Dehradun proceedings for book

3rd

International Conference

on

Methods, Aesthetics &

Genres in /ˈɪŋ.glɪʃ/

Communication

MAG/I/C 2014

4-5, April 2014

Editors Dr. Radhika B. Pasricha

Anand Prakash Pathak

Organized by

CENTRE FOR PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION University of Petroleum & Energy Studies

Dehradun - UK

First Impression: 2015 © Centre for Professional Communication University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun – U.K.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owners. DISCLAIMER The authors are solely responsible for the contents of the papers compiled in this volume. The publishers or editors do not take any responsibility for the same in any manner. Errors, if any, are purely unintentional and readers are requested to communicate such errors to the editors or publishers to avoid discrepancies in future. ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4 Publishing by EXCELLENT PUBLISHING HOUSE Kishangarh, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 110070 Tel.: 9910948516, 9958167102 E-mail: [email protected] Typeset by Excellent Publishing Services, New Delhi – 110070

CHIEF PATRON Mr. Sanjay Kaul President PATRON Dr. S.J. Chopra Chancellor Dr. Parag Diwan Vice Chancellor Ms Deepa Verma Director IA/HR ADVISORY COMMITTEE Prof. Utpal Ghosh Pro Vice Chancellor Dr. Shrihari Campus Director Dr. Kamal Bansal Dean CoES CONFERENCE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Mr. Vickram Sahai Convener Dr. Radhika B Pasricha Co- Convener Mr. Anand Prakash Pathak Co- Convener CONFERENCE COORDINATORS Dr. Shalini Vohra Dr. Rati Oberoi Dr. Asha Kaushik Ms. Jyoti Laxmi Kashyap Ms. Annapurna Mr. M Sasi Sekhar Mr. Arunabh Banarjee Ms. Noopur Jha Mr. Amit Nautiyal Ms. Aparna Sharma Mr. Harshvardhan Sharma Ms. Neha Nagpal Ms. Pooja Khanna Ms. Sriranjini Paul Ms. Pooja Gupta

3

rd International Conference on Methods, Aesthetics & Genres in/ˈɪŋ.glɪʃ /Communication (i)

FOREWORD

It gives us immense pleasure to release the proceedings of our 3rd

International

Conference MAG/I/C-Methods, Aesthetics & Genres in /ˈɪŋ.glɪʃ /

Communication (4-5 April 2014) . This was CPC’s fourth successful conference in a row after its first National Conference in the year 2010. This conference attracted papers of great intellectual & academic value from all over. The conference saw Mr Gordon Lewis, Vice President (Languages), Laureate International Universities, USA as its chief guest. Two more renowned personalities from academia viz. Prof. Shreesh C. Chaudhary, Professor of Linguistics, IIT Madras and Prof. Manorama Trikha, Professor of English (Retd), CCS University Meerut, also shared their intellectual insights & experience with delegates during the two-day conference. The intellectual deliberations and meaningful exchange of ideas along with panel discussion encouraged the participants to contribute towards the success of the conference. The enormity of the theme of the conference allowed not only the key note speakers but also the participants to share their innovative ideas on various topics related to the contemporary trends popular in English Language teaching.

We would not lose this opportunity to express our gratitude to our President, Mr. Sanjay Kaul, Chancellor, Dr. S.J. Chopra, Vice Chancellor, Dr. Parag Diwan, PVC, Prof. Utpal Ghosh, Campus Director, Dr. Shri Hari& DeanCoES, Dr. Kamal Bansal Dr. Vickram Sahai for their continuous support & motivation.

Before we come to a close, we share with you all, the joy & pleasure of

releasing the second volume of the conference proceedings of our 3rd

International conference MAG/I/C and also extend our gratitude to the team CPC and all delegates for providing continuous support & cooperation. Dr. Radhika B. Pasricha Anand Prakash Pathak Co-Convener Co-Convener

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rd International Conference on Methods, Aesthetics & Genres in/ˈɪŋ.glɪʃ /Communication (ii)

CONTENTS

FOREWORD i

1. Metaphors We Play By: Analyzing Sports News 1 Ajai Sharma, Archana Trivedi

2. New Media Technology for Enhancing Communication

Skills of Tertiary Students 8 Chasul Phogat, Virendra Singh Nirban

3. Developing Second Language Pragmatic Competence of ESL

Learners through Teaching of Indirect Speech Acts 14 Narke Pankaj A.

4. English for Specific Purpose: Factual to Effectual 20 Pramod Rai, Vijay Negi

5. Arthur Millar’s All My Sons: Teaching Communication Skills & Grammar Competence 26 Rabindra Kumar Verma, Richa Arora

6. Teaching Language through Literature 32 Sanjay Kulsrestha, Vandana Saxena

7. Crucial Role of Communication: Devising and Surging Ism and People through Media 39 Shilpi Chaudhary

8. Communicating Better through Extensive Reading 45 Shravasti Chakravarty 9. The Role of Literature, Language and Culture in Imparting Morals, Values and Ethics 53 Soniya Rajput

10. Imparting Human Values through Literature Education for

Emotional Well-Being and World-Peace 59 Venu Mehta

11. The Role and Relevance of Literature in Language Teaching 65

Yugeshwar Sah

12. Abstraction at Non-verbal/ Object Level in Yann Martel’s Beatrice

and Virgil

70

R.B. Zala

13. Dhvani in T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” 77

Hemalatha 3

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ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

Metaphors We Play By:

Analyzing Sports News

Ajai Sharma Archana Trivedi

HOD English, M.M.P.G. College, HOD English, SCRIET Modinagar Distt. Ghaziabad, U.P. CCSU Campus, Meerut

Abstract: In 1980 George Lackoff and Mark Johnson published a slender book Metaphors We

Live By that revolutionized the way we think of metaphor. Writing within conceptual

metaphor theory, a sub-discipline of Cognitive Linguistics, Lakoff and Johnson argue that

metaphor is not simply a stylistic feature of language, but that thought itself is metaphorical in nature. Instead of breaking metaphor into tenor and vehicle, conceptual metaphor theory

breaks it into two domains: source domain and target domain. In the sentence ‘He is a lion’,

the metaphoric expression ‘lion’ is picked up from animal domain (source domain) and applied to human domain (target domain). My contention is that sport events are conceptualized in the metaphor of war. In other words the source domain is always war and target domain is sport. In this article I shall discuss some new events published in Times of India. Metaphor has been the subject of study since Greek period where it was studied in the discipline of Rhetoric. Rhetoric is an art that taught people how to persuade others to one’s point of view by the use of rhetorical devices like metaphor. Since Rhetoric is not concerned with search of truth, as philosopher like Plato understood it, it became suspect in the eyes of crusaders of philosophic truth. Because metaphor in Rhetoric occupies central place, it had to face the ire of such Greek philosophers as Plato. The Greek Philosophers found this master trope of Rhetoric nothing but an external ornament of language that a hide more than reveals the truth. However, Aristotle in his Poetics finds metaphor a sign of certain type of genius. “It is

the one thing that cannot be learnt from other, and it is also a sign of genius, since good

metaphor implies an intuitive perception of similarity pndissimilar.” (Aristotle 71)

The discussion in Poetics makes it clear that metaphor for Aristotle is integral to poetry rather than to logic. “By doing so, he makes it clear that he does not regard metaphor as integral to language’s functioning; rather it is a kind of decoration or ornament.” (Punter 12). Metaphor in this sense is an addition to the normal language which in other words means literal language. In his further elaboration of metaphor, Aristotle identifies metaphor as “giving the thing the name that belongs to something else, the transference being either from genus to species or from species to genus or from species to species on the ground of analogy.” (Aristotle 190963) Behind this argument lies the idea that everything in nature has got its proper name. Metaphor as 3

rd International Conference on Methods, Aesthetics & Genres in /ˈɪŋ.glɪʃ / Communication 1

Metaphors We Play By: Analyzing Sports News

such “constitutes a kind of infringement of this rule, whereby names are conveyed from one thing to another.” (Plunter 12) Western literary history has intermittently questioned the assumption that metaphor is

only an ornament, not an integral part of language. The British poets of 18th

and 19th

century, especially Coleridge, express such views that metaphor cannot be separated from literal language. Wordsworth never tires of eliding any difference between the language of poetry and ordinary language in his Preface of Lyrical Ballads. In 1980 George Lakoff and Mark Johnson published a slender book Metaphors We

Live By which revolutionized the way we think of metaphor. Writing within

conceptual metaphor theory a sub-discipline of Cognitive Linguistics, Lakoff and

Johnson argue that “metaphor is not simply a stylistic feature of language, but that

thought itself is metaphorical in nature.” (Evan and Green, 286) According to

conceptual metaphor theory, conceptual structure is organized according to cross

domain mappings. Instead of breaking metaphor into tenor and vehicle, conceptual

metaphor theory breaks it is into two domains: source domain and target domain.

Source domain refers to the field from which metaphorical expression is picked up and

target domain means the field to which metaphorical expression is applied. In the

sentence “He is a lion”, the metaphoric expression “lion” is picked up from animal

domain (source domain) and applied to human domain (target domain). According to

conceptual metaphor theory some of the cross domain mappings, if not all, are the

result of “preconceptual embodied experiences.” (Evans and Green, 286) The

conceptual metaphors depend of on child’s bodily experiences. The child experiences

that the increase in quantity of anything results in increase in vertical elevation and

hence quantity of anything results in increase in vertical elevation and hence quantity

can be expressed in terms of vertical elevation. A typical example of such cross

domain mapping occurs in sentences like “She got high marks” where marks are

measured in terms of vertical elevation: height. Likewise, the child experiences that

physical features of space change as the child moves from one place to another, say

from one room to another. Hence change is conceptualized in terms of movement in

space, even if it involves change due to time. Any expression that denotes passage of

time involves change due to time involves cross domain mapping. The change of time

is expressed as if it was traveling from one point in space to another. Cognitive

linguists like Gibbs extrapolate the finding of metaphor to metonymy. “Research since

the early 1990’s has been begun to suggest that this operation may be at least as

important as conceptual metaphor in terms of providing conceptual structures.” (Evans

and Green, 287) Conceptual metaphor/metonymy theory believes that we cannot choose any source domain to describe any target domain. In order to make this point clear, Lakoff and Johnson give the following examples of metaphor to describe relationship like marriage. 1. Look how far we have come. 2. We are at a crossroads. 3. We’ll just have to go our separate ways. 4. We can’t turn back now.

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5. I don’t think this relationship is going anywhere. 6. Where are we? 7. We’re struck.

8. It’s been a long, bumpy road. 9. This relationship is a dead-end street. 10. We’re just spinning our wheels. 11. Our marriage is on the rocks. 12. This relationship is foundering.

(Lakoff and Johnson, 44-45) “This pattern led Layoff and Johnson to hypothesize a conventional link at the conceptual level between the domain of LOVE RELATIONSHIP and the domain of JOURNEY.” (Evans and Green, 295) According to conceptual view, here ‘love’ is the target domain that the speaker wants to describe and ‘journey’ is source domain in whose terms ‘love’ is being described. “This association is called conceptual metaphor. According to Lakoff and Johnson what makes it a metaphor is the conventional association of domain with another, what makes is conceptual (rather than purely linguistic) is the idea that the motivation for the metaphor resides at the level of conceptual domain. In other words, Lakoff and Johnson proposed that we not only speak in metaphoric terms, but also think in metaphorical terms” (Evans and Green, 295) Layoff and Johnson argue that there is mapping between target domain and source domain even at micro level. In a journey there would be travelers, means of transport, a route and obstacle. All the above roles: travelers etc. are found also in love relationship. “The metaphor works by mapping roles from the source onto the target: LOVERS become TRAVELLERS (We are at a crossroads), who travel by a particular MEANS OF TRANSPORT (We are spinning our wheels) proceeding along a particular ROUTE (Our marriage went off course), impeded by obstacles (Our marriage is on rocks). As these examples demonstrate, a metaphorical link between two domains consists of a number of distinct correspondence or mappings.” (Evans and Green, 295) Inquiring into the nature of source domain and target domain Kovecses (2002) found that the most common source domains relate to human body (The heart of problem), animals (a sly fox), plants (the fruit of her labor), food (he cooked up a story). The most common target domains are emotions, morality, thought, human relationship and time. Important aspects of conceptual metaphor that is of interest to any researcher are hiding and highlighting. Whenever a target is conceived in terms of some source, “this highlights certain aspects of the target while simultaneously hiding other aspects.” (Evans and Green, 303) For example if an argument is conceptualized as war, the adversarial nature of argument is highlighted but structuring of argument is downplayed, if argument is thought in terms of journey, its adversarial nature is silenced and its organizational and progressive aspect is highlighted. “In this way, metaphors can perspectivize a concept or conceptual domain.” (Even and Green 304)

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My contention is that sport events are conceptualized in the metaphor of war. Here the target domain is specific sport and the source domain is war. There is extensive mapping between these two domains at micro level very much like mapping between love and journey that Lakoff and Johnson talks of. All the’ entities’ of war are mapped on to sports. ‘Entitles’ consists of actors and their actions. A war involves two opponents very much like two teams. Conceptualized in the metaphor of war, sports are perspectives as competition rather than as recreational activity. In the context of war, the activities are described with the use of certain verbs like BEAT, FAIL, DEFEAT, GAIN (AN UPPER HAND), CLASH, ATTACK, KNOCK, RESTRAIN, RESTRICT, STRUGGLE, HIT, FALL (VICTIM), RESIST, FALL (TO), SHOOT, CLASH, CHASE (ENEMY), TRAP, REEL, WIN, CRUSH, PREVENT (SOMEONE), BLAST etc. Nouns that typically occur in war context are AGGRESSION, RESISTANCE, DEFEAT, CLASH, ATTACK, KNOCK, LOSS, GAIN, STRUGGLE, HIT, VICTIM, BATLE, VICTORY, CONTINGENT, SPOILS etc. Adjectives that are usually needed in the description of war ware GUTSY, CRUSHING, FEARSOME, DEFIANT, EMBARASSING etc.. Prepositional phrases that are used in war are AGAINST, IN (TATTERS) etc. I hereby propose to analyze sports news that were published by Times of India, 25.1.2010 published from New Delhi, Late city Edition in its TIMES SPORT page. There are two important news on this page. Both deal with cricket matches; one between India and Bangladesh and other between Australia and Pakistan. In the news items under discussion, war metaphors are extensively used. I make bold face the war metaphor in the news in order to show their use.

Pacemen put India on top. Mahmudullah Lone Bangla Batter To Put Up resistance

Dhaka: Mohammad Mahmudullah cracked and unbeaten 96 under pressure but failed to stop India from gaining an upper hand in the second and final test against Bangladesh here in Sunday. Bangladesh were wobbling at 51-05 before posting 233 in their first innings, thanks to lower-order batsman Mahmudullah who kept the Indian attack at bay with a gutsy 156 ball knock. India raced to 69 for no loss in reply at stumps with Virendra Sehwag (41 not out) and Gautam Gambhir (26 not out) at the crease. The visitors were indebted to pacemen Ishant Sharma (4-66) and Zaheer Khan (3-62) for restricting Bangladesh at a modest total. Let-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha was the other main wicket-taker with 2-49, Bangladesh were 106-6 when Mahmudullah walked in to bat, but India had to struggle for the remaining wicket as he put on 58 useful runs for the ninth wicket with Shafiul Islam, who contributed only nine. Mahmudullah was on 80 when last-man Rubel Hossain joined him but could manage only 16, including 11 in and over from off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. He hit 13 fours, Harbhajan finished the innings when he bowled Ruble for his lone victim, Mahamudullah just four short of his maiden Test hundred.

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India’s bowlers were superbly supported by wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who took three catches and two stumping after missing the previous Test due to an injury. Most of the Bangladeshi bastmen failed to apply themselves, with Mohammad Ashraful (39) skipper Shakib-ul-Hasan (34) all getting out when looking well-set. Ashraful and Shakib both fell to rash strokes. Ashraful stepped out to attempt a big shot off Ojha, missed the line and was stumped, while Shakib was caught behind chasing an away going deliver from Zaheer. Rahim who added 55 for the sixth wicket with his captain, was trapped leg before by Sharma after hitting six fours in his 61-balls knock. India gained an early advantage when they left hosts reeling at 84-5 in the morning session with Zaheer and Sharma taking two wickets apiece and Ojha one. Ashraful hit six fours in his 31-balls knock, while Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Juaid Siddique and Raqibul Hasan all failed to reach double figure. Bangladesh’s batting problems began immediately after winning the toss when Sharma had Keyes caught by Dhoni with his first delivery of the match. Zaheer bowled opener Iqbal with a delivery that came in sharply and then had Siddique caught behind to reduce the hosts to 13-3. Sharma’s second victim was Raqibul Hasan caught by Rahul Dravid at second slip after making only four. India lead 1-0 in the short series following their 113 run victory in the opening Test in Chitagong on Thursday. AFP

Aussies Crush Pakistan at SCG Sidney: Australia produced arguably its best performance of the summer to record a crushing 140 run victory over Pakistan in the second One-day International at the SCG on Sunday. Having posted an imposing 6-267 on the back of half-centuries from Shane Watson and Cameron White after Pakistan skipper Mohammad Yousuf elected to bowl first in overcast conditions, Dong Bollinger (2-19) and Peter Diddle (91-23) produced fearsome opening spells to leave the tourist’ pursuit in tatters. Skipper Mohammad Yousuf, who was left to rue his decision to insert the hosts in ideal batting conditions, top scored with a defiant 58 off 94 balls, but it wasn’t enough to prevent an embarrassing defeat. Australia now leads the five-match series 2-0 ahead of Tuesday’s clash at the Adelaide Oval. Both openers beat the bat repeatedly from the outset but Bollinger claimed the early spoils removing Salman Butt (two) and Younus Khan (zero) in the fifth over….. Things went from bad to worse when Kamran Akmal (16 off 33) was run out by a brilliant piece of fielding from Clint Mckay (3-15) off his own bowling. And when younger brother Umar Akmal was bowled by a brilliant delivery from Siddle without scoring, the tourists’ fate was sealed.

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Shahid Afridi gave the Pakistan contingent of the healthy 30,7774 crowd some reason to cheer when he dispatched Nathan Hauritz (2-45) into the stands, but his aggression soon brought him undone. Rana Naved showed some resistance blasting 27 off 22 including two sixes and a boundary before he was stumped by Brad Haddin attempting to hit Hauritz out of the stadium. CRICKET.COM.AU In order to decide whether some expression is metaphoric or not, I used two criteria: etymology and core sense. Etymology of a word tells about the origin and derivation of a word. The “core meanings represent typical, central uses of the word in question in modern standard English, as established by research on and analysis of the Oxford English Corpus and other language databases. The core meaning is the one accepted by native speakers as the most literal and central in ordinary modern usage. This is not necessarily the same as the oldest meaning, because word meaning change over time. Nor is it necessarily the most frequent meaning because sometimes the most frequently used modern sense of a word is figurative one. The core sense also acts as a gateway to other, related sub sense. (Oxford Dictionary of English page ix) Oxford English Dictionary 2005 is the only Dictionary that groups meanings into core senses and sub sense. Since it recognizes core sense as LITERAL sense, I have depended on this dictionary in identifying metaphor. For example the first metaphoric expression in paragraph one in News one is ‘crack’ in the sentence: “Mohammad Mahmudullah cracked an unbeaten 96….” ‘Crack’ is here used in the sense of ‘score’ though Oxford Dictionary of English 2005 does not recognize ‘score’ even as a sub sense of the word. The core sense or LITERAL meaning of the word ‘crack’ as verb is “break or cause to break without a complete separation of the parts…” (Oxford Dictionary of English, 401) words like ‘beat’, ‘fail’, ‘gain an upper hand’, ‘against’, ‘knock’, ‘attack’, ‘loss’, ‘struggle’, ‘hit’, victim’, ‘fall to’, ‘catch’, ‘trap’, ‘reel’, ‘hit’, ‘win’, ‘clash’, ‘spoils’, ‘defiant’ etc. can be easily understood as metaphoric expressions when used in the description of a game and need hardly any dictionary consultation. In order to show the extensive use of metaphor in news, I give numerical details of paragraphs, sentences and metaphoric expressions used in both the news under discussion. As is clear from the tables below, on average no sentence is without any metaphoric expressions. News one

Paragraph No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 No. of Sentences 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 No. Metaphoric Expressions 9 2 1 2 1 6 4 2 2 Note: One metaphor expression in subheading (Resistance) Total No. of Paragraph 9 Total No. of Sentences 20+1(subheading)=21 Total No. Metaphoric Expressions 29+1=30 Average percentage of metaphoric expressions per sentence is 1.42 3



News one

Paragraph No. 1 2 3 4 5 No. of Sentences 1 1 3 2 2 No. Metaphoric Expressions 1 2 6 0 7

Note: One metaphoric expression in heading (Crush) Total No. of Paragraph 5 Total No. of Sentences 9+1(heading)=10 Total No. Metaphoric Expressions 16+1=17 Average percentage of metaphoric expressions per sentence is 1.7 One might wonder if the extensive use of war metaphor shows the bias of the writer or sport cannot be conceptualized in any other metaphor. “Sporting activities are essentially modified forms of hunting behaviour.” (Morris, 305) William Morris, the celebrated biologist, argues in his book Man watching that warfare is “a corrupted

from of” (Morris, 309) hunting. Morris divides sports into two types: (1) that is played by only one team at a time like shooting and (2) that is played by two opposing teams against each other. Popular sports like “cricket, badminton, basketball, hockey, “(Morris, 308) etc. are the sports of “reciprocal hunt” (308). War evolved out of these

sports of reciprocal hunt. The only difference between the two is that in the second type man hunts another man at prey. “Any victim that provided the necessary hunting challenge would do, and there was no reason why a human prey should be excluded.” (Morris, 309) Morris thinks that sports like cricket give the thrill of hunting from

which war is derived. “Of all the hundreds of forms of competition we indulge in only sports have the special properties of chasing, running, jumping, aiming and prey-killing.” (Morris, 308) Since sports like cricket are derived from war, it is impossible to conceptualize cricket in any other metaphor than that of war. WORKS CITED [1] Aristotle. The Poetics, ed. and trans. Stephen Halliwell Cambridge, MA: Harvard

University Press, 1909. [2] Evans, Vyvyan and Green, Melaine. Cognitive Linguistics: An Introduction. Edinburgh:

Edinburgh University Press, 2006 [3] Morris, Desmond. Man watching. London: Grafton, 1977 [4] Oxford Dictionary of English. Oxford: University Press, 2005. [5] Punter, David. Metaphor. New York: Routledge, 2007 [6] Times of India, Monday, January 25.2010. New Delhi.

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ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

New Media Technology for Enhancing Communication Skills of Tertiary Students

Chasul Phogat Virendra Singh Nirban

Research Scholar Assistant Professor, Department [email protected] of Humanities and Social Sciences

Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Pilani Campus [email protected]

Abstract: The last two decades have witnessed the unprecedented, multidimensional and

decisive technology interventions in all forms of life. Education has been no different.

Technology has made inroads in how teaching and learning can be made more effective.The

usage of technology can be seen since a long time back and in various forms. In the

beginning radio and tape recorders were used for listening drills, pronunciation recording etc.

