Requirements for Conducting a Workshop by Consultants for Improvements in the Teaching of English in a University

The facilitator must never bring in the aspect that a faculty member should act stupid on occasions during a lecture program so as to be more natural to the students. The faculty member should be required to be more personalized and natural in behavior and not stupid. Stupid behavior can be recognized as a weakness by students who are these days, quick to grasp weaknesses and react accordingly which may cause disciplinary problems for such faculty.

The facilitator should never bring in another facilitator of a different nationality to teach a foreign language during a period without any explanation in the English language in the course of the workshop which will add to the confusion of the participants. This is sometimes used by facilitators to show as to how students feel nervous when they are being taught a foreign language. It makes the participants feel more stupid and embarrassed rather than prove to be a teaching point. It would be preferred if an English language teacher is brought in for this purpose. Such an exercise can otherwise, prove to be a sheer waste of time.

The facilitator must be required to train one group of participants completely who should then go on to train other groups of teachers as per input received from the facilitator. This spirit of  'Train the Trainer' is being recognized the world over.

Certain participants can be trained as trainers as may be seen if they have a quick level of understanding and grasp of the English language.

Certain other factors to be kept in view are:

1. The facilitator should be required to teach motivational techniques and confidence building measures for new teachers.

2. The facilitator must not apologize for statements made. Apologies are normally recognized by students as weak teaching standards and they tend to capitalize on this aspect of teaching.

Other Requirements from Consultants

 1. The services must not be provided over a span of a year. It should be for a maximum period of three months. Trainings are short and to the point. A long drawn out program tends to add to the monotony and becomes boring over the long term. This should lessen the fee amount accordingly.

 2. Various courses for different semesters must be defined and teachers must be trained as per these courses for the teaching of English which should include basic English (to include grammar etc), leading up to advanced levels (to include presentations and research report writing).

 3. Teacher Manuals must be made out and provided.

 4. Course Outlines for each course recommended by the consultants, need to be made out in detail for teacher references.

 5. Types of MCQs, quizzes, mid-term and final examinations specimen papers need to be made out along with the recommended text books.

 6. Teacher qualifications need to be specified.

 7. Student Placement tests and admission policy needs to be clearly outlined.

 8. Advertisements of teachers should be duly made out specifying duties, qualifications etc including all requirements.

 9. Teacher salaries are required to be outlined and defined.

 10.Training of faculty must centre around the handling of large classes up to a strength of around 90 students.

 11.The consultants must finally be advised that the Business School would prefer to have the present load of faculty duly trained and chosen accordingly for the setting up of a separate English Department. It would be easy for the consultants to bring in a teacher from outside at a higher salary.