] for they know that it is no use after all.
[D] when the process of teaching is incomprehensible.

Encouragement of explorations in childhood leads to

[A] an unsteady growth of personalities but no development of potential.
[B] a steady growth of personalities but no development of potential.
[C] a steady growth of personalities and the maximum development of potential.
[D] an unsteady growth of personalities and partial development of potential.

Learning spurs on further learning because it

[A] acts as a demotivating factor.
[B] acts as a motivating factor.
[C] acts as a negative force.
[D] does none of these.

The author finds children's urge to explore things in the around them to be

[A] the basis for learning about things from others.
[B] the basis for information in the main from others.
[C] the basis for future course of action in the main.
[D] the basis for learning about things by themselves.

It is believed that children learn from

[A] indirect experiences gained passively.
[B] abstract and indirect experiences.
[C] concrete and personal experiences.
[D] indirect experiences gained actively.

The basic problem of indiscipline on educational campuses is, according to the author of this passage, due to

[A] the all-pervasive corruption in evidence.
[B] politicisation of our system of education.
[C] commercialisation of our system of education
[D] the all-pervasive nepotism in evidence.

The author argues that the chief motivating factor in the early education of children is

[A] their inimitable style of learning.
[B] their insatiable thirst for knowledge.
[C] their indifference to their surroundings.
[D] indomitable spirit of competition.

We learn from the passage that it is wrong on the part of the society

[A] to expect uniform levels of achievement from all learners.
[B] to expect miracles from the system of teaching and learning.
[C] to avoid accepting the truth of individual differences.
[D] tp avoid doing its best to perform its expected roles.

The author argues that it is possible to accelerate theprocess of learning

[A] by helping children benefit and learn from lectures.
[B] by encouraging children to become dependent on others.
[C] by helping children benefit and learn from discoveries.
[D] by deciding how children should learn from teachers.

Natural development is possible if and only if

[A] it takes place fast through memorisation.
[B] it is induced in fits and starts all the while.
[C] it is program«ed and implemented officially.
[D] it takes place gradually through learning discoveries.

The two main complaints against our system of education are
[A] those of politicization and corruption.
[B] those of efficiency and effectiveness.
[C] those of corruption and wholesale nepotism.
[D] those of politicization and effectiveness.

Academic showing can, in the opinion of this author, be improvedthrough a joint effort by
[A] parents and teachers.
[B] parents, students, teachers and government.
[C]teachers, students and the government.
[D] students and the government.

A ‘proper perspective’ of things would include our understanding of the children’s

[A] readiness to learn, and their learning styles as well as the ability to try their hand at doing things on their own.
[B] readiness to learn, and the availability of effective learning experiences which enable them to learn.
[C] learning experiences and their ability to try their hand at doing things on their own at their own level and pace.
[D] readiness to learn, their learning styles, and the availability of effective learning experiences all put together.

The author pleads for

[A] a sociological approach to learning.
[B] an ethico-moralistic approach to learning.
[C] a psychological approach to learning.
[D] a politico-moralistic approach to learning.


Conclusion

Reading is a process that requires total involvement of the reader. While reading a text, the focus could be on the following points: choice of the title, the reason/s for the main argument, the implication of a certain statement/s, the purpose of the paragraph/s, the crucial bits of evidence etc. During the process of reading, the reader not only gets meaning out of the text, that is the arguments put forth by the author, but also gives specific meaning to the text. This is the interpretation of the text by the reader. Since readers vary in their experience, exposure and expectations, their interpretations also may tend to vary. Thus, every reader finds her/his own meaning from the text s/he reads. Thus, reading, essentially, becomes an individual act. Oral reading, basically, is practice in speech production. Nevertheless, during the initial years of learning a language, oral reading is found to be helpful in the process of decoding.

Question Bank for Paper VII at Waymade College of Education

Paper VII. Communication Skills & Personality Development for Teachers
Question Bank for the October Test

Dr. Sulabha Natraj

I Short Answer Questions.

