appendices appendix 1 a) interview schedule for school teachers

Appendices

Appendix 1

a) Interview Schedule for School Teachers on ELT in

India

1 • Has there been any change in the methods of

.teaching of English in India?

2. What is the nature of the change?

3. What method do you practise in the teaching of

English to your students?

4. What other method, in your opinion would be more

suitable to your classroom and why?

5» In that case, why do you use the method you

mentioned in response to question No.3?

6. Do you feel that the changes in the methods have

affected language teaching?

7. If so, do they have a positive influence or a

negative influence on English Language Teaching?

8. What is your students' attitude to learning

English?

9. Do you have any say in the syllabus designing?

10. Are you allowed the freedom to implement the

syllabus in the way you choose to?

234

b) Different Methods of/Approaches to ELT Most

Favoured and Predominantly Practised, by Teachers

in Active Service

Method/Approach

Grammar-Tran s i a t i 0 n

Direct

S t r u c t u r a l

S i t u a t i o n a l

Communicative

Most favoured

75

140

110

125

50

by Predominantly p rac t i sed by

210

70

90

75

55

235

Appendix 2

a) Interview Schedule for Teacher Educators on ELT

in India

1 . What is your opinion about the shift of emphasis

in ELT in India?

2. How much time do you devote to teaching the

historical perspectives of ELT?

J, How much time do you devote to teaching the current

trends in ELT?

4. Do you feel that these trainees at the end of

their training are fully equipped to handle

English classes?

5. Are you satisfied with the current practice

teaching programme?

6. Do you get full co-operation from the co-operating

schools? What are the problems faced by you while

training the teacher trainees?

7. Do you have any feedback and remedial sessions for

the trainees on completion of their practice

teaching?

8. When there is any change in the high/higher

secondary school syllabus are you informed of it

in advance?

9. Do you find the teacher trainees adequately

competent in English at their entry-point?

236

10. Do you get any periodic in-service training to

familiarise yourself with the current trends in

ELT?

b) Table showing the opinion of Teacher Educators

I

237

Appendix 3

THE GANDHIGRAM RURAL INSTITUTE

(DEEMED UNIVERSITY)

F a c u l t y of E n g l i s h and Fore ign Languages

S y l l a b u s in Eng l i sh as a Core-Subjec t

f o r B .A . /B .Sc . /B .Cop . /B .D .A . /R«I .M. Course

O b j e c t i v e s ;

1. To improve the communicative s k i l l s of the s tudents

in English.

2. To develop the different s k i l l s for communication

in English.

3. To generate in the students a keen in teres t in

the process of written and oral communication.

4. To make the students in ternal ise the rules of

Modern English structure and usage so that they

may express themselves effort lessly and

spontaneously in English.

5. To generate a love of l i t e r a tu r e in the s tudents .

6. To make the students acquainted with some of the

well-known creative pieces from world l i t e r a tu r e

tha t wil l eventually stimulate an abiding I n t e r e s t

in values and personality-growth on healthy grounds. >,

7. To develop the necessary skills in the students

which will enable them to translate literary and

other pieces from English into the mother tongue.

i

238

8. To prepare the students for coriipetltive examinations

in English and to make them proficient in business

and official correspondence.

Mechanics of the Course;

The mechanics of the course will be as follows:

a. Each paper has two parts. Part I will be assessed

at the end of each Semester and Part II consisting

of Spoken English and Extensive Reading will be

cumulatively assessed as paper V at the end of

the Semester IV.

b. The course is divided into four semesters.

c. Though textbooks are prescribed for the course, they

are meant mostly as specimen pieces on which the

teaching and learning process will be based.

d. Emphasis will be more on learning than on teaching

and the teacher will act as a catalyst and guide.

e. Equal emphasis will be given to Spoken and Written

English.

Duration:

Two years (Four Semesters)

Salient Features of the Course;

a. The course aims at simultaneous development of

the following skills: Listening, Reading, Speaking

and Writing.

*a"

239

b. Provision is made in the syllabus for the cultivation

of reading habit by offering a variety of simplified

and graded extensive readers out of which each

student has to choose and read at least 5 books per

semester, and prepare comprehensive and appreciative

assessment of their reading under the supervision

of one of the teachers.

c. Training in speaking in English will be provided

in the Language Laboratory Audio Visual Room and

in the classroom.

d. There will be regular debates, seminars and quiz

programmes in order to develop the powers of the

students in reasoning logically and expressing

ideas cogently and coherently.

