Teaching of English

The National Award Winning Essay written in 1964 by the renowned Educationist - Late Shri P.N. Bhoja Rao

The problem of the falling standard in English in our country is one of the most urgent problems confronting us. This low standard of English is deplored by every one interested in the education of our youth and the progress of our country. But the persons who are most concerned are the teachers, especially the English teachers.

The attainment of our pupils is so low that, when they reach the X Std, nearly 90% of them are not able to express the simplest of ideas in their own sentences. One can easily realise how this deterioration becomes cumulative if most of these pupils pass out of our local schools because of the present-day methods of evaluation and many of them go for higher studies where the medium of instruction and examinations is English and many others become teachers in our primary schools. The deterioration continues at the college level also thereby lowering the standard of English of those who take up the teaching profession. Altogether, the situation has become so serious that it has created a sense of frustration, nay, despondency, in the teaching profession; their desperation has led some members of the profession to suggest the desperate remedy of abolition of English as a compulsory subject and its retention only as an optional subject. But the consequences of such a step would be far reaching and hence it is not to be thought of for a long time to come.

This is not the place to discuss the pros and cons of retaining English as the official language of our country or as the medium of instruction and examination in our universities. Suffice it to state with the utmost emphasis that, as long as English is a subject of compulsory study in our schools and colleges, it must be taught effectively so that our pupils attain an adequate standard in it when they leave school or college and that remedial measures must be taken not only to arrest the deterioration in the standard but to revise the standard to desired levels.

Now, for taking any measures to remedy the situation the causes that have led to this grave problem must need to be clearly understood and analysed. The basic causes that gave rise to this problem are not far to seek. One such basic cause is the significant change in the objectives of teaching the language to our children after independence.

Prior to independence English was taught not only as the official language and medium of instruction; the cultural objective had as much importance as, if not more importance than the utilitarian objective. The British policy, at least in the earlier years, was to westernise the Indians by the introduction of western culture, western ideas, traditions, customs, and manners, western institutions and last but not the least, the western system of education through the medium of English. Naturally, English held the dominant position in the curriculum at all stages of education. It was compulsorily taught from the third or fourth year of school right up to the degree stage. The highest number of periods was allotted to it in the time-table of the school, say ten or twelve periods a week. It was, moreover, the medium of instruction in the high school classes.

The study of literature or, as far as the high school classes were concerned, at least the literary approach, was given as much importance as, more importance than the study of the language. No wonder that a high standard of English was expected at the matriculation or school leaving level. Accuracy of language and spelling on the part of matriculate was taken for granted and any candidate of the S.S.L.C examination who aimed at higher than pass marks had to prove the ability in style, diction and organisation of ideas. Indeed, a pretty high standard did exist in those days. This state which looks like a happy dream to the present-day teacher of English lasted till about three decades ago and then a slow deterioration set in, the causes of which are rather obscure and are worthy of investigation. However, in my view the fall in the standard then was due, broadly speaking, to the political situation in the country and the rise in the strength of the classes and I dare say even in this there is a lesson for education.

Then in about 1940, when the mother tongue or regional language was rightly made the medium of instruction, the deterioration in the standard of English in high schools took a turn for the worse although the number of periods devoted to the study of English remained the same. No educationist can or will object to this long overdue reform but the consequent fall in the standard of English of the pupils would seem to disprove conclusively the pet theory of some protagonist of the mother tongue or regional language medium that this reform, far from adversely affecting the standard of English, will or should actually improve it.

Many seemingly convincing arguments were adduced in favour of this theory. Indeed this was the theory that I was taught to believe in when I was doing my L.T. course in 1939 and I remember after my training I used to argue vehemently with my senior colleagues in the school in which I was working when they attributed the falling standard in English to introduction of vernacular medium. But alas: disillusionment was not far off.

Since 1946 there has been a further fall in the standard of English. It was in that year the English which was being taught from the fourth year of school till then began to be taught from the sixth year and the last blow on the teaching of English fell in 1949, when the periods allotted to the subject in the curriculum were reduced from nine or ten to six to make provision for the compulsory study of Hindi and to raise the status of the mother tongue or the regional language in the curriculum.