Later on, with the inclusion of television, multisensory absorption of information in the form

of audio and video made the task of teaching and learning more effective and interesting. In

1980s & 90s computers played a vital role in bringing the technology to classrooms.

Compatibility was a problem over a period of time but computers made the language lab an

integral part of language and communication studies.The present paper focuses on the

effective usage of new media technology for enhancing the communication skills of territory

level students. The age today demands efficient and fluent speakers of the international

language i.e. English. How new media technology can be used for learners to hone their

communication skills. New media technology refers to a wide spectrum of internet based

platforms which can be integrated with pedagogy to leverage its interactive and collaborative

nature. The paper focuses on different types of technologies that can be used in the classroom

and beyond classroom, various strategies which can be used to inculcate specific type of

communication skills, and research trends in new media based communication domain. Keywords: Multidimensional, technology intervention, listening drills, multisensory, communication skills, new media technology, tertiary. 1. INTRODUCTION “Life is a race, run; otherwise, the other person will leave you behind and clinch the opportunity”. These are the famous lines from the movie “three idiots”. It seems a little bit absurd to start a research paper with some lines from a movie, but these lines reflect the realities of today’s life. Irrespective of the work domain, everybody wants to push the other person behind. If looked towards education domain two things that are the pre-requisite, to succeed for a student include subject expertise and communication.For the second aspect a student should be skilled enough to use technological computer mediated communication (CMC) channels gadgets, i.e. a person should know how to use new media. The focus of my paper would be on the effective usage of new media technologies for the enhancement of English communication skills, namely, listening, speaking,

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reading, and, writing. As it is a well established fact that these all skills go hand in hand. If a person wants to be an efficient speaker s/he has to be a good listener first; and if a person wants to write effectively s/he has to be a patient reader. 2. NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES The once thought impossible learning/teaching tasks are today at a distance of a click

of a mouse and it is playing a very important role in the field of education specially. Various studies have proven the beneficial nature of new media. The term ‘new media

technologies’ is used as an umbrella term for those platforms where users can create and share their work and experience with the help of multimedia files. Unlike old

media, it is dynamic in nature. But in the present paper the focus would be on the

internet based new media technologies with the characteristic of collaboration, namely, blogs, wikis, YouTube videos, and facebook. Various studies have proved that these

web-based collaborative technologies have promoted effective communication skills

among learners. All these technologies have one common feature of collaboration. Today the users have become the content creators. A person can express her/his own

views, and can contribute to others’ ideas also. Today a person can have 2 totally different personalities in the real world and the virtual world. A student who is

extremely shy in the class room can be a person with highest number of posts on face

book, likewise an outgoing personality can become passive on these platforms. These technologies can be used as an effective tool to enhance the communication

competence of learners especially, of those who are introvert or feel hesitant in public.

Various videos can be used from You Tube for listening and speaking practices. For writing and reading purpose wikis and blogs can be used as an effective tool. A wiki is a web-based tool that allows users to create and publish their content collaboratively (Waldeck & Dougheerty 2011). Users can create content without giving information about their identities. Wiki is a Hawaiian word, and its meaning is “quick”. The the first software wikiwikiweb wasdeveloped by Ward Cunningham in 1994. Any content can be updated, created and edited on this platform. It allows multiple users to post and edit information. So, due to this feature students can be given a lot of written tasks, assignments, and projects on this platform. They can complete their tasks and assignments with collaboration of their peers and the learners can help each other in their mistakes. While working in collaboration, not only their targeted goals can be accomplished, but the accessory goals can be achieved without any extra efforts. Blogs are similar to wikis. Users can share their ideas and views on this platform like what is done on wikis.The term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger in 1997 and the short form, "blog", was coined by Peter Merholz. Unlike wiki the entries are authored by the owner with the information of date and time and visible to the users. Users can upload text, images, videos and other media. The posts are displayed in a chronological sequence on this platform. The recent posts would appear on the top. It has been said “Blogs are personal journals. Educators are in favor of integrating blogs into language learning because they are easy to establish, students get opportunities to write to a real audience, and they enable two-way communication between authors and readers” (quoted in Hsu, Wang, and Cosmac Lowe & Williams 2004).Blogs can be 3



used in education as instructional resources and are known as edublogs. So, edublogs can be used by the Language teachers for giving reading and writing practices. Material can be uploaded here for their reading task and writing assignments can be given to them. Youtube is the most popular destination of web tools for the uploading and publishing of videos. A person can upload videos and allow them to be viewed privately or publicly. This platform can be proved as an effective space for students for the enhancement of listening drills and the spoken part efficiently. Language lab has been used for this purpose popularly, but has the limitation of space and time; whereas You Tube videos provide real time interaction. Students can make their own exercises and upload them for their peers from anywhere and at any moment, as there is no barrier of space and time. On social networking sites the users can create their own profiles and then they can join other networks on the basis of different criterion like common interests, their geographical locations etc. It has been well said “The openness of some social media facilitates the building of networks because it provides greater access to colleagues. Educators can more easily find and make connections with colleagues who are located all over the world and can have greater access to influential colleagues in their field; because social media are open, a person can search and locate individuals, view their profiles and shared information, and view their connections” (Joosten 16 print). Social networking platforms can be used as a very effective tool for the enhancement of communication skills. 3. ROLE OF NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN EDUCATION DOMAIN Technology has been used since a very long time to make people efficient. Static media or old media such as newspapers, magazines, and books have always played a vital role in the enhancement of a person’s communicative competence. Now, new media technology has made the task more interesting and simpler.New media technology excites the students and makes the task of learning more interesting for them but it can become monotonous if not used in a proper and sophisticated manner. It can act as a novel source of information and instruction. By various features like animation etc., it can be used in various ways. It can also act as an effective means of communication. Research and development should be paralleled. We must not select randomly any technology which we confront; we must select that particular technology which serves our purpose best. Need of proper skills to use a particular technology is required. Re-training is required for the teachers (Vries 2001). Use of technology not only breaks the barriers of space and time but also facilitates creative and transformational thinking in the learners. It nurtures appropriate attitudes among the learners. Access to faculty members for students and scope for individual attention for teachers is one of the most effective characteristic of it (Olaniran 2008). 3



4. USE OF NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENHANCING

COMMUNICATION SKILLS An initiative was taken by Hsu, Wang, and Comac in 2008 to investigate how audio blogs can be used as a helpful tool to learning English as a second language, in the USA. The learners were supposed to record their oral assignments through their preferred device and need to maintain their individual audio blog. They have chosen this particular technology because of its features like, ease of use, affordance, easy archiving of assignments for evaluation, compatibility with multimedia files, and easy to facilitate interaction. The study had two main purposes; first was to check the feasibility level of these audio blogs, and second was to observe the perception towards the contribution these audio blogs can provide in language learning. The process was completed in 4 steps; from setup of the blog to assessment of these blogs. The results have emphasized that students enjoyed using these audio blogs and feeling more confident with the usage of language. These blogs made them more confident because of the individual feedback they got from their faculty. A survey was done to investigate the usefulness of social networking sites. The SNSs

are very popular among today’s generation. So an attempt was done to evaluate its popularity in educational context. An SNS platform was created using the link “Ning” The major issues taken were the active role of the learners’ collaborative learning, promoting critical thinking, and content learning. In all of the issues taken, the

responses were highly affirmative. Most of the students said that with the inclusion of these SNSs in education students’active role can be increased. The students say that these sites are highly helpful in content learning and doing team work. It motivates for work and not only inspires but also makes the task more interesting with the help of these sites shy students can also express their point of view without any difficulty.

These sites are also very helpful in promoting their creative thinking. These SNSs not only break the barrier of time and place but also the barrier between a faculty and a student. Through this medium a student can approach his/her teacher without any difficulty (Arquero & Frias, 2013) Social media has decreased the distances among the faculty and students. Now students can easily approach their faculty member which has always been a difficult task to do. For teachers it has widened the opportunity to pay individual attention to their students. A teacher can now observe and fulfill all the needs of each and every student in the class room; because a class room is a heterogeneous group of people with different needs, potentialities, capabilities and talents. With the help of these new media technologies this task can be fulfilled. On social networking sites like orkut, facebook and twitter, shy students can participate without any kind of hesitation. “Profiles are the virtual equivalents of textbook jackets and spiral notebook covers. These online spaces offer students an opportunity to value the kind of self-expression that has historically been classroom contraband, evidenced only as the decorative scribbling on textbook jackets or spiral notebook covers” (quoted in O’Brien 1998 Relles & Tierney 480). 3



In earlier times, the students used old media for their expression but today they have their own virtual community and virtual space. A person’s behavior and characteristics can be known by his/her posts. The students today can be seen participating enthusiastically in the activities on these virtual communities. Today they are the most

active users on these sites. Therefore, these sites can be used as an effective tool to enhance their writing skills. Relles and Tierney in 2013 conducted a study on 91 low-income students, using the New Literacies Theory. Facebook was the platform used for the study. 80 hours of classroom writing instruction was given to them. The results

showed improvement in their writing skills.On such sites assignments can be given to them. In the study mentioned above, observations were made and the results show progress. So, it supports the argument that if these sites would be used for the enhancement of the writing skills of students, it will lead to fruitful results. The most

important aspect is that shy students who used to be on the back seats can be seen as the most active participants. Jung, Lim, and Leon explains in their work that web based instruction overcomes the limitation of traditional distance education which has lack of interpersonal interaction and allows real time interaction (2002). The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects on the learners’ achievement level, satisfaction level, participation and their attitude towards online learning in a Web Based Instruction (WBI) environment. Results imply thatstudents can be made more creative and efficient if chances are given to them to use technology. A survey was conducted in 6 universities in the National capital region of India, with the objective of analyzing the usage of web 2.0 technologies in learning, and also to identify the tool used most and to explore the benefits and contribution of these tools in education. They find web 2.0 tools are beneficial in many ways. Its usage enhances peer-to-peer learning and also helps to create personal learning environment. Not only it enhances students’ motivation but also fosters a new approach to learning (Tyagi 2012). Waldeck & Dougherty used the ARCS framework in 2011 to assess the usefulness of collaborative communication technologies and learning in college courses. They observed that a teacher’s behavior is the main factor which influences the motivation level of a student. They concluded that the usage of technology can stimulate the motivation factor and which leads to the learning of the student. 5. CONCLUSION Various studies suggest that students use these technologies in their personal life but they feel hesitant in using these for academic purposes. Various factors are responsible for this difference. For personal usage a student can use these tools according to her/his convenient and needs, in a customized manner; whereas, it becomes difficult to use these tools according to their wish if they are using for academic purposes. The course content, the policies, the work load, all these factors play an important role in a student’s decision for using the supplementary materials. A teacher plays a crucial role in a student’s decision of using these technologies. So, here comes the role of the teacher. S/he needs to act like a guide, a facilitator, and a mentor. S/he has to inspire

3



and motivate the students to use the technology. Students can complete the

assignments given on a blog or wiki space to complete if instruction is given to them to

do so. The students can do practice by anyYou Tube video, only when there is a video

uploaded on the platform. As various studies suggested earlier and it is a well known

fact that motivation is required always to inspire a student to use these tools. The mere

availability of any opportunity or resources is not enough. What should be used and in

what manner is more important. The role of a teacher is very crucial to make the

learners skilled enough to avail the opportunities. What technology should be used,

how to use it effectively, and how to motivate and inspire the learners to use it are

some of the things which should be kept in mind before using any technology.There is

no dearth of usage of new media technologies in education domain, but the role is not

up to the mark in case of communication. Reasons behind this can be tried to find out.

WORKS CITED [1] Arquero, Jose & Frias, Esteban. Using Social network Sites in higher education: an

experience in business studies. Innovations in Education and Teaching International.pp.238-249.2013. Web. 03 March 2014.

[2] Hsu, Wang, & Comac, Linda. Using audioblogs to assist Englishlanguage learning: an

investigation into student perception. Computer Assisted Language LearningVolume 21, Number 2, April 2008, 181–198. Web. 05 March 2014.

[3] Joosten, Tanya. “Social media for educators strategies and best practices”. USA. Jossey-

Bass. 1974. Print. [4] Jung, Lim, and Leon, Junghoon. Effects of different types of interaction on learning

achievement, satisfaction and participation in web-based instruction. Innovations in Education and Teaching International.Volume 39, Issue 2, 2002, pages: 153-162. Web. 5 March 2014.

[5] M.J. de Vries.New media in technology education: threats and opportunities. A

conference summary. Proceedings of the PATT-11 International Conference on Design and Technology Educational Research, Eindhoven, the Netherlands, 2001, Mar 8-13, 253-256. Web. 06 March 2014.

[6] Olaniran, Bolanle.Human computer Interaction and the best mix of face-to-face and E-

interactions in educational settings. Benefits of computer mediated communication. USA.49-61. 2008. Print.

[7] Relles, Stefani &Tierney, William.Understanding the Writing Habits of Tomorrow’s

Students: Technology and College Readiness. The Journal of Higher Education, Volume 84, Number 4, July/August2013, pp. 477-505. Web. 10 March 2014.

[8] Tyagi, Sunil. Adoption of Web 2.0 technology in higher education: A case study of

universities in National Capital Region.International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology.2012. Volume 8. Issue 2. Pages 28-43. 2012. Web. 14 March 2014

[9] Waldeck, Jennifer& Dougherty, Kathleen.Collaborative communication technologies and

learning in college courses: which are used, for what purposes, and to what ends?Learning, Media and Technology. Volume 37, Number 4, December 2012, 355– 378. Web. 15 March 2014.

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ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

Developing Second Language Pragmatic

Competence of ESL Learners through

Teaching of Indirect Speech Acts

Narke Pankaj A.

Ph.D participant, School of English Language Education

The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad Area of research: Second Language Acquisition and Pragmatics

Abstract: As widely acknowledged, teaching and learning a language is not just targeting the syntactic or lexical system of the language, but also the real-life use (so the pragmatics of the language). Particularly, when we focus on the process of second language teaching and

learning, learners should be able to “do things with words” (Austin, 1962). Merely understanding the meaning of words is not enough in communication. They should be able to come up with the intended understanding and actions. In the words of Austin, interlocutors

are expected to perform ‘perlocutionary acts’ successfully. The present paper will try to explore the effects of explicit teaching of indirect speech on

learners’ pragmatic competence. It will include studies done in the field of ELT in order to

explain which classroom strategies can be used by the teachers to test learners’ pragmatic

competence and the strategies used to develop their. The paper will emphasize the activities

and tasks that can facilitate the real-life communication among the learners. The implications

of Discourse Completion Test (DCT), established by Blum-Kulka and Kasper, (1989) will be

discussed in details. The paper also intends to discuss the types of materials that the teachers

can adapt along with the suitable strategies which will help them use different tasks and

activities. As a part of appendix, the paper will include some sample DCT(s) and role-play

exercises. 1. INTRODUCTION As widely acknowledged, teaching and learning a language is not just targeting the syntactic or lexical system of the language, but also the real-life use (so the pragmatics of the language). Particularly, when we focus on the process of second language teaching and learning, learners should be able to “do things with words” (Austin, 1962). Merely understanding the meaning of words is not enough in communication. They should be able to come up with the intended understanding and actions. In the words of Austin, interlocutors are expected to perform ‘perlocutionary acts’ successfully. The need of pragmatic competence development in L2 arises by looking at the changing role of the second language (L2). Earlier, L2 was taught as a compulsory school subject and rarely for communicative purposes. Even the research works which have been done in the area of English Language Teaching (ELT) largely focus on the skills and grammar. Though there is a shift of focus in the ELT curriculum from structural to communicative aspect of teaching, the type of communicative tasks that 3


Developing Second Language Pragmatic Competence of ESL Learners through Teaching of Indirect Speech Acts

are used follow the functional-notional syllabuses. The limitation of these tasks is that they are hardly applicable in practical life situations. The pragmatic aspect of the language is not focused in the current Indian curriculum. As a result of not being given explicit instructions in the target language pragmatics, learners exhibit pragmatic failure on a larger scale. Pragmatics as defined by Kasper (2000) is the study of how speaker uses language in social interaction and its effect on the participants in the communicative event. The definition of pragmatic competence therefore can be “learners’ awareness of

appropriate choice of linguistic expressions in the appropriate context”. Interlanguage pragmatics according to Kasper (1996) is the study of non-native speaker’s use and acquisition of L2 pragmatic knowledge. Therefore the concern of research in interlanguage pragmatics is to find out how pragmatic competence influences L2

learners’ speech in the target language. The researchers in the field of pragmatics and Second Language Acquisition (SLA) have raised a question that whether it is possible to teach the pragmatic competence. Many argued that there is no need to teach pragmatics because learners will absorb the target language pragmatics trough the exposure. On the other hand Kasper and Rose (2001) argue that even advanced

learners of English exhibit significant gaps in L2 pragmatics and both ESL and EFL learners appear to benefit from explicit instructions in pragmatics. 2. SPEECH ACTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSROOM: Every meaningful discourse always happens in a particular context. Speakers, by using different communicative strategies, such as turn taking, turn giving, taking pauses, back channeling and using paralinguistic expressions exchange their thoughts. One of the very important tools of communication is speech acts (direct and indirect). Speech acts are to communication what cells are to life. Austin (1959) in his lectures at Harward University mentioned that the actions that are performed through linguistic utterances are known as speech acts. Speech acts come into play to perform language functions e.g. making statements, giving commands, asking questions, making promises, complaining, passing judgments etc. While distinguishing between direct and indirect speech acts, Yule (1996) says whenever there is a direct relationship between a structure and a function, we have a direct speech act. For example: a) Bring me a glass of water. b) Do you like red color? In the given examples the first sentence is an imperative sentence and it functions to command the hearer. The second sentence is in the form of interrogative sentence which functions as asking for information. Therefore we can see that there is direct relation between the form and the function of the sentences. On the other hand Yule says whenever there is an indirect relationship between the structure and the function; we have an indirect speech act. 3



For example a) Would you mind giving me a glass of water? Or I am feeling thirsty. b) Do you really like red color? Here in these examples, the first sentence is in interrogative form but the function is requesting for water. The second sentence is also in the form of question but its function in the real context might be advising the person not to buy red color clothes because it might not look good on him or her. Researchers in the field of interlanguage pragmatics have showed that learners in multilingual context have tendency to transform their L1 pragmatics rules to L2. They rely on the literal meanings of words and therefore they fail to understand as well as produce indirect speech acts in an appropriate context. For example: Imagine a scene in a school where a student is speaking with his principal and says “you should give us a holiday tomorrow” instead of being polite and say “are we likely to get a holiday tomorrow”? Or “would you be king enough to give us a holiday tomorrow”? Being unable to produce polite utterances causes pragmatic failure during conversations. N. Ishihara and A.D. Cohen (2011) give a list of five common causes of learners’ divergence from pragmatic norms. Pragmatic divergence may happen due to insufficient pragmatic ability 1. Negative transfer of pragmatic norms 2. Limited grammatical ability in L2 3. Overgeneralization of perceived L2 pragmatic norms; 4. Effect of instruction or instructional materials

Pragmatic divergence due to the learner choice 5. Resistance to use perceived L2 pragmatic norms.

(Teaching and Learning pragmatics, 2010 pp. 77)

In order to control this pragmatic failure among the learners, different strategies can be employed. One of the strategies is to teach them the use of indirect speech acts explicitly. Schimidt, (1993) argues for the need of explicit instructions in the target language pragmatics. For him learners cannot acquire socio-linguistic competence easily by being around the target culture/ language. Therefore explicit teaching of pragmatics in the target language would of great benefit.

3



Based on this view of the researchers let us now find out what are the possible materials and teacher strategies through which indirect speech acts can be taught. The majority of the teaching materials have been published according to the norms set by the curriculum developers. Even though the skills based materials include conversational, dialogic materials, the examples presented in those materials are mostly hypothetical or unauthentic. After learning such materials at most the learners will be able to produce the examples of common pragmatic routine. This sort of knowledge will help the learners pass their exams but will not help them improve their cross cultural communicative skills. There is a thick possibility that the L2 textbooks might be insufficient to provide real; practices that can suit the learners’ context. The possible way to come over this problem is that the teachers can design or adapt different tasks/ activities which will enable the learners practice language functions in their own contexts. Some of the possible tasks/ activities can be cited here. Role Play is one of the best activities in order to teach learners the functions of language. Through role plays the teacher can make the learners practice the targeted indirect speech acts by giving them real-life situations. Before making the learners to do the activity, as a model the teacher him/herself can do it as a scaffolding. The teacher can also use video or audio recorded model by which the learners will get an idea about how to do the activity. In such activities the learner assumes him/herself as a real character in the society. E.g. a shop keeper, policeman, doctor, etc. Learners are made aware of the formal or informal context before they get into the actual task. They are provided hypothetical situations in which they are supposed to play the role of the characters present in that situation. Role plays can be done in groups or in pairs. For example: Suppose John is a doctor and Mark is the patient. Mark wants to take an appointment on Monday. Mark calls John and requests for an appointment. Now play the roles and complete the conversation. By using the role play activities the teachers can get spontaneous from their learners. Discourse completion task (test) is another important tool to make learners practice the real conversation. It is a pragmatic instrument where learners are asked to read a written description of a situation. Besides they are given various details like setting, participant roles, age social distance etc. keeping in view all situational factors, the learners have to write what they would say in that situation. This type of discourse completion task is usually referred to as written or open discourse completion task. Discourse completion tasks can be divided into two types; a) Multiple choice discourse completion tasks: in this task the learners are given

one hypothetical situation followed by three or four possible response speech acts. The learners have to read the situation and have to choose the most appropriate response according to the situation.

b) Oral discourse completion task: in this task the learners have to listen to the

audio recorded conversation where one part of the conversation is given and the learners have to complete the conversation by giving real spoken/oral response to it.

3



For example Read the following conversation between Raju and his neighbor. Raju wants to take his neighbor’s dog for a walk with him. Suppose you are Raju and complete the following dialogue.

Raju: Good morning uncle! Neighbor: good morning Raju, how are you? Raju: ……………………(learners’ response) ……………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………. Along with this practice tasks the teacher can also use ‘rating scale’ to evaluate learners’ pragmatic competence. In this the participants are asked to rate the suitability of a particular speech act in the given context. For example Your friend is asking you to go out for a movie with him but you have some more important work to do so you cannot go with him. Select the appropriate response from the given to reject the request.

a) No, I will not go with you

b) I would have liked to go with you, but I have some important work to finish now. We may go together next time.

c) Yes, let’s go

By using these test models the teachers can regularly test the learning progress of their learners. These tasks are not just useful for the learners’ development but they also contribute to the teachers’ development. Teachers are given opportunities to select and develop materials according to the needs of their learners. 3. CONCLUSION Though teaching of pragmatic competence is not possible directly, the development of pragmatic competence is always possible by using various tasks. Along with the prescribed materials in the textbooks, the teachers by using their creative mind can make the classes livelier and facilitate pragmatic development. While teaching L2 we shall always remember a famous quotation by Dell Hymes "rules of use without which the rules of grammar would be useless" (1971) 3



WORKS CITED [1] Bachman, L. Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing. Oxford: Oxford

University Press, 1990. Print. [2] Garcia, P. Pragmatic Comprehension of High and Low Level Language Learners.