Assessment:

Internal : 50 Marks

External : 50 Marks

The skills of the learners in listening, speaking,

reading and writing will be assessed for awarding

internal marks. The distribution of marks for the

four skills is as follows:

Listening

Speaking

Reading

Writing

10 Marks

10 Marks

15 Marks

15 Marks

240

The learners may be divided into small groups of

20 each.

Listening Ski l l :

Learners are exposed to l i s tening to recorded

conversation, dialogue, speech, e t c . and they wil l be

given objective type questions based on the learning

mater ia l s . Quiz programmes may be organised.

Speaking Ski l l :

Learners wil l be asked to speak on one topic out

of six related to t h e i r l i f e for 3 mts. Spoken Engligh

c lasses may be arranged per iodica l ly .

The evaluation may be done

a) by the teachers of the faculty

b) by the other students

c) by the external examiners

All the students wil l be made to undergo the course

on proficiency in Spoken English offered by Regional

Ins t i tu t e of English, Bangalore as part of the course

during the f i r s t semester. Assistance from the Regional

In s t i t u t e of English, Bangalore may be sought for

conducting the course in Gandhigram Rural Ins t i tu te

I t s e l f .

Reading Ski l l :

Passages for tes t ing t h i s s k i l l may be selected

from prescribed Textbooks, Extensive Reading,

241

Newspapers, Journals etc.

Tests should aim at finding the learners' comprehensive

ability • The learners may be asked to read a known or

unseen passage loudly to find out whether they read

properly, dividing each sentence into sense groups.

They will be asked to answer objective type questions

based on the passage to test their comprehension.

Writing Skill:

The learners may be given topics or questions

from the prescribed texts and unseen passages to write

short answers, paragraphs of 100 words each and

extended compositions of 200 words each.

Assignments based on the prescribed texts may be

given. The learners may be asked to write on specific

topics in the classroom during the composition period.

A few topics as assignment may be given to the learners

to be written, using reference materials outside the

class hours.

i

242

Course Outline at a Glance

First Semester

Paper I - Prose and Fiction

Part I

Unit - I : English Prose for Communication

Unit - II : Remedial English

Unit - III : Short Stories

Part II (To be cumulatively assessed as Paper V

at the end of the IV semester)

Unit - I : Spoken English

(Consonants and vowels lessons 1 to 12)

Unit - II : Extensive Reading

(5 graded simplified readers)

Second Semester

Paper II - Poetry and Drama

Part I

Unit - I : Drama

Modern one-act Plays

Unit - II : Poetry

•Poets Progress'

Unit - III : 'Grammar and Usage'

The elements of Communication in English



243

Unit - I

Unit - II

: Spoken English

Consonants and Vowels

Lessons 13 to 24

: Extensive Reading


Third Semester

Paper III - Functional English-I

Part I

Unit - I : Writing with a Purpose

Unit - II : English Language Course for Colleges

Unit - I I I : Elements of Business English

Pa r t II (To be cumulat ively assessed as Paper V



S t ress Rhythm and Intonat ion

(Lessons 1 to 36)

Unit - II j Extensive Reading

(5 graded s impl i f ied readers)

Part I

Unit

Unit

Unit

Fourth Semester

Paper IV - Functional Engl ish-I I

I : Introductory English

II : Words - A Book of English Usage

III : Dialogues in English

244

Part II (To be cumulatively assessed as Paper V '



PPC Practice Lessons 37 to 44



Fifth Semester

Paper V - Functional English-Ill

(Examined at the end of the fourth semester Comprehensive

Course Viva conducted by the Faculty with one External

Examiner)

a* Assessment of record of extensive reading during

the four semesters

b. Assessment of spoken competence

c. Testing of listening and reading skills.