The disastrous fall in the standard during the last decade has opened the eyes of the powers that be and certain measures have been taken to remedy the situation. Revision of the curriculum in English, textbook reform and introduction of English at earlier and earlier stages in which our South Indian states seem to have started a competition, are examples of the efforts made to cure the malady or at least to arrest its progress. Other hopeful steps are the starting of the Central Institute of English at Hyderabad and the proposal to start regional institutes, one of which is proposed to be established in Bangalore for the benefit of the teachers of the South Indian States and the conduct of refresher courses, workshops and seminars by certain education agencies such as the departments of education in the states, the Department of Extension Services in the British Council. In this connection it will not be out of place if I pay my humble tribute of praise to the Department of Extension Services of our district for the yeomen service rendered by it to the teaching profession not only by way of organising workshops and seminars but by all possible means under the able and inspiring direction of its popular coordinator, Sri B. Bhavani Rao. We have also to acknowledge our debt of gratitude to the British Council for its selfless and most valuable service in the field of English studies.

All these steps are of undoubted value but it has to be admitted that they do not go far enough as may be seen from the poor results achieved so far. More intensive reforms and remedial measures are called for. Policy makers, curriculum makers, syllabus framers, text book writers and most important of all, teachers of English at all stages, primary, secondary and collegiate, have to give urgent thought to this problem.

An awareness of the historical perspective will enable the teachers of English to have a clear understanding of the changed objective in the teaching of English in our country.

The understanding of this objective is of utmost importance to teachers as it has been an important bearing not only on the curriculum and textbook but also on the methods and procedures to be followed in the teaching of the subject. The present-day objective is more utilitarian than cultural. The four-fold aim of learning English, namely, learning to read and understand English and to speak and write it, no doubt remains the same but it is most important for all concerned to bear in mind that English is now taught less as a cultural subject than as a tool for imparting the acquisition of knowledge and a means of international and interstate communication. This changed objective has led to a reduction of the importance of English in the school curriculum. It is no longer the medium of instruction in high schools. The number of years devoted to its study and the number of periods allotted to it per week have been considerably reduced. In short, the dominant position in the curriculum that it held formerly has been taken by the mother tongue or regional language and it now occupies the second place. Hence it follows that we have no justification for expecting the same standard of attainment in our pupils as existed about two decades ago, especially with the added handicaps of classes of unwieldy strength and mass education and I may be excused for quoting the trite saying "you cannot have the cake and eat it too" or "No, we have to be satisfied with a lower standard." But here I have to make a fine distinction between the literary aspect and the language aspect and make it clearly understood that the justification for the lower standard applies only to the literary standard and not in the least to the language aspect. The standard in respect of the language aspect must be maintained at the adequate level and this is certainly possible if concerted efforts in this direction are made by all concerned. But the most essential need is that in all our efforts we should keep in view the restricted objective. It should be reflected in framing the syllabus, preparing text books, choosing the methods of teaching, and even in training English teachers.

The literature-centred approach must at once give place to a language-centred one in respect of syllabuses, text-books and methods of teaching. This has already been done to some extent in some of our states by the adoption of the structural approach in the framing of syllabuses and preparation of text books for the first three or four years of English teaching. But in the higher classes the literary approach still holds the field. In our state especially literary selections are prescribed as text books instead of carefully prepared and graded text books, too much importance is given to the study of poetry and too much time and effort are wasted by the teachers in the interpretation of the subject matter of the text, prose and poetry, at the expense of language study. If reforms are introduced in these aspects of English teaching and in the training of teachers to teach English in keeping the changed objective, a corresponding improvement in the standard of achievement of our pupils is certain.

In the matter of curriculum, syllabus and textbooks at most what we teachers can do is exert all the influence at our command on the authorities concerned to bring about the needed changes. But there is much else we can do in the direction of raising the standard even under the present conditions if we make determined efforts. We have to overcome our sense of frustration and helplessness and work with a missionary zeal to achieve our aim in spite of all handicaps. We must bring to bear all our ability, energy and enthusiasm on the work on hand. All opportunities for self-improvement such as workshops, seminars, and refresher courses must be taken advantage of. We must keep abreast of the latest developments in the field by reading educational journals. Every English teacher must aim at becoming an expert in his line by constant effort. Getting into a rut is one of the greatest evils that can befall a member of any profession, more so in the case of the teaching profession. In this context may I appeal to my brothers in the profession to earnestly try to put into practice the various improved methods they learn at the seminars, workshops and refresher courses they attend? We have to show their utility by actual results.

In the teaching of English, the beginning period is all important; it is then that the foundation for the whole edifice of English learning is laid. So, it is essential that the ablest teachers with a good command of the language are allotted this work. It would be ideal if trained graduate teachers who have a special ability in the teaching of English handle the subject during the beginning stages. But the realisation of this ideal may be far off.

