From the Editors’ Desk

e have great pleasure in bringing out the whole volume of the WQuarterly for the year 2012-13. For some unforeseeable reasons, we could not publish the Quarterly last year. However, this is a joint volume that carries articles that were to be published earlier as well as fresh articles submitted for the March 2013 issue. We hope you will enjoy reading them.

Like our previous issues, this issue too is an eclectic mix of concerns in the field of language , literature teaching and translation studies. Wehope that you would enjoy reading, and engaging with, the various strains of thinking that have been expressed in this issue. The various perspectives that have been brought to the field of pedagogy in this issue range from using constructivism in ELT, English for empowerment , technology for empowerment, using authoring tools, video based training programme, community work in teacher education and so on. Two article in this issue deal with experiments and innovations in translation. The other articles are based on various issues addressed in the works of John Arden, Arnold Wesker, J M Coetzee, V S Naipaul and Vijay Tendulkar. We hope that everyone who reads this issue would find something interesting.

Finally, we thank all the contributors for their immense patience and hope that they continue to associate themselves with our journal.

We hope that you enjoy the diverse fare.

Dr. Rajendrasinh Jadeja Dr. Surendrasinh Gohil Dr. Sunil Shah

1 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 CONTENTS 1. My love for English Language Prof. Madhubhai Thaker...... 3 2. Waiting for Godot in Gujarati: An Experiment in Translation Dr. Pranav Joshipura...... 6 3. Constructivist English Language Teaching Dr. Alka Macwan...... 11 4. Designing English Courses for Generating Employability Dr. Yashwant M. Sharma...... 18 5. Innovative Use of Translation in ELT Asha Makhecha...... 28 6. English for Empowerment and Employability:A Myth Or a Reality? Dr Rajeshwari Singh...... 32 7. John Arden and Arnold Wesker : Dramatists of New Sensibility. Subrato Kumar Sinha...... 39 8. A Concerted Effort of J.M Coetzee in Defence of Animal Rights Shabnam Lohani...... 43 9. Muffled Voices of Women in Vijay Tendulkar’s Sakharam the Book binder K.Anuradha...... 48 10. Using Authoring Tools to Enhance Communication Skills Dr. Surendrasinh Gohil & Dr. Sunil Shah...... 52 11. Effectiveness of a video based training programme on grammatical errors of engineering students Tarun Patel...... 57 12. Empowering the Learners of Tribal area to learn English through Technology Anil Varsat...... 69 13. Relevance of Community Work in Teacher Education Dr. Shamsha Emanuel...... 72 14. Nativism and Resultant Rootlessness, Exile, Cultural Alienation, and Identity Crisis in Half a Life by V S Naipaul Bhaskar Pandya...... 76 15. MOBIGAM: Language on the move in Gujarat Dr. James Simpson, Dr. Atanu Bhattacharya, Dr. Richard Badgar, Dr. Sunil Shah...... 84 16. A Report on International Conference...... 88 2 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 My love for English Language Prof. Madhubhai Thaker

I studied through the medium of prior to joining college in June 1939. Then Gujarati not only in the primary school during the 100 days vacation between but also in the secondary school, except F.Y.Sc. and Inter Sc. I read Alexander Science and Mathematics. Even in these Dumas the Three Musketeers, Twenty subjects explanations were often given in Years After and Count of Mote Christo Gujarati. In the matriculation examination, (this is two volumes). I enjoyed these 1939, I wrote answers in English for novels immensely, particularly as I had Mathematics only. read Munshis Patan-ni Prabhuta, Gujarat- no Nath and Raja-dhi-Raj. The similarity Fortunately, we were taught English was striking. Later, I was told that Munshi right from standard five by reasonably got inspiration from Alexander Dumas good teachers. Translation method was historical novels. Dr R. Yagnik, Principal used and Rev. T.L. Welle’s Pathmala ruled of the college was fond of putting on the roost. Shri Mool Shanker taught us in plays, both Gujarati and English. I took standard Five; his own handwriting was part in one of the scenes from G.B. Shaw’s bold and well formed. So my brother’s St.Joan. I did not have a large speaking and my hand writing have been quite part, but the few lines that I spoke, gave good. My brother’s better than mine. me confidence and helped me overcome By the time I reached standard 10 (in stagefright. The following years we staged those days S.S.C. course was 11 years Ibsen’s Doll’s House. I played Krogtead, long), I had acquired basic proficiency in the balckmaling villain. Nora was played English. Then came two very good teachers by Lilian Desai, who had also played St. of English. Shri Jayantilal (Labhbhai) Joan the previous year. After rehearsals Vaishnav and Shri K.N. Shah. By the time from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Lilian and I would I finished my matriculation examination in often go home together. She in a tonga March, 1939, I knew English well enough and I on my bicycle. Years later (1953- to read and understand fiction in English. 55) we met again in Aden in different My father was very proficient in English circumstances. Then she was Dr.Liliben and he helped me by putting good books Desia. (See my notes on our stay in Aden) in my hands. I particularly liked the Times My romance with dramatics continued of India Publication titled “Hair-breath throughout my college days and also later Escapes.” I read Pride and Prejudice by in Kampala. Elsewhere in these memories, Jane Austen and Vicar of Wakefield by I have reminisced about it: Staging a one Oliverge Goldsmith during the vacation act play in Mumbai; acting as AbeLincoln

Madhubhai Thaker, Former Director, H M P English School complex, Dharmaj, Gujarat. He is at present free lance consultant for innovation in governance projects. 3 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 and directing an English and a Gujarati me to teach English in one of the higher scenes in Surat; directing a couple of classes. John Carneiro who taught English Gujarati plays at Atul; acting in a trophy- was to go on study leave for a year. Three winning English one-act play in Kampala teachers shared the resulting load. and so on. But English plays have been I made good use of the vacation. my favourite. In those days and Makerere University Sometimes, during vacation at home college, Kampala (now a full-fledged I would tune in to the B.B.C and listen University), had Prof. John Bright, to the radio plays: dramatization of well- McGregor and Billows on its staff. Their known stories and production of radio- advice and the reference books they lent plays presented by some well-known me helped me. I think I made a pretty teams. The one I particularly remember is good job of teaching English. My students rendition of poems by Charles Laughton did quite well in the end of the year test. (of Mutiny on the Bounty fame). I tried to So the headmaster told me to take on John emulate B.B.C. English diction. Carmen Carneiro’s full load during 1957. That was Doctor, one of my classmates in Mumbai the beginning of my adventure with the once said that my English was ‘laboured’, teaching of English. which it-was in the beginning. I hope it isn’t so any more. My professor thought Since our settling in the university town that my diction was ‘public school’ of Vallabh Vidyanagar, my experience in diction, whatever it meant. the teaching of English has been utilized by the H.M. Patel Institute of English where I am a science graduate and as such, I I conducted in-service-teacher-training am not expected to know English well. I courses in the teaching of Reading and don’t know why but science and excused Writing to teachers of secondary classes, if they cannot express will in English. workshops for the school teachers in and In fact, it was my mother’s considered around Vallabh Vidyanagar and classes in opinion that, since I was quite proficient career development. in English, I should have pursued arts courses. She wanted me to be a professor National Dairy Development Board of English and lead a comfortable, leisurely (NDDB) and the Institute of Rural life in some college. Management (IRMA) sought the help of the H.M.Patel Institute of English Training When I went to Uganda, it was as and Research (HMPIETR) for honing a teacher of biology and chemistry. I communication skills of their staff and was happy teaching an integrated course students respectively. I was invited to join (devised by me) which incorporated the small team of faculty members of the physics, chemistry, biology and health Institute. I helped my sessions on ‘How to science. I would select a topic, say, water produce Teaching Aids,’ ‘How to use the or food and discuss its various aspects chalkboard’. I used to interact with village involving one of the natural sciences, until level workers of NDDB by discussing with I covered them all. them the various techniques of persuasion In 1956, just before the second (Aug) to use improved breeds and scientifically Short vacation my headmaster invited produced balanced feed for cattle. At 4 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 IRMA we coached its students in the art in Darbsha Road off Napeon Sea Road. of making oral and written presentation Dahyabhai was the school’s principal. using visual aids and overhead projector. Next time I encocentered him was in Most of the training was carried out in Vallabh Vidyanagar (1988), where he was English. the principal of the primary section of the English-medium school run by Charutar In the late nineties, Smt. Miraben Dave Vidya Mandal (CVM). I used to see him of the Gujarat School Textbook Board occasionally. invited me to work with a small team of English language educators for producing a In 1994 he approached me to join him dictionary suitable for use in proper primary in helping Shri. Mohanbhai Shankarbhai school. After the work on dictionary was Patel to run the newly established Bavisgam over, I continued working with Miraben Vidyalay, which had English-medium in order to produce Textbooks of English as well as gujarati-medium classes. We for standards, IX, X and XI in the mean helped in recruiting teachers and then in time Smt. Pratibha Shah of the Textbook providing them with orientation. For two invited me to help her produce the English years 1994-1996, Dahyabhai and I met version of Mathematics Textbooks for Std. the teachers for a couple of hours every III and IV. The work included production Wednesday during which sessions we of detailed handbook for teachers. All rendered in service training to the teachers time was hard work demanding accuracy of Bavisgam Vidyalaya. and effective use of simple English Prof. V.J.Trivedi, retired professor Language. I enjoyed the work. It gave of English and principal of the Gujarati an opportunity to know and work with College, was one of the panel for likeminded people. I was impressed by interviewing teachers for Bavisgam the leadership quality and expertise of Vidyalaya. We worked well together that Prof. Rajendrasinh Jadeja, Prof. Mahavir was the beginning of my friendship with Vasavda, Dr. Mahendra Chotalia, Prof. him. Piyush Joshi and Prof. Ramesh Trivedi. Miraben’s and Pratibhaben’s management During the exercise to recruit teachers, was impressive. one of the things that I discovered was that teachers did not know how best to use Miss Falguni Bharatiya who teaches the textbooks they use in teaching Science English at Nalini Arvind and TV Patel and Social Studies. I have developed a Arts College, V.V.Nagar, sought my help short course in the use of textbooks and in editing her Ph.D. Thesis. We had reading in content areas: most of the pre- several sessions most of them at my home. service training that teachers get does not My wife liked Falguni and she became a include ‘reading in content Areas’. That is family member. the reason why students in upper primary Mr. Dahyabhai J. Patel succeeded me and secondary classes do not bother to as the principal of the Gujarati Education read their textbooks; instead they resort to Society’s School in Aden. I had never using guides and rote learning by heart.’ met him until in 1968, when I was These are some serious issues that need introduced to him in Mumbai by Shri to be addressed by us for the benefit of Zaveri who was running a private school education and students community at large. 5 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Waiting for Godot in Gujarati: An Experiment in Translation Dr. Pranav Joshipura

Translating a literary text is like Gujarati. The Gujarati translation is titled undertaking an experiment in a science Godo ni Rahma. The problem begins laboratory. Each new experiment is one right from the translation of the title, for more attempt towards adding something the word ‘Godot’ in English text does not new and useful! Each translation is thus seem to be confined to just one meaning! It one more attempt to provide a literary text seems to be open to many interpretations. to people of altogether different language Mr. Suman Shah, the Gujarati translator, group! It is a sincere attempt at encoding has tactfully transliterated ‘Godot’ as and then decoding into the target idiom and ‘Godo’. This sounds more open and cultural context. However, in this entire inclusive word. In fact, there is no word process of language transfer, the translator like ‘Godo’ in Guajarati. Therefore, the has to be more careful in preserving the Gujarati readers are at a loss when they meaning aimed by the author. This is his/ come across such a title! The absurdness her real test! of the text, for them, begins right from the The present article addresses several title. issues related to translation. These issues The debate here is certainly not have come to the fore while reading whether the translation is good or bad. In Waiting for Godot and its Guajarati fact, no translation can be bad or good. translation Godo ni Rahma. This article attempts to focus on the Is it possible to define translation? No. process, problems and compromises while Because translation is a process, which is translating a literary text, keeping Waiting dependent on many aspects like, person, for Godot in Gujarati in mind. perception, culture, time, etc. Meaning, it While discussing translation, several is never constant. It keeps on changing questions need to be addressed first. The along with time. Gitanjali, to quote an basic question is who can be a translator? instance to the point, has been translated Are there any prerequisites or technical by several scholars in Guajarati over competencies required to be a translator? a period of time. Each is unique and Or can anyone knowing two languages dissimilar to the other. However, not any translate a literary text? Answers to these single translation can be claimed to be questions are not simple. Probably the better than the other as each translation person, who knows the two languages, i.e., is the sincere most attempt to transfer the the source language and the target language text in Guajarati, the target language. equally well, can translate a literary text. Another such example is translation In addition to that, the person who is of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot in familiar with the cultural contexts of the