245

Syllabus Details

First Semester

Paper I - Prose an^ Fiction

Part I

Unit - I : English Prose fo r Communication.

ed . by M.S. Prabakaran, R, Jo th iprakash

and M.R. Kubendran

The fol lowing e ight p i e c e s

1. I have a dream - Martin Luther King

2. On Education - Albert E ins te in

3. All about a Dog - A.G. Gardiner

4. The Gandhian Way - C.E.M. Joad

5. Great Sc i en t i s t s and Inven tors - J . B . Neilson

6. The Success of Non-violence - Jawaharlal Nehru

7» Science and Society - J. Bronowski

8. Freud and Dreams - H.J . Eysenck

Unit - II : Remedial English by F .T . Wood

Published by Macmillan, Madras. '

Unit - I I I : Memorable S t o r i e s from many c o u n t r i e s .

ed. by Dr.N. Radhakrishnan

(P.V. Nathan & Co. , Madras)

The following f ive s t o r i e s are prescr ibed:

1• The t h r e e Hermits - Leo Tolstoy

2. Two Gentlemen of Verona - A . J . Cronin

3. The Open Window - Saki

4. rienry - P h y l l i s Bottom

246

5. David Swan - Nathaniel Hawthrone

Par t II (To be cumulatively assessed as Paper V at the end of the IV semester)

Unit - I : Spoken English - Consonants and Vowels

Lessons 1 - 12 .

Unit - II : Extensive Reading - Five graded.,

s impl i f ied r e a d e r s .

Second Semester

Paper II - Poetry and Drama

Pa r t I

Unit - I : Modern One-act Plays

ed . by S. Kandasamy (Emerald Publ i shers )

The following p ieces are p rescr ibed :

1 • The Unexpected - El la Adkins

2. The Death Trap - Saki

3« The Anniversary - Anton Chekhov

4. The S h e r i f f ' s Kitchen - Ronald Gow

5» Followers - Harold Brighouse

Unit - II ; Modern Poetry

The P o e t ' s Progress

ed . Hubert Jagger (Blackie & Sons)

The following p ieces are p resc r ibed :

1. Robert Southey - My Days among the Dead are passed

2. Lord Byron - The Destruct ion of Sennacherib

3» John Keats - La Belle Dame Sans Merci

247

4. H.W. Longfellow

5» Lord Tennyson

6. Matthew Arnold

- The S l ave ' s Dream

- The Lady of Shalott

- The Forsaken Merman

Unit - I I I : English for Communication

"Elements of Communication in English"

by Dr.N. Radhakrishnan

Par t II (To be cumulatively assessed as Paper V at the end of the IV semester)

Unit - I : Spoken English - Consonants and Vowels

Lessons 13 - 24



Third Semester

Paper I I I - Functional Bnglish-I

Pa r t I

Unit - I : Writing with a purpose by Tickoo

and Sasikumar

Unit - II : English Language Course for Colleges

b y L . A . H i l l

Unit - III % Elements of Business English




Stress, Rhythm and Intonation

248



Fourth Semester

Paper IV ~ Functional Engllsh-II

Part I

Unit I : Introductory English - a course for

Technical Students overseas by

P.A. Saunders, University of London

Press Ltd.

Unit - II : Words - a book of English usage by

M.G. Gopalakrishnan, published by

R.I.E. , Bangalore.

Unit - III : Dialogues in English by

Dr.S. Velayudhan, Regional Institute

of English, Bangalore.


at the end of the IV semester)'

Unit - I

Unit - II

Spoken English

a) BBC Prac t i ce l essons

b) Improve your Spoken English by

J.S. Bright

Extensive Reading


249

Paper V ~ Functional English-Ill

(To be examined at the end of the Fourth Semester)

a. Assessment of record of extensive reading during

the four semesters

b. Assessment of Spoken Competence

c* Testing of listening and reading skills

The tests will be held in the form of a

Comprehensive Course Viva conducted by the Faculty

with the help of one External Examiner.

250

Appendix k

a. (The question paper for the Initial Test given to

the IV Semester Home Science and Chemistry Students

of Batch I and Batch II.)

Initial Test

IV Semester (1989-90 and 1990-91)

Time: 1*/2 hrs. Marks: 50

I a) Give the antonyms for the following:

ugly, bright, strong, possible, truth, heavy,

tidy, broad, literate, accept • (V2x10=5)

b) Give the synonyms for the following:

magnificent, envious, chase, similar, revere,

industrious, abode, huge, frequent, precede

(Y2x10«5)

II Give single word substitutes for the following:

1) One who does not believe in the existence of Sod.

2) A child which has lost one or both of its

parents by death.

3) A period of two weeks.

4) The act of killing oneself.

5) A scientific study of birds. (1x5"»5)

III Correct the following sentences.

1) I am 111 since yesterday.