What has been the biggest disappointment in your life? Describe it in about 75 words.
What are your strengths? How can you put them to use as a teacher? (75words)
“Learning is a result of what the learners do”. Explain.
Participation is the key to development .Comment.
How is the teacher the creator of the climate that prevails in the classroom?
Your class is going to celebrate the Independence Day. Prepare a set of 8-10 instructions to be given to the students on the previous day.
Reading is a complex process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning. Explain.
What is meant by ‘social context’ in reading?
How are language and culture associated?
“The whole art of teaching is the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.”
Justify the significance of post prayer talks in developing communication skills of students.
“Teaching begins to grow boring when one has no sense of intellectual progress in one’s own work. That is the moment when the teacher he/herself ceases to learn from it” comment.
Explain the usefulness of the cloze technique.

II Essays/ Short notes

1. Cue cards: Significance and Illustration
2. The strip story technique: Importance in developing oral skills
3. Jig-saw-listening: Usefulness in developing skills of listening.
4. Illustration of any one Ice breaking exercise in detail.
a. Autograph Hunt b. Clap at 7, and its multiplications. c. Blind Man’s Buff. d. The Chinese whisper e. Find someone who…… f. Any other
5. Use of dialogues to develop conversational skills.
6. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
7. Describe characteristics of an effective reader.
8. Cloze reading / procedure “Read the passage silently and complete it in the best way you can. In each blank you may fill one phrase /a word. You may list more than one options if you wish to.
9. Discuss the importance of good reading habits in life.
10. Discuss the place of Reading Aloud to develop oral skills.

Learner Autonomy and Critical Thinking

Learner Autonomy through Critical Thinking:
Lessons from ESL* Classrooms


The Backdrop
The postcolonial era is marked by numerous events that have broken political, social, economic and topological barriers. This spirit of freedom is reflected in literature in the form of nativism. Established norms, dominant cultures and ideologies are being questioned. The field of education, however, still perpetuates hegemonic culture: those in power decide, plan and manage to continue conformed practices. Teachers, teacher­ educators decide what students should do; those at the receiving end are expected to follow irrespective of perspective and opinions of their own needs, understanding, aptitude and aspirations and world-view. Learners, by and large, are a part of what Paulo Frerie calls the 'culture of silence', stifled, simmering but silent.

Teacher Education Today

Teacher education programmes these days emphasize mainly technical expertise, thereby doing a lot of disservice to the concept and purpose of teaching, to the learners as well to teachers themselves. Instead of learning to reflect upon the principles that create a classroom climate that is congenial to learning, prospective teachers are taught methodologies sans the need to arrive at the rationale. The methodologies are 'justified' by teacher educators and expected to be accepted in toto by the teachers-to -be. They are not even expected to be imbibed through experiential learning. Thus, critical thinking is denied. Hence, instead of learning to raise questions about the principles underlying different classroom methods, research techniques and theories of education, students are often preoccupied with learning the 'how to', and 'what works' or with mastering the best way to reach a given body of knowledge. This 'objective', knowledge about teaching and learning 'established' by experts is not to be questioned, analyzed or negotiated; it is to be accepted and mastered, instead.

There is a proliferation of teacher proof packages. The teacher here is to play the role of simply carrying out predetermined instructional procedures prepared by experts. Teachers' have little choice or say in any matter regarding the teaching procedures or materials. Knowledge, here, is broken down into small, manageable, discrete, easy-to-manage steps. They are standardized, eliminating scope for 'error' or deviation on the part of the individual teachers. Central questions regarding learning are reduced to problems of management---how to allocate resources to produce a maximum number of certified teachers within a stipulated span of time. The underlying assumption guiding such pedagogy: behavior of teachers needs to be controlled and made uniform and consistent, hence predictable across varying learner population.

(ESL* = English as a Second Language)
In this case, knowledge is removed from the processes of self-formation and development through discovery, generating one's own meanings, perspectives, interpretations of experience, which makes it an act of involvement hence personally meaningful and emotionally fulfilling. There is merely a contact with indifference, instead. The teachers are de-skilled; they are trained to be implementers, removed from the processes of deliberation and reflection, of exercising their freedom. Hence, when these teachers go to their classrooms, the nature and pattern of learning and classroom pedagogy are repeated. Further, the underlying assumption behind using the same set of materials and techniques for all learners is that all learners can benefit from the same materials, classroom procedures and modes of evaluation. The notion that learners come from different cultural backgrounds, have different histories and embody different experiences, linguistic practices, talents and interests is strategically ignored within the logic of such pedagogy. Hence, even the accountability to develop critical thinking is not considered to be within the purview of such pedagogy. Since they themselves have gone through a system, the teachers reproduce the system of which they are products.