Dr. Pranav Joshipura, Associate Professor in English, Uma and Nathiba Arts and Commerce College, Gandhinagar 6 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 target language can be a better translator. of Setzuan is an example of this. This Next, to whom should the translator probably is an aspect of existentialism. remain faithful to? The author or the text? Keeping all such issues in mind, A text can be interpreted at various levels. translating Waiting for Godot in Gujarati Therefore, there is a possibility that more becomes problematic. The matter no than one meaning might permeate from longer remains limited to translating from the text. Such multiple meanings of a one linguistic code into another. The word in a target language are problems question now is that of finding relevance. for the translator as it might lead into an The Gujarati audience, which has never altogether different and unintended group experienced purposelessness of life or has of meanings which the translator might never thought about the Godless world, not intend or conscious about. The entire translated text might get misinterpreted! or in other words, has constantly felt that God is present everywhere and that life is Translation of Waiting for Godot in the blessing bestowed by God: how can Gujarati tempts to find an answer to these such an audience ever entertain cries of questions. The play originally was penned pain pleading to realize the usefulness in response to a specific movement of life? How can they feel the intensity happened in Europe. The very existence of of appeal? The experiment of translating God was questioned then. People thought such a play in Gujarati would turn into a that life is purposeless. Such ideas created disaster, for sure. a sense of vacuum among communities. Many felt depressed. Many thought it And it did, to a certain extent. Suman useless to live in a Godless world. The Shah, the translator, took up the challenge very life appeared to be empty and hollow. of performing this play in Gujarati for Sense of hopelessness and mass depression a specific urban Gujarati audience and prevailed everywhere. At such juncture, thereby made them aware of the absurd artists came forefront and attempted movement happening in Europe. In order to prove the meaning of existence, the to make the play relevant and presentable, presence of God, purpose of life, etc. he had to make the text suitable to his target Moreover, theatre of absurd is also seen as audience. His purpose, as it permeates an attempt to challenge traditional idea of from the reading, was to connect the theatre. It tries to present a play which has audience with the play, rather appeal of no story, hence, no beginning, middle or the play. And, in a limited sense, the play end! In such plays, the constrain of time is was successful. The audience/reader is not collapsed. Despite that, the play happens. completely lost while watching/reading the play. However, the Gujarati translation Waiting for Godot is written during never lived beyond a few performances, such an important juncture. The play is as well as it remained limited to a very aimed at a specific purpose. It is thus specific readership. This is not to suggest issue-specific. Black-American theatre that it is an inferior work. This probably or marginal literature, etc are other such suggests constrain of a translated text. instances. However, once the issue under discussion is over, the text might lose its The translator has transliterated words relevance. Then it might not be even worth like ‘goggles’, stool’, ‘kitchen’, ‘mood’, reading. Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Woman ‘shilling’, ‘comfortable’, ‘gospels’, etc. in 7 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Gujarati. Moreover, he has intentionally and culture of the targeted text? By doing avoided using italics for stage and acting the latter, the text shall get connected to instructions. Many lines in the English the translator’s time and situation. People, version are found omitted in Gujarati too, would enjoy reading such text. Such translation, chiefly to establish a kind of liberty can be considered as ‘translation continuity of action. compromise’. For instance, Waiting for Godot is located into Christian culture. The translator’s dilemma of finding There are references suggesting that the relevance raises another issue: whom text is essentially a Christian text. should the translator remain faithful to? – the text or the author? If the translator Let’s read the following dialogue: remains faithful to the text, then the Vladimir: [Softly.] Has he a beard, Mr. authorially intended meaning might not Godot? emerge obviously from translation. The Boy: Yes, sir. appeal that the author has hidden artistically behind words might not get transferred. On Vladimir: Fair or . . . [He hesitates] . . . the other hand, if only author’s meaning or black? is translated, then it would sacrifice the Boy: I think it’s white, Sir. [Silence.] originality and beauties of various kinds Vladimir: Christ have mercy on us! – language, symbols, imagery, etc. The (Beckett 85) translator would turn himself/herself into The connection between the ‘white a critic interpreting the text and then beard’ and ‘Jesus Christ’ is striking arriving at one specific meaning out of and can easily be established. The so many possible meanings! That would English audience enjoys this. However, be unfair for a literary text. Thus, the the Gujarati audience having a non- question of ‘faithfulness’ is one of the Christian background and unaware of most sensitive issues dealt by a translator. such symbolic significance, might not be A good translator should attempt to strike able to appreciate such beauty! The same a fair balance between the two. Suman dialogue is translated in Gujarati thus: Shah, it seems, has tried to remain faithful to both, and, thus, has maintained integrity Ô÷krzr{h : ({]ËwíkkÚke) ËkZe hk¾u Au ¾hk, r{Mxh between the two texts, i.e., the SL and økkuËku? the TL. This amounts to his success as a Akufhku : nk Mkkyuçk translator. Ô÷krzr{h : ¼qhe ½tWðýeo fu.... (yu y[fkÞ From faithfulness emerges another key Au.) fu fk¤e? issue, that of compromise. A literary text is Akufhku : nwt ÄkÁt Awt yu MkVuË Au Mkkyuçk culture specific and is located in a certain þkLíkíkk time location. The process of translation transfers all these culture specificities Ô÷krzr{h : EMkw ËÞk fhku y{khk Ãkh (Shah and time-relations to another culture and 100-111) possibly into another time. Such situation This, however, does not mean that creates problems for a translator. Should the translator should take liberty s/he locate the text into the locale, culture with the source text and distort it and time of the source text? Or should s/ with his/her meanings. Compromise he take liberty and relocate into the time in translation should be just and 8 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 should not harm the integrity of existence and connection. It, in fact, the text. Award winning Gujarati ceases to be a translated text, once novelist Pannalal Patel’s novel published. The Gujarati version Godo Manvi ni Bhavai has been translated ni Rahma becomes original text for in English as Endurance: A Droll’s Gujarati readership. The Guajarati Saga. The source text is located readers are unconcerned about issues in rustic backdrop. Apart from such as authorship and originality, various beauties the text offers, one etc. For them, entertainment is the such variety is different layers of chief source. However, the Gujarati language – urban, semi-urban and version is three times away from the rustic. The translator, despite sincere ‘original’, i.e., the French version efforts, is unable to create the layers and then English version. At every of language distinct in the source level of translation, there is a loss text. Moreover, this novel has songs in the originality. At the same time, representing specific culture. They each version becomes ‘original’ for symbolize various moods, festivals the reader of that particular language. and seasons. They are rhythmic So, translation raises issue of the and in rhyme. Can such variety be ‘original’. What should a sensitive translated? The translator can but reader do? Should s/he go to the do so little than simply transfer text written in the language of the them into another linguistic idiom. author for reasons of originality and However, they need to be translated, authenticity? Or should s/he enjoy somehow. This is the compromise the translated version available to with the source text. A foreign him/her in his/her language? reader of this text will never be able to enjoy the linguistic and cultural The Norwegian text Kontiki richness of this text. This probably and the German text Seven Years is also a limitation of translation. in Tibet have been translated in Gujarati so well that generations of Another equally important issue is readers have been enjoying them. that of originality. Which text is to Both the texts have reached Gujarati be considered as ‘original’? In the through English. In fact, they are so case of Waiting for Godot, the text meticulously translated in Gujarati has come to Gujarat through English. that they read like original Gujarati Similarly, for readers in English language, due to their inability texts! None bothers to know about to understand French, the English the background of the author and version becomes the original version. original text, etc. For a literature Every reader cannot turn back to connoisseur, it is obvious that the French and verify authenticity of text is more important that the each dialogue. Moreover, once this questions of authorship, translation, text is translated from English to etc. Gujarati, for the Gujarati readers, The question of originality is the Gujarati translated text becomes related to the author as well. It can be original text. It establishes its own well argued that the text is just one 9 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 interpretation of a total text present becomes more sensible than that of a in author’s mind. The author desires critic. to provide the complete text evinced And lastly, is complete or perfect in his mind, but can she/he? The translation of a literary text possible? original text therefore lies buried in Or is there anything like ‘good’ or author’s mind only. Only one version ‘bad’ translation? These appear to or interpretation of it pours out. So, be only perceptions. A translation the text we have in our hands is only can never be ‘good’ or ‘bad’. It a partial representation of the total can only become one more attempt text. Should the translator attempt in the process of translation. Thus, to dig out such an original text? Is unperturbed by any criticism, one it possible always? These questions must sincerely translate. need a separate debate. Thus translation is a complex What is the relation between process. The more challenging it translation and criticism? Well, both is, the more enjoyable it becomes. go together, but depart at some Reading and teaching Waiting for point. A critic’s primary duty is to Godot in Gujarati compels one to analyze the work of art and find its peep into the process of translation beauty and then avail readers of the and understand intricacies and same. A translator is a critic also, complexities of this art as well. to a certain extent. S/he analyses, dissects, and interprets the text for her/his understanding and then uses References her/his enlightened understanding Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. Pearson for transferring the text into the Longman: London. 1956. target language. Up to the point Brecht, Bertolt. The Good Woman of Setzuan. of interpreting the text, the critic Penguin Books: England. 1947. and the translator travel together. However, both depart from this Meghani, Mahendra, Tr. Kon-Tiki. Sanskar Sah- point onwards. The critic shares her/ itya Mandir: Ahmedabad. 1952. his understanding of the text with ------. Tibetna Bhitarma. Lok Milap Trust: the readers. He explains its beauty Bhavnagar. 1956. vis-à-vis limitations. Whereas the translator realizes the author’s Shah. Suman, Tr. Godo ni Rahma. Parth Publica- creativity and then transfers the tion: Ahmedabad. 1990. same in the target language. In this Tagore, Rabindranath. Gitanjali. Penguin: Lon- limited sense only, a translator’s task don. 2012.

10 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Constructivist English Language Teaching Dr. Alka Macwan

1.0 Introduction: interaction of what they already know A classroom where a teacher teaches and believe and the ideas, events, and and students are taught following a activities with which they come in contact notion that a teacher knows everything (Richardson, 1997). A teacher, from the and the students know nothing is an age imparter of knowledge becomes facilitator old image of what teaching was perceived of conditions, which helps a learner in earlier. Pedagogy inviting participation, the process of knowledge construction. collaboration, inquiry, interaction, Learning activities in constructivism creativity, and co-operation leading to are characterized by active engagement, construction of knowledge has entered inquiry, problem solving and collaboration into the epistemic view of education (Brooks and Brooks, 1993). The underlying with the arrival of constructivism in assumptions of constructivism in a nutshell educational scene. Rich contexts for are as follows: learning, social interaction, valuing • The learner is a unique individual and differences, providing time for deep his learning is an active social process understanding are the features brought in of constructing subjective knowledge. through innovative strategies and practices to alter the aforesaid notion into the one i. • The learner has to arrive at his or e. the road to knowledge is always under her version of the truth, influenced construction. The role of the teacher to by his or her background, culture or meet this end is to give the students center embedded worldview. stage in the classroom, providing a setting • Responsibility of learning should in which the students play an active role reside increasingly with the learner in their learning. Teachers act as guides, (Glasersfeld, 1989) mentors and advisors building bridges • Instructors have to adapt to the role of between their students’ individual interests facilitators and not teachers and understandings. Constructivism as a meaning making 2.0 English Language Teaching : pedagogy has been at the forefront of State of affairs In Gujarat academic debates among researchers and practitioners. The concept of learning Enhancing communicative and the role of the teacher undergo a competence rather than grammatical great change in constructivism. As an competence is the core objective accepted epistemology, it maintains that individuals theoretically by the teaching fraternity in create or construct their own new Gujarat as far as teaching of English is understandings or knowledge through the concerned. The text books , being based

Dr. Alka Macwan, Assistant Professor, M B Patel College of Education, Sardar Patel University, V V Nagar 11 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 on communicative approach , emphasizes Looking to this state of affairs, the need the mastering language functions woven for switching fully to communicative in reading materials and the tasks that approach is felt to make English language follow it. It expects a great deal of learning more meaningful. participatory, activity oriented and student centered leaning environment where 3.0 Synchronic Connections “use the language, Learn the language “ Between Language, Learning is advocated in practice. But if we look and Constructivist English at the actual practice, it can be said Language Learning that the English classrooms, to some extent, are characterized by execution Why constructivism in language of communicative activities based on teaching stipulates to find out synchronic language functions, encouragement connections between these questions: for language use, contextual input and • What is the nature of language? practice, group/pair work, judicious use • What is meant by learning? of the mother tongue and facilitating What is meant by constructive English for genuine language production. Some • language learning? teachers are still striving to become fully communicative teachers as they bring The answers to these questions are in mastery of rules o grammar through given in the following table describing mechanical drilling before they prepare the linear connections between these three students for communicative activities. areas.

Language Learning Constructivist English Language Learning Language is not just a system, not just Learning is not understanding of There is no standard language a human phenomenon, nor just a social the “true” nature of things, nor it is patterns as knowledge ‘out there’ phenomenon. It has all of these three remembering dimly perceived perfect independent of the user helping dimensions ideas, but rather a personal and social one to be effective communicator, ( Chomsky: 1957). construction of meaning out of the but only contextual and bewildering array of sensations which appropriate language samples have no order or structure besides the which are constructed further as explanations which we fabricate for we go on using language . them (Vyogostsky, 1978). Language is a product of multiple Learning generates when we make English is not a subject. Learning determinants operating through number of sense out of our world by taking in English aims at developing mediating processes. These determinants information from the environment and communicative competence. are cognitive skills that require humans assimilating it into our pre existing This claims for being able to to perceive the essential elements speech, schemas and understanding. constructively produce language to recognize and remember the abstract to convey meaning. rules and to select appropriate words and rules to figure out linguistic knowledge in different areas of discourse (Bandura, 1989) Language is productive , generative in Learning is an active process and Being able to produce nature. a social activity, mediated through appropriate language fluently interaction. requires contextual real life like situations for communication in English carried out through participation, involvement ant co-operation. 12 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 The table above establishes that for active techniques (experiments, real- constructivist English teaching classroom, world problem solving) to create more teacher sets up contexts which are social knowledge and then to reflect on and talk in nature and monitors student exploration, about what they are doing and how their guides the direction of student inquiry and understanding is changing. The teacher promotes new patterns of thinking and makes sure she understands the students’ create scope for variety in communication preexisting conceptions, and guides the . Classes can take unexpected turns as activity to address them and then build students are given the autonomy to direct on them. Fusion of constructivism with their own explorations. communicative approach will take English language teaching a step ahead by making 4.0 Fusing Communicative it not just producing contextual English Approach and Constructivism but by developing students’ meta-cognitive skills regarding how new language is In the classroom, the constructivist produced using the previous knowledge. view of learning can point towards a number of different teaching practices. The following table shows how In the most general sense, it usually communicative approach takes learning a means encouraging students to use step ahead on fusing constructivism.

Indicators of communicative approach More in ELT on fusing Constructivism Focus on communication rather than structure Making the production of language subjective construction based on previous language mastery of the learner Emphasis on functional use of language in different Spiral development of how language production take place social setting

Use of classroom activities that relate language forms Range of possible responses enables doing, stating and theoriz- with functions ing as a linear process.