Northern Arizona University, TESL. EJ. Vol. 8 No.2 A.1. 2004. Print [3] Glaser, K. Acquiring Pragmatic Competence in a Foreign Language – Mastering

Dispreferred Speech Acts. Topics in Linguistics - Issue 4– December 2009 – Interface Between Pragmatics and Other Linguistic Disciplines, 2009. Print.

[4] Lesmo, L. Indirect Speech Acts and Politeness: A Computational Approach. University

of Torino, Italy. The paper was appeared on the proc. of the 17th

Cognitive Science Conference, Pittsburgh. 1995. Print.

[5] Kamran, M. The Impact of Teaching Indirect Speech Acts on the Pragmatic competence

of ESL Learners. An M.Phil (ELE) Thesis, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. 2012. Print.

[6] Murray, N. English as Lingua Franca and the Development of Pragmatic Competence. ELT Journal, March 13, 2012. Print.

[7] Nazari, A. EFL teachers’ perception of the concept of communicative competence. ELT

Journal Volume 61/3 July 2007, Oxford University Press. 2007. Print. [8] Taguchi, N. Task Difficulty in Oral Speech Act Production. Applied Linguistics, Vol. 28

No.1. Oxford University Press 2007. Print.

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ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

English for Specific Purpose:

Factual to Effectual

Pramod Rai Vijay Negi

Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities, Department of Humanities,

DIT University Dehradun, Uttarakhand DIT University Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Abstract: The Education system in India is marked by academic achievement in the form of

grades and percentage on the basis of which the students acquire lucrative and attractive jobs.

But when they tread the testing ground of these jobs, they are declared as failures. Hence, the

major issue of employability. English for Specific Purpose, ESP plays an important role in

countries where English is used mainly for academic purpose. The purpose of this paper is

tostudy the role of ESP in teaching communication skills in engineering colleges /

Universities - problems and needs of students and the effectiveness of the course. This will

require torealize the difference between General English and ESP, as enumerated by Dudley

Evans, and appreciate the different roles they play based on the needs of the students. Since

quite a few of the Universities have become aware of and are trying to bridge the gap between

academia and industry,ESP is certainly the answer. “ESP is an approach to language

teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on learners’ reason for

learning.” But considering the diversity of students as they come from varied backgrounds of

education and exposure, I have come to realize that after a diagnostic test of the language

abilities of the students as they enter the university in the first semester, their needs should be

specified. One defined course cannot satisfy all the learners. We have to find out what stage

and kind of language acquisition is actually required by the learner. It is at this point

importance of ESP emerges. Some of the students for whom English is an alien languagemust

be equipped with the basic linguistic capabilities, drawn out of their inhibitions through an

environment which breathes the language. ESP content should be prepared in consultation

with the industry and administered in such incremental doses as required by the student

throughlearner-centeredtask-based language teaching (TBLT) and communicative approach

as a teaching technique to be truly effective. 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND With the world shrinking globally, it has become imperative in every profession to have a global perspective, effective communication skills and an understanding of different cultures and global markets across the globe. In doing so, proficiency in English language becomes a priority. So, the Engineering graduates need to be competent in English language skills to engage in technical communication. But, in India, let us consider the diversity of students as they come from varied backgrounds of education and exposure on a common platform in Engineering Colleges with English as the medium of academic instruction for higher studies. Unfortunately, all of them are not on a common footing. For some of them who come from rural backgrounds, poor linguistic knowledge even hinders progress in their professional subjects. Their ‘textbook’ type of knowledge of English language with hardly any

3


English for Specific Purpose: Factual to Effectual

practice in real life scenarios would leave much to be desired in communication at the workplace. So, students with different levels of competency in communication skills when taught a standard course are either at an utter loss, or find the communication skills taught to them irrelevant. Against such a backdrop, this study attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of ESP course in teaching communication skills in Engineering Colleges / Universities - problems and needs of students and the effectiveness of the course. 2. THE ROLE OF ESP 1. The Education system in India is marked by academic achievement in the form

of grades and percentage which are considered the mark of excellence. These students who learn English as a foreign language do so primarily in order to fulfil

their school curriculum requirement, to pass English proficiency tests, or to obtain promotion or professional development at work. On the basis of these achievements, the students acquire lucrative and attractive jobs. But when they tread the testing ground of these jobs, they are declared as failures. Hence, the

major issue of employability. Quite a few of the Universities have become aware of and are trying to bridge the gap between academia and industry. Hence, there remains no doubt that English for Specific Purpose, ESP courses are required to meet the global trend as well as to meet students’ future career needs especially in countries like ours where the language is used mainly for academic purpose.

According to Tsao C. H. “… the demand for ESP is growing rapidly, particularly in EFL countries where English is mainly used for instrumental purposes” (Tsao, 2011 126-149).

3. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GENERAL ENGLISH AND ESP This will require realizing the difference between General English and ESP. The term “specific” in ESP refers to the specific purpose for learning English. The approach of ESP is that it integrates the subject matter important to the learners in meaningful contexts thereby not separating the target language from the student’s real world. ESP concentrates more on language in context than on teaching grammar and language structures in isolation. The most important difference lies in the learners and their purposes for learning English. ESP students are usually adults who already have some acquaintance with English and are learning the language in order to communicate a set of professional skills and to perform particular job-related functions. An ESP program is therefore built on an assessment of purposes and needs and the functions for which English is required. Tony Dudley-Evans clarifies the meaning of ESP, giving an extended definition in terms of 'absolute' and 'variable' characteristics: Absolute Characteristics 1. ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners.

2. ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it

serves.

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3. ESP is centered on the language appropriate to these activities in terms of

grammar, lexis, register, study skills, discourse and genre. Variable Characteristics 1. ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines.

2. ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that

of General English.

3. ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution

or in a professional work situation. It could, however, be for learners at secondary school level.

4. ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students.

5. Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language systems. In view of the above definition, we will agree with the difference between General English and ESP: “in theory nothing, in practice a great deal” (Hutchinson 1987 53). That is the reason ESP should be seen simply as an ‘approach’ to teaching, or what Dudley-Evans describes as an 'attitude of mind'. “ESP is an approach to language

teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner's reason for learning” (Hutchinson 1987 19) This awareness of the importance of needs analysis has shown a dramatic improvement in the published textbooks which allow the teacher to select materials that closely match the goals of the learner. However, according to Dudley Evans the ESP practitioner performs five key roles: teacher,

collaborator, course designer and materials provider, researcher and evaluator. In such a context teachers’ role is a vital factor. Schleppegrell also believes that their task is to analyze students' needs, outline objectives, select and adapt teaching materials, design lessons, create an adult-oriented learning environment, and assess students’ progress.

This brings us to closely consider the significance of the needs analysis. 4. COMPONENTS OF LANGUAGE NEEDS ANALYSIS Since needs analysis is the basis of ESP course, it is important to understand its three components: Target Situation Analysis (TSA), Present Situation Analysis (PSA) and Learning Situation Analysis (LSA). 5. TARGET SITUATION ANALYSIS (TSA) Target Situation Analysis focuses on identifying the learner’s language requirements in the occupational situation they are being prepared for. This analysis focuses on students’ needs at the end of a language course. TSA is also referred to as “tasks and activities where learners are/will be using English for target situation” (Dudley-Evans and St. John 1998 124). According to them, TSA generally uses questionnaire as the instrument. 3



6. PRESENT SITUATION ANALYSIS (PSA) According to Robinson PSA (Present Situation Analysis) seeks to establish what the students are like at the start of their language course, investigating their strengths and weaknesses. Dudley-Evans & St. John believe that PSA refers to strengths and weaknesses in language, skills and learning experiences. Richterich and Chancerel suggest that there are three basic sources of information: the students themselves, the language-teaching establishment, and the students’ place of work. For each of these, an ESP practitioner seeks information regarding students’ respective levels of ability, resources and views on language teaching and learning. 7. LEARNING SITUATION ANALYSIS (LSA) Learning Situation Analysis LSA refers to what and why learners want to learn. LSA also refers to effective ways of learning the skills and language. 8. DESIGNING THE ESP COURSE FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS Let us review the procedure that we should follow to design the ESP course for engineering students based on different components of needs analysis. With reference to the target situation needs, ESP content should be prepared in

consultation with the industry through an Industry- Academia conclave wherein experts from industry can put forth their specific expectations from students to meet the professional challenges in the workplace. The academicians can then devise the content to equip the students to meet the expectations and thereby

enhance their employability. To consider a few, the engineers have to write routine and technical reports and proposals which must be a part of their course. They also need to attend formal or informal ‘meetings’ and communicate with a variety of people for a variety of purposes – to inform, instruct, persuade, appraise

and so on. Employers agree that ability to get on with people, to motivate subordinates and convince and satisfy superiors through good communication skills is an important criterion for promotion for the engineers in their workplace. Therefore oral communication skills of engineering undergraduates need to be

sharpened so as to prepare them to present themselves well as engineers. Ineffectiveness in this aspect will affect their careers and the organizations they work for. So, it is important to design a course which gives due practice in oral communication skills which is generally neglected in engineering students’ professional training.

The Present Situation Analysis can be done by conducting a diagnostic test of the

linguistic abilities of the students as they enter the university in the first semester. Considering the varied backgrounds of education and exposure the students come with, we first have to identify their level of linguistic competence and specify their needs. The weaker students can be provided a Bec course of the required level to enhance their basic understanding of the target language. For this, training content based on the existing proficiency of students would need to divide students into sections on the basis of their level of language proficiency. This will not only increase the efficacy of the training program, but also lead to the students being

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more participative and thus have higher learning. Moreover, it will smoothen the differences and bring all on a common platform to receive the ESP course.

In the first year engineering course, students are not adequately trained in listening and speaking skills and in the final exam tested only for reading and writing skills. To develop communication skills better, students should be helped to overcome communication apprehension first as it is the greatest impediment. Most of the students themselves admit that they find it very difficult to speak in public. This fear may be due to lack of proficiency in the target language, lack of practice, insecurity or any thought pattern. The ESP practitioner needs to diagnose the communication problem of the learner and devise strategies to develop individual learner’s communication skills. Students themselves can help a lot by reporting their communication apprehensions. Since these apprehensions are purely psychological, it is possible to reduce them if one really wants to overcome them.

The Learning Situation Analysis will reflect the effective ways of learning with

respect to the subjective needs. The learner-centred task-based language teaching with communicative approach as a teaching technique is the answer. The language should be presented in authentic contexts to acquaint the learners with the particular ways in which the language is used in functions that they will need to perform in their professional fields. The learners are provided with opportunities to use the language in interaction with other speakers. To give the students experience in the real world, the context of each activity has to be authentic, giving such roles to the students that they can recognize or identify with, and roles that involve their engineering knowledge. The setting has to be career-related and recognizable to the engineer. Each student should be given specific feedback after every activity so as to administer the progress at every step. It is of utmost importance that this be done by the ESP practitioner through mediation and supportive atmosphere in class. This will build the confidence of the learners and help them overcome their inhibitions and apprehensions through an environment which breathes the language.

There is no doubt that language can only be learnt through exposure and practice. We cannot deny that in a class, the teacher may be the only one speaking in English. The other students who can speak often shy from doing so. As a result, the environment we hoped to provide the students with remains a dream. In such a scenario, communication skills laboratory can sustain the environment where the students listen to and practice appropriate language through computer-assisted English language learning programs specially designed for them. Availing of this provision at their own pace, they can be made to participate in role plays, interviews and group discussions. Another important factor here is that the number of students should be such as allows the teacher to give individual attention. Teaching English as a life skill will certainly prepare the students for their workplace effectively.

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9. CONCLUSION It has been discussed in this paper that English which is taught in India for academic purposes has gained paramount importance in the global scenario. English for specific

purpose taught to Indian engineers should be taught in their professional context to be more effective. The needs of the engineering undergraduates are determined on the basis of the target situation analysis, the present situation analysis and learning situation analysis. Despite all the considerations, there is no doubt that one defined

course cannot satisfy all the learners. We have to find out what stage and kind of language acquisition is actually required by the learner. ESP course being learner-centred should be administered in such incremental doses as required by the student to be truly effective. The teaching programme can be organized into and taught in modules, building up from a limited communication task to more and more demanding

or complex ones. It is the instructors who are in the best position to identify changing learner needs ( their language learning problems, solutions and the skills they need to focus on) and who are in the best position to ensure that all students receive a balanced diet of language. WORKS CITED [1] Dudley-Evans, T., & St John, M. Developments in ESP: A multi-disciplinary approach.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.1998. [2] Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. English for Specific Purposes: A learning-centered

approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1987. [3] Tsao, C. H. English for Specific Purposes in the EFL Context: A Survey of Student and

Faculty Perceptions. The Asian ESP Journal. 2011.

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ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

Arthur Millar’s All My Sons:

Teaching Communication Skills

& Grammar Competence

Rabindra Kumar Verma Richa Arora

Assistant Professor (English), Professor & Head Department of English Department of English

Manipal University Jaipur, Rajasthan Manipal University Jaipur, Rajasthan [email protected] [email protected]

Abstract: The role of English as a Second/Foreign language has been changing from time to

time. In the last few decades, learner’s attention has switched over from learning English

Literature or English for Academic Purpose to learning communication skills in English (i. e.

four basic skills of communication, LSRW). By studying some literary pieces authored in

English, the learners try to be familiar with the structures of the sentences and grammatical

rules. They try to do some exercise based on curriculum and class-room teaching in order to

develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills with grammar competence. The

learning of communication skills in English consists of various phases of listening like pre-

listening, while listening and post-listening, speaking, pronunciation, phonemes and

morphemes, lexical items, sentence structure, vocabulary, communicative competence,

fluency and accuracy, reading comprehension, various types of question and learning

grammar in context, techniques of reading like scanning and skimming, reading

comprehension, writing skills including different methods of paragraph writing and language

items like sentence structure, determiners, various orders of sentences, connectives, clauses,

and vocabulary. Drama is a useful literary device through which learners cannot merely

develop their communication skills but they can also enrich their grammar competence with

exercises of mime, role play, dialogue, simulation, and improvisation. Further, literature

proves to be interesting and thought provoking to them because it develops their imagination,

comprehension and communicative competence. The present paper is a discussion about the

role and significance of Arthur Miller’s All My Son in learning communication skills in

English with grammar competence. Keywords: language, grammar, communication skills and literature. Being medium of communication, language plays a pivotal role in life of every human being. The four basic skills of communication (LSRW) are significant for the learners of the L2. Michael Canale and Merrill Swain lay emphasis on learning of four basic skills of communication. In their opinion, “A theory of basic communication skills can be characterized as one that emphasis the minimum level of (mainly oral) needed to get along in, or cope with, the most common second language situations the learner is likely to face” (9). On the other hand, it is necessary for the learners of the second language to be familiar with the rules of grammar of the target language (L2) and develop their grammar competence. In Michael Canale and Merrill Swain’s opinion, the term “grammatical competence” includes knowledge of phonology, orthography,

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Arthur Millar’s All My Sons: Teaching Communication Skills & Grammar Competence

vocabulary, word formation and sentence formation. While the generative-grammarian Noam Chomsky explains it as: “Linguistic theory is concerned primarily with an ideal speaker listener, in a completely homogeneous speech-community, who knows its language perfectly and is unaffected by such grammatically irrelevant conditions as memory limitations, distractions, shifts of attention and interest, and errors (random or characteristic) in applying his knowledge of the language in actual performance” (3). Chomsky obviously distinguishes the description of language form (competence) and language use (performance) and points out that the speaker-listener’s internal grammar that judges the grammaticality of sentences should be the main object of investigation for linguists. Thus, Communication Skills (LSRW) are intertwined with Grammatical Competence which refers to the ability that the learners of the target language (L2) are able to recognize and produce the distinctive grammatical structures of language. They also come to know how to use grammatical structures effectively in communication. It also deals with the learner’s ability to use the forms of the second language (sounds, words, and sentence structures). Using drama in a language classroom proves to be advantageous for language teaching. In their book Words into Worlds: Learning a Second Language Through Process Drama, Shin-Mei Kao and Cecily O’ Neill opine, “Drama does things with words. It introduces language as an essential and authentic method of communication” (4).It is through the use of drama that learners become familiar with grammatical structures in contexts and they also learn about how to use language to express, control and inform. It raises learners’ awareness towards the target language and culture. For this reason, the new language and the context of the drama should fuse into a language learning process with high interest, relevance and enjoyment. In a language class-room, learners make use of drama to enrich their comprehension level not only about language but also about their life experiences. Alan Maley (2005) considers drama a useful literary text which helps learners to polish

their language through literature. He mentions many significant points supporting the use of drama as a resource of learning Foreign Language or L2. Firstly, in his opinion, drama integrates language skills in a natural way; consequently, active and emphatic listening is possible. Further, he thinks that the spontaneous verbal expression is

integral to most of the activities; and many of them require reading and writing, both as part of the input and the output. Secondly, dramatic activities integrate verbal and non-verbal aspects of communication; therefore, they bring together both mind and body by restoring the balance between physical and intellectual aspects of learning in a language-oriented class-room. Thirdly, drama focuses upon both cognitive and

affective domains; therefore, it restores the significance of feeling as well as thinking. Fourthly, by fully contextualizing the language, it brings the classroom interaction to life through an intensive focus on meaning. Fifthly, drama fosters self-awareness (as well as awareness of others), self-esteem and confidence; consequently, it fosters

motivation of the learners of L2. Sixthly, drama encourages an open, exploratory style of learning where creativity and the imagination can easily be inculcated among the students.

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Another advantage of using drama in a language class-room is concerned to the role-plays which are exercises given to the learners and each learner is assigned a fictitious role from which he has to improvise some kind of behavior towards the other role characters in the class-room. The two basic requirements for role-play are improvisation and fictitious roles. Role-play can be very simple and the improvisation highly controlled. The format of a role-play consists of three basic parts: the situation, the roles, and useful expressions. The “Situation” sets the scene as well as the plot which also explains the situation. It describes action to be accomplished during the course of role-play. The task or action can be simple, for example, a telephone call; it can be elaborated as settling a complex business deal. Further, through the texts of drama in the language class-room, teachers can easily encourage learners to learn dialogues, “Wh” questions, “Yes/No” questions, and question tags by choosing example from a play:

Keller: You wanted money, so I made money. What I must be forgiven? You wanted money, didn’t you?

Mother: I didn’t want it that way. It doesn’t excuse it that you did it for the family. (Act 3, 75).

Stichomythia is one of the dramatic devices which a playwright uses in the play. Miller uses stichomythia in All My Sons. Through stichomythia (which is “one line” or “one word” between the characters) the readers come to know about the sentence structures of the target language. learners can also enrich their proficiency in the target language by learning small and simple sentences The following example can be taken from the play All My Sons:

Chris: You felt something that far back?

Ann: Every day since. The use of drama texts in the classroom to teach English as a second language results in real communication, involving ideas, emotions, feelings, appropriateness and adaptability. The conventional method of teaching English in a language-teaching oriented class-room hardly gives an opportunity to the students to use language in this

manner and develop fluency in it. It is because learners lack adequate exposure to spoken English outside the class as well as the lack of exposure to native speakers who can communicate with the students on authentic matters. Therefore, teaching English through dramatic texts proves to be fruitful because it gives a context for listening with

meaningful language production, leading the students or forcing them to use their own language resources, and thus, enhancing their linguistic abilities. Using drama in a language-oriented classroom also provides situations for reading and writing. By using drama techniques to teach English as a foreign language, the monotony of a conventional English class can easily be overcome and the syllabus can be transformed

into one which prepares learners to face their immediate world better as competent users of the English language because they get an opportunity to use the language in operation.

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The key to successful communication is speaking nicely, eloquently, efficiently and articulately with effective voice projection. For this, drama activities have positive contribution to the general education process and that these activities improve speaking

skills. Role play is one of the drama activitieswhich is considered to be a valuable classroom technique that encourage learners to participate actively in language learning class-room. The role-playing activities also help the teacher to create a supportive, enjoyable classroom environment in which learners are motivated to learn

the target language effectively. Drama is also one of the tools for pronunciation teaching because various components of communicative competence (discourse, intonation, pragmatic awareness, non-verbal communication) are practiced in an integrated way in the language class-room. Further, drama activities have obvious advantages for language learning. They motivatelearners to speak, to communicate,

even with limited language, using non-verbal communication like body movements and facial expressions. Shin-Mei Kao and Cecily O’ Neill consider mime as a useful tool of learning second language. They define mime as: “Mime or pantomime is a more familiar procedure to most L2 teachers. . . . Again working in mime releases students from the constraints of language” (30).In a language class-room, mime builds up the confidence of learners by encouraging them to be ready to do assigned tasks in front of one another. Mime boosts up the power of imagination and observation among the learners. The teacher or the facilitator also plays a significant role in mime activities. The teacher places a box in front of the class and mimes taking something out of it and asks learners to take a guess at what it could be. The teacher then invites a learner to approach the box and whispers the name of the object to the learner who in turn mimes taking the object out of the box while the rest of the class guesses. In this way, learners learn language with curiosity. By simulating reality, role play allows learners to prepare and practice for possible situations. Ideas for role play are based on situations that teachers and learners experience in their own lives, from books, audio-visualprogrammes and movies or from their daily interactions with other people in private and public places. In a language class-room, it is important for the teacher to considerlearners’background of language proficiency while using and implementing role play activities in the second language classroom. There are many types of role-play like dramatic play, story dramatization and socio-drama, seminar style presentation, debate competition and interview. In a language class-room, use of drama can be useful to encourage the learners to involve in simulation activity where they discuss a problem within a defined setting. In a simulation activity learners are either playing themselves or someone else. Simulation activities also indulge in dialogues. Simulation exercises teach learners how to function in a social situation with the appropriate social niceties. Further, in a simulation activity learners can practice various communication skills like asserting oneself, expressing opinions, convincing others, arguing eliciting opinions, group-problems-solving and analyzing situations.In a simulation activity, behaviour is not controlled and the participants bring to the situation their own skills, experience and

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knowledge. Thus, simulations are particularly useful in practicing and evaluating the use of procedures and language (vocabulary, and structures) specific to communication skills of the target language. Improvisation has proved to be an excellent technique in learning English as a Second Language because it encourages learners to be active and conscious participants in

authentic situations in language class-rooms. At the beginning learners feel hesitation

and shy to participate in the activities but after a few sessions they are confident and they show their interest. Robert Landy (1982) defines the term “Improvisation” as,

“Improvisation is an unscripted, unrehearsed, spontaneous set of actions in response to

minimal directions from a leader, usually including statements of whom one is, where one is, and what one is doing there” (5-6). Improvisation not only provides learners

with an opportunity to improve their communication skills but it also improves their confidence which leads to the development of positive concepts among them. For this,

the teacher or the facilitator has to involve the establishment of a context which serves

to inform the learners where they are and what they are expected to portray in their inter-relationships with other characters. Since improvisation is an unscripted,

unrehearsed drama exercise, the learners have freedom to make their own spontaneous

contribution as the play begins. Further, improvisation exercises involve learners either in small groups or the whole class. Once the context is introduced to the learners, they

participate in the exercise spontaneously. The teacher’s role is to provide the context and the learners act their roles accordingly. But it is significant to keep in mind

learners’ background and experiences during the improvisation activities in a language

learning class-room. Further, spontaneous improvisation exercises enrich learners’ communication skills as well as they provide an opportunity to them to develop their

emotional range by playing roles unfamiliar to them and outside their own experience. It is obvious from the above discussion about use of drama in developing communication skills and grammar competence that drama is one of the appealing teaching tools which promotes cooperation, collaboration, self-control, goal-oriented

learning as well as emotional intelligence skills. Itenriches the bond between thought and expression in language and develops good listening, reading and writing skills. If drama is considered as a teaching method in the sense of being part of the eclectic approach to language teaching, then it can become a main aid in the acquisition of

communicative competence. Drama activities facilitate the type of language behaviour that leads to fluency as it provides a variety of situations, attitudes, roles and worlds. One of the best advantages of use of drama in the language class-room is that learnersgain confidence in their use of English by experiencing the language in operation, consequently, drama in the English language class-room is ultimately

indispensable because it not only provides an opportunity to the learners to use their own personalities but it alsofocuses upon learners’ natural abilities to imitate and express themselves by using their imagination. It also encourages adaptability, fluency and communicative competence among the learners. WORKS CITED [1] Canale, Michael and Merril Swain, Theoretical Bases of Communicative Approaches to

Second Language Teaching and Testing”.Applied Linguistics. Vol. 1 (1980): 1-47.