2) He said he will come today.

3) One of the students have lost the book.

251

4) I prefer coffee than tea.

5) The teacher discussed about the question paper in

the class yesterday. (1x5=5)

IV Make sentences to bring out the difference of

meaning in the following pairs of words.

a) whether - weather; b) diary - dairyj c) conscious

conscience; d) proceed - precede; e) made - maid

(2x5«10)

V Fill in the blanks with suitable forms of the verbs

given in the brackets.

1) The earth (move) round the sun.

2) My friends (see) the Prime Minister yesterday.

3) I —: (send) him only one letter upto now.

4) It started to rain while we (play) tennis.

5) He (fall) asleep while he was driving.

6) The baby (cry) for 3 hours.

7) By this time next week you (complete)

your exams.

8) I (buy) a new bicycle last week.

9) The train (leave) before we reached the

station.

10) When I get home this evening my children

(play). (1x10=10)

252

VI Attempt a critical appreciation of the following

poem *

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us,

Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another

Failing o'er life's solemn main;

A forlorn and shipwreck'd brother

Seeing, shall take heart again.

(1x1010)

b. (The question paper for the Final Test given to

the IV Semester Home Science and Chemistry students

of Batch I and Batch 11^

Final Test

IV Semester (1989-90 and 1990-91)

Time: 3 hrs. Marks: 100

I a) Give the antonyms for the following:

rural, lazy, soft, relevant, ecstasy, legitimate,

pious, prosperity, precede, confidence (y2x10=5)

b) Give the synonyms for the following:

solitude, abundant, mock, obsolete, reprimand,

conceal, slender, fatal, genuine, furious (y2x10»a5)

II Give single word substitutes for the following:

253

1 ) A person who leaves his country to settle In

another country.

2) One who shows great love for his country.

3) The act of killing an infant.

4) A period of ton years.

5) That cannot be read.

6) Relating to country and country-life.

7) That cannot be seen through.

8) Not capable of making a mistake or doing wrong.

9) Happening at the same time.

10) One who spends money extravagantly. (1x10=>10)

III Correct the following sentences:

1) I agree with your proposal.

2) Ramu along with his parents go for a walk every

morning.

3) It was raining since this morning.

4) Mala is different than Kala in all aspects.

5) I'd rather have a boy to a girl.

6) I reached at the station just in time.

7) If you did not run fast, you will not catch the bus.

8) I kindly request you to grant me leave.

9) I have seen him yesterday.

10) He fell down while he climbed the steps. (1x10=10)

254

IV Use t h e fo l l owing p a i r s of words in s e n t e n c e s of

y o u r own:

a) adop t - a d a p t ; b) s t e e l - s t e a l ; c) pray - p r ey ;

d) compliment ~ complement; e) peace - p i e c e

(2x5=10)

V Make s e n t e n c e s of you r own wi th t h e fo l lowing ;

to make both ends meet ; t o p u t up w i t h ; a t o n e ' s

f i n g e r t i p ; t o t a k e e x c e p t i o n ; t o t a k e t o o n e ' s

h e e l s (1x5=5)

VI F i l l i n t h e b l a n k s wi th s u i t a b l e forms o f t h e

v e r b s g iven i n t h e b r a c k e t s .

1) Don't d i s t u r b me. I (do) my homework.

2 ) He (be) f o r t y nex t b i r t h d a y .

5 ) This p a p e r ( appea r ) tw ice weekly.

4) I s h a l l t e l e p h o n e you as soon as he (come) back.

5 ) I t ( r a i n ) c o n t i n u o u s l y f o r t h e p a s t one week.

6) Two and two (make) f o u r .

7) When I g o t home, my dog ( w a i t ) f o r me.

8) He ( l e a v e ) f o r work before I reached h i s h o u s e .

9) I —' ( r e a d ) t h i s book •

0) Before you r e a c h t h e r e tomorrow, he (complete)

h i s work. (1x10-10)

VII Attempt a critical appreciation of the poemj

Some murmur, when their sky is clear

And wholly bright to view,

255

If one small speek of dark appear

In their great heaven of blue;

And some with thankful love are filled,

If but one streak of light,

One ray of God's good mercy, gild

The darkness of their night. (1x10=10)

VIII Match the following authors with the books written

by them:

Jane Austen Samson Agonistes

Shakespeare Kanthapura

T.S. Eliot Pride and Prejudice

Charles Dickens Murder in the Cathedral

Milton As you like it

Tale of Two Cities

(1x5*5)

IX Write a shor t imaginary conversat ion between a

pet-dog and a. s t r ee t -dog . (1x10=10)

X Write a summary of the following passage of about

one- th i rd o f i t s o r ig ina l l e n g t h .