Focus on meaningful tasks Experimentation in language production Collaboration Development of social skills Focus on the whole learner Learners are developed as thinkers, not just users of language. This is done through engagement, exploration, elaboration and evaluation of what is produced as language. Quality in lan- guage use is manifest. Teacher as a facilitator Learners become co-inquirers, construct situations/contexts for production of language Use of authentic, from life materials Stepping out of the classroom for real language use. Provide learners with opportunities to share and ex- Internalization of attitudes, learning life skills as a by product. plore their beliefs, feelings and opinions.

Goal of fluency Goal of holistic development

5.0. A Sample lesson plan leading to communicative tasks based on constructivist approach is Given below is an extract from a story developed as a sample. : Oh Jallebies. A reading comprehension 13 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Resources Scaffold of the play role A A coin made of hard board. Display of Sample questions to be asked to the coin. Classroom Interaction in the form of Learners’ Activities Interaction in the form of Learners’ Classroom Students will listen to the model reading done by the teacher and the following Questions. will answer How is the state of the boy in the following situations- getting money, going to school with money, absence of the teacher, finding the coin conversing? What might have happened to the boy on knowing that the teacher is not present in the school? What other questions might have been asked happen to you If the coins? talking boy the to boy by the of the response first coin? the Evaluate how would you have reacted? to be in the place of boy, Do you think coins can really speak to tempt the boy? Students will read the last paragraph of the extract will silently prepare role and play scripts following the scaffold presented by the teacher in groups to enact roles of the coin, jallebies. the boy and the Students will answer the following questions by teacher. Students will answer spending about ideas What parents? your from money get you do When those money click in your mind on having money? Students will play a game as instructed to ask by to questions the frame They They teacher. coin. a will to talking themselves imagine the coin. On listening to the answer given by the teacher on behalf of the coin, they will narrate their experience of having conversa - tion with the coin. Objective/s • Students state of the the state boy situations. in different Students imagine further temptations given by coin. the Students response of the boy. evaluate Students the role characters of the lesson. play the Students experiences recall on money and the temptations their having faced. to questions frame Students be asked to the coin. • • • • • • Indicator/s Constructivist I was in the 9th standard at the government school. One day I went to school with four All rupees through the in day my the coins pocket sat to in my pay pocket, the but on school my fees. way they When began I to speak. went One coin said, what are you thinking about those fresh “Look jalebies? Here, You four rupees”, I said to them. I am a good boy. Don’t misguide me or it wont be good for you. Besides, you are my fees The money. If coins I disliked what I said. All of them began to speak at once. There was such a clamour that the passerby in the bazaar stared at me and my Here are the constructivist activities for enabling the students first comprehend the reading extract and thereby develop communicative competence Engaging students to enter into a zone a into enter to students Engaging which is not fully known and yet not beyond their experiences to enable them to stretch themselves. Activating previous knowledge of the of knowledge previous Activating students through Bridging what they know and what they are expected to know. there, there, I found that the teacher who collected the fees was on leave today and so the fees would be collected the next day. jalebies are meant to be eaten and only those with money in their pocket can eat them” spend you today then how shall I show my face to my teacher tomorrow?” pocket. I caught them tightly but after taking then, a If few you steps spend the us for oldest today, coin wont you said,” get tell scholarship me money honestly tomorrow? Sweets now, don’t with you fees feel money, like fees with eating scholarship those money.” hot jalebies? And using the expressions and structures woven in the extract. The planning has been done for class 9 students who are learning English as a second language. 14 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Prompting questions. Prompting of a letter Structure Chit containing the context, A sheet con - taining helping words . and expressions Worksheet Worksheet containing the table for instructions and advice writing ,response box, table for making comparison of responses . - Students will work in groups. They will study frame the will questions They given collectively. them over think will and teacher the by constructed end compare will They story. the for ends different two with that of others. group by their Students will work They individually. will write a letter to the boy or to their parents comparing the characteristics of the own. their boy and Students will work in groups of six. They will study the context giv - context the study will They six. of groups in work will Students between dialogues initiating for roles distribute will and them to en them on the given situation. tele the But study. to supposed are You nearing. is exam Your Context: vision starts talking to you tempting you to watch Your cartoon movie. friend tempt you to go for playing with sister him. Your wants you to give her company for mother shopping. Your wants you to You study. are perplexed. tele - talking the including people different of roles up take Students vision and converse on the given situation. Students will think of the roles of different people in the life of the boy and will imagine what will they instruct to or advice the boy. They will work in pairs and will fill in the details in the following table. People Advice/Instruction parents Teacher Friend individu - advices and instructions such to responses write will They partner. with those of their responses their They will compare ally. Students end of the story. different frame the to letter a write Student two boy/parents for presenting comparison themselves and the boy in between the story.. Students converse on the given situation. Students infer instructions/ advice to be given to boy. the Students frame responses for each advice. instruction or • • • • • - - Facilitating ownership of what been has learnt through reflectingthe process of learning, and sharing . over Bringing forth variety of production language by facilitating tion explana and elaboration through exhibit ing, expanding, enhancing the newly learnt language. Facilitating exploration through de - veloping situations and grouping.

15 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 6.0 Suggestive Practices for and feelings Constructive English Language • Contextualization of instruction to Teaching Classrooms promote language production Creation and internalization of • Maximizing social contexts for knowledge , being the core of constructivist language production classrooms,the constructivism in English language teaching too emphasises turning • Scaffold instruction to support away from the instructor and the content, students in completing a challenging and towards the learner. This dramatic task and learning change of role implies that a facilitator more complex language structure needs to display a totally different set without reducing the complexity. of skills than a teacher A teacher tells, a Scaffolding supports learners’ language facilitator asks; a teacher lectures from fluency, stimulates their active thinking, the front, a facilitator supports from the and advances their communication ability back; a teacher gives answers according in English. to a set curriculum, a facilitator provides • using problem solving activities, guidelines and creates the environment project based learning for the learner to arrive at his or her own conclusions; a teacher mostly gives a • Promoting critical thinking through monologue, a facilitator is in continuous think ,reflect and converse activities dialogue with the learners A facilitator • Using co operative group works and should also be able to adapt the learning involving students in process oriented experience ‘in mid-air’ by taking the inquiry approach initiative to steer the learning experience to where the learners want to create value. • Using authentic learning opportunities and not becoming slave of lesson The learning environment should also planning be designed to support and challenge the learner’s thinking (Di Vesta, 1987). • Reciprocal Questioning: students work While it is advocated to give the learner together to ask and answer questions ownership of the problem and solution • Jigsaw activities process, it is not the case that any activity or any solution is adequate. The critical 7.0 Conclusion goal is to support the learner in becoming an effective thinker. This can be achieved In order for any discipline to survive, by assuming multiple roles, such as it must accommodate changes in theory consultant and coach. and practice and do so in a way that adds value to the discipline. Not only that, A few strategies for cooperative curious and innovative teachers need to learning include fuse theories to actualize finer facilitation • Asking questions which require higher of learning. New epistemic explanations order thinking skills and relating regarding nature of learning and teaching content with personal details , thinking trigger through experimentation in 16 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 blending theories. Let us accept the fact TEACHER EDUCATION: BUILDING NEW that as teachers we also need to construct UNDERSTANDINGS (pp. 3-14). Washington, are own pedagogy which is flexible, DC: Falmer Press.Brooks, J. G. & Brooks, M. J. flowing and free from any rigid structural (1999): “In Search of Understanding: The Case hassles. for Constructivist Classrooms” Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, New York, USA References Brooks and Brooks(1993). In Search Of Vyogostsky, L. s. (1978). Mind in Society. Harvard Understanding: The case For Constructivist University press, London. Classroom. Alexandria, VA, Jerome Bruner (http://snycorva.cortland. Glasersfeld, 1989 Constructivism in education . edu/~ANDERSMD/COG/bruner.html) Oxford England: Pergamon Press. Jean Piaget (http://www.koyote.com/personal/ Richardson, V. (1997). Constructivist teaching hutchk/piaget1.htm) and teacher education: Theory and practice. Lev Vygotsky (http://education.indiana.edu/~cep/ In V. Richardson (Ed.), CONSTRUCTIVIST courses/p540/vygosc.html).

17 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Designing English Courses for Generating Employability Dr. Yashwant M. Sharma

In the past few decades the growing English to consolidate and further expand communicative needs of the globalized the language acquired at the primary world has given impetus to the English school level and equip the learner with a teaching in India. A good command over vocabulary repertoire of about 3000 words English does not only give an edge but and to develop the skills of LSRW. The provides with a lot of job opportunities main thrust of the new syllabus is on: available in the market. Now-a-days, the aim of teaching and learning of English has • meaning and use rather than form centred around the word- Communication of the language and the prime objective of teaching & • communicative skills and language learning English is to strengthen the functions communicative skills of learners. • interactive classroom practices for As Krisnaswamy and Sriraman put it, learner-centred activities and ‘…the present generation is convinced that English is needed for mobility and social • evaluation of communicative and economic advancement. English is ability rather than formal grammar. the language of opportunities because it [Syllabus of English GSERT Board, takes one outside one’s own community to Gandhinagar, (2003-2004)] places (within or outside India) where more The perspective to English language opportunities are available for English; it teaching as reflected in this syllabus is has a lot of ‘surrender value’ and teachers communicative. That is, the teaching of might want to cash in or it’. In other English is need-based, learner centred, words, Indians have realized that English interaction –oriented. The teacher’s role is the language, not of westernization, is of a facilitator of learning who creates but of modernization (i.e. the language of opportunities for the students to use communication and technology). English in the classroom, at school as well as outside. This approach envisages Teaching of English at School level centrality of exposure to spoken English in Gujarat: as well as oral interaction for language Keeping in view the growing learning \ acquisition. The evaluator of all communicative needs of English language the skills i.e. LSRW thinking, appreciation, from 2000 onwards the Gujarat Secondary library skills is comprehensive and and Higher Secondary Education Board continuous. Both the print and electronic upgraded and updated the syllabi of media are to be used extensively.