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[2] Chomsky, N, Aspects of the Theory of Syntax. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1965. Print. [3] Kao, Shin-Mei and Cecily O’ Neill.(1998). Words into Worlds: Learning a Second

Language Through Process Drama. London: Ablex, 1998. Print. [4] Landy, Robert J, Handbook of Educational Drama and Theatre. London:

Greenwood.1982.Print. [5] Maley, Alanand Alan Duff, Drama Techniques: A Resource Book of Communication

Activities for Language Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2005. Print. [6] Miller, A, All My Sons.Edt. Nissim Ezekiel. New Delhi: Oxford U P, 2005. Print. [7] O’Neill, Cecily, Drama Worlds: A Framework for Process Drama. Portsmouth:

Heineman 1995. Print.

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ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

Teaching Language through Literature

Sanjay Kulsrestha Vandana Saxena

Sr. Executive Trainer, Training & Reader, Faculty of Education, Development Department,

Hindustan College of Science & Technology, SGI, MathuraR. B. S. College, Agra

Abstract: English language as a medium of instruction has entered the world of science, technology, finance, commerce and trade not only in the Developed World but also among the Developing and the Under-developed Nations. The emerging scenario in India is that the students of professional courses veritably lack communication in English language. NASSCOM data reveal startling fact that only 25% of the Ten lakh engineering students churned out every year in India are employable. This paper delves into this growing malaise among engineering students all over India in

general and the cow-belt in particular. Anyone seeking to make a statement in the in the

industry needs a strong command over the English language. The scenario is not an alarming

one but that of contemplation over the fact that how can we, as a developing country like

India, imbibe English and become fluent in it and touch higher standards of English

communication. The most pertinent question is how can we achieve this goal? India being a

multilingual, multicultural country is always faced with English versus Hindi, English versus

Punjabi, English versus Tamil, etc. is the problem only because of gross regionalism or is it

because of the shattering of the four pillars of language learning – L S R W – Listening,

Speaking, Reading and Writing. English in India means grammar. Learning the rules of creates a false notion that one

becomes fluent in the language. The only way fluency can be achieved is by shaking hands

with literature. The schools, teachers, parents must realise this fact and must act in the

direction. Framers of the curriculum emphasise and debate on the issue that why should a

student of science read literature? This might have made scientists, engineers and

management professionals but the gross impact has been on their employability. The paper

entitled: TEACHING LANGUAGE THROUGH LITERATURE explores from a vantage

point of view how students can improve communication and language skills through

literature. The easiest and most normal way to teach English language to students is by

encouraging them to read. The need is to read literature – classics, thrillers, detective and

crime fiction mostly by authors who are predominantly of native English background. The use

of literature in teaching language to students gives sharpness and exactness to what one has

to express. It is an excellent tool to learn the English language. This is true to learning any

language in the world. 1. INTRODUCTION The world has metamorphosed but the only factor that has not changed is the importance of the English language. Inculcating English as a second language has emerged as an imperative tool in today’s international, globalized world where competition is the by-word. 3



English language as a medium of instruction has entered the world of science, technology, finance, commerce and trade not only in the Developed World but also among the Developing and the Under-developed nations. It is the language of the arts, the internet, and anyone seeking to make a statement in the in the industry needs a strong command over the English language. One should be able to communicate with ease and must possess the ability to carry the work forward in English as a medium of expression. It is because of these compelling factors that English has emerged as the most sought language in the world. It is the most frequently studied second language in the world and has been made mandatory in many countries. India is moving ahead in the field of technical education. Today self-financing institutes and universities in engineering and management have mushroomed all over India. But only a few can boast of quality education imparted to students. It has been observed that along with domain knowledge students veritably lack communication skills in English language. NASSCOM data reveal startling facts that only about 25% of the Ten Lakh engineering students in India are employable. The scenario is not only an alarming one but that of contemplation over the fact that how can we, as citizens of a developing country like India, imbibe English and can become fluent in it even if we do not touch the standards of the native English speakers. How can we achieve this goal? Before one ponders over how to go about learning a language, one must take into consideration the tools of learning the English language i.e. the four pillars of learning a language – L S R W – Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Wherever one goes in India, one find that the entire language learning process is topsy-turvy and the effect has permeated down to learning English as a language. India being a multilingual state has to grapple in a duel of English versus Hindi or English versus Bangla or English versus Tamil or English versus Malayalam, so and so forth and added to the malaise is the strong impact of the multitude of dialects and sub-languages. In India there cannot be the classical English environment in the families because everybody uses the respective mother tongue. So how to overcome this shortcoming is the question which stares straight into the eyes. 2. LITERATURE AS A TOOL OF LEARNING LANGUAGE The biggest debate that rages amongst the academia, the teachers, the framers of the board curriculum, the policy makers as well as the parents is whether to include literature in the course and at which and till which age. The faulty manner in which the language teaching in general and English in particular has been taken up in India after the British left the country has now begun to show its results. Initially, during the late sixties and the early seventies of the twentieth century the clarion call given by the parochial leaders in this country was “AngreziHaai, Haai!!” But where has this “AngreziHaai, Haai!!” landed us? It virtually threw us out of competition! English was introduced to students in class Six to those in Hindi medium schools. 3



The question is how to extricate ourselves from this burgeoning problem. The possible way and easier way to overcome this problem is to encourage the students at an early age to read literature. Language does not make literature. It is the idea, coupled with observations and subjective responses of the author which takes the shape of expression through literature. Literature is the expression of an author on the culture of a society through fictional writing. Language acts as a tool in giving a shape to ideas and finally concretising it into literature. The learner of a particular language cannot depend merely upon grammar or a strong vocabulary for language proficiency. He has a potent tool in the form of literature for ascending in a particular language. 3. WHY USE LITERATURE? Because literature is the only authentic source of reading and ideas. It is an expression in correct language formations. It has the ability to generate interest among the readers. It creates better comprehension skills. Vigorous discussions on how literature and ESL/EFL instructions can work together and interact for the benefit of students and teachers has led to the flourishing of interesting ideas, learning, and improved instruction for all. (Hi manoğlu, 2005). Many teachers consider the use of literature in language teaching as an interesting and worthy concern. (Sage 1987: 1). The easiest and the most normal way to teach English language to students is by encouraging them to read. The need is to read literature – classics, thrillers, detective and crime fiction mostly by those authors who are predominantly of native English background. In India the trend and mode of teaching language in general and English in particular has adopted a distorted version. The emphasis is more on grammar i.e. mugging up the rules instead of acquainting the children to ideas, words, expressions phrases and vocabulary. Instead of introducing them to an interesting mode of story reading, reading of short and long novels, poetry and dramas – which would immensely enhance their language comprehension in an interesting manner. - they are forced to mug up the rules of grammar - that too in a half cooked fashion. Thus creating a strong detestation for the language and lack of interest in literature and reading, leading to weakening of foundation. 4. WORKING OF THE MIND The working of the human mind is highly complex in nature. The aim here is not go into the anatomy of the human mind but to lay emphasis on how the mind remembers. The human mind remembers in the form of pictures. Any object, action or emotion or feeling evokes a definite image in the mind of the individual. The mind identifies the objects and correlates them to appropriate word in a particular language i. e. the encoding of communication takes place. Now, this process cannot be handled or fulfilled by grammar alone. One has to depend upon English literature.

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The function of literature is that it not only introduces the reader to the contents but also helps in the picture formation in the minds of the readers with help of words. Reading a novel or a short story creates a picture of the action taking place between the covers. Now, the thing which prompts in creating a vivid picture in the mind is a strong vocabulary. The stronger the vocabulary, more complete will be the picture creation. The weaker the vocabulary, the picture created in the mind would be incomplete or weak. In order to overcome the shortcoming of a weak vocabulary, dictionaries are the helping tools to solve it. Reading helps in the absorption correct of expressions and grammatical structures in the subconscious mind. Again these grammatical structures can now be understood with utmost ease or in little or no time. Thus the task of correctness of language gets reduced to a much greater extent than imagined. This is where the convent schools or pure English medium schools have an edge over the non-English medium schools. It is therefore the students need to be introduced to children’s literature by authors like Enid Blyton, Carolyn Keene, Barbara Cartland, Sudden, the Westerns or Cowboy Fiction, or characters like Hardy Boys, Biggles, Harry Potter, etc. They need to be introduced at an early stage when reading is easier to adapt and can become a fun. In

this manner the reading habit cab be graduated to higher authors like Erle Stanley Gardner, Alistair Maclean, James Hadley Chase, Fredrick Forsythe, Agatha Christie, Harold Robins, R. K. Narayan, Anita Desai, Ruskin Bond, etc. And needless to mention, of course, the world of authors available to the bibliophile. The students can

further fathom the depths of oceans of literature by reading Irwing Wallace, Sommerset Maugham, Helen McCullough, Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, Sydney Sheldon, Ludlum, Isac Asimov, Robin Cook, Helen Macleans, etc. available in plenty. Authors like Salman Rushdie, AmitavGhosh, Vikram Seth, Arundhati Roy have already made their mark. One needs mention at this juncture the new breed of

Indo-Anglian authors emerging on the English literary scene. Authors like Amish Tripathi, Aryndhati Roy, etc are creating a niche and are romping the literary market. Thus by enhancing the reading habits the appendages can be further increased. Concurrently, the students can also be introduced to the abridged versions of the English classics and later to the original ones. Once the process is set into motion ELT becomes a cake walk and the children can gain fluency in the language. 5. ROLE OF TEACHERS AND PARENTS In the entire exercise the teachers and the parents coupled together have a pivotal role to play. For this the schools must have a class library in the junior classes up to class Six and a complete school library from class Seven onwards. Reading habits need to be developed under the able guidance of educated and well-read teachers as well as the parents at home. The parents cannot shy away from their duties and thrust the entire responsibility on the schools alone. The teacher-guide must also be well-acquainted with the literature expected to be read by the pupils.

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6. PARENTAL ROLE The role of parents this entire exercise cannot be undermined. It is not a secondary one. The parents, at least the educated ones, must give quality time to their children. The educated mothers can, in the initial phases, during the formative years, read stories and short novels to their children. This can begin at Kinder Garten level till the time children imbibe reading literature as part of their regular activity. Once this wheel moves out of inertia and gains momentum, the students themselves will witness an improvement in the grade of all other subjects. You control English and you will control all other subjects. 7. READING CLUBS Experience has shown that reading clubs formed by peer groups of students immensely helps in the enhancement of linguistic and communication skills among members. The teachers must encourage formation of reading clubs where the person with better reading habits can read for other students and other students follow the pattern. Allow the stories to be explained in brief so that the picture formation gets complete in the minds of the other readers. The narration/explanation of the stories should be in English only. These reading clubs could meet weekly or fortnightly. Another exercise attached to the reading clubs is spontaneous activity of group discussion. In this manner the students would certainly imbibe the process picture formation in the minds and would also pick up language, expressions, phraseology, voice modulations and intonations – which further enhance comprehension in English. Thus reading and listening comprehension would be greatly enhanced and would take the members to a different level altogether. According to Collie and Slater (1990: 3), there are four main reasons which lead a language teacher to use literature in the classroom. These are: 1) valuable authentic material, 2) cultural enrichment, 3) language enrichment and 4) personal involvement. In addition to these four main reasons, universality, non-triviality, personal relevance, variety, interest, economy and suggestive power and ambiguity are some other factors requiring the use of literature as a powerful resource in the classroom context. Maley (1989: 12) lists some of the reasons for regarding literature as a potent resource in the language classroom as follows: 1. Universality 2. Non-triviality 3. Personal Relevance 4. Variety 5. Interest 6. Economy and Suggestive Power

7. Ambiguity The use of literature in teaching language to students gives sharpness and exactness to what one has to express. It is an excellent tool to learn the English language. This is true to learning any language in the world. The language learning process remains

3



incomplete unless one reads the literature of that particular language. Literature provides a window to the time, place, characters, actions, thoughts of that particular culture. It helps one wade through the cultural dimensions of that epoch in which it is written as also gives an insight in to the subjective and objective responses of the author. By reading literature the reader develops his or her own responses to the literary writing. 8. THE ILL EFFECTS With the onslaught of the electronic media; the eating away of time in miniscule proportions by computer games and mobile games students have literally ruined their language skills and hence their subjective knowledge and expressive powers. Students have knowledge but it finds place in their short-term memory only. Senior level students find difficult to get a placement in the industry despite having knowledge due to lack of linguistic or soft skills to put it in the current terminology. It is then the importance of reading is realised but by then it is too late. Reading helps to increase concentration and to follow events, plots, characters, emotions, as presented in literature in a much vivid manner. 9. THE EFFORTS TO ROLL BACK THE DOWNSLIDE Efforts are on to enhance reading habits among students owing to the fact now the ill effects of not reading are beginning to show effects. The British Council in India conducts summer camps and workshops on reading literature for children, parents and teachers. The schools too are putting in their efforts to inculcate reading habits among young students. Parents also do not shy away from taking their children to books shops. Even World Books Day is celebrated to keep alive the habit of reading literature. 10. CONCLUSIONS Language forms the hub of human communication. Without literature the teaching-learning process of language remains incomplete and unfulfilled task. The teachers who think they can succeed in teaching language to students without touching the pages of literature are simply be-fooling themselves as well the gullible students. One may be able to learn all the rules of grammar but one will always feel deficient in expressing fluently in that language. By learning the rule of cricket one does not become cricketer, similarly one does not become fluent in expressing oneself in a particular language without reading literature. WORKS CITED [1] Brumfit, C. J. and Carter, R. A. (Eds) Literature and Language Teaching, OUP (1986). [2] Collie, J. and S. Slater. 1990. Literature in the Language Classroom: A Resource Book of

Ideas and Activities, CUP. [3] Kramsch, C. Context and Culture in Language Teaching, OUP, 1993. [4] Maley, A. “Down from the Pedestal: Literature as Resource” in Literature and the

Learner: Methodological Approaches. Cambridge: Modern English Publications. 1989.

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[5] Mixon, M. & Temu, P. First Road to Learning Language Through Storie S, English

teaching Forum, Vol. 44, No. 2: P 14-19, 2006. [6] Hi manoğlu, M., Teaching English through Literature, Journal of Language and

Linguistic Studies, Vol.1, No.1, April 2005. [7] Sage, H., Incorporating Literature in ESL Instruction. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

1987. 3


ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

Crucial Role of Communication: Devising and Surging Ism and People through Media

Shilpi Chaudhary

Lecturer, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

IndukakaIpcowala Institute of Management CHARUSAT University, Anand, Gujarat

[email protected], [email protected]

Abstract: Democracy has three important pillars government, judiciary and people. Media-

Communication has emerged as strongest pillars of democracy. Rapid growing technology

has compelled people to believe in media. It has proved viaduct between people and

government, bourgeois and proletariat, capitalists and masses. People are communicating

through television, mobiles, internet and newspaper. Communication has become narrow to

dynamic. Each word is bludgeon and has lots of credibility. Politics, governance, innovations,

society and societal ideology is getting the say, due to media presence. There are many

theories, idea and ism generated before, but now have got lethal combination of technology.

This created information has generated knowledge application and awareness in the society.

This paper talks about forms of communication taking place among the people, within and

outside different societies. Communication is playing a vital role. Language and words are not

uttered just for sake of expressing. It has whole of Ism behind ideology. It involves critical

thinking, logic and rationality. It also relates to professional, political, religious, social world

and life style. Everyone is learner rather than the master. People are developing new thoughts,

new ideas and new methods of science, technology and humanities. The language and words

have their combination and innate meanings. It has developed message intimacy and

communication boom. The word said by common person becomes golden word and speech of

the great leaders proves to be silver due to immediate feedback. It demonstrates existentialism

and cross-cultural communication. This paper is describing about further remedies or

suggestions to the various media- communicational hazards. Keywords: Media-communication, Ism, surging, devising, credibility, existentialism, cross-culture traits, morality, lethal-combination of technology, people, message-intimacy, media-communication hazard 1. INTRODUCTION There are only that can carry light to all the corners of the globe….. The sun in the heavens and the associated press down here- In Behalf of Simplified Spelling, New York City Mark Twain (September 19, 1906) Mark Twain in sighted visionof mass media in eighteen centuries itself. Media has ascendency to fabricate or wreck. The present age is acknowledged as media age. Marshal McLuhan, a Canadian philosopher coined the terminology as “medium is the message”. Media is the strongest baluster to any society, country or the government. Communication- media techniques haveexigent nature. Media-communication is an art of aesthetics takes care of philosophy, ism, people and society. It has power to mould

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people and stray them towards the ideologies laid down by media world. Images, spoken language, presented language, sound effect, using vivid, vibrant and different colors, lightingand variety of other techniques worked wonderfully to tickle the sensory enchantments. Media has learnt and mastered this art matchless. People areenthralling towards media and media tools. People are channelized through TV and internet, e-magazines, e-newspaper, e-media, m-media and mobile phones, movies, documentaries, advertisements. Social networking sites, book-marking, social news, media-sharing, micro-blogging, blog comments and forums, social tagging.Media can acknowledge under various masks. The periphery of media runs around the seven oceans and nine clouds. It is biggest virtual emperor ruling the world’s every corner. It has generated the mass awareness. It has created the virtual mediazines (can be called as media citizens). People are compelled to awaken, but to spell-casted through it. Media communication has various shades as political media, social media, economical media, entertainment media etc. These different forms have well performed to cater the

various requests of the populace. Media literacy has created a boom. The world is blazed with the exothermic effects. People have changed because they know about their existential verity. Public and social networking has reduced the communication gap of miles. It has proximal resemblance with the history too. Media has done created awareness storage and transferring of the data, information and application which

involved assimilation of technology television, radio, cable, press, computers and mobiles during the different the centuries. DuringKalidasa period of “Meghdoot” where Yaksha took the medium of clouds and in Hamsa-Sandeshaauthored by

VedanataDesika during 13th

Centuries ADdescribed Lord Rama messaging to Sita

through a Swan. It is really interesting to know the great people of ancient period used people, animals and musical instrument to communicate and motivate the masses

through their speeches. It also reminds me of the Shakespeare’s famous play Julius Cesar and Speech of Mark Anthony’s art to communicate to the people of Rome to revolutionize whole scene of play. Speeches of Mahatama Gandhi, Maritn Luther King, George Washington, Mao Zedong, Nelson Mandela and Anna

Hazaremetamorphosed the whole world with their ideologies. Media has played the biggest role to spread ideologies among masses. Media do effect people either it is election of American President Barak Obama or Indian biggest democratic-republican elections. Sports media works as to tame feeling of people during cricket or football world cups. People are fanatical to watch it and experience thrills and happiness of

success of their preferred team and country. Media basically has provided information, generated awareness during natural and man-made calamities, gained credibility and lead towards the innovation of the society and people. Itspurpose intervenes political issues criticize governance or economic status of the country. It has given definition to

sports, social and entertainment medium and forms. The Global effect of media can be seen on people. They better know about places and people. It has generated a kind of literacy. Advertisements of Idea and MTS talks about the basic mind set of the people can be the best examples of media awareness. Variousprogrammes run by different

political parties and business houses also demonstrate about their performances and product. The movies depict how virtual world can portray social situations and

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practices persisting in societies. It has also helped countries to rate them on basis of their culture, religion, political and social stature. Media has owned a gigantic responsibility to change whole phenomenon and philosophy of life. Media has developed whole of the ism where all the literary

elements of culturism, socialism, modernism and futurism are present. Media is

successfully hawked philosophy of life. It has deconstructed, reformed, remodeled, restored and reorganized kinds of belief, ritual and cultures.Media has showed various

cultures through documentaries, movies, advertisements, pictures, internet information,

blogging etc. The movies like Eat, Pray, Love, Outsourced, Bride and Prejudice, Namesake and Two States, Julie and Julia etc has very well demonstrated the culture

and cultural ethics of different countries and cultures. War movies like Pearl Harbor, The White light/ Black rain, The Terminal and the movies like Executive Decision are

the best movies demonstrate different war type conditions. These movies depicts about

the concept of modernism and traits of futurism. The advertisements are portraying truth-worthiness and product packaging in light to the cultures. The use of varied

products and gadgets relate to the family habits and living. It tries to convince people

for better living by consuming their products. The language which is used is so sensitive and words used by media have greater impact on the mind of the masses.