This view of education is usually accompanied by top-down teacher-fronted classroom and other institutional relationships that are NOT conducive to communication. It enables control, not learning. It discourages any deviant behaviour, including creative endeavour. Making teachers-to-be mere implementers, disallowing them to be autonomous individuals (decision-makers and critical thinkers) is not only an intellectual error, but also an ethical error, as well. If the learners are to think critically individually as well as collectively they need to be provided with the opportunities to experience freedom, to express their world views and their interpretation of reality.

Research suggests that what students learn is influenced more by the hidden curriculum, the underlying patterns of social relationships rather than the formal curriculum. If curriculum is to generate possibilities for individual and social autonomy, thereby accountability, there is a need to develop a new language and new forms of relationships to accomplish such a task.

ESL (English as a Second Language) Classrooms that Empower Learners

Progressive ESL practitioners the world over have long ago recognised the need for and benefits of learner-autonomy towards developing learner-accountability for their own learning. Attempts have been made to involve learners in genuine communication situations by creating social set-ups within the classrooms. These approaches attempt to accomplish the task on hand, rather than teaching specific language points, thereby simulating L-1 like scenarios. Some such approaches are Asher's Total Physical Response, N S Prabhu's Communicational Approach, Lozanov's Suggestopaedia, the Community Learning Approach, the Immersion Approach and a whole set of Communicative Approaches. Further, there have been experiments at the individual as well group levels that may or may not have gained a popular opinion.
Here below are a few ideas I have experimented with in my classrooms with adult learners, mostly postgraduate students who want to learn English for academic as well as professional purposes. They include students from the faculties of engineering, medicine, science, management, law, education and various other branches of the humanities. In these courses, the focus has been on content, on certain critical issues nagging the society at large, on the process of conveying the message rather than on language per se. Since the issues concern individual learners personally and professionally, they feel intellectually challenged and emotionally involved. Here are some of these ideas.

Learners as script writers

An ethical issue, such as eugenics, cloning (genetic engineering) or euthanasia (mercy killing) is placed before the learners. A setting necessary to trigger off their thinking and to generate discussion is provided either through newspaper clippings, narration of an incident or visuals. The learners are told to take a side and collect evidence to justify their stand. Following this initial presentation by the resource person, learners work in groups to work out the mode of presentation: debate, mock court, panel discussion, skit, street play, oral presentation in the form of declamation, poem, story etc. Towards the end of the stipulated time, groups/ individuals make presentations followed by feedback by the peers as well as the resource person/instructor. Since the task provides an intellectual fillip and emotional involvement, almost all learners participate actively as bio-ethicists. This task has been very popular with all kinds of learners especially because it provides an opportunity of moral policing and to vent one’s feelings.

Translation of issue-oriented creative works

An incident, a prose write up or a poem is selected that revolves around some social or ethical issue such as the caste system or dowry system in India (For instance, a poem like 'Tumahri Gnati Kya Hai, Anuj? by M Ramanuj). Learners are told to translate the creative piece into English. At such sessions learners mostly prefer to work individually or in pairs. Following a couple of these sessions, students have also come out with their own creative bits in English. The focus during these sessions has been on the process of transferring the meaning from L 1 into L2, expression of personal interpretation rather than on the nitty- gritty of creative writing. With the effort being through intense involvement the level of motivation is high. Further, owing to the very nature of such a creative exercise which aims at generating numerous individual responses rather than a single standardized one, there is no fear of anybody being totally wrong. This leads to a sense of security, which in turn, leads to confidence-building. This task has been more popular students of the humanities.