Dr. Yashwant M. Sharma, Associate Professor, S. P.T. Arts & Science College, Godhra 18 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Teaching of English at the UG Level: will eventually be able to communicate, once they have mastered the rules of In most of the Universities of Gujarat sentence construction and have acquired there are two types of English courses an adequate vocabulary. (Clark 1987:11) introduced at the B.A. level: (i) English It presumes that the learners do not claim major, (ii) General (Compulsory English). the return on his investment in learning However, in some of the universities even until that learning has been proceeding the general English courses have not been for some years (Wilkins1974: 121). But made compulsory, despite the fact that in the Indian context, even after several all students need English for academic years of learning, students fail to use and professional purposes and for social English effectively for communication. interaction The special English course, This indicates the reduced degree of on the other hand, has been provided on usefulness of the GE courses offered at an elective basis for students who need the undergraduate level. a higher level of proficiency in English and are interested in the study of English In the examination students tend to rely literature. more on convergence to certain established patterns of knowledge and behaviour, and Though the aims and objectives of the not divergence towards creativity to cope General English and Special English, are with problems which have no readymade intended to cater to the ‘heterogeneous formulae solutions. (Widdowson, 1983) tertiary level student population’, they do not equip learners with the language skills An average undergraduate student for functioning in English (e.g., at the presumably looks upon the university as workplace, use of communication skills a means of getting degrees or diplomas, for interpersonal and interactional needs). but without any well-defined purpose in terms of employment prospects. Most The prevalent pattern of the GE of the courses are also not skill-oriented courses seems to be the prescription of programmes, which will serve as an reading texts (anthologies of poetry and educational bridge to the employment prose, short stories, novels and plays) market. This leads to a colossal waste of along with some exercises in reading human resources. comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and There is, therefore, a dire need for composition. Though ‘language items’ are creating a framework and programme of used in some universities, there has been action to reduce the mismatch between no attempt to understand the learners’ the higher education and manpower needs needs and interests in a systematic way. of the country. The situation therefore This is evident from the design of the calls for special efforts and programmes syllabuses and their implementation in the in the university sector to develop human classrooms. resources compatible with the requirements The traditional GE courses of contemporary society and to evolve predominantly show a lack of emphasis mechanisms for the generation of new on the cultivation of communication employment opportunities in the private skills, as they adopt a classical humanist and public sectors, both in conventional approach to the curriculum i.e. learners and non-traditional areas.”(Khanna, 1991) 19 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Yet, no kind of education should be a mere Primarily intended to promote ‘the supply of tailor-made manpower for the development of capabilities required for work market nor can degrees guarantee self-employment and diversifying the immediate work opportunities. informal sector and for upgrading the productivity of household occupations’ Using English for Enhancing (University Grants Commission, Employability: Vocationalization of First Degree Education (preface), these courses also aim at Though language is important for providing vertical mobility to students. The communication purposes, it was never purpose of this emerging trend towards the considered seriously as a vocational subject Vocationalization of education is mainly to develop job potential among the students. to enhance employment opportunities. Introduction of English as a vocational subject is an important decision taken by In order to put in perspective the the Committee on Vocationalization of relevance and appropriateness of this First Degree Education (1993). work-linked course, it is necessary to understand the undergraduate education Growing importance of English in public and private sector demands scene in India, particularly in Gujarat. proficiency in spoken and written English. Here, an attempt has been made to shift Candidates with proficiency in English the emphasis from teaching to learning, are preferred by the employment sector. from individual to social objectives and In the modern world certain opportunities from a mere acquisition of information to are available for the learners to work experience –based development of skills as free-lancer or see, self –employment and character formation. using English language as means. In this Finch and Sheppard (1975) elaborates regard opportunities like journalist trainee, the definition of vocational education scriptwriter, commentator, compeer/ as having one or more of the following announcer, receptionist, newsreaders, characteristics: tutors, tourist hotel management, are available for the learners. Realizing these • more emphasis on fitting a person for changes in situation, Committee appointed a job and less emphasis on exploring by the UGC (1993) introduced English as and establishing one’s self in a career; a vocational subject. • preparation for gainful employment; The report on the Vocationalization of • preparation for careers that require First Degree Education (RVFDE) states less than a baccalaureate(high school) that degree; 1. deepening and diversifying the • emphasis on skill development or skill component of courses which specific job preparation ;and are by their very nature expected to provide usable vocational skills. • focus of attention at the upper middle 2. designing and developing a number grades ,senior high, two-year college of occupational courses. and adult levels. (Curriculum Development Report, 1989:29) (Finch and Sheppard, 1975:111) 20 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Finch and Sheppard ‘s definition of vocations an in-depth study needs to be vocational education focuses mainly on made with the help of a communicative equipping students for employment, with need processor. (Munby,1996) Hence, not much emphasis given on further skills surveys would be necessary to education or intellectual development. identify activities related to societal The target groups are expected to give needs. The curriculum plan should include more importance to skill development as objectives, content, methods of teaching – preparation for jobs. learning and evaluation techniques of the programme and should involve employers The majority of those who complete and learners in the planning process. university education ultimately have to In-service orientation programmes for train themselves for skilled jobs because a teachers, improving infrastructural country like India can not offer only white facilities, mobilizing public opinion –collar jobs; nor can it provide jobs to all and public awareness, and promoting who are educated or trained in government employment of vocational pass outs in departments and establishments. The relevant areas are some of the ways in current system of education which is only which the proposed courses could be made capable of catering to ‘a mass learning to have relevance and practical utility for clientele’ (Naik, 1975) or producing a mass the learners, employers and society. of educated unemployables, gives little thought to the future of the students while A few days back there was a news item the uneducated manage to get unskilled and in The Times of India regarding imparting semi- skilled jobs, those who are educated training in the need based course for the up to the graduation stages is severely hit limited period (60 to 90 hours). by unemployment. It, therefore, becomes necessary that series of courses aiming Aroma Gujarat Ki: Wooing in at the prospective job market must be global lingo designed so that each individual would be Times of India, Ahmedabad encouraged to discover his own aptitude June 10, 2012 and choose the type of education, which Guides to communicate in English offers sufficient scope for the exploitation with Foreign Tourists of his\her abilities. As guides accompanying foreign Here, the overall aim should be the tourists in Gujarat feel handicapped in development of the potential in each terms of communicating with them, the individual –a process that should begin govt. of Gujarat has decided to train in the educational institution and continue them in English speaking. throughout life. In this context agencies like SCOPE can play a major role in To start with , the government will motivating and preparing students for self- impart English speaking training to 500 employment as well as in equipping them tourists guides who have been identified better for available positions. from Ahmadabad and Gandhinagar. The Tourism Cooperation of Gujarat For designing a communicative need Limited (TCGL) wants to give a boost based syllabus focusing on the different 21 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 to tourism in the state by creating skills to improve the communicative a pool of well trained personnel so ability of the learners to grow and develop that tourists do not face the language in a competitive world undertaking self- barrier. employment. These guides will be given training These courses are intended to ensure in English speaking so that they can horizontal (in terms of self-employment interact in the language with foreign or immediate job prospects) and vertical tourists. The training will be for 60 to (continued education and \or up gradation 90 hours and will be held in August. of existing proficiency in skills) mobility to students. They are at present primarily Official said that a record number tuned towards students who may be of 52 lakh more tourists came to the interested in pursuing their careers as state in the last financial year. “ In journalists in the electronic \print media, 2009-10, the number of tourists who receptionists, conversational English visited Gujarat was 1.7 crore but this tutors or sales-representatives. The task increased to 2.23 crore in 2011-12”, of preparing students for these jobs will they said. require specialized job-related training, for them SCOPE can play a pivotal role. They said they expect the number to In general, the proposed syllabus will reach 2.5 crore during 2012-13, given the mainly develop students’ communication fact that the state had tied up with the skills (oral, written and conversational) tourism departments of various states and in English. The duration of these courses travel agents. may vary from six months to one year With the planning commission having where Basic, intermediate and advanced announced a special grant of Rs.1,200 courses can be introduced. crore for tourism development in the state, development of tourism infrastructure in Communicative Needs Processor: Gujarat will get a major boost, they said. The Communication Needs Processor Here, an attempt has been made to (CNP) take account of the variables that design a need based communicative affect communication needs by organizing syllabus for the tourist guides. the as parameters in a dynamic relationship to each other. These parameters of two kinds, those that process non-linguistic Objectives of the Proposed Need- data and those that provide the data in based Communicative Syllabus: the first place; or, put another way one The proposed need based syllabus set of constraints ( a posteriori) that for the tourist guide will make attempts depend upon the input from another set to activate and enrich learner’s English of constraints ( a priori) before they can language and further improve their become operational. The parameters, communicative competence to help them therefore, are ordered in this way for both play their roles effectively in commercial theoretical and operational reasons. The and administrative situations. Thus, this priori parameters are: purposive domain, course will mainly focus on language setting, interaction, and instrumentality. 22 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 The a posteriori parameters are: dialect, variety of either, that is more appropriate target level, communicative event and to produce or understand. communicative key. Target Level: At this stage of the CNP, the participants’ target level of command Structure and System of Each should be stated in terms that will guide Parameter: the further processing through the model. Participant: This input consists of a Communicative Event: This parameter minimum amount of potentially relevant is concerned with what the participant has information concerning identity and to do, either productively or receptively. language. The data relating to identify tell It first identifies communicative events us the participant’s age, sex, nationality and that results from the interaction of place of residence. The data concerning relevant inputs deriving from the prior language identifies the participant’s target identification of the participant’s purposive language and the extent, if any, of his domain, physical setting, role-set, and command of it, his mother tongue, and instrumentality requirements. These events any other languages that he knows, thus systematically arrived at macro Purposive domain: In this parameter one activities, such as ‘waiter serving customer first establishes the type of ESP involved in restaurant’, or ‘student participating in and then specifies the occupational or a seminar; attending to customer’s orders, educational purpose for which the target explaining some thing to the tourists. language is required. Events consist of communicative activity and subject matter. Communicative Setting: This parameter deals with activities means analyzing an event into features of both physical and psychosocial component parts that facilitate socio setting. semantic processing or skills selection. Interaction: This is the variable where Communicative Key: This parameter is identifies those with whom the participant concerned with how one does the activities has to communicate in the target language, comprising an event (what one does). and predicts the relationships that may be expected to obtain between him and his Thorough all these parameters, a profile interlocutors. emerges of the communication needs of a particular participant or category Instrumentality: Here, one is concerned of participant. Here, the necessary with identifying constraints on the input in sociolinguistic variables have been taken terms of the medium, mode (monologue, into account so it can be said that the written to read) , and channel of profile is contextually or situtationally communication. One needs to know if constrained. Here, it should be noted that the required medium of communication is that profile is a detailed description of spoken or written or both. particular communication needs without Dialect: Given the constraints of containing any specifications of the actual physical setting, role-set, and purpose, one language forms that will realize those is now in a position to process the input needs. The CNP therefore, operates at the for dialect, e.g. to specify whether it is pre-language stage in the specification of British or American English, or a regional communicative competence. 23 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 The Profile of Communication Needs for the Tourist Guide Course Participant: 1. Identity: Age Sex Nationality Place of Residence Below 20 M/F Indian Rural/ Urban

20-30

30-40 2. Language: Mother Tongue Target language Present level Gujarati English Very elementary /elementary/Intermediate//Advanced 3. Purposive Domain: ESP Classification (Please put tick mark.) Occupational Educational 4. Occupational Purpose: Specific Occupation Central Duty Other duties Occupational classification Tourist (hotel To guide To explain dos and don’ts Administrative assistant/ Management) visitors Skilled worker To inform them about important places and services 5. Setting: Physical Setting: Spatial Physical Setting : Psychosocial setting Temporal Location: Central Gujarat Point of time: at any non-intellectual State : Gujarat time in tourist season semi-aesthetic Town/district: Ahmedabad Duration: most of the public day familiar/unfamiliar Frequency: regularly often noisy/ hurried/generally formal/ status conscious/often entertaining/ sometimes argumentative Place of work: Gujarat Tourist guide, specially historical places, religious and hill stations and other important places 24 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 6. Interaction: Position Role-set Role-set identity Social relationships Head tourist/ assistant Tourists Number: Individuals/ official to member of the public small groups to visitors/tourists Age group: mainly adult/ Native to non-native some adolescent Host to guest Sex: mixed Stranger to stranger Nationality: NRI/Europe- Adult to adult/adolescent ans/ Asians Male to female 7. Instrumentality: Medium Mode Channel Spoken: receptive Dialogue, spoken to be heard Face to face(bilateral) Spoken: productive conversation Telephone Written: (occasionally) Print (bilateral) 8. Dialect: Regional social Temporal Understand and produce standard English NA NA Understand RP and General American and British 9. Target Level: Dimensions Conditions Tolerance of: Size of utterance Error(linguistic) Complexity of utterance Stylistic failure Range of forms/micro functions/ micro-skills Reference (to dictionary/addressee etc.) Speed of communication Repetition (re-read/ask for repeat) Flexibility of communication Hesitation( lack of fluency) 10. Communicative Events: Main: Others: Head tourist guide attending to visitors/tourists 1. receptionist/assistant dealing with reservations in railways/ airways etc. 2. dealing with their queries(concerning sight-seeing and local events) 3. assistants answering correspondence( on accommodation, food and shopping)

25 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Communicative activities: Subject matter: 1. Attending to visitors’ arrival 1. Food 2. Assisting them in getting accommodation, 2. Drink( Generic and specific) food and other purposes 3. Cooking 3. Attending to their complaints and well- 4. Utensils being 5. Chewing 4. Attending to their departure 6. Money/bill 7. Cloakroom 8. Service 11. Communicative Key: Communicative Key(P) Key(R) Micro-function activities:

Attending to Formal Hoping Intention/state/query visitors’ arrival Courteous Formal Prohibit Sociable Uncertain Direct Regretting Dissenting Request Resolute Explanation greeting Assisting them Discriminating Dejected Suggest/intention/ in getting Discriminating request accommodation, Caring Caring/indifferent Predict/want food and other Describe purposes Patient Formal/Informal Courteous Affirm Respectful/ Question regretting/ Grateful willing/inductive/ Willing/unwilling Confirm dissuasive/active Irresolute Explanation Compelling Assenting Attending to their Pleasant Content Intention complaints and Caring Discontented Excuse well-being. Formal Cheerful Affirm Courteous Dejected Question Regretting Displeased solicitude concordant Impatient Praising disapproving

26 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Attending to their Sensitive Courteous/discourteous Release bill Formal resentful/unresentful State Courteous regretting Query Patient resolute Request Grateful compelling Apology Regretting certain/ uncertain Verification inexcitable Thanks

Attending to their Pleasant Formal Hope departure Courteous Informal request assenting Courteous Question Praising Farewell Acknowledgement To conclude, the purposed syllabus for the vocation of a tourist guide can be used a model for devising different vocational courses which could generate employability eyeing on the current demands of the S.P. Corder & E. Roulet. (eds.) Linguistic insights in Applied Linguistics. Brussels: AIMAV\Paris: market. It is also recommended that if they Didier,(1974) are administered by agencies like SCOPE, Widdowson, H.W. Learning Purpose and Open Universities (may be through Language Use. Oxford: Oxford University distance mode) as certificate and diploma Press,(1983) courses which students can pursue along CIEFL. Vocational Course in Communicative English at the UG level: The Draft of a Prototype with their graduation courses, a new story Syllabus, (1995) of success can be written. 12. Finch ,C.R. and Sheppard N. Allen. ‘Career Education is not vocational Education.” Journal of References: Career Education 2, No.2 (summer), (1975) Munby, John. Communicative Syllabus Design, 13. Bhatnagar, K.N. ‘Vocational Education in CUP, (1996) Under-developed Countries,’ University News, Vol. Kolb, David A. Experimental Learning: XXV, No. 23, (1987) Experience as the Source of Leaning and 14. Mitra, C.R. Education for Self-reliance: Development. New Jersey, (1984) Alternatives in Education and Development. New Rao, Sudha..‘ Vocationalization of Higher Delhi. Association of Indian Universities, (1989) Education’. Higher Education in India: In Search of Quality, ed. K.B. Powar and S.K. Pande, New Jha, L.K.. ‘Employment and Education” in Delhi: Association of Indian Universities, (1995). University News, Vol. XXIV. No. 8, New Delhi. Association of Indian Universities, (1986) Khanna, S.K. ‘Recent Developments in Higher Education’, Higher Education in India: Retrospect Chauhan C.P.S. ‘Higher Education in India.’ and Prospect. New Delhi: Association of Indian Achievements, Failures and Strategies, British Universities, (1991) Publishing House, (1989) UGC Report on Vocationalization of Education, Rao, Govinda C.V. ‘Vocationalization of (1993) Education: Is it necessary?’ Journal of Indian 6. Krisnaswamy, N. and Sriraman, T. ‘Teaching Education, Vol. III, No. 4, (1977) Spoken English and Communication Skills’, Naik,K.C. ‘Reorientation of First and Second Madras, T.R. Publications, (1995) Degree Courses’, Higher Education ,Social Change Curriculum Development (CDC) Report, (1989) and National Development, Shimla,(1975) Clark, John L. Curriculum Renewal in School Gokak, V.K. English in India: Its Present and Foreign Language Learning, OUP, (1987) Future, (1984) Wilkins, D.A. ‘Notional Syllabuses and the Hutchinson, T & Alan Waters. English for Concept of a Minimum Adequate Grammar’ in Specific Purposes, CUP (1992) 27 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Innovative Use of Translation in ELT Asha Makhecha

Introduction accuracy of the lexical and grammatical equivalence attained in translation. Using translation is often seen as a natural and obvious means of teaching In the twentieth century, the theoretical someone a new language. It can be used rejection of translation fitted well with to assist learning, practice what has demographic and economic changes been learnt, diagnose problems and test which created new motivations for proficiency. In multilingual societies and a learning English. From the nineteenth globalised world, translation is all around century onwards, immigration into us as an authentic act of communication. the United States led to a demand for utilitarian courses focusing upon the rapid History of Translation in ELT development of a functional command of the language. Increased world trade Translation was a significant part of and tourism, and the growing dominance English Language Teaching for a long of English as a world language, have time, and then was a missing part for a continued this pedagogic situation. time also. Twentieth century theories of language teaching and learning have at With the arrival of direct method and best ignored the role of translation. From then total dominance of communicative the turn of the century onwards almost all methodologies, translation was quickly influential theoretical works on language consigned to the past, along with other ‘traditional’ tools such as dictation, teaching have assumed that a new language reading aloud and drills. However, it should be taught without referring to the and these other abandoned activities are students’ first language. now a feature of many communicative The grammar-translation method can classrooms and successful aids to learning, be considered one of the reasons why the although the approach to using them has use of translation in ELT was rejected. In changed. As Duff (1989) says, teachers this method, the structure of the syllabus and students now use translation to learn, were such where the grammatical rules rather than learning translation. Modern and vocabulary were presented in the first translation activities usually move from language together with their translation L1 to L2, (although the opposite direction equivalents in the second language. can also be seen in lessons with more Translation exercises were designed and specific aims), have clear communicative included in the text books for self study, aims and real cognitive depth, show in schools and universities. And second high motivation levels and can produce language competence was measured by the impressive communicative results.