As is well known, there are four general aims in the teaching of English: to teach pupils to hear and understand the spoken language; to understand what they read, to speak the language and to write it. But in the first few years learning to speak must be given predominance, because thereby the other aims can be more easily and quickly realised. Language is speech. Speech is the basis of expression, oral and written. At present the first few months of English teaching are devoted to oral work. But the unwieldy size of the classes lowers the effectiveness of oral work, because individual attention cannot be adequately given. Hence it is absolutely necessary not only to increase the period of oral teaching in the beginning stage but also the rapidity of oral practice in order to overcome the handicap of large classes. Indeed, the importance of oral work at all stages of English teaching cannot be overemphasised. The grade structures prescribed in the syllabus have to be taught by all effective means such as substitution table completion of sentences and filling up the blanks. But while selecting vocabulary the present-day objective of teaching English as a means of communication and medium of higher studies, especially in science and technology, must be kept in view throughout the course even if this aspect is neglected in the syllabus and the text book. Also, real life situations must be dealt with as far as possible. A strong incentive for learning English as also a sense of achievement must be created in the pupils by teaching them to express ordinary ideas, facts and events relating to their own daily life. Words and expressions relating to home life, school life and industry, the various professions, travel etc., must be progressively taught even if these do not find a place in the syllabus. Constant help and attention must be given to the backward children so that a sense of achievement in the learning of the language is created in them also from the very beginning.

I have already stated that the first few years constitute the most important stage in learning a new language. If therefore good pronunciation, correct grammar and sentence structure are carefully taught from the very beginning, there will be no need later to impose numerous corrective and remedial exercises. It is a well-known fact that it is far easier to teach new material than to eradicate old faulty habits. In our country the most neglected aspect of English teaching is pronunciation. While so much attention is bestowed on most other aspects, nobody seems to care the least about this aspect although correct speech sounds are as important as or even more important than correct grammatical structure when a language is used as a means of oral communication. The reason lies perhaps in the greater stress placed upon the ability to write English than to speak it. But we should not forget that the ability to speak English and thereby communicate orally with others at the interstate and international levels is at least one of the aims of learning that language and this aim can be achieved only if our speech is intelligible to others. The consequences of faulty pronunciation will be vividly brought home to us if we just try to converse with a friend in our mother tongue while deliberately mispronouncing one or two words in each sentence. Then how is it that we are able to converse freely in English among ourselves in a perfectly intelligible manner? The reason is obvious. It is because the words that are mispronounced are common to most of us and our intonation is exactly that of our mother tongue. A simple example will make this clear. When I say, "Look at this plant" everyone understands me, but if I say (in regional language) "instead of" nobody will understand me. We do not seem to make the least effort at correct intonation so that the sounds produced when we speak English are more or less similar to those of our mother tongue.

A colleague once told me that, whenever he pronounced correctly a word that is usually mispronounced, the pupils would look at each other and smile. That shows the extent to which our pupils are accustomed to wrong pronunciation on account of bad examples. It would be interesting in this connection to know the experience of persons who have visited foreign countries where English is the national language or mother tongue such as England, America and also the condition in countries where English is taught as a compulsory second language as in India. In no other context is the saying that example is better than precept truer in this matter of pronunciation. Correct pronunciation, accentuation and intonation must be taught from the very beginning. Children must be given practice in the sounds that are peculiar to English. There is no scope for me in this paper to deal with this matter more elaborately. Suffice it to say that every English teacher should aim at perfection in speech by a study of phonetics the use of a good pronunciation dictionary such as Daniel Jones, listening to English language broadcasts, consultation with colleagues, use of lingua-phone and whenever possible witnessing English films and the most important of all, by constant practice.

Another aspect that is sadly neglected is spelling. The only word to describe the spelling of most of our X std pupils is "horrible". Now it has to be admitted that English spelling is arbitrary and often freakish. It is full of anomalies and inconsistencies. It does not correspond to the pronunciation. In other words, English spelling is not phonetic. This no doubt is a great handicap to our children because almost all our language is phonetic and children are accustomed to spelling the words according to their sounds. Hence the need for special attention to spelling in the teaching of English.

It must be brought home to our pupils that accuracy in spellings is the mark of a well-educated person and that bad spelling denotes want of good education. Therefore, there is a vital need for inculcating in our pupils the habit of correct spellings throughout the course from the time of their entering writing stage. At the same time all efforts must be made to eradicate habits of bad spelling. To achieve these aims we have to adopt sound methods based on physiological principles discarding the old discredited methods. For this purpose, I cannot do better than recommend to my friends the excellent book Suggestion for teaching of English spelling in India by H. R. Bhatia. And before leaving this topic it is enough if I say that transcription, different kind of drill, word building games and other play way methods, dictation, effective use of the black board and encouraging pupils to consult the teacher and the dictionary whenever in doubt, all these have a place in the teaching of spelling.