Media is well aware of this. Media communication never leaves any milestone unturned to use exasperate objectivism of epistle. It is sensitized and dipped in ablating

tone and diction that l vexed the audiences. It has developed a whole ism that has

involved all other dogma in the mind of people and society. 2. MEDIA CREATING ELOQUENT Language application is persuasive, simple and concise yet complex. Language used by media is chosen keeping in mind the audiences and objective. It is an industry where use of language can be seen at different levels as mastered technique. Euphemism is the forte of communication. Media use it very meticulously. It employs words such as for on the streets instead of homeless. It also refers to euphemisms where this is an art of presenting unpleasant words in the pleasant manner. Use of circumlocution where the talks are not delivered directly but said differently is used by in media communication. Ingenious words: Use of such naive idioms, ambiguity, directness, clarity is another

gesture of media language. It reflects about the penetrating outspoken vocal. Media demands to be vociferous. There are many examples where media ferociously and took out the scandals of famous people. The language or the phrases used by them was intense agitating. Loquacity- The words describe ethics and values reflected language in different cultures. Formality is another weapon of media communication where few talks are hold and to portray certain shades of the people and media. Vividness in language and picturesque style is another cult. The media demonstrate the pictures, visuals and music to put image impact and audio impact to elevates and 3



rankle with scene’s effect. It creates the catharsis(purgation of the emotions) and ecphrasis (a long description of narratives). Hyperbole is very skillfully adopted by the media. It works as the pied piper through the exaggeration of person and facts. Use of similes, metaphors, antithesis (like two different opposite things are placed side by side) example of famous speech of John F Kennedy - “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Similarly, KrianBedi the famous Lady IPS has said –“Before asking about your rights first ask about your duties for the nation.” Usage of climax and triteness (eradication of words to talk about present condition) is another kind adopted by media to depict the isms. Personification by media is the tendency to relate everything with humanism giving meaning and inferences to words. It also talks often about reaching to early conclusion and which sometime can prove fatal for the society. Media devising and destroying Ideas and People through internet, movies, E-mails, Shot service messages, blogsdocumentaries, advertisements, music, reality shows, news broadcasting, live debates, live shows, chat-shows, sports. The language which is use by media is to mesmerize and tame the people by using various language traits and skills. In seventeenth- eighteenth centuries it was done by the help of newspapers and radios. During nineteenth century radio, television and newspapers remain in power. Twenty century come up with the boon of internet and from here the whole scenario of the world totally changed. Twenty first Century was the century of advancement where internet and mobile has changed world and the basic thinking of the world. 3. INVOLVEMENT OF VARIOUS ISMS IN MEDIA COMMUNICATION The clear cut cult of ism can be seen through media. It is not the language but the language demonstrated the whole of dogmatic aptitude of the society and people. Culturalism: Media has used cultural trends as tranquilizer for the society. Media has

spiced up incidence related to different communities. Ethnocentrism – different culture experience in the form of customs values, belief are portrayed by media to paginate. Stereotyping or the figurative meaning, oversimplified versions, exaggerated and inflexible judgment, frozen evaluation, a prejudgment of another religion, race, profession sexual preferences, affiliation became the medium to narrate. Prejudice negative comments, avoidance, taboo- some words or rituals not to speech in one cultureare part of media story narrations. Ego Defense techniques overplayed by media so well. Socialism- Another weapon is socialism where media demonstrated collectivistefforts. Everyone is same and equal and exposed different revolution, innovation and change in the society here media follows socialism. It demonstrates all section of society. The social rituals are owned, managed and controlled by the government for the welfare of the masses. Social media created mass-gathering, awareness and equalized people in society. Information is created, shared and exchange of messages according to the 3



space location and timing. Facebook and Whats app are the master leaders in this field etc.Social media is supported by visual media following LinkedIn, Twitter putting upcollaborative efforts and co-operation. It has created two way communications. It has shownpositive and gray shades for example, Venezuelans suffering cause of socialism and socialistic efforts. Media has aphorize words as follows - BBC coined it as Pink tide during death of President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro grabbed the seat and same as red tide associatedwith communism. Existentialism- It states despite of all efforts alienation feeling, suicidal tendencies are shown often by the media through various mediums. People are fearful as they cannot sustain the success and failures of life. Loneliness, fear and anxiety come up in no price as a gift of this century. Media to certain extent has tried to eradicate and abolish through linkage. Modernismand futurism: It is said- this is communication age. People have

proximate due to internet, cable television and mobiles. This is the age of globalism andtools-technoism. It has integrated various factors of communication. It talks about developing the various forms of communication as interpersonal, intrapersonal, group communication and opportunism. Modernism and media are complementary to each other. They are so gel well that one can’t imagine Twenty-first century without media. Futurism has given birth to wordslike Media Etiquettes and media bytes. The concept of blogging has also come through internet and people get say through it. 4. THERAPY OF MAYHEM THROUGH ESPOUSE ISM The situation is pivotal. It is the state where media narrates and people belief. This can become the situation of chaos and caution. The main worry is authentication of the

data and overload of the information. We are living in the globalized world where all

struggling for identity and good living. We are living in the world of amplification and expansion. There are different theories which are exiting as Democratize with

authoritarianism, Culturalism and Socialism, Existentialism and Modernism. All these isms are working wonderfully to understand the media communication. Media

communication is at its testing state.. They carry responsibilities to shoulder and can’t

shrug off. It has generated the media literacy among the masses. People are using different medium to surge Media literacy. It comes up with the theory to check

authentication and responsibility of media and society, role of movies, advertisement,

news-broadcasting, daily soap-operas. Television and cable TV is watched every- age and different kinds of audience throughout world. It corrupts the main streams

thoughts and practices in society. Different theories or Isms are running the concept to media communication. It has given birth to Mediaism. The world is tamed and owned

by media. Despite of all the monitoring, sometimes it creates confusion by spreading

rumors about the famous people or society. It as people is our responsibility to remain aware and know about this Mediaism. It has all broader concept of different above

isms. Media communication can create a peaceful and harmonious society by generating right kind of knowledge and awareness with the free flowing of the ideas and the

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concepts. It can be done by espousing right kind of ism and learn and get acquainted with the meidaism. It is the whole science and philosophy of its own. 5. CONCLUSION

“People are sheep. TV is the shepherd.” – Stephen the character ― Jess C. Scott, Literary Heroin(Gluttony): A Twilight Parody Therefore, media has a crucial role to play. Media itself is an Ism. It’s work increases because people see world with the glasses of media. They are sharing about seventy percent of their time in front of any of the gadgets such as television, computer, mobile or radio. Mediaism needs to be taken up cautiously. It wraps the whole conceptsof culturism, socialism, existentialism, modernism and futurism. Media communication can devise the people to fought for injustice and present themselves in the better way. This whole world is dependent on communication and the medium is only media. Media has taken the front seat and they are changing the ideas of people and society. The concept of humanity is dependent on them. They are not just the reporter but they are the performers too. Performance brings responsibility, managing, planning and reassuring. WORKS CITED [1] Ihde Don, Existential Techniques, State University Of New York Press, ALbany, 1983 [2] Duggle K.S., Book Publishing in India, Marhwa, New Delhi, 1980 [3] Hyman Frankel, Socialism: Vision and Reality Arena Books St. Edmunds, 2010 [4] C. Scott Jess, Literary Heroin (Gluttony): A Twilight Parody, JessINK, Smashwords,

2012 [5] Kumar JKeval, Mass Communication in India, Jaico Publishing House, Mumbai, India,

2011 [6] edt .by Popkin, Jeremy D., Media and Revolution: Comparative Perspectives, The

University Press of Kentucky, 1995 [7] http: //www.pinterest.com/lotissm/quotes-about-networking-and-social-media/ [8] http: //ablemedia.com/ctcweb/netshots/tragedy.htm [9] http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamsa-Sandesha [10] http: //gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/quotes/speech.htm#cassius [11] http: //Communication%20aesthetics%20Wikipedia

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ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

Communicating Better through

Extensive Reading

Shravasti Chakravarty

Research Scholar EFLU, Hyderabad

Abstract: The introduction of extensive reading practices is not a modern phenomenon in

bringing about improvement in overall language skills. It had been propounded by Michael

West in the 1920s in the context of West Bengal. More recently, Hafiz and Tudor have also

carried out significant amounts of work in using Extensive Reading (ER) as a means of

developing language. Numerous programmes have also been implemented in various parts of

the world based on the principles of ER. In the scope of the present paper I propose to draw a

trajectory of the practices and underlying theories of ER which can be useful for enhancing

the communicative skills in the target language- English. The applicability of the same in the

Indian context will also be discussed. Special reference will be made to the implementation of

the features of ER in an English as Second Language (ESL) classroom in the urban context

where most learners are false starters, with English permeating into their daily lives. It is

significant in the present scenario since English is used as the lingua franca or, language of

communication. This article will further delineate modifications of the concept of ER to suit

the needs of the learners in this specified context. Keywords: Extensive reading, writing, reading, regional medium, Indian context, Urban schools, Communicative skills.

Reading must be developed, and can only be developed by means of extensive and continual practice. People learn to read, and to read

better by reading.

David Eskey (1986 p.21) 1. UNDERSTANDING EXTENSIVE READING Extensive Reading is the reading of a large amount of materials in the L2 leading to the second language acquisition. Harold Palmer (cited in Louis Kelly, 1969) was the first to make use of the term ‘Extensive Reading’ in his book The Scientific Study and Teaching of Languages (1917). Palmer associated the method with the rapid reading of a multitude of books. At that time texts were being read as part of language studies. Nevertheless, the content was also being emphasized upon. It was therefore, a two pronged process wherein reading was happening both for the language and also for “real world purposes of pleasure and information” (Day and Bamford 1998 p. 5). Consequently the authors maintain that, for Palmer, Extensive Reading in the context of language

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Communicating Better through Extensive Reading

teaching was associated with “real world reading but for a pedagogical purpose” (1998 p. 5). Another proponent of the Extensive Reading method was Michael West. West, working in Bengal during 1920s and 1930s devised a new way of second language instruction for his Bengali students. To paraphrase him, students could give meanings of words in a list but often were unable to comprehend the same while reading. As reading could be best improved by reading alone, a system had to be devised in which the students would be periodically exposed to the unfamiliar words thereby increasing their sight vocabulary. This in turn would help the students to read easily and quickly. Reading at various linguistic levels was also responsible for the advent of the graded readers which are used prolifically till date for Extensive Reading purposes. Paul Nation has distinguished between two uses of the Extensive Reading process. For him, ER can either take the form of meaning focused input, or fluency development. This is governed by the level of the book to which the reader is being exposed for Extensive Reading practices. When the amount of unknown vocabulary and grammar items in a given text is less, it leads to a meaning focused input of Extensive Reading. But, in case of texts which have absolutely no linguistically challenging material, the Extensive Reading helps towards fluency development of the reader (Nation 2009). In the scope of the present paper, it is imperative to mention that the process of Extensive Reading is being viewed as a teaching- learning procedure. This is opposed to the view held by Munby and Field who consider it to be another sub skill of reading along with skimming and scanning. More recently, RobWaring classifies Extensive Reading (ER) into four different types, namely- purist ER programme, integrated ER programme, class reading, and ER as literature. Their features have been presented in the following table. The present paper talks about the effectiveness of Class ER which will ultimately help to give a clearer picture of the applicability of ER for developing communication within the precincts of the classroom.

TABLE 1: Types of Extensive Reading (Source: Waring, 2012)

Purist Integrated Class ER ER as Literature

Style Individual- just Individual Lock –step Lock- step. It sees reading for Comprehension the book as a enjoyment questions and Language work of Literature exercises

Amount of Lots Lots Little Little reading

Speed Fast Fast Slow- all students go Slow the same speed

Control Student Student Teacher Teacher

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Language Focus No No Yes No

Follow up Little or none Little Lots- comprehension Lots- discussions, assessment questions and language reports etc. work

Materials Library Library Class-sets Class-sets

Skill work Reading only 3-4 skills 3-4 skills/ language 1-3 skills

Class time Little Little Lots Lots needed

2. PRINCIPLES OF EXTENSIVE READING/ EXTENSIVE READING

EXPLICATED Various theorists have opined differently about the fundamental principles of the concept of Extensive Reading. The present section will enumerate the principles which proved to be the governing factors for the present research. 2.1 Type of Texts The texts which are to be used for Extensive Reading should be well balanced at two points. While maintaining the linguistic level, they should not lose out on the interest quotient for the readers. Therefore, the choice of the materials should also be left to the discretion of the readers. This is supported by Bamford and Day (1998) in their ten principles, mentioned earlier, for effective Extensive Reading practices. An important element of the procedure of Extensive Reading is that the materials to be read will have to be pitched at a level lower than the language competency level of the reader. Hu and Nation (2000) also maintain that at least 98% of the words in a given prose piece should be known to the readers for effective Extensive Reading to take place. Philip Prowse quotes Nation, “A density of one unknown word in fifty is more suitable for pleasurable extensive reading” (2000 p.165). Also, the reading material should be taken from a variety of sources including various genres and forms of writing like books, magazines, newspapers, fiction, and non-fiction. Day and Bamford second William and quote, “Ask them what they like reading in their own language, peer over their shoulders in the library, ask the school librarian…” (1986: 42). Rob Waring (2000) also opines that learners should read very easy, enjoyable books which will help in increasing their reading speed and fluency. Referring to Krashen’s (1993) free voluntary reading (FEVER), Philip Prowse reiterates the argument by saying that Extensive Reading can be successful only if the choice of the text is left to the learners’ discretion. 2.2 No use of dictionary Theorists, like Prowse, who associate the use of dictionaries with the process of intensive reading call for its complete absence in the ER classroom. Frequent use of the dictionary hampers the speed and fluency of reading of the learners. Also, a word by word understanding often relegates the overall understanding of a text to a secondary position. In using the dictionary, students remain stuck at the word level. 3



Comprehension of the text is not the goal. Instead the purpose for which a text is being read (obtaining specific information, enjoying a story, passing time) should be fulfilled. Therefore, to promulgate Extensive Reading, the use of the dictionary should not be encouraged. 2.3 Reading, reading, and more reading As the sub-heading suggests, reading in large quantities is an essential factor of Extensive Reading. Learners are required to read whenever time permits. Richard and Day suggest an average of one book per week for the procedure to benefit the learner. This ultimately leads to a habit formation for them. Extensive Reading as a practice is different from the normal procedures followed during classroom and academic reading. To quote Richard and Day (1998), “Reading is its own reward”. This is supported by Waring (2012) who states that Extensive Reading helps to build the habit of pleasure reading thereby increasing levels of confidence and motivating the learner further still. 2.4 Reading speed On account of the interest generated by the reading material, coupled with its ease of accessibility for the students from the linguistic perspective, reading becomes more fluent. Day and Bamford quote Nuttall and say, “speed, enjoyment, and comprehension are closely linked with one another” (1996: 128). While reading, it is important to maintain a good speed. It augments learners’ understanding of the language. Therefore, the process of reading should not be interspersed with the intermittent use of the dictionary as it will ultimately end up reducing the reading speed. This in turn helps the learner to break the vicious circle and make the victorious/ virtuous circle.

Fig. 1: The Virtuous Circle and the Vicious Circle (Nuttal 1982: 167-168) 2.5 Individual reading As the name suggests, Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) refers to reading habit formation wherein students do just that- read silently, over a longer duration of time. It is advisable to follow the same in case of Extensive Reading as well. This will be beneficial in many ways. Not only will the students be able to develop a greater amount of concentration, but they will also be able to read at their individual pace. In a whole class reading activity often, this becomes difficult due to time constraints and 3



individual reading speeds cannot be maintained. Day and Bamford quote Henry who says about silent reading, “the most beautiful silence on earth, that of students engrossed in their reading” (1995: xv). Prowse states that reading silently will let the readers conjure up scenes from the text in their minds thereby helping them to understand the text better. A similar strategy was adopted for the present study. It also helped the teacher to respond to individual queries of the subjects. 2.6 Teacher as a guide This forms one of the important stages of Extensive Reading. Usually, learners are unacquainted with the principle of pleasure reading at a level suitable for their linguistic ability as a means of developing their language skills. For students who work on the principle of no reading pain, no reading gain, often, orientation needs to be given in this new method of second language reading. They have to be exposed to the idea of reading numerous easy materials as opposed to a few difficult materials for a holistic language development. Students will also have to be made aware of the various graded materials available. The procedure of progressing from one level of graded readers to the next will also have to be explained to them. Overall, the Extensive Reading process should be well guided for better implementation and acceptance among the learners. Finally, the best way to implement Extensive Reading is for the teacher to be herself a part of the process. The teacher should be a role model by being engrossed in the process of Extensive Reading. Day and Bamford here quote Nuttall who says, “reading is caught, not taught” (1996: 229). The influence of the teacher on the acts of the learner is also harped upon by them when they quote Maley. He explicates, “We need to realize how much influence we have on our students. Students do not just (or even) learn the subject matter we teach them; they learn their teachers. Teacher attitude, more than technical expertise, is what they will recall when they leave us” (1999: 7). This reiterates the teachers’ influence on the learners’ reading habit. 3. EXTENSIVE READING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT Extensive Reading has been lauded with the attribute of leading to improvements in communicating in the L2. These augmentations have been observed across skills by numerous researchers. The following section will enumerate the effects of Extensive Reading in each of the aspects of the L2. 3.1 ER and its influence on aspects of L2 One of the earliest studies which warrant the benefits of Extensive Reading was carried out by Elley and Mangubhai (1983). At the end of the first year the subjects had made a marked improvement in their receptive skills especially reading and word recognition. At the end of the second year the effects of the programme were felt even in their productive skills of speaking and writing. Research has also shown marked improvements in general L2 proficiency including oral skills (Cho and Krashen, 1994; Mason and Krashen, 1997; Sheu, 2003). Extensive Reading programmes have also

3



helped in strategies development and increasing attitude and motivation (Asraf and Ahmad, 2003; Elley, 1991; Nishono, 2007; Takase, 2003). 3.2 Influence of ER on written communication 3.2.1 ‘Pleasure Reading’ and second language writing proficiency In his article, Janopoulos (1986) describes at length a study into reading writing relationships in the second language. The subjects of the study, seventy-nine in number, included foreign graduate students admitted to Ohio State University. They belonged to a variety of back grounds with as many varying first languages. The subjects were expected to produce a one hour writing sample for analysis by the ESL department of the university. After completion of the writing tasks, the subjects were asked to give details of their reading habits in L1 and L2. This reading was termed pleasure reading and included all non- academic reading activities irrespective of the source of the material. Through a battery of tests, Janopoulos came to the conclusion that the subjects who were “heavy pleasure readers” (1986 p. 767) in L2 were more proficient in their L2- in this case English, writing as well. 3.2.2 Extensive Reading Programme (ERP) in Leeds, UK Hafiz and Tudor conducted a three month extensive reading programme using graded readers with a group of English as Second Language learners in Leeds, UK. The main aim of the programme was to propagate extensive reading among the students- mainly for pleasure, in the L2 which was English. The programme did not require its learners to produce any follow-up activities to test their reading, thereby negating any pressure the student may have felt otherwise. The idea was based on the theory “that exposing learners to large quantities of meaningful and interesting L2 material will in the long run, produce a beneficial effect on the learners’ command of the L2” (1989 p. 5). The study had two control groups and one experimental group which comprised ESL learners with Pakistani roots. These learners spoke Panjabi at home and had been born to immigrant parents who had picked up English after relocating. Therefore, the subjects used English as the language of communication while they had a separate home language. The pre- test was taken in the form of the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) Tests of Proficiency in English. At the end of the extensive reading programme, the students were evaluated once again using the test. The results this time were remarkable with a great improvement in the marks obtained in the writing composition section. The possible reasons for the improvement have been attributed to two reasons: The exposure the student got through the Extensive Reading in terms of lexical knowledge and syntactic features is enormous. a. The success the students had in completing entire books of their own choice

motivated them to garner a positive attitude towards the L2.

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b. Thus, the study supported Krashen’s Input hypothesis which states that in a

relaxed environment, learners could make progress in developing numerous language skills in the L2- as was the case of the subjects. It also supported the effective use of graded readers or any other material- authentic or otherwise for propagating Extensive Reading among the L2 learners.

3.2.3 ER and communicating through writing Beniko Mason and Stephen Krashen (1997) also pointed out the applicability of Extensive Reading for writing skills development. They present a collection of three different extensive reading experiments in English as a foreign language. A phenomenon observed across the three experiments was that extensive reading was found to be a better alternative to the traditional approaches for reading comprehension. A distinct difference was also found in the areas of development of writing and reading speeds among the learners. Another positive outcome was the interest generated among the subjects. The control group which did not have access to the extensive reading materials felt left out of the experience. To quote the authors, “Extensive Reading allowed ‘reluctant’ students of EFL to catch up to traditional students…” (1997 p. 101). Similar situations were encountered in the scope of the present research when non- participating classes of the school wanted to experience the Extensive Reading programme as well. 4. CONCLUSION A perusal of the various practices of ER found the world over gives credence to its applicability as a means of improving communication skills of the students. The notion of the false starter of the L2 becomes clearer when we take into consideration the fact that most of these studies have been conducted in a surrounding where the student has access to the target language even outside the classroom. Similar is the situation for urban students of our country as well. Therefore, in conclusion it can be stated that Extensive Reading is an apt methodology for helping students to develop their communicative competence. WORKS CITED [1] Bamford, J. and Day, R. R. Extensive reading in the second language classroom.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (1998). Print. [2] Elley, W.B. and Mangubhai, F. The impact of reading on second language learning.

Reading Research Quarterly XIX/1.53-57. ELT Journal, 62(3), 248-256. (1983). Print. [3] Eskey, D. And Dubin, F. Teaching second language reading for academic purposes. UK:

Adison-Wesley, incorporated. (1986). Print. [4] Hafiz, F. M. and Tudor, I. Extensive reading and the development of language skills. ELT

Journal, 43(1), 4-13. (1989). Print. [5] Hu, M.H. and Nation, P. ‘Unknown vocabulary density and reading comprehension’.

Reading in a Foreign Language, 13(1). (2000). Print. [6] Janopoulos, M. ‘The relationship of pleasure reading and second language writing

proficiency’. TESOL Quarterly, 20 (4), 763-768. (1986). Print. [7] Kelly, L. Twenty-five centuries of language teaching. New York: Newbury House

Publishers. (1969). Print.

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[8] Mason, B. and Krashen, S. Extensive reading in English as a foreign language. System,

25(1), 91-102. (1997). Print. [9] Nation, I.S.P. Teaching ESL/EFL reading and writing. New York, NY: Routledge.

(2009). Print. [10] Nuttall, C. Teaching reading skills in a foreign language. London: Heinemann

Educational. (1982). Print. [11] Waring, R. Why extensive reading should be an indispensable part of all language

programs. The Language Teacher, 30(7), 44-47. (2006). Print. 3


ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

The Role of Literature, Language

and Culture in Imparting Morals,

Values and Ethics

Soniya Rajput

Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

Indukaka Ipcowala Institute of Management, CHARUSAT-Changa, Gujarat [email protected]

Literature is considered to be a wealthysource of conventional, authentic and dependable

matter. In recent years, the role of literature, language and culture has emerged in educating

values, morals and ethics. There is an utter need for imparting morals and values based

education to the youth to be good citizens. Imbibing the qualities of ethics, morals and high

values would help students to earn a significant place in society. Literature and language will

help to develop, information, knowledge, skills, self-confidence, where as culture will help to

develop morals, ethics and values which will add meaning to life. The main objective to impart

human values is to inculcate some important values in life like love, understanding, respect,

discipline and honesty. All these values are decreasing in the society day by day. In this

globally uneven world, now people don’t have time for the family and some where culture is

being is being lost, so students should imbibe innovative and creative thoughts to adopt the

right attitude towards the assigned job and practical oriented subject, as these qualities would

enhance their scope to gain lucrative employment. A simple stone becomes a great piece of art

at the hands of craftsmen. Language and literature will inculcate the practice of crafting

innovative and creative thoughts in students’ mind which is essential for individual, society

and nation development. Values are the guiding principles of life that contributes to over all

development of an individual. Without imparting values and morals in education, human

development will be incomplete. It is a belief that values and morals are inbuilt in human

being and with the help culture and environmentit will add a good quality to the life. So the

present paper intends to draw the significance of literature, language and culture in imparting

quality values and ethics.