Asha Makhecha, Assistant professor in English, C Z Patel College of Business and Management, New Vallabh Vidyanagar , Anand 28 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Recent years have seen the beginning and a realization that translation can, as it of a reappraisal of the role of translation in was traditionally believed to do, develop language learning and a number of writers accuracy. Hence, there is a renaissance of have expressed doubts about its banishment translation in language teaching. from the classroom. A number of factors are contributing to this reappraisal. It Use of Translation by the Researcher is acknowledged that good practice of in Class-room Teaching Learning translation is an end in itself for many students rather than simply a means to The role of translation in ELT has greater proficiency in the target language. continued to be a highly debatable issue. There is also a growing awareness of the This study discusses the results of using formal inaccuracy which can result from Translation in an innovative way in English an exclusive focus on communication, Language Teaching. The activity considers the following essential questions:

WHAT – English Enrichment WHOM – FYBBA Students WHY – To learn language WHERE – A class-room with a black/green board, OHP WHEN/HOW LONG – 2 hours HOW – Using translation in an innovative way Distribution of Time – 120 min. Instructions and group division : 10 min. Translation time : 30 min. Writing 1st paragraph : 10 min (Group A) Comments by Group B : 05 min Writing 2nd paragraph : 10 min (Group C) Comments by Group D : 05 min. Writing 3rd paragraph : 10 min. (Group E) Comments by Group F : 05 min Displaying standard translated text on OHP/LCD followed by a discussion : 20 min There are 30 students in the class of FYBBA. The students are instructed to form a group of five, hence there are six groups (A, B, C, D, E & F) 29 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Students are presented with a text of the one on the board. They not only (an atom story) in their mother tongue compare the two versions but also discuss (Gujarati). A copy of the same text what the differences are and why they is given to each group. A dictionary are there. They also look at the ‘bad’ (Gujarati-English & English-English) is translations and discuss the errors caused. also provided to each group. The teacher They then decide which versions they instructs the learners to go through the prefer - compiling the versions to make text attentively and translate it. The one collectively improved version. sample text comprises of three paragraphs. Groups A and B are assigned to translate Finally, the teacher will display the first paragraph; Groups C and D – second standard translation through OHP or paragraph; Groups E and F – third LCD for students’ better learning which paragraph. The assignment is allocated is followed by a discussion like ‘Which in such a manner that every member in expressions were most difficult to the group gets at least one task to be translate?’; ‘Which were easiest, why?’; exercised. ‘Which could be translated in several acceptable ways?’. One member reads the entire original text aloud first for their comprehension and then reads sentences from the text one Observations by one. Students while translating the story, The second one looks up the dictionary discuss word-for-word translations and to find out the English equivalent to the mistranslations and derive a lot of fun original word used in a particular sentence out of mistranslations. When they get and dictating it to the third member. the nearest lexical equivalents, they feel The third one is jotting down translated immensely happy as if a big treasure is text in his/her note book. found out. But at times when they fail to select the appropriate equivalents, they The fourth reads out the first draft feel disappointed. Choice of equivalents of the translated text to the other group brings to them both agreements and members and makes suggested changes. disagreements. Between agreements This whole process of translation is to and disagreements, they discuss be completed in 30 min. After 30 min., phrases, grammatical structures, tenses, the groups are asked to stop wherever they conjunctions, prepositions etc. are. The big green board of the classroom is divided into three columns- columns for According to Duff (1994), “translation Groups A, C & E. develops three qualities essential to all language learning: accuracy, clarity and The fifth member of Group A,C and flexibility. It trains the learner to search E are invited on the stage one by one (flexibility) for the most appropriate to write down respectively first, second words (accuracy) to convey what is meant and third paragraph of the translated text (clarity).” on the green board in the space allotted to them. Other groups (B, D and F) are Duff strongly supports the view that asked to compare their versions with that translation is an excellent means of 30 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 improving one’s language because it implications of the original, and will find invites speculation and discussion. out that they need to look beyond single Translation can also be a technique to words, chunks of sentences, or even introduce new words or explore obscure complete sentences to whole stretches of nuances between terms. text as they make their decisions. It can increase students’ power and Involvement of peers and the teacher range of expressions (Duff). promotes effective learning. L1 is thus considered to assist learners’ Depending on the students’ needs, comprehension of L2 by creating more the teacher can also select material to networks between nodes (ideational illustrate particular aspects of language representation and words) in their long and structure with which the students have term memory. difficulty in English. By working through these difficulties in their mother tongue, It raises awareness of how not only students come to see the link between sentence structure, but also parts of a language and usage. In addition to these sentence, carries the meaning of the merits of translation as a language-learning sentence as a whole. activity, there are also a number of other The use of translation in language reasons for using this technique in class. teaching is the subject which is researched One of them is the fact that translation and discussed frequently among the is a very natural activity – more natural teachers of English. The current researcher and useful than many of the fashionable opines that translation can be used for activities invented for language learners. language practice and thereby language Translation shapes our way of thinking, improvement. The focus is not on training learners to be competent translators but and helps us to understand better the it is of course, on enhancing learners’ influence of one language on another, language proficiency. and to correct habitual errors that would otherwise remain unnoticed. References: A Dictionary of Modern English Usage Another reason for using translation in (Seventh Impression, 1978) : H. W. Fowler, Oxford the classroom is its ability to increase the University Press, London. students’ power and range of expression Gujarati-English Dictionary (2002) : Deshpande, by means of authentic and wide-ranging University Book Production Board, Ahmedabad. material, which brings the learner into Laghukatha Vishesh (2001) : Bhagwat Suthar, Dilip Roy & Ramesh Trivedi (ed.), Mohanbhai touch with all styles and registers. Patel, Kadi. Genuine translation involves analysis of Oxford Dictionary Thesaurus (2002, 2004) : the meaning of the source text. The students New York, New Delhi: OUP. should be led to consider the expressive Reading and Teaching Translation (2001) : Meenakshi Mukherjee, H. M. Patel Institute of possibilities of the target language and to English Training & Research, Vallabh Vidyanagar. discover that it is not always possible to Resource Books for Teachers (1989, 1994) : attain exact equivalence. In this way they Alan Maley & Alan Duff (ed.), OUP. will learn to evaluate possible versions Routledge Encyclopaedia of Translation Studies to see which most fully captures all the (1998, 2008) : Baker, Mona(ed.) London. 31 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 English for Empowerment and Employability: A Myth Or a Reality? Dr Rajeshwari Singh

Introduction oppression.” (Graddol,2010). The focus of this paper is to look at the present day To achieve empowerment through English situations (Gujarat region of India only), language learning is a huge agenda, though and then try to discuss the issues like need not totally impossible. It asks for great and problem areas of English language commitment and collaborative efforts on learners as well as the teachers, the class- the part of its stake holders: educationists, room situations and consequences on the curriculum designers, policy makers, text- learners’ performance and competence. book designers, learners, employers and It discusses increasing importance of teachers. It involves society as a whole learning Academic English and suggests unit. English has been called “the window ways to make the learning process a real to the world” since time immemorial. It empowering experience. English language has been the language of the rulers and the teaching in India and in particular in elites. Before India acquired independence, Gujarat, is not an easy task. For an average English education was given to Indians Gujarati student, English language is his so that they can become good clerks and third choice for communication, let alone follow the instructions of their British for a Gujarati. Three language formulas rulers. Only a few attained the flare and are in place in Gujarat. He prefers his competence equal to an Englishman. Only L1(Gujarati), then comes his second some wrote creative pieces in English choice of language learning as well as Literature. Only the kings and their communication falls on Hindi, and then families, the aristocrats used the language the third language choice falls on English. as if they were the native speakers. He thinks in Gujarati and then translates Therefore, Cooke (1988) has identified those ideas into English whenever the English as language of imperialism and of learner tries to communicate. Hence, there particular class of society. Has the situation are many problem areas in teaching of changed? To what extent has it changed? language skills in English. There are also Empowerment should entail generation of many other socio-economic factors that more income, acquiring of higher standard affect language proficiency. of living as well as status and a sense of enlightenment. As a general trend, English A. Problem areas: is shouldered out a great responsibility by the Indian psyche. “Throughout India, 1. Students’ Perspective There is an extraordinary belief, among a. Silence in the class-room: language almost all castes and classes, in both rural learning asks for a lot of participation and urban areas, in the transformative and involvement resulting power of English. English is seen not just communication between the teacher as a useful skill, but as a symbol of a and the taught. Gujarati students are better life, a pathway out of poverty and taught to respect the teachers. This

