M.K. Bhavnagar UniversityDepartment of English

Paper no- 11 English language teaching-1

Presented by Vyas NupurRoll no: 34

Year: 2015-2017M.A sem -3

Email id: nupurvyas1995@gmail.comTopic:- Teaching of English: A plea for practical attitude by

R.K.singh, Indian institute of mines, Dhanbad

Introduction• English in India is a potential national resource.• It is important to develop tolerance and positive

attitudes towards English.• Practical approaches can be adopted in the areas of its

teaching by making it more need based, flexible and innovative.

• English is also already functioning as a link language in the present-day global language.

• Both England and USA have been dominating powers for the past three centuries speak English which has become a dominating language, the language of power, utility and international communication today.(Kachru 1986: 19 -32)

• There is a need to change attitude towards English.• English as a neutral language of communication and

teach it in addition to the mother tongue as a means of widening the cultural and intellectual horizons of our students.

• “ Learning another language makes one bigger gives one a wider vision, make one aware of the subtleties that we don’t get in one language. One justification for the teaching and learning of other languages is in the words of Savignon(1987:19).

Three aims of Practical Attitude• Our aim is to teach well, and we want to

ensure that our pupils should achieve a basic command of the language.

• Encourage a teaching program that is responsive to their specific needs,

• Pursue such teaching activities from which pupils know they are learning something useful,

• Adopt a flexible teaching approach that results in success of the pupils.

First aim• A need based teaching program, the teacher must first

know each pupil’s level and abilities in order to provide material that is relevant and challenging with a definite goal in mind.

• Example: the grammatical structure and lexical items that one teaches should be at the service of the student’s need to use language in natural situations and for real reasons.

• They don’t need a theoretical knowledge of the target language but rather an ability to understand or be understood in that language within the context and constraints of the peculiar language-using circumstances.(caroll 1982)

Second aim• If we teach English as a means of communication,

we should also understand the essence of communication is meaningful interaction between participants, be it in the context of speaking, listening, writing or reading.

• Teaching this involves not teaching about the language but presenting and practicing with such language items that learners may need in real life; it means activating their oral and written skills or encouraging their input.

Continue..• We have to give them opportunities to use language

in intelligent and relevant interaction: they deserve an opportunity to think, to provide information from their world of knowledge to express their personal opinions and to disagree with other people’s, to choose among equally valid alternatives etc.

• The activities must relate to students’ intellectual awareness, by challenging their cognitive and creative ability.

• Students should also realize that they are also equally responsible for their learning that it is enjoyable and useful.

Third aim• The third objective relates to motivating the

students to experience success, to make them believe it is possible.

• The negative feelings of futility of learning or teaching English have to be changed.

• Failure can be avoided- by providing rewarding and successful experience ,by using communication-provoking techniques that would produce meaningful interaction.

• It is worthwhile for the teacher to keep in mind various approaches rather than a specific method , because approach is flexible and method is rigid.

Conclusion

• Teaching English should be seen as an opportunity to explore and understand, to question and argue, to learn and to retain something new, something different via language.

• Students want to learn, they enjoy expressing themselves in a new and different language.

• The question is not just what to teach but, more important, what to teach to whom and why:(flink-levy 1989:39)

Thank you