As far as I have observed there is still another aspect of English teaching that is not given the importance it deserves. It is oral composition. Oral composition is different from oral preparation for a written composition. The latter is a means to an end whereas the former is an end in itself. In oral composition children are trained to speak continuously in a coherent manner for a few minutes. This will instil in them the much-needed confidence in the language, the use of English and improve their command of the language. In the textual lessons, even when emphasis is laid on oral work, pupils have little chance of speaking continuously in a few sentences. Most of the answers elicited from them are in a single sentence. Oral composition should be introduced in the third year and continued throughout the course.

The topics chosen must be within the knowledge and experience of the children including the detailed and non-detailed texts. There must be intensive previous preparation under the guidance of the teacher. This is one of the aspects of English teaching that are best suited for group work. Each group may be given a different topic, each member of a group having to contribute a portion of the composition of his group so as to get a continuous narration, description, explanation or story in relation to each topic.

Coming to the teaching of the textbook, detailed and non-detailed, I shall deal with a few points only. At the present time it is not necessary to extol the virtues of the direct method to induce the teachers to adopt and stick to it conscientiously because the method has proved its value and attained an unshakable position as the quickest and most effective method of teaching a language although there may be still be some teachers who, while paying lip service to it, freely deviate from it out of sheer laziness. Still, it is good to remind ourselves now and then of the excellence of this method so that we may not deviate from it too often. The use of the mother tongue is permissible only in the teaching of grammar and that too only to a limited extent.

In the treatment of the detailed text there is a tendency, especially in the higher classes, to give elaborate explanations of the subject matter of the lessons. Under the present conditions of fewer periods for English and larger classes to be taught this can only be done at the expense of language practice. It was perhaps permissible in the old leisurely days when English was given precedence over knowledge subjects.

Now these knowledge subjects have secured their due place in the curriculum and it is not one of the aims of English teaching to impart knowledge in various subjects. Hence, we must resist the temptation to dwell too much on matter at the expense of language. Similarly, we have to cut down the time devoted to the study of poetry in view of our present day aim of stressing the language aspect since poetry does not lend itself to language practice to the extent as prose. Poetry is now to be taught only for enjoyment and relief from monotony and so we have to be satisfied with a few questions for comprehension and appreciation and some amount of recitation.

In the higher classes practise in reading aloud may be restricted to poetry. Reading aloud of the prose lesson by a few of the pupils of the class serves no purpose and is to be regarded as a waste of precious time.

In the teaching of the detailed and non-detailed text it is of benefit to the pupils to make them set questions on the passage or the passages taken up for study. This will not only make the lesson livelier but also give the children valuable practice in framing interrogative sentences, which they lack at present. Group work may be adopted here with great advantage.

The non-detailed text is not to be treated in the same way as the detailed text. The objectives of studying the non-detailed text are:

1. To improve the pupils ability in rapid silent reading

2. To develop vocabulary

3. To learn to deduce the meaning of unknown words from their contexts and

4. To foster the habit of extensive reading. The method of teaching adopted should facilitate the achieving of these objectives. Self study methods should be adopted here as far as possible. The various steps are:

1. Setting a number of short answer questions for comprehension 2. Silent reading by the pupils

3. Oral discussion

4. Oral composition on suitable topics

5. A few written exercises

In regard to the teaching of grammar, the controversy over formal grammar and functional grammar was laid to rest long ago and functional grammar now holds the field unchallenged. Also, the problem of how much grammar is to be taught and at what stage it should be introduced has been solved for us by the syllabus framers. Now the only question that concerns us is, "how is grammar to be taught?"

Modern education does not make any distinction between grammar study and language study, hence grammar teaching concentrates on the practice of correct forms and avoids the use of technical terminology. It is associated with language teaching. In the first two years of English, there is absolutely no need for the teaching of grammar as such. The children are taught to speak and write by pattern rather than rule. They rely on unconscious assimilation of the main principles of usage. This is done by the use of substitution tables, imitation of correct habits of speech and drill.

The teaching of elementary grammar should be started in the third year of English.