Dr Rajeshwari Singh, The National University of Samoa, Samoa

32 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 fact stops them from differing, asking rooms of interior regions of Gujarat questions or getting into a dialogue. seldom have enough materials to use The parents tell their children to innovative practices in teaching of be wise and silent in the class and English language. Also, the teacher listen properly “when the teacher is himself has limited exposure to the dispensing the knowledge”. Hence, language. They do not get to have the learners remain silent and keep benefits of professional development. quiet. He is under obligation to be a b. Text book is the only reading material “good boy” and “listen” only. Asking most teachers use. The English question is being rude and impetuous. language text books lack enough Hence teaching becomes a one way guidance and ready materials which process. This is a hazardous thing to can be used by a teacher in absence happen in any classroom, let alone of access to supporting materials and in an English language class-room. good library. The text books need to Teacher speaks, learners listen. There be more interesting and handy. is hardly any chance for pupils to speak except the times when they are 3. Parents’ Perspective: Parents’ role is asked to recite in a group or read a of vital importance. “The academic text aloud to their class. and linguistic growth of student is significantly increased when parents b. Fear Factor and anxiety: English see themselves, and are seen by follows different pronunciation rules the staff, as co-educators of their than the mother tongue. So, the children along with the school.” learner prefers to keep quiet and (Cummins,2004). Also, sometimes avoid speaking. Their greatest fear is English becomes a language or an to be ridiculed by the fellow students instrument for exclusion for those when they commit mistakes while parents who cannot help as they have communicating in English. Hence there very little grounding in the language. is no real use of the language. While They want to get involved and feel communicating within themselves, left out due to their background. they use their mother tongue in the (Cummin,2004) mentions that”… class-room. many subordinated group students are 2. Teachers’ perspective: disabled educationally and rendered “voiceless” (Giroux,1991) or silenced a. Most teachers try to repeat their own (Fine,1987)…” past learning experiences while teaching English language. They are aware of a. There are many shades of active alternative ways and methodologies of collaboration from the side of parents. teaching. But, they do not seem to want There are those parents who are overly to experiment. They are sometimes enthusiastic and sometimes disrupt obsessed by the idea of totally to teachers plan of teaching, there are be in control of the class and hence some teachers who have little or no end up avoiding conversation which English and hence cannot help or could have provided the students with guide their wards. some opportunities to communicate. b. English medium schools are more The classes are generally large and expensive and the parents from teachers find it difficult to use two financially poor backgrounds avoid way communication. The class- sending their children to such schools 33 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 as the children from privileged families bring home a bride who has convent might look down upon the kids from education. The listeners also behold poor families. Tully(1997) said that: the English language speakers in “..the most significant sociological awe and respect. English is rendered consequence of sustaining English in as a language spoken by the elite India has been a major social division society (Tully,1997). The parents, between those for whom English is the whose children go to English medium medium of instruction in prestigious schools, take pride of that fact. The public-that is private- schools, and knowledge of English language is those who largely study English as an attribute which can earn better a subject in ordinary government marriage alliances for a young girl. schools. The route of power, prestige, Her prospects of getting a groom are and riches, even today, lies through higher than for others who have no English.” English proficiency. Not only Non Resident Gujaratis, but also those who B Checklist to gauge are settled in India prefer English transformation: speaking matches. Young parents take pride when their child starts reciting 1. Income Generation: Merely earning English nursery rhymes and they make a degree in English communication their child to recite them at family or a certificate of proficiency in gatherings or at any possible chance to English does not get translated into showcase their child’s English prowess. actual ability to handle the language. My house maid once wanted me to Skills acquisition has to be grounded listen to what English communication on practical training and efficiency she has picked from some non- to handle situation. It also does not Gujarati, non-Hindi speaking students. guarantee any job. So, how does English “This rubbish, I throw?” “I go” and language help in generating wealth? so on. She wanted to learn some more The professional courses like TESOL, English from me. I was amused to see IELTS and TOEFL these days do earn how speaking some small sentences a lot of revenue for its teachers. The in English language automatically students who pass those examinations made her superior to other women of get to go to the greener pastures and her group. To quote Edith Esch “… earn a lot. There are some jobs where social capital refers to the contacts, knowledge of English helps the job relations, connections, and friendships seekers, like in the tourism industry which place individuals in social or aviation industry, hospitality and networks and give more or less access entertainment industries. The job of to resources which give leverage translator in English and from English for action socially, cultural capital also requires skills in handling English is constituted of symbolic assets.” and is a very earning job. But, these Thus, one can reckon how English are instances where not a very large proficiency can earn social power in amount can be earned. all the age groups and different classes of Gujarati society. 2. Social Status: The elites prefer to communicate in this language. They 3. Awareness Enhancement: English has want their children to speak the developed into a truly international language of the British. They want to language (Crystal, 2007, Graddol, 34 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 1997). As a truly global language, wants to acquire terminology related it has books and reference materials to his profession and English specific which can be accessed to enhance to his work. Students at higher levels one’s awareness, knowledge and need Academic English, research skills potential. In this context it is called and more of analytical skills. All the “a window to the world”. English learners want to be empowered with can update your information; can the help of a single weapon: English keep you informed with international language learning. Do they want paper events and incidents that take place qualifications only? Would the paper in and around one’s state. By learning qualification help them in dealing the English, one can develop himself into situations at work? This is similar a better human being, follow a better to learning swimming with help of life style and has better knowledge of reading a book on how to swim. In issues like health and hygiene. There the similar vein it is possible that only is a heap of knowledge waiting for its the paper qualifications of acquired users to explore. The countries like degrees in English and no real hands China which had a small numbers on skills to handle the language of English language users. Now, would take the ESP users into mires such countries with a small numbers of howlers. At the same time, just of English language users have speaking with correct pronunciations also introduced English language and grammatically correct English teaching valuing its importance as would not be sufficient. As, mere ideas an international language. Thus the with good words have no meanings if capability enhancement through not used in proper sequence and order. English is slow and sometimes The learners need to be independent invisible. It is difficult to measure it. thinkers in the language they want to But, empowerment can be felt and speak, know the right words for usage experienced. It is an acceptable fact and be able to speak with correct that knowledge of English can make pronunciation and be able to write your access to outside world easier in proper format. Skills acquisition due to better access to information and is a collaborative effort and requires knowledge. involvement of the learners, teachers and also the curriculum designers. C What do the learners want to 1. Writing: The real empowerment comes learn? in when a user of a language can For different sets of learners, needs write effective sets of sentences. It is are also different. All have their own necessary to be able to write sentences requirement to be fulfilled. Some that have structure, relevance and want professional qualification, some coherence. Such sentences with a want to acquire the skill of polite controlling idea then can make a conversation, some need English paragraph. The learners should be which can be useful to him to handle able to identify and practice proper business, a clerk wants to know better use of different paragraph structures drafting and communicative skills, and styles of developing ideas into the company secretary wants English various paragraph structures. If, the skills that can help him correspond learner is able to understand the with the business world, an Engineer elements of paragraph structure, i.e. 35 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 topic sentence, supporting details English language in the classroom and concluding sentence and then be where and when it is absolutely able to write independently using the necessary for them and as soon as they learned structure, it is a good example step out of the classroom, they switch of empowerment. The English to their mother tongue. This may be language user then can write a series of due to hesitation to use English with paragraphs with an action and purpose. the fear of being branded a ‘show off’ He can present his argument, relate his or being singled out as ‘different’. findings, investigate and analyze ideas Another reason could be lack of in clear and concise manner in specific confidence in the areas of correct written format in English. usage and pronunciations. They need 2. Reading: Reading books or materials good practice and support of good written in English in Gujarat is a limited vocabulary, coupled with support of activity. A chosen few read extensively practice in phrasal verbs and idiomatic in English. The students, the Gujarati usage. They are tongue tied because community at large, even the teachers they fail to find the right word at the in general have limited choices when right time. The language user would it comes to reading in English. It is feel more relaxed if he knows proper mostly limited to newspapers, popular intonation and stress to be given at magazines or some journals. They the right space. Each language has have a limited access and inclination its own rhythm and it is differently to reading literary or subject specific spoken in different countries. English materials in English. The process is being spoken in New Zealand would at times for recreation purpose and be incomprehensible for people in hence very passive. There seems to other countries. One has to pick the be a lacuna and lethargy towards required tone and speak in such a reading with complete comprehension way that is comprehensible. This can when it comes to reading texts in be made possible with proper practice English. The important skill of reading and experience. The use of English becomes a heavy burden as they language is necessary and at tertiary need to acquire the understanding for level, students as well as teachers are implied information. They need to required to use it to give presentations, read between the lines and try to infer, formal talks and speeches. imply, and understand the suggestion, 4. Research: Research has become a very tone and what the writer wants to valuable component and a requirement indicate. Reading comprehensions for academicians. It has to be in in English can help the learners in English language at tertiary level. The a great way as they test how well students need to involve into a lot of the language user can identify the academic writing and in depth research undertone and assumptions. In fact on various topics. Hence, research is a good reading comprehension passages skill which is necessary for many and can test how well the language user not much is being done towards helping can handle structure and technique and the students. They need to be given a also in testing his/her vocabulary. lot of grounding early on. In primary 3. Speaking: For a common man, to use school level, they can be introduced English language in his speech is a with some basic components and distant dream. The students speak terminologies related to research. At 36 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 the higher secondary school level, they be used to give the learners more can be involved in small projects and listening practice. preparation of questionnaires and data 2. Oral Usage: Storytelling and narrating collection experience. Hence, when incidents and anecdotes involve actual they come to graduate level education, speaking of the language. Giving the they have proper background of what learners the right kind of pronunciation is research and then they can be given guide and then apply those usages in assignments on the topics related to their story telling would enable them to their relevant area of study. They can facilitate while speaking using the right be exposed to good academic writing pronunciation and tone. The accent is a practices, writing abstracts, summaries, huge problem for the non-native users proposals, research reports, preparing of English language. Pronouncing of projects, organizing data and analysis the vowels is a major problem area for of the data, revision and editing skills the Gujarati L1speakers. For example: and most importantly paraphrasing ship-sheep, sick-seek, slip-sleep, bitch- and referencing skills. beach, for- four, flower-flour, and also where letter “l” follows the letter ‘r’ D. What can be done? How can we as in the word–world. The non-native make them facile users of English speaker also falls short in the areas of language? the correct stress to be used. They tend 1. Catch them young: We can trust the to have a flat tone for the words where potential of young learners of English they should be using proper stress. The language. Make them independent right stress and pronunciation could users of English language by putting be taught to the learners with help them into environment where English of pronunciation guides and audio- is used extensively. Young learners video learning aids. Listening to T.V. have little inhibition as compared to shows, news channels and talk shows the older learners. They are in the can also be helpful if they follow the learning stage and pick up new usages standard pronunciations. Thus, their very naturally. They are eager to learn communication can be intelligible and and imitate and are enthusiastic about well understood. practicing whenever the opportunity 3. Use of Comprehension passages: Good arises to apply what they have picked comprehension exercises can be used up as language learner. They repeat to help learners in their language the learned usage several times and acquisition in an effective way. The then make it a part of their own bank comprehension passages are helpful of usage to be used in future whenever as they expose the reader to various the need be. Young learners mimic situations and language usage, reading the lip movements and pronunciation between the lines, contextualized in an amazing manner which makes meanings of the words and them good learners of language. They conversations and phrases. It sharpens try to make sense out of the stray their understanding in understanding words they know and connect them the tone and the argument, and also to make a sensible sentence. English opens the avenues in their process of language teaching as a subject can be coming to an inference, implication of introduced from pre-primary levels. actual usage. It adds to their vocabulary More visual and audio support could and brings precision in application. 37 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 4. Writing exercises: Writing summaries, the 1987 TESL Ontario Conference (pp. 56-62). writing meaningful paragraphs from Toronto: TESL Ontario. Crystal (2007) the details and points given, formulate a story from the bits of scattered Cummins, J. (1989) Empowering minority sentences or on the bases of a picture students, California Association for Bi-lingual etc can help the learners to be more Education, Saramento.p.50. creative. Writing summary of a given passage in the given word limit Esch E (2009) ‘English and Empowerment: proves to be a very good training in Potential, Issues, Way Forward’, in English and language acquisition and helpful in Empowerment in the Developing World, Cambridge their academics too. It is supported by learners’ ability to reflect and analyze Scholars Publishing, p.9. the given details, to streamline the Fine, M. (1987) ‘Silence and nurturing voice in thoughts, to be brief when required and focus on important information, an improbable context: Urban adolescents in public interpret it in one’s own words as school’ in Culture Diversity in Schools: From accurately as one can and then sum Rhetoric to Practice, State University of new York up in a foreign language. Summary Press, Albany pp. 64,2:157-174. writing includes paraphrasing and proper referencing the sources. All in Giroux, H.A. & Mc Laren, P. (1986) ‘Teacher all, it is an excellent way of checking Education and the politics of engagement: The case understanding of the language. for democratic schooling’ in Havard Educational Conclusion: Review,pp.56,213-238.

The status of English as transformative Goodlad,J.I.(1984) A place called instrument and faith of Indians in school:prospects for the future. Mc-Graw-Hill, New this alien language still persists. Pandey’s (2011) statement “English York. today is almost compulsory second Graddol,D. (2010), English Next India, British language. Once deprived sections of Council, New Delhi. p.120. the society now perceive the language as an instrument for progress. The NCERT (National Council of Educational recent news of a temple in a village Research and Training) (2006) National Focus in the Hindi heartland tells the thing.” Support this fact. The need of the Group Position Paper on Teaching of English, New day is to tap the potential and power Delhi, p.1. this language possesses for making it functional and a ‘symbol of people’s Pandey G (2011) An ‘English Goddess’ for aspiration for quality in education and India’s down-trodden. BBC News South Asia, 15th a fuller participation in national and Feb.2011, viewed June 1, 2012, www.bbc.co.uk/ international life.” (NCERT 2006, p. 1 ) news/world-south-asia-12355740

Ramanujam M. () Language policy in education References: and the role of English in India, Cooke, D. (1988). Ties that constrict: English as a Trojan horse. In A. Cumming, A. Gagne, & Viwed 7 June,2012, http://www.teachingenglish. J. Dawson (Eds.), Awarenesses: Proceedings of org.uk/sites/teachenglish 38 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 John Arden and Arnold Wesker : Dramatists of New Sensibility. Subrato Kumar Sinha

Along with John Osborne and Harold “In my necessarily selective treatment Pinter, John Arden and Arnold Wesker of the new drama in England since 1955, I were responsible for ushering in the new now very much regret that I did not choose drama in England since 1955. Both Arden John Arden instead of Arnold Wesker as and Wesker had certain things in common: my representative of the movement of both were participants in the movement of social revolt in drama. I had not had the social revolt in drama; both were socially opportunity, in the early 1960s, to see any and politically conscious artists; both of Arden’s play acted, and I had not read were realists; and both were motivated him deeply or thoroughly enough to grasp by a crusading zeal, to name only a few. his quality”1 The new sensibility was the mood of John Arden is indeed a talented anger, the mood of protest, the sense of dramatist like Arnold Wesker. Ronald criticism of social and political systems, Hayman’s study2 is an attempt to discover the temper of dissidence Incidentally, the merit of John Arden as a dramatist; it, it may be mentioned that their mood of however, also suggests a growing interest anger was not peculiar to them only; if in his plays. The importance of Arnold it could be called a peculiarity it was Wesker need not be emphasized here. the general mood of the literary men of the 1950s. It is true that Arnold Wesker John Arden, despite his box-office was a greater stage success than John low demand, may appear to be a greater Arden; and that happens to be one reason dramatist than either Arnold Wesker or why John Arden’s dramatic potentialities Harold Pinter by virtue of his historical were not fully explored, whereas Arnold and literary rootedness, which, ironically, Wesker, because of his stage popularity, “repels the very audience to whom received some critical attention, though not Arden’s radical politics would immediately 3 enough perhaps. Because of his playhouse appeal.” popularity again, Wesker was thought to Arden was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, be a more accomplished playwright than and having finished his school education John Arden; and in the 1960s, in his locally, he studied architecture at King’s evaluation of post - 1950 drama, G.S. College, Cambridge and at the Edinburgh Fraser chose Wesker as a representative of College of Art, and he worked as an socio-political-protest drama; but a decade architectural assistant from 1955 to 1957. later, in the 1970s, he regretted not having Since then Arden has been a full time chosen Arden in place of Wesker: playwright.