I t i s very easy to acquire bad habits , , such as

ea t ing too many sweets or too much food, or drinking too

much f l u i d of any kind, or smoking. The more we do a

t h i n g , the more we tend to l i k e doing i t ; and if we do

not continue to do i t , we f ee l unhappy. This is ca l l ed

256

the force of habit, and the force of habit should be

fought against.

Things which may be very good when only done from

time to time, tend to become very harmful when done too

often and too much. This applies even to such good

things as work or rest. Some people form a bad habit

of working too much, and others of idling too much. The

wise man always remembers that this is true about himself,

and checks any bad habit. He says to himself, "I am now

becoming idle," or "I like too many sweets" or "I smoke

too much" and then adds, "I will get myself out of

this bad habit at once."

One of the most widely spread of bad habits is the

use of tobacco. Tobacco is now smoked or chewed by men,

often by women, and even by children, almost all over

the world. It was brought into Europe from America by

Sir Walter Raleigh, four centuries ago, and has thence

spread everywhere. I very much doubt whether there is

any good in the habit, even when tobacco is not used to

excess, and it is extremely difficult to get rid of the

habit when once it has been formed.

Alcohol is taken in almost all cool and cold

climates and to a very much less extent in hot ones.

Thus, it is taken by people who live in the Himalaya

257

Mountains, but not nearly so much by those who live in

the plains of India. Alcohol is not necessary in any

way to anybody. Millions of people are beginning to

do without it entirely; and once the United States of

America have passed laws which forbid its manufacture

or sale throughout the length and breadth of their

vast country. In India it is not required by the people

at all, and should be avoided by them altogether. The

regular use of alcohol, even in small quantities, tends

to cause mischief in many ways to various organs of

the body. It affects the liver, it weakens the mental

powers, and lessens the general energy of the body.

25$'

c. 1) Marks scored against a maximum of 100 by Batch I

(IV Semester Chemistry & Home Science Students

1989-90)

260

2) Frequency Table for the above series:

262

4) Maries scored aga ins t a maximum of 100 by Batch II

(IV Semester Chemistry & Home Science Students of

1990-91)

p^^^M^^^K^^^ww^^^^^^iyw^aS^^j^^^^^g^^

265

266

7) Analysis:

The Mean of the marks scored by Batch I in the

Initial Test is 33,51 » The Mean of the marks scored

by Batch II in the Initial Test is 33.93. The two

Means are almost identical.

The Mean of the marks scored by Batch I in the

Terminal Test is 40.39• The Mean of the marks scored

by Batch II in the Terminal Test is 61 .13. These two

Means are widely different.

The levels of competence of Batch I and Batch II

were almost Identical at the time of the Initial Test.

The levels of competence of Batch I and Batch II

were widely different at the time of the Terminal Test.

The same syllabus was prescribed and followed for

both Batch I and Batch II.

Only the method of teaching adopted was different

for the two Batches. Batch I was taught through

traditional methods. Batch II, treated as the

experimental group, was taught through varied innovative

techniques, predominantly communicative in approach.

i

267

8) Inference:

From the above data and analysis it is inferred

that innovative techniques predominantly communicative

in approach are more effective in the teaching of

English than traditional methods.

268

Appendix 5

IV Semester (1990-91)

Home Science and Chemistry Students

English Quiz

I a) Antonyms

1• perfect

2. regular

3. legal

4. mortal

5• animate

6. ugly

7. young

8. right

9 • lazy

10. narrow

b) Synonyms

1 . attractive

2. luxury

3« regret

4. misery

5• furious

6. doze

7. rapid

8. gratitude

9. ecstasy

10. surmise

11 . confident

12. remember

13 • seldom

14. prosperity

15. dark

16. tidy

17. important

18. relevant

19* legitimate

20. possible

11 . vivacious

12. nocturnal

13. precede

14. industrious

15. jealous

16. career

17. accurate

18. morsel

19 • admonish

20. inquisitive

(20x1=20)

(20x1*20)

gmmm^mm^

369

II One-word substitutes:

1* Scientific study of birds.