Keywords: conventional, authentic, imparting, imbibing, skills, innovative, craftsmen, society, significance. 1. INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE, LANGUAGE

AND CULTURE IN SOCIETY Literature teaches us life, unblocks the mind, open up wisdom, and shapes human values and morals. It is journey of adventure, delight and thought. Literature, being an art form is useful in all aspect of life. When we heed the world literature it reminds us stories, epics, sacred scriptures and classical works of the ancient and modern times. Basically literature is defined as the collection of written work of language through different periods and different cultures by authors and scholars. The arrival of writing marked a great step in human

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The Role of Literature, Language and Culture in Imparting Morals, Values and Ethics

civilization for many reasons such as transmitting knowledge, ideas, events and even feelings. There are many limitations on the extent of a man's lifetime experience such as time, geography and point of view. Literature provides as a system of transcending such barriers. When we read the historic work of the Greek poet Homer who was the author of the ancient Greek epic Poems, the lliad and the Odyssey, we get to know about many things such as the socioeconomic and cultural background of the ancient places such as Troy, Ithaca and Sparta etc. Indeed, Literature helps us transcend the time and social barriers. Literature is made out of the wisdom of life. No qualm, the realistic artist brings to a focus the peculiarities and cruder aspects of life overmuch. But to know life fully, not only the bright side but also the seamy and dark side of life is to be known. Literature can influence society in that it can add to the person who participates in society, but it should be remembered that it has some limit in the matter of changing the society. The Ramayana, The Geeta, TheMahabharata, The Quran and The Bible have a greatinfluence on the people. Their dialogues pass into everyday usage in English and other languages. Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, and other literatures have given many words to the English people and society. Mahatma Gandhiji was influenced by the Bhagwat Geeta. The great writers accentuate the imperativeposition literature holds in the society and the ability it hasto initiate revolution. Literature must be radical, rebellious, and extreme to be considered great, and that only those who share in this spirit can truly enjoy literature.It is a story of the mysterious nature of our society and its overwhelming sense of self importance and lack of selflessness. Language is averysignificant way of interacting with the people around us. We utilize language to let others recognize how we feel, what we need, and to ask questions. We can change our language to every situation. For instance, we talk to our small children with diverse words and tone than we perform a business meeting. To talkefficiently, we express a message with words, gestures, or actions, which somebody else receives. In view of the fact that, a man relates with the society; language plays a very important role in society transformation. Language helps to value the culture and life styles of other societies. Their traditions,

customs and festivals are completely reflected by broader horizons of languages around us. Language is knowledge and learning new languages increases rational status of mind and the brain competence could be enhanced with the support of new languages. One of the famous man in history said "By learning anyone`s language you actually conquered half of his land" World would be empty of poets, philosophers, leaders, writers, scientists if there would be no language at all. So it can precisely be said that languages actually fulfilled basic human needs to live happy and responsible live in any society. Culture is essential to a society because it has some values that are by design fill in an individual's mind through an environment, which transforms one's deeds. Culture also plays a very central role to the interactions between the members of a community. 3



Culture is the distinctive possession of man. Man is born and brought up in a cultural environment. Man is not only a social animal but also a cultural being. Man cannot survivecontinue as a man without culture. Culture fulfils our needs and represents the entire achievements of mankind. E. B. Taylor defined culture as "that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, art, morale, laws, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." Culture has been pleasing a number of functions which may be separated into two - (a) for the individual and (b) for the group. Culture provides solution for complex situations. Culture offers man a set of actions for difficult situations. In the absence of culture man would have been baffled even at the simplest situations. Culture not only defines but also determines what we eat and drink, when to sleep, when to laugh and so on. Culture can give people a association to certain social values, beliefs, religions and customs. It allows them to discover with others of similar mindsets and backgrounds. Cultural legacy can provide a routine sense of unity and belonging within a group and allows us to better understand prior generations and the history of where we come from. It is the culture which conditions our attitude in the direction of various issues such as religion, morality, marriage, science, family planning, positions and so on.It assigns him status. We see dream, aspire, work, strive to marry, enjoy according to the cultural expectation. Culture not only holds but also releases individualpower and activities. Man indeed is a hostage of his culture. Culture educates him to think himself a part of the larger whole, it provides him with the concept of family, state, nation and class and make responsible the cooperation and division of labour. Culture also creates new needs and new drives, for example, thirst for knowledge and plan for the satisfaction 2. IMPACT OF LITERATURE AND CULTURE IN IMPARTING

MORALS VALUES AND ETHICS Literature has had a main impact on the expansionof society. It has shaped civilizations, changed political systems and uncovered injustice. Literature offers us a detailed glance of human experiences, allowing people to connect on basic levels of desire and emotion. M.K. Gandhi says, "I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and non-violence are as old as the hills." In most theories of the relationship of literature and society reflection, influence, and social control are implied. Literature is interpreted as reflecting norms and values, as revealing the ethos of culture, the processes of class struggle, and certain types of social"facts." "Influence" is not strictly the reverse of reflection, since social stability and cultural ideals are involved. Social control, 3



however, articulates closely withone version of reflection, though to a limited extent in complex, dynamic societies. Literature is said to be the mirror of the culture. It is fact that culture operated in the past, it is dueto the literature of the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Romantics, and even today. When people relate through a piece of literature, it really makes one think that you're not alone and that someone else has been through what you are going through. The way authors are able to grab you with how the characters are feeling or what they are looking at brings the reader into that story. If one reads a piece of literature that contains information on other cultures he then sees how they live, what works for them and what doesn’t. As a reader, people learn how other cultures live, which in turn makes readers as a society think about the way that we live our own lives. Literature describes social fact that is observed to happen in politics. Literature and culture may create an ideal world for people to follow. Short fiction, poetry, drama and non-fiction selections written by a diverse group of writers represent different social classes, races, genders, cultures, and sexual orientations. The author is a soul of any society. He thinks and mulls over on modern traditions, changes. He articulates his perceptions, feelings, realizations, sensibilities and experiences with the help of literature.Literature and culture is the representation of the feeling of people so it is rightly called that literature is the mirror of society. The author does not present it as it is establish in the society but he makes it true, fully welfare and beautiful which is impressive and inspiring. It is a society that is considerably different from any society in history, both in the past or present. While the ethics of the society may be very similar to those advocates by communist dogma, in practice they have worked out successfully which we know was not the case in the communist regimes of our time. 3. THE RISING NEED OF MORALS, VALUES AND ETHICS IN SOCIETY Human Values or Morals deals with what is universally priceless to all of us, what is

beneficial to our individuals as well as collective happiness and prosperity in asustainable way. It will enable us to maintain peace and harmony within our ownself

and tomaintain a universal brotherhoodness. Not only this, it will also help to make us

a winningprofessional. So it is very pertinent for the present generation to be taught-human values, so thatthey may be able to be a good human being. As we see in the

present generation there is adegradation of mannerism. Now, the students, especially of the Technical Colleges are becomingmore and more free, liberal, independent and

modern. They have their own thinking andideologies regarding diverse phases of life.

The values of existentialism arequicklyincreasing in the nature and attitude of today’s youth including students. Now they want to havetheir own individual freedom, choice

and existence. So in the achievement of all this they are evengoing away from the path

of moral values. They are also attaining many evil practices like- cybercrimes, consumerism; in all trust worthiness and many other things. Now the present

generationdoes not want to respect their elders including their teachers and are becoming more and moreprofessional day-by-day. So there is a need to give the

Technical students such education whichcan make them a good human being. As

Swami Vivekananda has said: 3



Education is not the amount of information that is put into yourbrain & runs riots there, undigested all your life, we must havelife-building, man making & character making assimilation of ideas.The famous philosopher Socrates had viewed, “Not life, but good life is to bechiefly valued.” By this he means that, we should not just live but live a life based on values. Hence, literature and culture will help to achieve values, morals and ethics so that any individual acquiringit canahead to a meaningful life. So that technical students who are deprived of all these values canachieve it. India is a multi-religious, multi-cultural and historic country, a country which has shown theworld the lane of truth, non-violence and brotherhoodness. So there is need for youth to developqualities like- truth, non-violence, tolerance, secularism, morals, values, ethics and universal brotherhoodness. Andthere should be abolition of religious fanaticism, violence, superstition, fatalism and genderdiscrimination.So that a society will be formed that rests on the principle of universal andeternal values. This is necessary for a culturally plural society like India and it will lead to theunity and integrity of its people. Morals are necessary. As it has been said in the Vedas, “Vasudhev Kutumbkam,” which meansthat entire universe is my family. Morals and Ethics are essential to inculcate as values in life likelove, understanding, respect, discipline and honesty. All these values are declining in thesociety day-by-day. In this globally varying world, now people don’t have time for their family, friends and relationships resulting in the loss of feeling of love in the society. If there is love inany relationship than it will lead to the establishment of peace and harmony in the society. It islove and morals through which compassion can be accumulated. And if the people are led by compassion, than they will see the best in others and the others will see the best in them. With the attainmentof this there will be faith in the world and it will lead to the decline of many evils in the societyand we can make this world free from many kinds of evil prejudices. Bhagvata Gita, the religious text of the Hindus, which is being respected all over the world, says about education that: “Vidhya dadati vinayam vinyati yati patram, Patratvad dhanmapnoti dhanad dharma tato” Right from the days of Veda the concept of literature has been the most favourite topic ofdiscussion; the Vedic Rishis. The Upanishadic seers and so many thinkers of distinct school ofphilosophy of ancient and present times have added a lot to the progress of this concept. During the pre-independent era and the post independence, there have been manythinkers, philosophers and educationist like- Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindu, MahatmaGandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Sir Sayyed Ahmed Khan, Dr Radhakrishnan and Maulana AbulKalam Azad etc, who have contributed a lot and have given their own views on many problemsexisting in the society and tried to solve it by holding values, morals and ethics.

3



4. DEPICTION OF MORAL VALUES THROUGH LITERATURE AND

LANGUAGE Civilization starts with the invention language which enabled concurrence with past generations. Flaubert's dictum is to be read in order to live suggests that books and literature can teach us something about ethics and the human condition in its intimate and universal aspects, as well as illustrate the follies and achievements of our own epoch. For many centuries in the known Western world, the Bible was the book. The wisdom and moral instruction in the Old and New Testament was the sole guide to measure one's life and account for life's troubles. The English language and literature are the best examples of the depiction of morals and values. Every book of the history has some thing to learn and acquire. With the discovery of printing, the wider role of literature in moral learning was praised while, at the same time, respectable and invariably clerical opinion. 5. CONCLUSION Thus, in this paper I have examined a variety of perspectives on the role of literature, language and culture in moral education. These proceed from general considerations to more specific issues that remain contested to the present day, such as distinction between individual and social morality. Yet, it would indeed be very difficult to argue for denial, or ignore the role literary works play in shaping and cultivating our cultural, aesthetic and moral senses. WORKS CITED [1] Emile, Legouis, A History of English Literature: Oxford, 1934. [2] Nayar, Pramod, A history of English Literature: New Delhi, 2009 [3] Soryan, Ritu. Human Values & Professsional Ethics. New Delhi: Dhanpat Rai & Co

2010. [4] Gaur, R. R., Sangal, R, Bagaria, G. P. A Foundation Course in Human Values and [5] Professional Ethics. New Delhi: Excel Books. 2010. Web Sources: [6] http: //www.ask.com/question/importance-of-literature [7] http: //www.importanceoflanguages.com/

[8] http: //www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Importance_Language [9] http://www.markedbyteachers.com/university-degree/linguistics-classics-and-

related-subjects/why-literature-is-important-in-our-lives-there-are-many-limitations-on-the-extent-of-a-mans-lifetime-experience-such-as-time-geography-and-point-of-view-literature-serves-as-a-meth.html

[10] http: //www.tutorhunt.com/resource/1240/

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ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

Imparting Human Values through Literature Education for Emotional

Well-Being and World-Peace

Venu Mehta

Fulbright Scholar, Assistant Professor

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Charotar University of Science and Technology (CHARUSAT)

Changa, Gujarat, India

Abstract: “the first time I remember being insulted was when I was little… In kindergarten, I

believe. Oh, it was classic. A little blonde pulled the edges of his eyes out, yelling, Ching ching

chinaman ! I, being new to this game, could only make a weak comeback. I am not

Chinese…I’m KOREAN. I remember feeling a confused hurt, realizing that I looked different

and not understanding why being different was bad” (Chung 107). Olivia Chung is not just

narrating the pain but conveys a clear indication towards prejudices and racism among school

children. Thisappears to be an incident ofslight bullying, and the aggression displayed might

be appropriate for a toddler’s age but what if it is carried forward toyoung age- the future

citizens! It certainly leads to absence of emotional well-being and ultimatelyabsence of world-

peace. 1. INTRODUCTION& BACKGROUND Theconcepts of ‘world-peace’ and ‘emotional well-being’ are interconnected. Practice of world-peace needs emotional well-being. There is no agreed definition of the term well-being, which tends to be conceptualized in slightly different ways in different disciplinary areas. Emotional wellbeing is a multifaceted concept encompassing both individual capacities and social competencies. Anindividual, who is able to attain emotional well-being, would also be able to contribute towards world-peace. In this regard, the state of emotional well-being is attained through promotion of human understanding, development of knowledge and values. Accordingly, it is important that the young minds as the future citizens develop human understanding, knowledge and values that create a harmonious milieu. In this context, the article portrays the nature and features of literature education that helps to impart and nurture human values and understanding which eventually help to attain emotional well-being and practice world peace. 2. ADOLESCENT: THE AGE CONCERN Enhancing the worth of emotional well-being and world-peace among the adolescents is concern idea of every education system. Learners of this age group are the future citizens of society. It becomes more appropriate if they get aware of the values, attitudes and skills which are desirable to develop human understanding and world

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Imparting Human Values through Literature Education for Emotional Well-Being and World-Peace

peace. According to Bull, “late adolescence brings more developed ability for abstract thinking and the search for ideals to which to give allegiance and around which to organize and integrate the self” (166). 3. EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND WORLD PEACE: ITS NEEDS AND

REQUIREMENTS Emotional well-being is an on-going process, and world peace is a long-term goal, which requires constant active participation by all individuals. Individual characteristics associated with social and emotional wellbeing include the ability to manage and appropriately express emotions and stress, regulate behavior, maintain confidence and exhibit resilience when faced with challenges. It is also about developing new skills and social competencies, including understanding and appropriately identifying and responding to emotions in other people, having social skills and forming strong and positive relationships. The appearance of selfishness, clashes, violence, conflicts, discriminations, and racism give clear indication of the degeneration process of human society and demand to develop values, attitudes and moral that makes world-peace. In its essence, the following values, attitudes and skills are the key essentials for the creation of world peace through emotional well-being of an individual: developing the sense of democratic citizenship. conflating the human values such as liberty, freedom, justice, equality. accepting cultural diversity for peaceful co-existence. developing decision-making skill, critical thinking and moral reasoning skills. developing self-identity, self- respect, and confidence. developing sympathy and empathy. reduction and removal of cultural, ethnic and racial discriminations, conflicts,

prejudices, biases, stereotyping. the capacity to enter into and sustain mutually satisfyingpersonal relationships. a continuing progression of psychological development. These above discussed key elements of desired attitudes, values and skills can be clustered under seven foundations which are required to attain emotional well-being and world-peace. These seven foundations are – individual, sociological, values, attitudes, knowledge, social-psychological and cultural. 4. EDUCATION AND LITERATURE EDUCATION: THE CORRIDOR

TOWARDS EMOTIONAL WELL-BEINGAND WORLD PEACE At large, education has two mutually dependent roles - development of the individual and the improvement of society. The aim of education is to foster the individual's inner freedom and development towards the self-initiated action, intelligent decision

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making, acquisition of knowledge for resolution of problems, intelligent and flexible adaptation to new situations, creative utilization of experiential learning, effective cooperation with others, self-motivation and a desire to work for one's own purposes. What form of education that engages the learning of desired values, attitudes and skills for human understanding and world peace is answered when we integrate learning with literature education. Most educators agree that values, skills and attitude cannot or should not be taught directly and that, and thus be taught indirectly through literature. Studying literature is an effective means of offset that way of sense. Russell (1932) in Education and Social Order stated that: A sense of citizenship, of social co-operation, is therefore more necessary than it used to be…….. If a man’s life is to be satisfactory, whether from his point of view or from that of the world at large, it requires two kinds of harmony: an internal harmony of intelligence, emotion and will, and an external harmony with the will of others. In both these respects, existing education is defective. Internal harmony is prevented by the religious and moral teaching given in infancy and youth, which usually continues to govern the emotions but not intelligence in later life, while the will is left vacillating, inclining to one side or the other according as emotion or intelligence has momentarily the upper hand. Such conflicts could be prevented if the young were taught doctrines which adult intelligence can accept. (p. 15) Russell’s idea of ‘doctrine’ can be indoctrinated through literature. Literature is morally educative, that literature offers positive life-enhancing values. This section seams two points: first, discussion of the requisite foundations to inculcate the values, attitudes, and skills to attain emotional well-being and world peace; and second, connecting the functions of literature education in the process of attaining emotional well-being for world-peace. Literature education facilitates realizing these seven foundations – individual, sociological, values, attitudes, knowledge, social-psychological and cultural. 1. Individual (Cognitive and Affective) Literature helps the individual to develop self-identity, self-respect. Literature provides a platform to an individual to be aware of his/her own culture and his/her place in the society. This helps an individual to develop confidence, courage, and motivation to hold the sense of dignity. 2. Sociological (Cognitive and Affective) Literature education for world peace and human understanding certainly has the sociological basis. A new and broad perspective towards diversities can be attained through interacting with literature. This broad perspective towards diversities further takes shapes of preparing the future citizens to respect diversity and treat them equally. Next in this section is social efficiency that includes sense of democratic citizenship which can be delivered through literature education. Democratic citizenship encompasses developing a wide range of wholesome interests in each learner by learning through cooperative work, developing a social outlook, passion for social 3



justice. Social competency is also one of the objectives that can be carried out through literature education. 3. Values (Affective) Value based education is interpreted closely and linked with the conception of human understanding and world peace. Literature education, without any uncertainty can deliver value education, and affects the whole range of human values, namely creative, experimental, aesthetic, ethical, social and spiritual values. The next thing literature can do is to develop creative intelligence and critical consciousness which further human ‘awakening’ or ‘enlightenment’. Literature in this context also helps to develop moral reasoning and the growth of logical thinking, decision making skills, and critical analysis skills can make better choice in their everyday life. This can lead towards a better understanding of own and other cultures. 4. Knowledge (Cognitive) Literature education helps in knowledge construction and deals with the idea of raising awareness about varied cultures and its customs. It is helpful to get the input of information needed to get aware with different ways of life. 5. Social Psychological Literature education addresses the social psychological climate for acceptance of cultural diversity. The role of literature education for this purpose underlines the process of engaging and initiating students into the sociological and psychological terms like acculturation, cross-cultural interaction, intercultural communication and competence. All the way through literature education, an individual confronts himself with cultural interaction and competence. 6. Attitudes (Affective) Human understanding and world peace are to be sensitive towards the difficulties encountered by the people who move to new land, they should examine problems of coping with new language, habits, being confronted with new customs, practice. Literature education can develop positive attitudes towards one’ own ethno-cultural group, other’s ethno-cultural group, and relationship of both ethno-cultural groups. Literature education is a progressive approach towards the spirit of tolerance and accommodation. The aim in this perspective is to combat with the attitudes like prejudice, bias, discrimination, stereotypes, and generalizations through literature education. 7. Cultural (Cognitive and Affective) At the other sphere, educating the culturally disadvantaged students is also important. The reason behind this is that many children come to school culturally disadvantaged. The deficient motivation may lead culturally disadvantaged children to resist the cultural differences. Literature education can surmount cultural differences without 3



scarifying their special values and raise the child to human understanding and world peace. 5. CONCLUSION Education for world-peace and emotional well-being is synonymous with educational reform and innovation. Literature can be considered as the only mode of education which incorporates the bouquet of all the desired factors and rationales that serves the function of inculcating human understanding and world peace. Related to the models of teaching literature, the approaches make grounds for the potential of literature for the education of multiculturalism. Combination of ‘literature education’ as learning material endeavors a playful atmosphere and holistic learning. Literature nurtures cognitive and affective domain. WORKS CITED [1] Abraham, H. J. World Problem In The Classroom. UNESCO, Paris, 1973. Print. [2] Adams, M., Blumenfiled, W.J., Castaneda, C., Hackman, H.W., Peters, M.L. & Zuniga,

X (Eds.) Reading For Diversity And Social Justice (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge, 2010. Print.

[3] Aufseeser, D. Jekielek, S and Brown, B. The Family Environment and Adolescent Well-

Being: Exposure to Positive and Negative Family Influences. San Francisco: National Adolescent Health Information Center, University of California, 2006. Print.

[4] Banks, J. Approaches to multicultural curriculum reform.In J. Banks and C. Banks (Eds.), Multicultural Education: Issues and Perspectives. Boston: Allyn& Bacon, 1993. Print.

[5] Bowlby, J. The Making and Breaking of Affectional Bonds. London: Tavistock, 1979. Print.

[6] Brown, Marshall. Turning Points: Essays in The History of Cultural Expressions. California: Stanford University Press, 1997. Print.

[7] Brumfit, C. J. & Carter, R. A. (Eds.).Literature And Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.1986. Print.

[8] Bull, N. J. Moral Education. London: Routledge&Kegan Paul, 1969. Print.

[9] Carter, R., & Long, M. Teaching Literature. London: Longman, 1991. Print. [10] Castaneda, C., Hackman, H.W., Peters, M.L. & Zuniga, X (Eds.) Reading for Diversity

And Social Justice (2nd ed.). (pp. 628-632). New York: Routledge. Chung, O. (2010). My Eye-identity. In Adams, M., Blumenfiled, W.J., Castaneda, C., Hackman, H.W., Peters, M.L. & Zuniga, X (Eds.).(2010) Reading For Diversity And Social Justice (2nd ed.).(p.107), 2010. Print.

[11] Dewey, J. Democracy And Education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. Jammu: Light and Life Publishers, 1976. Print.

[12] Dewey, J. The Child and The Curriculum. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1902. Print.

[13] Diener, E. Subjective Well-Being. Psychological Bulletin, 95, 542-575, 1984. Print. [14] Hall, J. The Sociology of Literature. London: Longman, 1979. Print.

[15] Hall, S. (Ed.) Modernity and Its Future. UK: The Open University, 1992. Print.

[16] Kanekar, S. Attitude Formation and Change. Bombay: Jaico Publication, 1989. Print. [17] Katz, P. Towards Elimination of Racism. New York: Pergamon. Kneller, G. F. (Ed.).

(1971). Foundations of education (3rd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 1976. Print.

[18] Moody, H.L.B. The Teaching of Literature in Developing Courtiers. Longman, London, 1971. Print.