Subrato Kumar Sinha, Lecturer in English, Yogoda Satsanga Mahavidalaya Jagannathpur,Ranchi. 39 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Arden began writing plays at about cook) ; life among Norfolk farm-labourers the age of sixteen and continued writing (whom he got to know as a pastry-cook in through his Cambridge and Edinburgh Norwich); the vividness of his latest play, days. He first came to attention with Chips with Everything, about the training a prize-winning radio play The Life of of R.A.F. servicemen, owes much to his Man (1956) which showed fatal voyage own period of national service.”4 of people captured by a mad man. In The purpose of quoting Fraser at 1957 The Waters of Babylon (1957) was length is to emphasize the point that performed at the Royal Court Theatre, Wesker’s working-class orientation made and it is with the support of this theatre him a socially concerned and politically that Arden gained his foothold in the committed playwright of the post-war profession. The Waters of Babylon is a period. And some modern critics have grotesque satire on financial scheme of vouched for Wesker in very emphatic terms. the Macmillan Government. His next two plays Live Like Pigs (1958) and Sergeant The editors of the Reader’s Encyclopaedia Musgrave’s Dance (1959) were produced of World Drama, for example, have chosen at the Royal Court theatre. Live Like Pigs to call Wesker “The strongest voice in the 5 (1958) is a social-problem play about post-war English social drama”. the resettlement of gypsies in a housing Arnold Wesker’s parents, both tailor’s estate; it explores anti-social behaviour; it Machinists, were Russian and Hungarian leaves a strong impression that the idea of Jews who had come to England in respectability, and its official guardians, the childhood to escape the ‘pogroms’.6 police, are ultimately far more damaging We have just said that Wesker’s private to society than the conventional mores of experiences have their bearings on the the play’s gypsies. society he delineates; so his biographical Arnold Wesker was educated at facts become particularly relevant to Upton House School, Hackney, London. the study of his dramas. He grew up His East End background, his R.A.F. in a “milieu of young militant Jewish experience (which comes out in Chips Communists”7 and in a family atmosphere with Everything) and his work as a pastry “Where there was singing, discussion, cook are all utilized in his plays. G.S. comradeship and a respect of learning and Fraser says, the arts. Because we were communists it meant that we knew we were dependent “Arnold Wesker is a much more on each other. It also meant that I was in politically and intellectually articulate and contact with a very wild poor, working committed dramatist than Osborne, but class-conscious set of school mates”8 much more naive (or naïve in a different way) as person and craftsman. He is an As a boy Wesker was a member of the accurate observer of special segments of Young Communist league and later of the life; life in Jewish families in the East Zionist youth movement. . After leaving End of London, where he himself grew school and failing to get a scholarship up; life among cooks in the kitchen of a to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, restaurant (he has worked as a restaurant he took a series of manual jobs before 40 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 being conscripted into the R.A.F., where the producing artists. Since he had started he found himself “politically a marked writing dramas, Wesker effected a gradual man.” On demobilization, Wesker worked enlargement of his approach to social as a farm labourer, and, then in a series of drama to accommodate psychological hotels and restaurants, where he became element; but the basic character of his a pastry cook and later a chef in a Parish work remains unchanged. Writing for restaurant. him is a form of social action, and his By this time Wesker had written The main theme is human brotherhood. The Kitchen, and his trilogy Chicken Soup assumption is that the playwright has with Barley (1958), Roots (1959), and a duty to help people enrich their lives, I’m Talking About Jerusalem (1960). The and that he can reach their hearts by last three plays are known as the Wesker direct solicitation. Hostile crities have Trilogy; and they were staged in London called him a preacher; but he is willing to in 1960 at Royal Court Theatre. His next accept his role as a ‘preacher’.10 But he is play Chips with Everything appeared in not a political thinker in a narrow sense, 1962. The Kitchen is a one-act play (it is because his socialism began instinctively, his first play) in which a cook goes mad. and through people rather than through The trilogy is based on the personal and books. The view of society that emerges political history of a Jewish family, the from his plays is that of a big, quarreling family of Sarah Kahn, resembling Wesker’s family. A.C.Ward says, own personal and political history. The demonstration against the Fascists adds “While he is entirely committed to the strong political bias to the first play in the view that the people of his own working series. The trilogy spans the years 1936- class are deprived of the good things of life 1956 and traces the political evolution and by various kinds of exploitation, Wesker political changes in the Kahn family over sees their own shortcomings, and is not a span of twenty years. G.S. Fraser says, misled into class-conscious romanticism; they are ‘debauched by materialism and its “Wesker is fiercely and overtly by-product cynicism, but also by inherent political. This is the driving force behind his plays, the impulse behind his rhetoric, weaknesses in their own character. Of the source of the strongest emotions in the many playwrights of the 1950s it is his characters. Yet he is not political in Wesker more than any other who seemed a narrow sense. His plays are pleas for by the end of the decade to be still in 11 an extreme Socialist political attitude to process of development.” extend into, and to permeate, all aspects By way of rounding off our discussion 9 of life, work, the arts, leisure.” we may emphasize once again that John In 1960 Wesker launched Centre 42, Arden and Arnold Wesker made their an organisation with the twin purpose mark as dramatists of new sensibility by of bringing the arts to a wider practice their mood of anger, mood of protest, their (working class) audience, and placing the sense of criticism of social and political means of production within the control of systems, and their temper of dissidence. 41 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Works cited: 6. Ibid., pp.- 912-913

1. Fraser, G.S.1970, The Modern writer and His 7. Ibid., pp. - 912-913 World, Penguin, Harmonds worth, , p. - 418. 8. Ibid., pp. - 912-913 2. Hayman, Ronald.1968, John Arden, Samuel 9. Fraser, G.S. 1970, The Modern Writer and Beckett, John Osborne, Harold Pinter, his World, Penguin, Harmondsworth, p.234. Heinemann Educational Books, London. 10. Legouis, Emile & Louis Cazamian, 2005, A 3. Fraser, G.S. 1970, The Modern Writer and History of English Literature, J.M. Dent and His World, Penguin, Harmonds worth, p. - Sons Ltd., London, p. -1440 419 11. Ward, A.C. 1965, Twentieth - Century English 4. I bid., p. - 233. Literature, ELBS & Methuen, London, p. 5. Gassner, John & Edward Qunin, (eds). 1970, -141. (A.C. Ward’s Foot Note & Quotes from The Readers Encyclopaedia of World Drama, Robert Muller, Introduction to I’m Talking Methuen & Co. Ltd., London, pp. 912-913. About Jerusalem)

42 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 A Concerted Effort of J.M Coetzee in Defence of Animal Rights Shabnam Lohani

As human beings have been blessed animals and has even talks about their with intellect and reason they are basic rights like right to live, right not to considered to be superior to all other suffer and right not to be exploited in his creatures and species on earth. This sense novels. But the focus of the present article of man’s superiority over other creatures on is on only one novel by Coetzee and that earth has lead to exploitation of animals. is The Lives of Animal. This animal cruelty and brutality have led The Lives of Animals had its origin to the serious problem of extinction of in the lecture delivered by Coetzee at certain animal species which in one factor Princeton University to contribute to the responsible for ecological imbalance that Tanner lectures. The two lectures later on is considered to be serious threat to entire became a part of the fictional story about human race. Due to environmental crisis it Elizabeth Costello- an aging novelist. is the need of an hour to bring awareness Amy Gutman in the introduction to The about several environmental issues and Lives of Animals says: one among them is animal’s exploitation. Therefore Ecocriticism and environmental Like the typical Tanner Lectures, studies have aimed to bring awareness Coetzee’s lectures focus on an about the ecological crisis and they have important ethical issue—the way become mainstream study today. Eco- human beings treat animals—but criticism is by nature interdisciplinary, the form of Coetzee’s lectures is far invoking knowledge of environmental from the typical Tanner Lectures, studies, the natural sciences, cultural which are generally philosophical and social studies. It has emerged as a essays. (p.3) field of study wherein literary text are Coetzee articulates his views about interpreted in the light of other natural the animals and their rights through the and social sciences.Coetzee as a writer fictional story of Elizabeth Costello that of fiction could not help being influenced has an ethical purpose for Coetzee. The by the issues of ecological imbalance and novelist endeavors to increase compassion environmental hazards. Therefore it is for animals and put an end to the evil seen that he interweaves these issues in in slaughter house and bio- industry and his the novels like The Lives of Animals thereby save the animals. The issues and Elizabeth Costello. It is found that related to animals rights one by one have Coetzee as a novelist has made attempts been explored by Coetzee in his novel The to highlight the brutality of man towards Lives of Animals.

Shabnam Lohani, Assistant Professor in English, Institue of Language Studies and Applied Social Sciences, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand 43 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 COETZEE’S STANCE IN THE his views about the issues related to animal LIVES OF ANIMALS rights, the issues which are very close to his heart. And he expresses his views in In The Lives of Animals, animals a way that academic conventions allow become a major focus of the novelist. and fiction permits. Thus through The It is through the ensuing debate and Lives of Animals Coetzee hopes to create philosophical discourse in the novel awareness about the status of animals Coetzee expresses his views about the in human life. The present articles talks animal rights. Animals occupy a position about how animals are exploited in name of centrality in the novel. Critic Graham of science and research, suffering of ‘the Huggan is of the opinion that while other’ animals), importance of developing writing The Lives of Animals Coetzee is sympathy for animals and animal rights not only writing as a post-colonial author from Coetzee’s point of view. but as an eco-critical one. Huggan in his essay ‘Greening Post-colonialism- Eco- EXPLOITATION OF ANIMALS IN critical perspective’ writes about the three novels of Coetzee one of which is The THE NAME OF SCIENCE AND Lives of Animals. RESEARCH They [the three novels discussed] Costello in her lecture not only refers are all legitimate objects of the to philosophy and literature but also practice of Eco-criticism, both science and research while talking about a critical method and an ethical animal rights, and that’s why the novel discourse that ‘takes as its subject The Lives of Animals is identified as an the interconnections between nature academic novel with multi-disciplinary and culture, specifically the cultural approach. Costello’s address regarding the issue of animal rights referring to artifacts of language and literature. science and research is a critique against (p. 101) the scientific field that uses animals for The above quote sheds light on experimentation. She feels extreme pain Coetzee’s style and his attempt to extend in saying that science by encroaching the field of writing to the environmental on animal’s lives in the name of human philosophy and bioethics and his endeavors welfare has made animals homeless and to negotiate between human and non- victims of science. Richard D. Ryder in human relationship. He in novel becomes the essay ‘Speciesism in Laboratories’ successful in his attempt of dramatizing gives statistical data of the animals used a philosophical debate into an ecological for experimental purpose. The annual use treatise. And he does this through the of animals in laboratories worldwide has protagonist of the novel- Elizabeth been put at between 40 and 100 million. Costello. In fact she represents a part of (p. 97) The statistics shows how insensitive repressed Coetzee. She gives a voice to man has become towards the animal world Coetzee’s voicelessness as he is confined and it also confirms and demonstrates by certain academic conventions. Thus in the maltreatment and exploitation of the two lectures Coetzee adopts Costello animals going on in the name of science as a persona through whom he expresses and research. To substantiate her point 44 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 further, Costello gives the example of SUFFERING OF ‘THE OTHER’ an ape experimented by scientists and Costello believes that science exploits given training of developing etiquette and animals and makes them suffer. This academic rhetoric. In this experiment, the suffering reduces the animals to the level scientist experimenting on the ape actually of an object. And therefore she takes up takes away his progeny or succession. The the issue of animal suffering in her lecture. animals in the laboratories and the zoo are She believes that it is wrong to treat the named by Costello as ‘homeless’, away animals as an inanimate object. Over here from their land and their fellow beings. it would be essential to analyse the novel The similar views are presented by Dale in the light of Levinas’s philosophical Jamieson in the essay ‘Against Zoos’. He theory of “the other”. But first it becomes says that animals in the laboratories and important to know Levinas’s views about zoos are prevented from gathering their suffering of ‘the other’. Levinas being a own food, developing their social order Jew had to undergo a terrible physical and generally behaving in ways that are and mental torture during the days of natural to them (human beings).Thus his arrest. He was subjected to extreme restricting the freedom of animals that are pain and this made him aware and more experimented is like taking animals out sensitive to the pain and suffering of the of their native habitat and keeping them non-human other. And this experience is in an alien environment in which their reflected in Levinas’s philosophy. While liberty is severely restricted. talking about the ethics of sufferings he says that it is the responsibility of the Elizabeth in her lecture raises her voice human beings to spare the non-human against the various practices that uses animal out of needless suffering and pain. animals and exploits them. She raises a He believes that suffering makes other question on behalf of voiceless animals. weak, passive and limits the freedom Where is the home, and how do I get of the other. Not only Levinas but also there? (p. 30)She puts forward a rhetorical Marian Stamp Dawkins in his essay ‘The question wherein the answer lies in the Scientific Basis for Assessing Suffering in question itself. The answer is that the Animals’ defines the term ‘suffering’ as: home for animals is laboratory and zoo. Experiencing one of the wide range of And they will never be able to escape the extremely unpleasant subjective [mental] human instituted HOME. state. (p. 28 ) The quote reflects that suffering is an unpleasant experience which The question that strikes at once is that no human being would like to experience. if animals are adequately similar to human These views about animal’s anguish are for them to be used as scientist models in highlighted by Coetzee in his novel The research, then why are they not given the Lives of Animals. Elizabeth Costello- the similar moral status that is accorded to voice of Coetzee firmly asserts that man human beings? And so it is the duty of should give the basic rights to animals. human beings to ponder over this question And these basic rights include right to live and find an answer or rather a solution to and right not to suffer and experience pain. this issue. She believes that creatures on earth have 45 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 become powerless and passive because of animals if they cannot empathize with the exploitation they undergo in the human them. Because they too like human beings dominated world. Referring to the olden feel pain and suffering and therefore should days she says that earlier the voice of man be saved from the unnecessary pain. And was confronted by the roar of the lion, the to save the animals from exploitation bellow of the bull. But soon man engaged one has to develop sympathy for them. himself in the war with the animals- a Coetzee lays emphasis on the presence war that can be named as HUNTING of compassion towards animals for giving and BULL FIGHTING. And consequently them moral recognition. And in The Lives after many generations man won the war of Animals Costello takes a position for against the strength of animals through enlarging our sympathies for the animals. modern inventions and technology. The According to her, heart is the seat of a animals are treated as captives. And the faculty called sympathy. This faculty suffering the animals undergo transforms allows us to share the being of the other. them into a mere object. And therefore to But unfortunately people have closed their save animals from suffering Costello like hearts to the suffering of the non-human Levinas advocates saving animals from ill animals. To save the non-human animal treatment and giving recognition to their from exploitation she believes one has to basic rights. She says: nurture a feeling of sympathy for animals within. Because when one develops At least those rights that we sympathy for animals, s/he views animals accord to mentally defective as a subject and not as an object. And to specimen of the species Homo view animals as a subject is the demand sapiens, the right to life, and the of the day. And therefore Costello in her right not to be subjected to pain or lecture asks her audience to open their harm, the right to equal protection hearts to animals and develop a sense of before law.(p. 26) benevolence for them so that they can be Costello becomes the spokesperson given moral recognition and saved from of Levinas’s philosophy and she too like abuse. Thus Costello takes a position for Levinas avows that animals are sentient enlarging our sympathies for animals. beings and it is the duty of human beings to acknowledge the basic rights to live and ANIMAL RIGHTS right to equal protection before law. The basic rights which are given to mentally Coetzee believes that since the animals retarded human beings, at least those suffer, feel pain and revolt against death rights should be accorded to non-human just like human beings, they should be animal. given their basic rights. This brings to the important issue and that is about animal rights. She believes that human beings IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING should bind themselves by certain code SYMPATHY FOR ANIMALS of conduct for the welfare of animals and As animals are conscious beings, their rights. But Thomas O’ Hearne one of Costello in her first lecture implores the the invited guest in the lecture opposes her audience to at least develop sympathy for views. He puts forward an argument that 46 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 animals cannot claim or enforce or even rights. Coetzee in the novel exhibit an understand their rights. In other words ethical fact to be accepted by the general animals do not understand the nature of public that one cannot harm the animal their rights and therefore they cannot be because it is morally wrong to do so and bearers of rights like human beings. But they do not deserve the pain as they too Elizabeth Costello argues by saying that are sensitive being. animals are not imbeciles that they even do not know about their basic rights to References: live. The core of the problem of being Coetzee, J.M. The Lives of Animals.(ed) partial towards animals is that animals AmyGutman. Princeton: Princeton University Press, are assumed to be brainless creatures 1999. and mere object to be used. This wrong Boral, Kailash. J.M Coetzee- Critical assumption is due to the tendency of Perspective. Pencraft International .New Delhi, human beings to judge animals by their 2008. own standards. Costello also believes that human beings should give the rights to the Crowe, Jonathan. ‘Levinasian Ethics and animals- sentient creatures for they also Animal Rights’.TC Beirne School of Law and struggle, feel pain, suffer and strive for Legal Studies Research Paper Series, University of their existence. Queensland. 2010 Thus Coetzee in the novel effectively Lohani, Shabnam. Concern for the other: An sheds light on the issues concerning insight into the discourse of Mark Twain and animal rights and importance of showing Walt Whitman. International Journal of English: concern, compassion and empathy towards Literature, Language & Skills. 2011 the animal world. Through Costello’s Northover, Richard. ‘J. M Coetzee and lecture, Coetzee aptly uses the genre of Animal Rights: Elizabeth Costello’s challenge to literature to approach the animal rights Philosophy’. 2009 issues as literature can only considers the emotions of others. The entire novel is an Randall, Don. ‘The community of Sentient ocean of ideas, where Coetzee not only Beings: J.M Coetzee’s Ecology in Disgrace and challenges human beings preconceived Elizabeth Costello’.2007 notions but also compels the readers to Zamir, Tzachi. Ethics and the Beast. Princeton think about the lives of animals and their University Press. United States of America. 2007