2. One who shows great love for his country.

3» A period of ten years.

4. One who does not believe in the existence of God.

5. The life story of a person.

6. A child who has lost both the parents.

7* A person who is a hundred (or more) years old.

8. Animals that live only in water.

9» A person who writes, edits and publishes.

0. A person knowing many languages. (10x2=20)

III Books and Authors:

1• Coriolanus

2. Persuasion

3* Far from the Madding Crowd

4. Candida

5. Oliver Twist

6. The Vicar of Wakefield

7. Jane Eyre

8. Kidnapped

9. Wuthering Heights

10. Murder in the Cathedral (10x2=20)

IV Give the correct tense form of the verbs:

1. I film yesterday, (see, .saw, have seen)

270

2. Si ta — coffee every morning, (drinks, is

drinking, drank)

3 . I t —— since yesterday, ( i s raining, has been

raining, rained)

4. If you •- fas t , you will catch the bus. (run,

ran, wi l l run)

5» While he the bus he fell down. (got in,

has got in, was getting in)

6. By this time tomorrow she her work, (will

complete, will have completed, completed)

7. Prabhu along with his father for a walk

every day. (go, goes, is going)

8. Mary in Gandhigram for a long time, but now

she is in Madurai, (lived, has been living, had

been living)

9» This news good, (are, is, was)

10. Now these people for the bus. (wait, are

waiting, have waited) (10x2=20)

V Tamil equivalent for the following:

1 * Make hay while the sun shines.

2. Where there is a will there is a way•

3« Birds of the same feather flock together.

4. Spare the rod and spoil the child.

5. Time and tide wait for none.

272

Appendix 6

An attempt to link the courses of studies -• with

particular reference to Language teaching

In the recent years there has been a lot of talk on

man power requirements and human resource development.

But the oft-repeated slogan of meeting the man power

requirements through Human Resource Development has

taken no tangible shape. As the planning to meet the

demands is still in the embryonic stage, the needs grow

into gigantic proportion in no time at all, and as

quickly die a natural death. And like a phoenix out of

the ashes a new set of requirements is born and this is

just a start to the next vicious circle, where the

educationists and administrators once again have to start

from the beginning . Is it ever possible to find a

solution to this recurrent problem? As a possible

solution, the new education policy stresses the need

for life-based, job-oriented courses. To our utter t

chagrin we find it difficult to define clearly what is

expected out of a course of study since there is a lot

of disjunctions in the continuous stream of studies and

often the elementary and higher courses of the same

stream bear hardly any relation to each other. It

becomes a pressing necessity to plan the curriculum from

273

primary up to Post Graduate level in related steps.

Even then the planners should possess a keen foresight •

into the future and plan in such a way that one course

of study offers many possible openings and of fulfilling

man power requirements.

To cite an example, in Gandhigram University, we

run a P.G. Course in Communicative English, where apart

from the pure aesthetic pleasure literature offers, the

students are given practical training in journalism, art

of translation and speech communication. As a result,

on completing the course, our students get a wide

variety of job opportunities. Those who want to pursue

higher studies in literature can do so. They can also

have a career as a teacher, journalist, translator,

editor, T.V., Radio-script-writer, etc. The choice is

wide and placement definite, of course, the course is

still in an infant stage and with certain modifications

now and then, here and there, it will become a near-

perfect one-almost the ideal of every planner.

Now, in Higher Secondary also we can have similar

courses to suite man power requirements, at different

stages. Higher Secondary courses should be terminal as

well as a means to new openings. They have thus a dual

role to play. Just as an illustration let us take a

21k

sample of a language course. The language syllabus,

Instead of being merely a dinning of grammar, can be

made stimulating by including science fiction, whereby

a science student is facilitated into learning new

technical terms in English and at the same time the story

element delights his aesthetic side. Co-curricular

activities like dramatics provide an opportunity for

the student who has a craving for acting to come out

with his creative side, plays that can be enacted by

the students should be included in the syllabus. When

being enacted by the students, they kindle the interest

of students, inducing incidental learning which is more

effective than "learning a language for the sake of

learning."

What is taken up in the high school/higher secondary

level can be further expanded at the undergraduate and

post graduate levels. The stream which started at the

lower stage should be allowed to flow freely with minor

diversions here and there.