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[19] Nunan, D. & Benson, P. (Eds.) Learner’s Stories: Differences And Diversity In Language

Learning.UK: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Print. [20] Olson, D. R., & Torrance, N. (Eds.). The Handbook of Education and Human

Development. Blackwell Publishers, USA, 1996. Print. [21] Piaget, J. The Origins of Influence in Child. International University Press, New York,

1952. Print. [22] Russell, B. (1932) Education and the Social Order. Allen and Unwin, London. [23] Silvia P. J. Exploring The Psychology of Interest. NewYork: Oxford University Press,

2006. Print. [24] The Children’s Society The good childhood report 2012: a review of our children’s

wellbeing. London: The Children’s Society. 2012 Web. Feb. 5. 2014. [25] Turner J. H. A Theory of Social Interaction. California: Polity Press, 1988. Print. [26] Vygotsky, L.S. Mind in Society: Development of Higher Psychological Processes. MA:

MIT Press, Cambridge, 1978. Print. 3


ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

The Role and Relevance of Literature in

Language Teaching

Yugeshwar Sah

Junior Hindi Translator

Ministry of commerce and Industry Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi-110107

Abstract: Communication is a fundamental activity of life. It begins with life and ends also

with it. Life is unimaginable without communication. An effective communication is a by product of a sound knowledge of language. A sound knowledge of language comes through literature which makes our communication impressive and influential. Literature as a tool of

language teaching is one of the most popular methods for teaching both four fundamental language skills (i.e listening, speaking, reading and writing) and language areas (i.e. vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar). 1. RELEVANCE OF LITERATURE Literature – based approach of language teaching is very useful for the learners

because it develops learner’s ability to use language in variety of ways and it reduces

the gap between competence and performance or knowledge of language and its

functional use. Literature as a tool of language teaching sharpens learner’s critical,

analytical and interpretative ability, encourages learners to express their feelings and

abounds them in a wide range of creativity. Literature provides learners a vast scope of

creativity and creativity allows them to play with language (i.e. words, phrases,

sentences). While playing with language we discover many unknown and obscure

aspects of syntax (sentence patterns). The more we play with language, the more

efficient and competent we become in using language in variety of ways. According to

Obediat "Literature helps students acquire a native – like competence in English,

express their ideas in good English, learn the features of modern English, learn how the

English linguistic system is used for communication, see how idiomatic expressions

are used, speak clearly, precisely and concisely and become more proficient in English,

as well as become creative, critical and analytical learners” (Obediate 1997: 32). While

teaching language to the learners through literature we not only teach language but also

we impart moral, social, cultural, ethical values and principles. These life-building and

life-saving values can best be taught through literature because it provides real-life

examples through stories, poems, plays, autobiographies etc. which leave indelible

impact on learners' head and heart. These universal values help us to build a better

society which is one of the aims of education. Literature functions as a catalyst, fuels

learner's potential, arouses interests in language and encourages by engaging them at

the level of feelings and emotions. The contribution of literature in language teaching

and imparting life values is immense and priceless.

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The Role and Relevance of Literature in Language Teaching

2. LANGUAGE TEACHING THROUGH LITERATURE: WHY, WHAT AND

HOW? Teaching language through literature exposes learners to unique uses of words, complex sentence patters, metaphorical expressions, scope of creativity. Literature is a treasure house of linguistic expressions and useful material and it provides learners immense linguistic outcome and makes learning and teaching enjoyable and memorable. Collie and Slater are of the view that there are four major features of literature as a tool of language teaching which are very useful for the learner. These features are a rich source of material, cultural awareness, language competence and scope of creativity. A Rich Source of Material Literature is a huge source of teaching material which is useful for the purpose of enhancing moral and cultural awareness and strengthening language competence. It provides variety of material and offers a vast panorama of creativity. There are many genres of literature i.e. Novel, poetry, drama, story, autobiography, travel writing etc. which provide genuine materials and examples from real life because literature is a replica of life and society. Language Competence: Literature based approach is now the most dominant method

of teaching rudimentary language skills and language areas. This approach has been adopted and is being adopted by the schools boards, councils, colleges and universities to make teaching and learning language interesting and effective. Learners are introduced with variety of written language, different functions of language, unique syntax, lexical items and finally immense scope of creativity. The learners become aware of the richness of language and diversity of its uses. Cultural Awareness: While learning literature we not only learn skills of language but also we become familiar with the richness and diversity of culture. A sound understanding of culture helps the learners to comprehend the complexity and diversity of language. Literature based approach is the best medium to impart social, cultural, moral and ethical values of life through life-like characters, feelings and emotions, symbols and images, settings etc. Scope of Creativity: There is immense scope of creativity if language is taught through literature. Literature enhances learner’s imaginative faculty and provides opportunity to express his/her emotions and feelings. A creative mind is essential to have a sound knowledge of language and to be proficient and efficient in language. According to Maley, there are some salient features of literature which make literature useful and effective from language teaching point of view. These features are universality, non-triviality, personal relevance, variety, interest, economy and suggestive power and ambiguity. Using literature as a tool of language teaching enhances sociolinguistic aspect of language because literature offers learners different language varieties such as many dialects, registers, jargons, idiolects etc. 3



According to Arthur there are three major factors due to which literature is used in language teaching. These factors are variety of vocabulary used in literature, a wide range of sentence, patterns and enrichment of social and cultural awareness. Criteria for Selection of Literary Texts While selecting the literary texts, the selectors or teachers should keep in mind learner’s needs and capacities, social and cultural background and their prior knowledge of the language. The literary texts should arouse the interest of the learners and make learning enjoyable and memorable. The texts should be relevant and connected to the real experiences of day to day life. The difficulty level of the literary text should be according to learner’s ability. Advantages of Different Genres of Literature in Language Teaching Short Story: Short story is very popular among students because it is very short and simple in comparison to other genres of literature. It depicts the realistic picture of life. So the readers or learners identify themselves with the characters because it mirrors life. It sharpens their creative and critical faculty and they learn the figurative uses of language. "Short fiction is a supreme resource for observing not only language but life itself. In short fiction, characters act out all the real and symbolic acts people carry out in daily lives, and do so in a variety of registers and tones" (Hismanoglu 2004: 61). Drama Drama is a rich source of material for language teaching. It is a representation of life on the stage. The dramatisation, role playing and improvisation can be used to improve the language skills, fluency, sensitivity self confidence, pronunciation, retention power and communicative competence. Drama makes learning and teaching process more colourful, memorable and enjoyable. "Learners should make use of drama to promote their comprehension of life experiences, reflect on particular circumstances and make sense of their extralinguistic world in a deeper way" (Hismanoglu 2005: 62). Poetry According to Frost poetry “ begins in delight and ends in wisdom”. Poetry plays a very

important role in enhancing language skills. It allows the learners to go beyond the

grammatical rules and offers a vast scope of creativity. It makes us aware of symbols,

images, figures of speeches (i.e. alliterahon, personification, metaphor, simile, etc)

which sharpen learners figurative uses of languages. The recitation of a poem improves

pronunciation reading skill etc. It arouses feeling and emotions in the readers. A poem

can be interpreted differently so it sharpens our critical and interpretative faculty of the

mind. According to Cubuku reading poetry is an entertaining and memorable

experience with the features of rhythm and rhyme which convey "love and

appreciation for the sound and power of language" (Cubuku 2001: 1).

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Novel Novel is the most dominant and prominent genre of literature in this post modern age. The use of novel in language teaching familiarises the readers with cultural diversity and people of different groups. It enhances oral and written language skills, creative and critical thinking and cultivates the imaginative power. It offers different and new uses of vocabulary and unique syntactic patters. It makes learning entertaining and motivating. "When assessing comprehension, teachers may employ novel tests requiring students to develop the sub-skills of written language like spelling, handwriting, grammar and punctuation. Essay type tests written by teachers help students to gradually improve their skills in writing and organizing material into paragraph with suitable sentence structure." (Hismanoglu 2005: 64). The open-ended questions develop learner's critical and imaginative faculty, to guess the outcome and comprehend the conclusion through comparison and contrast. Grammar – translation method is a traditional technique of teaching language which at times becomes boring and uninteresting. This method emphasises more on grammatical rules and translation technique and focuses less on practical aspects of language. McKay is not in favour of using literature as a tool of language because literature does not contribute to the teaching of grammar which is one of the aims of language teaching. But many linguists, academicians and grammarians are in favour of using literature based approach in language teaching. While using literature in English language classroom, there are many methods which can be applied to make teaching-learning process effective and entertaining such as group activities, role playing, dramatization, poem recitation, story-telling, story-writing, debate and discussion, vocabulary quiz, oral reading, re-enactment, improvisation, pantomiming, assignment etc on or about a piece of literature. 3. CONCLUSION "Literature is not only a tool for developing the written and oral skills of the students in the target language but also is a window opening into the culture of the target language, building up a cultural competence in students". (Hismanoglu 2005: 65). Literature-based approach of language teaching is the best for developing communicative competence as well as cultural competence. It offers the enjoyment of learning a language with and through interesting stories, poems and plays. Oster is of the view that literature "enlarges students' vision and fosters critical thinking" (Oster 1989: 85). Literature provides a new approach to see the globe around by making meaning from the text. It shapes and directs the creative and critical faculty of the learners. The success of this approach of language teaching depends upon the selection of the text and the process of teaching. Literature is the most powerful, prominent and popular method of teaching language in contemporary times. In brief, Literature occupies a very prominent place in English language classroom. 3



WORKS CITED [1] Bradford, Arthur. Reading literature and learning a second. Language learning, 1968. [2] Collie, J and S. Slater. Literature in the language classroom: A Resource Book of Ideas

and Activities. Cambridge: CUP, 1990. [3] Cubuku, F. "Use of Poetry for EFL Purposes." (Unpublished article) 2001. [4] Hill, Jennifer. Teaching Literature in the Language Classroom. London: Macmillan

1986. [5] Hismanoglu, Mural. “Teaching English Through Literature”. Journal of language and

linguistic studies vol.1, no.1 April 2005. P.61-65. [6] Maley, A. “Down from the Pedestal: Literature as Resource” in Literature and the

Learner: Methodological Approaches. Cambridge: Modern English Publications, 1989. [7] Obediate, M. Language vs. Literature in English Departments in the Arab World” in

English Teaching Forum, 1997. [8] Oster, J. Seeing with different Eyes: Another view of literature in the ESL class. TESOL

Quarterly, 1989. P. 85. [9] www.enotes.com/.../frost-said that-a poem-begins in delight-ends-wisdom-do-2480.

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ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

Abstraction at Non-verbal/ Object Level in

Yann Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil

R.B. Zala

Associate Professor, Department of English & CLS,

Saurashtra University, Rajkot (Gujarat) [email protected]

Abstract: The paper is an attempt to explore the implications of General Semantics (GS) in

literary works through Beatrice and Virgil a fictional work by Yann Martel, the celebrity

writer of Life of Pie.General Semantics is a discipline that holds specific views on language

use and its implications in Teaching/ Learning and the Media.It is a method for internalizing

the mental habits recommended by Alfred Korzybski (in Science and Sanity and Manhood of

Humanity) and to evaluate the role of GS in psychology and psychotherapy. Korzybski’s

STRUCTURAL DIFFERENTIAL, the path breaking invention that brings general-semantics

into being: A 3-Dimensional structure that differentiates-and-relates the event level (“what is

going on”), the object level, where living beings abstract from and transform the event to

construct their experience, and the label levels, where human beings construct meaning-in-

language as an abstraction from and transformation of their sensory experience. Beatrice and

Virgilis a good example of employing the language at Object Level--GS defines ‘sanity’ in

terms of an ‘extensional’ orientation which facilitates a proper relation between the vivid

particularity of the life world and the symbolizations of common-and-conventional-scientific

sense. Practices of attention to the objective level disclose possibilities occluded by

conceptualization.

Beatrice and Virgil employs acomplex narrative technique with a central character, a creative writer who happens to evaluate an allegoric play written by the reader, a taxidermist, to unfold the ghastly experience of holocaust. The study would add on more to the analysis of literary texts with the help of GS which is basically a multidisciplinary field of knowledge with an approach to reach the manhood of humanity. Keywords: General Semantics, non-verbal/ Object Level, abstraction, Structural Differential, sensory experience, narrative technique

Yann Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil is a Holocaust fiction with complex narrative that leads to multiple interpretations and lending itself to multi-disciplinary approach. It is directly the interest of Philosophers, historians, psychiatrist, psychologists, social scientists, liguists and literary critics. The book is a fertile ground for the language and literary critics with stylistic studies with its fascinating narrative techniques. Beatrice and Virgil employs a complex narrative technique with Henry, the central character-narrator, a creative writer who happens to evaluate an allegoric a legend and a play

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Abstraction at Non-verbal/ Object Level in Yann Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil

written by his namesake reader, a taxidermist, to unfold the ghastly experience of holocaust. The narration can simplistically be regarded as employing the allegoric presentation of the animal characters Beatrice a donkey and Virgil howler monkey to depict the horrors of holocaust. The paper is an attempt to explore the application of General Semantics (GS) in literary works through the study of narrative technique employed in Beatrice and Virgil.GS is a discipline that holds specific views on language use and its implications

in Teaching/ Learning and the Media. It is a method for internalizing the mental habits recommended by Alfred Korzybski (in Science and Sanity and Manhood of Humanity). Korzybski’s Structural Differential, the path breaking invention that brings general-semantics into being: A 3-Dimensional structure that differentiates-and-relates the

event level (“what is going on”), the object level, where living beings abstract from and transform the event to construct their experience, and the label levels, where human beings construct meaning-in-language as an abstraction from and transformation of their sensory experience. Beatrice and Virgilis a good example of employing the

language at silent/Object Level-sensory- abstraction, GS defines ‘sanity’ in terms of an ‘extensional’ orientation which facilitates a proper relation between the vivid particularity of the life world and the symbolizations of common-and-conventional-scientific sense. Practices of attention to the objective level disclose possibilities occluded by conceptualization. Let me begin with superfluous connection to Korzybski the man and the fictional work Beatrice and Virgil. Korzybski was born in Warsaw, Poland which was ground zero for holocaust and it was Korzybski’s direct experience of the horrors of first world war that led him to come up with a vision that is GS to think of a sane word. Beatrice and Virgil also come down to pinpoint Warsaw, Poland as the ground zero to present the experience. Korzybski all his life conducted workshops to change the perception of the individuals and train them to extensional evaluation which is an important aspect of a non-Aristotelian, non-essentialist worldview. Korzybski in his foundational work Manhood of Humanity give a shift to the basic definition of human beings by terming them scientifically as ‘Time binders’, as against plants that are chemical binders and animals who are space-binders. Time binding is the capacity of humans to pass on the accumulated knowledge from generation to generation, which is due to their use of sign and symbols or language. Thus GS is termed so to emphasize on the aspect of communication to solve all our problems at personal to global level. According to Korzybski the problems that we face are rationally evaluated as the misconceptions. Korzybski laid emphasis on Predictability in his General Semantics Seminar 1937 he regards it as crucial to explain it as: ‘If you could predict that an action or decision will make you unhappy, would you do it?’ (20) He further stated a prophetic statement in the same lecture for the holocaust that humanity could not avoid due its insanity. To quote his words from the same lecture: ‘There is private life. How about national and international life? How about England and America nonpredicting that their laxity is encouraging Hitler, world arrangements, and another world war?’(20) To think of the difficulty of ‘Maximum probability of predictability’ factors of predictability can be 3



understood with the equation ‘Map ≠ Territory’ and language to set the premises that 1. Map is not territory 2. Map is not all of territory and 3. Map is Self-reflexive. Interrelated as: ‘I was speaking about map-territory interrelationship. This applies to every form of representation; among others, language. That is where the important problem comes in. … the word does not cover all the characteristics of an object or a situation. I want you to digest and absorb the three premises, for they are foundations of GS. And obviously language is self-reflexive in the sense that in language we can speak about language and every difficulty may happen if we don’t know about self-reflexiveness and are not conscious of it’(GSS 31) The narrative technique of Beatrice and Virgil is structured on self-reflexive aspect in case of its writer-narrator’s block, pairing of the writer-reader, animal characters in the play monkey-donkey and pets cat-dog… its writing about writing. Henry the writer’s ‘flip-book’ is self-reflexive to analyse the extendedly to discuss fiction and non-fiction, fact and fiction, truth and real… to self explain/ define the attempt as ‘Art is seed, art is memory, art is vaccine.’ History as a massive tree, fiction as tiny fruit that hold seeds! Similarly the allegory can be seen as a device self-reflexive. This is an non-allness/ non-Aristotelian approach to join in an endeavor to fictionalize Holocaust which historiographers object to fictionalizing the social engineering of Hitler to assert it as a sacred region for the testimony only for direct witnesses. ‘Henry now joined the vast majority of those who had been shut up by the Holocaust.’ (BV 18) takes the liberty/ challenge to reflect on the issue of historiography. To draw truth of horrors through fiction is not the result of research of holocaust testimonials alone the writer’s conscious use of language in the text is what leads to application of Korzybski’s STRUCTURAL DIFFERENTIAL. The diagram of structural Differential shows how infinite (etc.) labeling takes us away from WIGO. Where E- Event Level (WIGO), O – Object level, FIDO- Animal perception of wigo, D-Discriptive level, I1- Inference Level, I2 Generalization, I3 et cetera .

GS is a general theory about how we evaluate or evaluation (Semantic) Transaction. Its takes into account the interrelations among: what is happening in ourselves and the world around us i.e. ‘what is going on’ (WIGO), how we get information about those 3



happenings, how we talk about those information, and how we behave, an up-to-date, scientifically-based applied epistemology.(based on ‘Glossary’, DYS 23) The application of GS is to take account of how Martel through his use of language strives to speak of WIGO of Holocaust through Beatrice and Virgil the characters of Henry, the taxidermist, with extensional orientation: at event level to construct their experiences related to non-verbal happenings and lower order descriptions and examples and references to non-verbal experiences. We can consider the description of the pear, howl or a donkey an individual’s attempt respond to in terms of ‘meanings’ one gives to words, symbols and other events; includes verbal and non verbal factors, i.e. sensing-thinking-feeling-moving-diong-etc. (based on ‘Glossary’, DYS 23) What would commonly be ascribed to ‘detailed observation’, ‘mastery of language’ etc. can also be understood as a device to express extensionally as we can see in the dialogues that run on for seven pages simply to describe a pear in Henry the taxidermist’s play where Virgil describes a pear sensing (shape, size, colour, taste, touch…)-thinking-feeling-moving-doing-etc as: In case of appearance: Beatrice: I’ve never had a pear. Virgil: What? Beatrice: In fact I don’t think I’ve ever set eyes on one. Virgil: How is it possible? It’s a common fruit. Beatrice: Describe a pear for me. What is a pear like Virgil: (Settling back) I can try. Let’s see… To start with a pear has an unusual shape. It’s round and fat from the bottom, but tapered on top. Beatrice: Like a gourd. Virgil: A guard? You know gourds but you don’t know pears? How odd the things we know and don’t. At any rate, no, the pear is smaller than an average gourd, its shape is more pleasing to eye. A pear becomes tapered in the symmetrical way, its upper half sitting straight and central atop its lower half. Can you see what I mean? Beatrice: I think so. Virgil: let us begin with the lower half. Can you imagine of a fruit that is round and fat? Beatrice: Like an apple? Virgil: Not quite. If you look at an apple with your mind’s eye, you will notice the girth of the apple is at its widest either in the middle of the fruit or in the top third, isn’t that so? Beatrice: I can see it. Virgil: But we must not push the comparison too far. The bottom of the pear is not like an apple’s. Beatrice: No?

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Virgil: No. Most apple sit on their buttocks, so to speak, on the circular ridge or on four or five points that keep them falling over. Past the buttocks, a little ways up, there’s what would be the anus of the fruit if the fruit were a beast. Beatrice: I see precisely what you mean Virgil: Well appear is not like that. A pear has no buttocks. Its bottom is round. Beatrice: How does it stay up? Virgil: It doesn’t. A pear either dangles from a tree lies on its side. … (BV 43) In case of shape: Beatrice: I know bananas. Virgil: Better than a monkey. Take the end of a common banana, then, and place it on the top of an apple, taking into account the difference between apples and pears that I have just described. Beatrice: An interesting graft. Virgil: Now make the lines smoother, gentler. Let the banana flare out in a friendly way as it merges into the apple. Can you see it? Beatrice: I believe I can. Virgil: one last detail. At the very top of this apple-banana composite, add a surprisingly tough stalk, a real tree trunk of a stolk. There youhave an approximation of a pear. The colour: Beatrice: A pear sounds like a beautiful frout. Virgil: it is. In colour, commonly, a pear is yellow with black spots. Beatrice: Like a Banana again. Virgil: No, not at all. A pear isn’t yellow in so bright, lustress and opaque a way. It’s a paler, translucent yellow, moving towards beige, but not creamy, more watery, approaching the visual texture of a more watery, approaching the visual texture of a more water-colour wash. And the spots are sometimes brown. … (BV 45) And with description of touch, feel and sound after contracting with the smooth and slippery of apple and bananas and coming close to the rough skin of avocados he goes on: Beatrice: But you cannot compare their skins! An avocado’s skin is as warty as a toad’s. An avocado looks like a vegetable with leprosy. A pear is characterized by a thin roughness, delicate and interesting to the touch. If you could magnify it for a hundred times, do you know what it would sound like, the sound of fingertips running over the skin of a dry pear? Virgil: What? 3



Beatrice: It would sound like a diamond of record player entering the groove. The same dancing crackle, like the burning of the driest, lightest kindling. And finally the texture, the smell and the taste! To put it in fragments from the original: Beatrice: And what does pear taste like? Virgil: Wait you Beatrice: Must smell it first. A ripe pear breaths a fragrance that is watery and subtle, its power lying in the lightness of its impression upon the olfactory sense. Can you imagine the smell of nutmeg or cinnamon? Virgil: A ripe pear overflows with juiciness. Virgil: The texture of a pear, its constituency, is yet another difficult matter to put in word. Some pears are little crunchy. Beatrice: Like an apple? Virgil: No, not at all like an apple! An apple resists being eaten. An apple is not eaten, it is conquered. The crunchiness of a pear is far more appealing. It is giving and fragile. To eat a pear is akin to…kissing. Virgil: The taste of a pear is such that when you eat one, when your teeth sink into the bliss of one, it becomes a wholly engrossing activity. You want to do nothing else but eat your pear. You could rather sit than stand. You would rather be alone than in company. You would rather have silence than music. All your senses but taste fall inactive. You see nothing, you hear noting, you feel nothing- or only if it helps you to appreciate the divine taste of your pear. Beatrice: But what does it actually taste like? Virgil: It tastes like, it tastes like…(He struggles. He gives up with a shrug.) I don’t know. I can’t put it into words. A pear tastes like itself. No doubt the allegory is to depict the impossibility of putting down the horrors of Holocaust, not like conquering but giving in helplessly and the act that must have been so absorbing for the Nazis to torture where ‘You see nothing, hear nothing, you feel nothing. The above dialogues are part of the play what taxidermist has written and he seeks the help of Henry, the writer, to describe a howl of the monkey with the help of the recorded howl by the scientists. Henry takes home the record and listens to it again and again to come up with a description from Beatrice’s perspective as a dialogue by Beatrice: (VB 85-86) once again a description at sensory /auditory level to end the dialogue with: ‘But ultimately there is only the thing itself, in its raw purity. Hearing is believing.’ (VB 86) The statement asserts the premises of the awareness at, non-verbal level, the level before we start labeling down to is-ness and all-ness of the event. Korzybski in ‘What I Believe’ believed that it is our linguistic and grammatical structures which have added to our complexities as: My analysis showed that happenings in the world outside our skins, and such organismal psychological reactions inside our skin as those we label ‘feelings’, ‘hate’,

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‘love’, ‘Happiness’, ‘unhappiness’, ‘anger’, ‘fear’, ‘resentment’, ‘pain’, ‘pleasure’, etc. occur only on the non-verbal, or what I call silent level. (MH xlvi) Beartice and Virgil keeps to the non-verbal level when it comes to depict the event that

is historical, the terror, through the animal character who can experience the torture,

the pain and present it symbolically through set of words as shirt(the stage-Germany,

Poland, Hungary ), and the properties for the play: the sewing kit list[29 items- a howl,

a black cat, words and occasional silence, a hand gesture (a poster with Nazi salute), a

prayer…68 Nowolipki Street…games of Gustav..aukitz.] explained to fit in to play and

end with the horrors of Holocaust through Gustav’s games numbered one to twelve

and Game Number Thirteen left blank to end the book to speak of impossibility of

depicting all. The games of menace, ‘one long word’ as The pityofit all when so much

was possible (VB 141), and hopeless state of the helpless Jews in the Nazi camps

presented through the play write that is revealed in the end to be ‘old Nazi collaborator.