Even here there is no need to assign a separate period for it. Organized teaching of grammar should be introduced in the fourth year of English. It should follow and not come before the ability to use the language. It should be carried on through the ample use of model sentences and numerous examples, through construction exercises, such as sentence completion, parallel sentences and similar exercises and also through intensive question and answer. In other words, grammar should be taught on descriptive and inductive lines. The exercises should be framed within the vocabulary limits and structural patterns already known to the pupils, hence short, connected and self-contained passages taken from the text will be suitable for grammar exercises.

The teaching of grammar should be correlated with the study of readers and oral and written composition. Grammar should be used for eradicating common errors in the speech and writing of pupils. The use of the mother tongue is justified in explaining the various points of grammar, for contrasting the grammatical features of both languages and translating technical terms.

Now let me make a few observations about written composition. The point to be emphasised here is the need for thorough oral preparation. For without careful preparation writing composition will not be of much use in learning the language. Good preparation is valuable from every point of view: it will reduce the opportunities for mistakes, enlarge vocabulary, ensure the right choice of words, phrases and structures and help in the orderly arrangement of ideas. The outline of the composition and new words, phrases and sometimes whole sentences should be written on the black board. The words that are habitually misspelt or wrongly inflected will also have to be written on the board especially for the benefit of the backward pupils. The better the preparation, the better the written work and the lighter the teacher's work of correction.

As for the oral composition, the choice of subjects should be given careful thought so that pupils would not have to face difficulties of subject matter as well as difficulties of language. The aim of written composition in English at the secondary school stage should not be anything more than language practice. This practice is to increase the pupil's skill in handling the language and in using it clearly, correctly and effectively, in description, narration and explanation.

In regard to correction of written work, the ideal method is for the teacher to mark the mistakes and the pupils to write the correction with the help and guidance of the teacher. The other method of the teacher writing in all the corrections and the pupils re-writing the corrected exercises is not of much value as an exercise in language practice because most pupils do the copying mechanically and do not take note of the correct forms as against the incorrect forms used by them. But when a pupil is made to correct his mistakes himself, the correct versions leave a deeper impression on his mind. However, if for any reason a teacher is obliged to adopt the method of writing in the corrections and asking the pupils to re-write the corrected exercise, the least he should do is to make a list of the typical mistakes, classify them and set remedial exercises in a subsequent lesson or lessons. The time spent on this follow up work is time well spent.

It is a good plan for the teacher to walk around the class when the pupils are writing the exercises, looking through their work and pointing out any mistakes committed by them. The pupils should be encouraged to read through their written work before handing it in and correct answers to language exercises may be written on the black board and then the children can correct their mistakes themselves. Written composition affords the greatest scope for group work.

The subject of extensive reading needs no advocates. If our children are to have an adequate command of the English language and to be able to make good use of it after their school days, they must read a great deal in that language. Wide and regular reading consolidates all that has been gained and accustomed the mind to make use of the language as a natural and familiar medium of thought and expression. Besides, it enlarges their vocabulary, mainly passive vocabulary, increases their general knowledge, and broadens their minds of English literature. Hence from the fourth year onwards children must be encouraged on all possible ways to read more and more books. In the past, when English enjoyed a pre-eminent position in the curriculum, extensive readings by the pupils were taken for granted. Teachers had little difficulty in developing their pupil's interest in extensive reading. More often than not, it was the pupils who had difficulty in making the teacher take a sustained interest in this aspect of his work. Now, because of the restricted scope for the study of English, the situation is entirely changed and unless teachers keep up an unflagging campaign with patience and perseverance, our children will go without one of the most valuable ingredients of their education. So let us enthuse our pupils in the direction of wide reading by all the means in our power such as the provision of books suited to the interest, tastes and standards of our pupils, efficient library service, proper guidance and advice and choice of books, and timely help whenever it is found necessary. Once an interest in general reading is kindled in the children, it almost always becomes self-sustaining, provided, of course, the proper environment for it has been created.

Compulsion has no place here; it may do more harm than good. Even the practice of asking the pupils to maintain what are called "library notes" is of little use unless it is done voluntarily. The books provided must be within the comprehension of the pupils. There must be simplified versions of classics, plays, travels, history, biography, adventure and romance and scientific discovery and achievements. There must be as many books as possible with an Indian background.

If teachers succeed in inculcating this healthy habit in their pupils, it will be one of the most valuable gifts they can give the future generation of this country.

In conclusion I offer my heartfelt thanks to the Department of Extension Service for doing me the honour of assigning this task to me and to all my friends in this gathering for giving me a patient hearing.

JAI-HIND -P. N. Bhoja Rao, (27-3-64)

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