For example the skills involved in teaching/learning

•dialogue writing1 will be basically the same. But a

few tributaries join as the course progresses which

enrich the language learning. The following illustration

should make this point clear. Here is a dialogue between

two boys.

275

A conversation between two boys one of whom is

habitually despondent and thinks that luck is against

him, whereas the other is of a more practical turn of

mind.

Nasarullah Jan. - Come, Hussain, you are taking

your failure too much to heart. I know it is a great

disappointment, and I sympathize with you;' but you must

not allow it to make you so unhappy.

Mohd. Hussain - It is all very well for a lucky

chap like you, Nasarullah. You have passed the first

time, and this is my second failure. You would not feel

so cheery if you were in my place.

N.J. - I know, but you must pull yourself together,

and make up your mind you will pass next time. Remember

the old saying "If at first you don't succeed, try, try,

try, again."

M.H. - Think the other version of the saying has

more sense in it—"If at first you don't succeed, quit,

quit at once!"

N.J. - Oh, nonsense! You will never do anything

if you don't persevere. Now, why do you think you

failed?

M.H. - All these years fate has been against me.

First I was ill with enteric fever which lost me a whole

term. Then just before my examination, my father died,

276

and that so upset me that I could not prepare properly.

M.H. - Its no use. I think I was born unlucky.

I seem to fail in everything I touch. I tried several

times to get a scholarship , but some other boy always

got it instead. I shall give it up.

N.J. - Indeed, you must not. Remember it's the

darkest hour before the dawn. Often when things are at

the worst, they begin to improve. I don't believe in.

all the talk about bad and good luck., A brave man makes

his own luck. You have a year before you; you have brains,

and if you will only pull yourself together and put ,

your heart into your work, you will win through.

M.H. - I wish I had your hopeful disposition.

Still, I will take your advice and have another try.

N.J. - That's the style! And I am sure you will

succeed and break your so-called "bad luck" once for all.

The common error most of us, teachers, tend to

make is, we forget dialogues are primarily meant to be

spoken and then only written. The objective of the

teacher in teaching the above passage at the higher

secondary level should be first to develop the reading

skill, and thou apoaklng nklll . 'J'ho teacher rends the

first half of the passage and the students read the

latter half. They get the 'feel' of the passage while

277

reading. Hussain who is in the throes of despondency

slowly recovers through the good efforts of Jan. The

students should be first made to understand the situation

in which the dialogue takes place . He must be under the

grip of the situation so that learning becomes interesting

for him. Next the teacher could ask two boys to enact

the situation, keeping the passage open. The teacher is

a constant guide who helps students with right

pronunciation and modulation of voice. Unconsciously

students are initiated into the process of spoken

language also. Similar situations are then explained,

suitable and necessary hints are given and the students

are asked to sit in pairs and write their "own" dialogues.

At the higher secondary stage hints for dialogue writing

is a must for the students. Let us not indulge in any

self deception. We know what our students are. We are

aware of their potentials and draw backs. Let us make

learning easy and interesting. The dialogues written

by them can be enacted by them in the class.

What they have been learning unconsciously can be

brought to the conscious level during the U.G. level.

The objective of the teacher is to make clear the role

of intonation, accent, stress, etc. For example,

"That's the style!" when uttered with a falling

278

intonation denotes approval, whereas the rising

intonation denotes encouragement. To the practical

experience, theoretical knowledge should be added.

The student is thus well equipped to be a 'creative

writer1 when he enters the P.G. Course. In the U.G .

level he has been given a thorough training in writing

lengthy dialogues. The situations can be slightly

explained. At the P.G. level the student is able to

write a short play of his own or if he is interested

in short story writing he can effectively introduce the

dialogue when necessary.

The main stream has been "learning dialogue writing."

The minor tributaries, such as speaking it out, learning

the use of intonation enrich the course of the stream.

At every level something new is added and the simplicity

of learning a dialogue, turns into the complexity of

producing one's own play at the end. But everything is

natural, incidental and therefore interesting.

There could be at least biennial meetings between

the high/higher secondary school teachers and college

teachers to assess the continuity of the course and a

frank, open discussion will enable them to help each

other to make learning meaningful and interesting for

the pupils. Let not the learning process be isolated

from living. Let it become a part of it.

U.G. I Year

appendices appendix 1 a) interview schedule for school teachers

Documents