Martel’s hypnotic use of language can be analysed with the basic premises of GS to attempt orienting ourselves to remain at the level of non-verbal level to evaluate the event through our sensory experience. ‘Thus a typical approach of those who speak about it (Holocaust), so precise and factual, ‘like a stroke victim who is learning how to speak again and who starts with the simplest, clearest syllables.’(BV 18) This is a way to learn from the past and reach as close to the facts and attain the manhood of humanity. To live with the burden of Human insanity in the Events of Holocaust is impossible a task. As long as one strives to live with the awareness as close as possible to the real life experience, at silent/ object level to evaluate and abstract that would make life livable with sanity. To conclude, the application of GS on a dense literary text as Virgil and Beatrice add to our stylistic reading of the author’s framed narration of holocaust where such a traumatic experience of the holocaust is impossible to narrate or describe. It is the sense experience through which the writer attempts to take us as close as possible to WIGO (here: what must have gone on). More abstractions we do farther we move from reality, thus Yann Martel takes the reader to ground zero by merging the lines of verbal and the nonverbal i.e. the very dark abyss of the experience where inhuman ways are masterly narrated through the animal figures rather then human. WORKS CITED [1] Kodish Presby Susan & Bruce I. Kodish. Drive Yourself Sane: Using Uncommen Sense

of General Semantics. Third ed. Pasadena, CA: Extensional Publishing, 2011. Print. [2] Kodish Bruce. Dare to Inquire: Sanity and Survival for the 21st Century and Beyond.

Pasadena, CA: Extensional Publishing, 2004. Print. [3] Korzybski, Alfred. Manhood of Humanity. Second ed. NY: Institute of General

Semantics, 2001. Print. [4] Korzybski, Alfred. Science & Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems and

General Semantics. Fifth ed. NY: Institute of General Semantics, 2005. Print. [5] Martel Yenn. Beatrice and Virgil. New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2012. Print. 3


ISBN: 978-93-84935-21-4

Dhvani in T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland”

Hemalatha

Professor Department of English

Kanya Gurukul Dehradun

The term Dhvani has its origin in Sanskrit word implying “sound”, “echo”, “reverberation” and “indistinct articulation”. It is a theory of “suggestiveness” where implied or suggestive sense is more striking than expressed sense or the vacya. Anandavardhana defines Dhvani as the soul of poetry (Kavyasya atma dhvani). To be more explicit, the realised inner meaning (dhvani) originates from the outer meaning but is above the logical meaning or meanings of the text. It conveys delight to the sahrdaya. According to Prof. Kapil Kapoor, “Dhvani theory is a theory of meaning, of symbolism, and this principle leads to the poetry of suggestion, being accepted as the highest kind of poetry.”(Kapoor,21) The title The Wasteland is the soul of the poem, as it conveys to the readers the main idea, i.e. the whole world has turned spiritually sterile. The title being complete and suggestive in itself adds to the remarkable beauty of the poem. The very beginning of the poem begins with the month of spring April, being termed as being “the cruellest month” because it gives birth to life in the form of “lilacs” in an otherwise dead soil, which had been unproductive throughout winter. There is an inversion of values in these lines which are in keeping with the mindset of the post world war dejected people who are ready to just hibernate and while away time without any form of productive labour. A classic example of Vastu Dhvani where the lines state something which is the reverse of what they actually suggest. Chaucer has described April as being the month of regeneration and jubilation whereas Eliot has referred to it as being cruel and unwelcome. April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. The very fact that with the arrival of spring people have to wake up to work , makes it appear “cruel” whereas the least productive ,lifeless part of the year except for “a little life with dried tubers” has been referred to as a season of warmth as they could remain complacent , “forgetful” and coiled up in the warmth of their beds without having to exert themselves in hard labour for survival. Winter kept us warm, covering Earth in forgetful snow, feeding A little life with dried tubers. ‘Winter’ is personified as a mother who keeps her child warm, sustaining and feeding him with dried tubers. 3



There is an abundant use of figures of speech, which fall under the category of Alankardhvani. In Part I of the poem “The Burial of the Dead”, the poet picks up a quote from the song sung by Ariel in Shakespeare’s The Tempest: “Those are pearls that were his eyes”. (Line 125) The metaphor lays stress on the regenerating and transforming function of water. There is personification in the lines: The river sweats oil and tar Lines: 266-267 in which the river is said to be is said to be sweating, though the sweat which comes out is not water but oil and tar which is symbolic of the tired life, i.e. whatever remains in the name of purity now (river/water) is utter waste. The suggestive element is seen in all the five parts of The Wasteland in which we find Tiresias as the observer of various episodes, who observes and at times experiences the spiritual desolation in the whole society. Above all it is seen that Eliot has the genius to bind all the parts of the poem into one creative whole which shows that how carefully and artistically the various episodes have been woven into one. Human beings seem to have no idea of the beauty of Nature, no idea of the different roots or branches, their names , structure or their morphology; nor does he seem to have an interest or enthusiasm to know something about the different aspects of Nature. What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow Out of this stony rubbish These lines are an example of VastuDhvani signaling his lack of knowledge of very Nature which holds and sustains him. All that he knows is the aftermath of war which has dampened his spirits, and has had a demoralizing effect on his mind that he is in a state of apathy with no passion for anything. … Son of man, You cannot say, or guess, for you know only A heap of broken images, where the sun beats, And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief, And the dry stone no sound of water. Whatever knowledge he has is what he can visualize all around him and that is “a heap of broken images,” “dead tree which gives no shelter” and crickets which do not sing, and of dry stones which does not have the sound of water splurging all over it ; the lack of water symbolizes lack of life, lack of freshness and coolness. The usage of the intransitive verb “beats” with the sun is a unique construct to refer to the shining of the sun on the broken images. There is alliteration of “b” sound in the words “broken” and “beats”. Only

There is shadow under this red rock,

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Dhvani in T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” (Come in under the shadow of this red rock), And I will show you something different from either Your shadow at morning striding behind you Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you; I will show you fear in a handful of dust. The uncertainty of life has lead to fear in everyone’s hearts, and even a handful of dust can remind one of what is in store for them in the future because in Death we all get reduced to ashes or a handful of dust. My cousin's, he took me out on a sled, And I was frightened. He said, Marie, Marie, hold on tight. And down we went. In the mountains, there you feel free. The lines quoted above are an example of VastuDhvani wherein an incident of the thrill and adventure of two cousins driving on a sledge is narrated and Marie is actually feeling free when on the mountains; this very statement is suggestive of the fact that the reverse of the situation, living in towns and cities is claustrophobic and people feel trapped in the monotony of routine mundane life with no adventure or surprises. The damaged psyche of human beings as a result of war and its aftermath is an oft explored theme by T.S.Eliot and in these lines also he is exploring the same theme of humanity’s collectively damaged psyche which prevented people from communicating with one another; and the fact that human beings are experiencing a “living death”, or that they were “neither living nor dead” are suggestive of the emotionally drained ,uninterested, dull behaviour of human beings. A superb example of Rasadhvani is found in these lines where he states that he “knew nothing, looking into the heart of light, the silence. Oed' und leer das Meer.”(An ocean bleak and empty). The emptiness, the inability to communicate, the lack of emotions,the inability to respond to beauty, the bleakness , the emptiness of human beings who are unable to express their passions and live for one another is clearly suggested in these lines. The use of the term hyacinth symbolises resurrection and is suggestively used to rejuvenate human beings from their state of eternal slumber. "You gave me hyacinths first a year ago; "They called me the hyacinth girl." ––Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden, Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither Living nor dead, and I knew nothing, Looking into the heart of light, the silence. Oed' und leer das Meer. (An ocean bleak and empty) In line 43 ,Eliot has introduced the character of Madame Sosostris, a gifted seer with a “wicked pack of cards,” or tarot cards. 3


Dhvani in T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante, Had a bad cold, nevertheless Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe, With a wicked pack of cards. Here, said she, Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor There is suggestion of the natural cycle of death when she pulls out the card of “the

drowned Phoenician Sailor,” hinting at another image of death and also a direct reference to a fertility god who, according to Sir James Frazer’s The Golden Bough, was drowned at the end of summer. Again these images collectively illustrate the natural cycle of death. I do not find The Hanged Man. Fear death by water. Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante, Had a bad cold, nevertheless Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe, With a wicked pack of cards. Here, said she, Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor, (Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!) Here is Belladonna, the Lady of the Rocks, The lady of situations. Here is the man with three staves, and here the Wheel, And here is the one-eyed merchant, and this card, Which is blank, is something he carries on his back, Which I am forbidden to see. I do not find The Hanged Man. Fear death by water. I see crowds of people, walking round in a ring. Thank you. If you see dear Mrs. Equitone, Tell her I bring the horoscope myself: One must be so careful these days. In Eliot’s poetry, water symbolizes both life and death. Eliot’s characters wait for water to quench their thirst, watch rivers overflow their banks, cry for rain to quench the dry earth, and pass by fetid pools of standing water. Although water has the regenerative possibility of restoring life and fertility, it can also lead to drowning and death, as in the case of Phlebas the sailor from The Waste Land. Traditionally, water can imply baptism, Christianity, and the figure of Jesus Christ, and Eliot draws upon these traditional meanings: water cleanses, water provides solace, and water brings relief elsewhere. Eliot thus cautions us to beware of simple solutions or cures, for what looks innocuous might turn out to be very dangerous. Unreal City, Under the brown fog of a winter dawn, A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many, I had not thought death had undone so many. Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled, 3


Dhvani in T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” And each man fixed his eyes before his feet. Eliot, beginning in line 60, introduces the “Unreal City, / Under the brown fog of a winter dawn, / A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many.” These lines suggest a similar description of the modern city by Baudelaire. The image of brown fog is dismal, as is the next line, which notes “I had not thought death had undone so many.” Eliot here is describing a waking death. These people are alive in the physical sense, but dead in all others. It is a sad city, where “each man fixed his eyes before his feet.” T.S. Eliot talks of the spiritual degeneration, the roots of which have gone deep into the society and everywhere one can find that people have become blind and can see nothing but the ways to fulfill physical desires. He does so by carefully employing unique poetic expressions. Eliot employs a number of prefixes to words to create excellent examples of Vastu Dhvani suggesting the fact that people are behaving in ways they are not expected to, thereby making the city appear unreal. He makes most use of the prefix ‘un’ as in “unreal city” (Line 207), the use of the term “Unreal” (Line 376) is again significant here, though the term has been used many times in the poem, as it makes the readers believe that all the cities are actually one city which is spiritually desolate, “unshaven” (Line 210) and in “which are still unreproved, if undesired” (Line 238). The prefix ‘un’ helps the poet lay the stress repeatedly on the same thing through various ways. The merchant has not shaved his face; the typist is engaged in lust with her lover which is not desired by her, yet she does not repulse the advances made to her. The whole action seems to be mechanical or animal-like. In the line “And I Tiresias has foresuffered all” (Line 243), the poet could have used the expression ‘suffered’ but to lay special emphasis on the word he coins the term “foresuffered”. Another prefix, as used by Eliot, is “in” in the lines: Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled Line 63 and

Filled all the desert with inviolable voice Line 101 There is the tale of Tereus,the brother-in-law of Philomel who after raping her, cut off her tongue so that she could not reveal the name of the culprit. Somehow she managed to convey the news to her sister Procne and the two of them took revenge by killing Tereus’s son, and Tereus in his fury transformed them into birds-Philomel a nightingale and Procne a swallow.The birds announced their tale to the world by their screeching sounds ,but still such events occur in this world, and the virginity of maidens is destroyed despite the voices of birds announcing their tales filling the deserts. The change of Philomel, by the barbarous king So rudely forced; yet there the nightingale Filled all the desert with inviolable voice And still she cried, and still the world pursues, "Jug Jug" to dirty ears.

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Dhvani in T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” And other withered stumps of time In The Waste Land, various characters are sexually frustrated or dysfunctional, unable to cope with either reproductive or nonreproductive sexuality: the Fisher King represents damaged sexuality (according to myth, his impotence causes the land to wither and dry up), Tiresias represents confused or ambiguous sexuality, and the women chattering in “A Game of Chess” represent an out-of-control sexuality. "My nerves are bad to-night. Yes, bad. Stay with

me. "Speak to me. Why do you never speak. Speak. "What are you thinking of? What thinking? What? "I never know what you are thinking. Think." I think we are in rats' alley

Where the dead men lost their bones. "What is that noise?" The wind under the door.

"What is that noise now? What is the wind doing?" Nothing again nothing. "Do

"You know nothing? Do you see nothing? Do you remember "Nothing?" Their lack of knowledge their inability to speak, their inability to think, their complete state of apathy, disinterest and inaction are revealed by the women’s speech. There is nothing which reveals their interest in life as such, the use of negatives “nothing”, “never speak”, “never know” are indicative of the absence of any attraction to speak, think, do, or live a wholehearted, fruitful life.The next line again suggests the acrid theme of living death. All these are examples of Vastudhvani,even though they appear to be simple sentences they are suggestive of the theme of The Wasteland, that of disillusion, apathy and disinterest in life. "Are you alive, or not? Is there nothing in your head?"

But O O O O that Shakespeherian Rag - It's so elegant So intelligent "What shall I do now? What shall I do?" I shall rush out as I am, and walk the street "With my hair down, so. What shall we do to-morrow? "What shall we ever do?" The hot water at ten.

And if it rains, a closed car at four. And we shall play a game of chess, Pressing lidless eyes and waiting for a knock upon the door. When Lil's husband got demobbed, I said - I didn't mince my words, I said to her myself, HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME 3


Dhvani in T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” Now Albert's coming back, make yourself a bit smart. He'll want to know what you done with that money he gave you To get yourself some teeth. He did, I was there. You have them all out, Lil, and get a nice set, He said, I swear, I can't bear to look at you. And no more can't I, I said, and think of poor Albert, He's been in the army four years, he wants a good time, And if you don't give it him, there's others will, I said. Oh is there, she said. Something o' that, I said. Then I'll know who to thank, she said, and give me a straight look. HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME If you don't like it you can get on with it, I said. Others can pick and choose if you can't. But if Albert makes off, it won't be for lack of telling. You ought to be ashamed, I said, to look so antique. (And her only thirty-one.) I can't help it, she said, pulling a long face, It's them pills I took, to bring it off, she said. (She's had five already, and nearly died of young George.) The chemist said it would be alright, but I've never been the same. You are a proper fool, I said. Well, if Albert won't leave you alone, there it is, I said, What you get married for if you don't want children? HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME Well, that Sunday Albert was home, they had a hot gammon, And they asked me in to dinner, to get the beauty of it hot - HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME Goonight Bill. Goonight Lou. Goonight May. Goonight. Ta ta. Goonight. Goonight. Good night, ladies, good night, sweet ladies, good night, good night. In Eliot’s poetry, water symbolizes both life and death. Eliot’s characters wait for water to quench their thirst, watch rivers overflow their banks, cry for rain to quench the dry earth, and pass by fetid pools of standing water. Although water has the regenerative possibility of restoring life and fertility, it can also lead to drowning and death, as in the case of Phlebas the sailor from The Waste Land. Traditionally, water can imply baptism, Christianity, and the figure of Jesus Christ, and Eliot draws upon these traditional meanings: water cleanses, water provides solace, and water brings relief elsewhere. Eliot thus cautions us to beware of simple solutions or cures, for what looks innocuous might turn out to be very dangerous. The Fisher King is the central character in The Waste Land. While writing his long poem, Eliot drew on From Ritual to Romance, a 1920 book about the legend of the Holy Grail by Miss Jessie L. Weston, for many of his symbols and images. Weston’s book examined the connections between ancient fertility rites and Christianity,

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including following the evolution of the Fisher King into early representations of Jesus Christ as a fish. Traditionally, the impotence or death of the Fisher King brought unhappiness and famine. Eliot saw the Fisher King as symbolic of humanity,

robbed of its sexual potency in the modern world and connected to the meaninglessness of urban existence. But the Fisher King also stands in for Christ and

other religious figures associated with divine resurrection and rebirth. The speaker of “What the Thunder Said” fishes from the banks of the Thames toward the end of the poem as the thunder sounds Hindu chants into the air. Eliot’s scene echoes the scene in the Bible in which Christ performs one of his miracles: Christ manages to feed his multitude of followers by the Sea of Galilee with just a small amount of fish. So there are allusions to various religions and beliefs in the poem, as a contrast to the actual situation which is one of lack of faith and there is spiritual degeneration amongst people. Alankar Dhvani Figures of Speech are analyzed in two categories in Sanskrit Poetics. They are verbal and ideal, ornament of speech and ornament of thought. Alliteration is an ornament as the charm there is purely verbal. Simile and metaphor are ornaments of thought, as their charm depends on comparisons of ideas and meanings. Some figures of speech like puns are of dual nature, because word and meaning both contribute to their charm. With the use of similes, alliterations and onomatopoeia Eliot has enriched his poem with the suggestive element consistent with the highest standards of poetry- poetry which is morally elevating. The poetic appeal through sounds has been achieved by T. S. Eliot’s use of onomatopoeia which is in keeping with the image alluded to. The hermit’s story echoes the sound of the fall of water “Drip drop drip drop drop drop drop”(Line 357). Similarly we have the crowing of the cock “ Co Co Rico, Co Co Rico” (Line 392) enforcing the end of confusion and darkness which seems to be approaching and “O O O O” (Line 129) in Part II, “A Game of Chess” is a meaningless evacuation, like the opening of a soda water bottle which symbolizes the mental vacuity of the lover. Eliot makes frequent use of alliteration as in the following sylvan scene Line: 98 were told upon the walls Line: 105 belly upon the bank Line: 188

little low Line: 194 Apart from this, the poem is filled with examples of use of sounds to add to the charm of the poem; there is internal rhyme in “clatter”, “chatter” along with alliteration with the repetition of “c” sound and the repetition of vowel sound “a” produces assonance. And a clatter and a chatter from within Line 262 Here the phonemes /t/ and /r/ are repeated in the words ‘clatter and ‘chatter’ and give an impression of chime, i.e., rhyming at regular intervals and it seems to be the spontaneous occurrence of sounds.

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Dhvani in T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” In the line: Stockings, slippers, camisoles and stays Line 227 We have the phoneme /s/ repeated in all the stressed words, the phoneme /k/ in the first and the third, the phoneme /l/ in the second and the third, while phoneme /z/ at the end of all the principal words creates a good impression on the minds of the readers as well as attracts the attention of critics. In “Trams and dusty trees” (line292) phonemes /tr/ in the first and the last words while /t/ alone in first, third and fourth words are repeated. Again we see that in “But red sullen faces sheer and snarl” (Line 343), phonemes /s/ and /n/ occur repeatedly in ‘sullen’, ‘sneer’, and ‘snarl’ whereas phoneme /r/ can be seen in ‘red’, ‘sneer’ and ‘snarl’. Phoneme /r/ rhymes at regular intervals giving another fine example of chime in the following lines: Cracks and reforms and bursts in the violet air Falling towers Jerusalem Athens Alexandria Lines 372-374 In the last part of the poem namely “What the Thunder Said” the poet comes to winding up the entire story with a positive hope by illustrating the story of the great cosmic father, the Prajapati, who imparted a final lesson to the gods, humans and the demons before they set on after the completion of their term of studies. This lesson was “DA” which he repeated thrice, i.e. Datta, Dayadhvam and Damyata. Here we understand that a work of art is not a mere narration of events.It is a symbol which needs to be understood, as the true function of poetry is to reveal the implied meaning by a careful selection of words. The term “Dhvani”is that which makes the sphota evident. Sphota signifies an idea in a word. It is “an indivisible entity like the soul”. (Sankaran 63) Marguerite Theophile comments: The first group was that of the divine beings. Respectfully they asked: "Please teach us". Prajapati simply uttered the syllable "Da". Then he asked them: "Have you understood?" "Yes, Lord, we have. You have told us daamyath, control yourselves". Prajapati was pleased, "Yes, you have understood". Next it was the turn of the humans. They too made the traditional request: "Please teach us". Again Prajapati said just "Da", adding: "Have you understood?" "Indeed, Lord, we have. What you have told us is datha, be charitable". A satisfied Prajapati responded: "You have understood". At last, it was time for the demons to have their last lesson. They too asked: "Please teach us". They too heard Prajapati utter the sound: "Da". "Have you understood?" "We have, for sure, Lord. You have instructed us: daya-dhvam, be merciful". Prajapati nodded, "Yes, you have understood" The thundercloud from time to time repeats his message to all: “Da, Da, Da”. Damam, Daanam, Dayaam: self control, charity, mercy, it teaches. And you take what you need the most to learn.

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These interpretations show how a phonetic sound “da” can mean different things to different people. Meanings are arbitrary. So sounds do not have any fixed meanings, the sounds are given different meanings by different people according to their mind set ;or in this case each one accepts to imbibe what they lack in their nature. The term “DA” (Line 400) is an example of word which plays an important part in the poem. After the word is spoken once, its significance has been explained in three ways. Firstly, it is significant of “Datta”, i.e., the giver, meaning one should give oneself to some whole cause. Secondly, it signifies “Dayadhvam”, meaning ‘to sympathise’ as sympathy is an essential element required for spiritual regeneration. Thirdly, the term is significant of “Damyata”, i.e. having self-control over one’s own passions and desires which are essential for a happy and successful life. The poet ends the poem by commenting that if a person follows the path as propounded by the Prajapati, there is surely going to be peace, hence “Shantih Shantih Shantih” (Line 433). There is a suggestion of hope in the final lines of the poem which having discussed a negative aspect all along ends with a positive note. The idea of shifting from spiritual degeneration to spiritual regeneration and hope for absolute peace is actually intended by the poet. WORKS CITED [1] Kapoor, Kapil. Literary Theory: Indian Conceptual Framework. New Delhi: Affiliated

East-West Press Private Ltd., 1998. [2] Sankaran, A. Some Aspects of Literary Criticism in Sanskrit or The Theories of Rasa and

Dhvani. New Delhi: Orient Books Reprint Corporation, 1973. [3] Eliot, T.S. The Wasteland. in http:

//www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/t_s_eliot/t_s_eliot_the_waste_land.htm [4] Theophil, Marguerite. “Valuable Lessons from the Thundercloud” in The Times of India.

September 5, 2007.

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Dehradun proceedings for book

Education

Transcript of Dehradun proceedings for book