Lexicographers

Learners are given a set of expressions and concepts basic to their field. They work in pairs to explain meanings with illustrations to enable even lay persons to understand the concepts, for instance, the difference between electrical and electronic, diamond and coal.
The outcome is a register-based glossary of technical terms useful for lay people. In the process of making the meaning clear to the common reader, the technical minds have to clarify their own understanding of the concepts without using jargon. Further, they are required to relate their technical know-how to life around. It has been observed that professionals find it easy to talk to other professionals of the same field, for they can rely heavily on the jargon. However, talking about technical concepts in informal, day today situations using non-technical language is really a challenging task. Here the learners are called upon to go beyond the textual content learnt by them and to relate it to the day today life situations around them.

Throughout these sessions, learners are helped with language problems at the individual level. During the plenary sessions, when presentations are being made, the focus initially remains on the message rather than the language. However, certain recurring errors are pointed out to individual learners on their written report. Further, certain language points, either fossilized problems in syntax and style, common errors, even nuances, are discussed during a general session. These sessions mainly focus on language use. Since based on their own work, learners are receptive to such language sessions.

So far as the teacher-education course is concerned, all the three modes of classroom practices have been found useful. Besides, pedagogic discussions on the nature and extent of classroom interaction, the nature of language generated, the role of the resource person/teacher etc are discussed during the plenary session enabling the teachers-to-be to develop insights into processes of teaching of a second language.

At Last

Learner-motivation has been found to be high during such content-based, emotionally­ charged sessions. Since the topics selected concern the society at large as well as their profession, each individual learner contributes to the discussion. In ethical matters, personal stand is more important than anything else. So, there is no question of anybody being right or wrong. This gives them confidence to participate to their fullest. However, they are required to justify their stand, so are also grilled by the peers on their ability to think logically, to provide evidence to support one's beliefs and to express oneself clearly. Thus, instead of teaching the language for language sake, when learners are challenged cognitively and involved emotionally, they learn the language effectively, for that is a tool to take their message across.

Struggles of the contemporary globalised world seem to be cultural rather than anything else. So, they are carried out through sophisticated and subtle modes of education. If citizens of a democratic county like India have to survive and thrive, they ought to be taught to think critically. Instead of teaching subjects for their own sake, they need to be made relevant by relating them to the societal issues around. Education must be made meaningful so as to make it critical and it must be made critical so as to make it emotionally fulfilling. Such thinking and feeling individuals alone can become autonomous learners and citizens.

Reference

Freire Paulo, 1970, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Penguin Books, Harmondsworth
Giroux Henry, 1988, Teachers as Intellectuals, Bergin & Garvey Publishers, Inc. Golby Michael et al, 1979, Curriculum Design, OUP
Natraj, Sulabha, 2005, Developing Communication Skills: A Handbook for Teachers & Learners of English, Charutar Vidya Mandal, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India
Prabhakar, R & Natraj, S 1998, Breaking Barriers, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India

Language and Communication

I. Language, a basic tool for
Ø Concept formation
Ø Developing an understanding of the world around
Ø Linking the physical world/phenomena/occurrences outside with one’s own inner world of thoughts and feelings
Ø Relating to people, establishing a rapport with the society around
Ø Storing experiences and information in the memory
Ø Interpreting information and occurrences, thereby shaping one’s attitudes, perception, values, aspirations, worldview
Ø Expressing oneself at the individual as well as societal levels
Ø Imagining, dreaming, fantasizing events in an abstract manner
Ø Planning for future events
Ø Carrying out activities of day today life (information transaction)
Ø Carrying out activities of higher order skills, critical thinking skills (analyzing, synthesizing, justifying, negotiating)
Ø Developing sensitivity, empathy [I feel what my language makes me feel]
Ø Developing creativity
II. It is the second nature of the person. It is the coat that the personality wears. Therefore the language mirrors the person.
III. Language of a community is the holder and transmitter of its culture. [store house of experiences, beliefs]
IV. It is a basic tool for furtherance of civilisation.
V. It is an innate, inborn phenomenon that homo sapiens are endowed with.
VI. Let’s create a climate of rich language uptake to enrich
Ø Knowledge, Skills, World view/ Perspective, Value system, Attitudes