47 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Muffled Voices of Women in Vijay Tendulkar’s Sakharam the Book binder K. Anuradha

In developed and developing countries has left him and when he brings the women are subjugated, it has long been seventh woman, the typical Indian considered a private matter by bystanders woman, Laxmi to his house. (67) including neighbors, the community and Sakharam’s life receives a big jolt after government. But such private matters have the infringement of his seventh and eighth a tendency to become public tragedies. women, Laxmi and Champa respectively, In many countries, women fall victim into his household. These two women to traditional practices that violate represent two polarities of feminine their human rights. The persistence of response towards this sensual patriarch. the problem has much to do with the Indulekha Roy Burma says “Laxmi oozes fact that most of these physically and the eternal “oomph” of a traditional Indian psychologically harmful customs are woman with her god-fearing religious, deeply rooted in the tradition and culture of docile nature and her unflinching devotion society. This Paper focuses on the Muffled towards her husband, no matter how great voices of women in Tendulkar’s Sakharam a tyrant he is (164)”. the Book binder. This play revolves around the main character Sakharam and When Laxmi is thrown out of her the two women characters that are related house by her husband on her failure with him. N.S.Dharan observes: to give birth to a child and is rescued by Sakharam Binder, she accepts the Sakharam binder is an expose of vicissitudes of life without any protest. the hypocrisy, jealousy, masochism and She clutches Sakharam as her only option lust of the middle class male. Born in a to survive and begins to worship him Brahmin family, ill-treated by both his as her ‘Saviour’. She demonstrated the father and mother, runs away at 11, patterns of thinking instilled in women by fends for himself and at length finds the patriarchal tradition. When she enters a job in a press. He is foul-mouthed the house, she is shocked to listen to the and rough in manners, but honest. In rules of Sakharam; he tells her how he Tendulkar’s words he is a ‘Coarse but expects her to behave: impressive personality”. As he does not believe in marriage, he brings home I like everything in order here. cast-off women whom, however, he Won’t put up with slipshod ways. If does not keep with him long. Thus, he you’re careless, I’ll show you the door. spends fourteen years with 6 women. Don’t ask for any pity then. And don’t The play begins when the 6th woman blame me either. I’m the master here.

K. Anuradha, H.O.D of English, Chikkana Govt.Arts College, Tirupur.

48 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 I don’t care if they treat me like dirt She gets beaten up, she refuses to give in. outside. But a house must be a house, Strangely enough, a year’s life with Laxmi you understand? (SB 125) brings about some inexplicable changes in Sakharam. But excess of work and sex Laxmi is to remain indoors whenever make her a scarecrow of a woman. After visitors come, she is not allowed to speak one year of life with him, Laxmi says to with any strangers, she should draw veil him: over her face when it becomes necessary for her to speak with any outsiders while It’s a year now since I entered this Sakharam is away. Then he instructs her house. I haven’t had a single day’s of his food particulars. He orders “My rest. whether I’m sick or whether it’s meal has to be ready by seven ‘o clock, a festal day. Nothing but work; work; four bhakris of jowar and Green chillis work all the time. You torture me the to go with them. You’ll find some garlic whole day, you torture me at night. I’ll chutney in a tin somewhere” (SB 131). drop dead one of these days and that It shows that he never minds about her will be the end. (SB 146) and also treats her as a servant who has Sakharam explodes one day and decides to gratify his needs. In the scene II, when to send Laxmi out. Inspite of Dawood’s he plays mridanga he shows his power intervention he does so. He does not pay towards her saying “the custom here is to heed to Laxmi’s warning. Sakharam sends have my legs pressed before I go to sleep. her away to her nephew at Amalnar. Soon, They came and they went, but the custom he confesses to Dawood about Laxmi, hasn’t change either” (SB 132). It shows “There have been many women here, that the woman has to live within the but this one left a mark before she went limits set by Sakharam. Shanta Gokhale away” (SB 153). Yet, he justifies his action observes “Laxmi is a mouse-like in her through the following words: speech and movements, hard working And you know what I am like. talks to ants and birds. She pets a black Everything said and done, there’s the ant at home and talks to it regularly”. All body, the home of all our appetites…. this rouses Sakharam’s anger. Because of No point in troubling her any further…. this when the burning charcoal which he (SB 153) used to light his ganja, falls on her feet, he just leaves her to suffer the agony. With the reluctant departure of Laxmi Furthermore, he orders her to laugh the a reversal of sorts occur in Sakharam’s way she laughs to the black ant while life. The arrival of the seventh woman Champa turns the tables against him. She he and she make love. She gets herself is younger to Laxmi, slightly plumper and braced up for these eerie experiences too. better built. She is the wife of a Police Sakharam’s friendship with Dawood Fouzdar in Chimkada who has just been Miyan causes a minor problem in the sacked for drunken irresponsibility. When house. Strongly asserting her Hindu Champa enters the house of Sakharam religious faith, Laxmi does not allow once again he lectures her in his unusual Sakharam to have the ‘aarti’ to Lord vein that he expects her to behave as his Ganapathi that was performed by Dawood. wife, she tells him to go into the Kitchen 49 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 and fetch something for her to eat. She traditional women for worshipping their informs him to make tea for her. He says: cruel husbands is greatly shocked at this and says to Champa “What kind of a SAKHARAM: what? That is a woman’s woman are you? Look, what you’ve done job. to him! He’s your husband, haven’t you CHAMPA: Then call her. have a heart (SB 167). Here he seems to SAKHARAM: I do not mean a servant. forget the fact that he himself has done I mean the woman of the house. (SB the same to Laxmi. She then, says to 158) Sakharam about the sadistic nature of her husband: Sakharam cannot raise his little fingers against her. He is so infatuated by her No, I don’t have a heart. He chewed body. Even Dawood finds her irresistible. it up raw long ago (pulls herself free). It seems that men to Champa are flesh He bought me from my mother even hungry. Champa needs drinks to satisfy before I’d become a woman. He Sakaharam’s itch. Sakharam even shirks married me when I didn’t even know his duty for a few days just to get drunk and what marriage meant. He’d torture me extract the maximum out of the drunken at night. He branded me, and stuck and motionless body of Champa. Champa needles into me and made me do awful, later says to Laxmi about Sakharam: filthy things. I ran away. He brought me back and stuffed chili powder in to Once you drink you get along fine. hat god-awful place, where it hurts it But your Sakharam, he really takes most. That bloody pimp! What’s left of his money’s worth out of woman. I’ve my heart now? he tore lumps out of it, managed to last out here. What else he did. (SB 167) can I do? Go out in the streets? Face Laxmi returns to Sakharam’s house, half a dozen animals every day! Easier driven away from her nephew’s house. to put up with this one. (SB 181) Her nephew’s wife has accused her of Here Tendulkar points out that stealing. She has none else to turn to. She marriage is an institution in which sexual has already accepted Sakharam as her relationship for a woman is possible only husband, as the managalsutra of pearls if the self is forgotten in the stupor of she wears signifies. Sakharam tries to alcohol, pleasure is possible only through turn her out in order to keep the company inflicting pain on the others and the of Champa. He beats her up; Champa self awareness is nothing but the mute intervenes and lets her stay, for as she tells and moron like acceptance of inhuman Sakharam “she can help me in the house. subordination of supremacy. Fouzdar Anyway, I can’t cope with the house and Shinde, Champa’s husband, a masochist with your...” (SB 184). himself, comes to Sakharam’s residence, Laxmi’s religious fervor continues fully drunk, begging her to kill him. unabated. She sleeps in the kitchen. Her Champa drags Shinde by the collar, slaps chanting of ‘Sitaram’disturbs Sakharam’s him, beats him, kicks him and punches at drunken love making. The presence of his face. Sakharam who once criticized Laxmi makes Sakharam impotent and 50 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Champa seeks sexual pleasure with care for him. But now he happens to Dawood, his friend. Feeling frustrated by know that Champa has an illegitimate his impotence Sakharam decides to drive relationship with Dawood. He strangles Laxmi out of the house. But Laxmi insists her to death. This shows that the man has that she is his real wife and that she should formulated separate rule for them and for be allowed to be with him. The mysterious women. Thus all the women characters disappearance of Champa during the of Tendulkar are oppressed or exploited afternoons rouses Laxmi’s suspicion. She either by their parents or their husbands follows Champa and discovers to her or their relatives or their neighbors. His shock, that the latter has been having an caricature is the representation of the real affair with Dawood. She prays to God for images and incidents in day to day life. advice. In her prayer, she reveals her true His characters are not idols, but the real relationship to Sakharam. representatives of the womanhood. Thus Laxmi clearly expresses her thoughts to Sakharam and also indirectly References reveals the truth that Champa has Burman, Indhulekha Roy, “Man-Woman illegitimate relationship with Dawood. Relationship in The Sakharam Binder”, Perspectives Hearing this he rains blows on Laxmi, and Challenges in Indian English Drama, ed. Neeru and then drives her out. In a blind fury, he Tandon. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers. rushes out. He returns quickly and chokes Dharan,N.S, The Plays of Vijay Tendulkar, New Champa to death. Tendulkar not through Delhi: Creative Books, 1999. Laxmi but through Champa explores Burman, Indhulekha Roy, “Man-Woman the women exploitation in the society. Relationship in The Sakharam Binder”, Perspectives Here Sakharam, who does not believe in and Challenges in Indian English Drama, ed. Neeru the institution of marriage, lives with a Tandon. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers, 2001. woman who either left or was left by her Gokhale, Shanta, “Tendulkar on his own terms”, man on contractual cohabitation. When Vijay Tendulkar’s Plays: An Anthology of Recent that woman wants to leave him, he sends Criticism, Ed. by V.M.Madge, New Delhi; Pencraft her away by giving her a sari and some International, 2007. money. Then he looks for another woman and gets her without much difficulty. Priya Adarkar (TR): Five Plays by Vijay Sakharam, like Osborne’s Jimmy Porter Tendulkar, Oxford University Press, New Delhi appears to be the spokesman of the angry 1995 and frustrated modern generation. He Tendulkar, Vijay. Collected plays in translation does not care for the world but wants Ed. By Samik Bandyopadhyaya, New Delhi: OUP, the world, particularly his women to 2003.

51 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Using Authoring Tools to Enhance Communication Skills Dr. Surendrasinh Gohil & Dr. Sunil Shah

Introduction English as a basic skill to the youth to enable them to participate in the 21st The English language teaching and century civil society. At present English learning have undergone a paradigm is the global lingua franca and is used to shift in last few decades. The objectives communicate to the people from almost of learning English language are upward any country of the world. English brings social mobility, access to higher education a competitive advantage to its speakers. and an edge in employment possibilities. With the same pace, English is bound The objectives have changed in degree to be the universal language and “when from the past centuries however; the English becomes universal, no one gains future English language learning may advantage by having it. Rather, anyone be for economic growth at national and without it suffers. We are fast moving into international level, for better understanding a world in which not to have English is to of subjects across curriculum and to be marginalized and excluded” (Graddol, address social and political issues. On 2010). On the other hand, common man of one hand, the need for teaching English India recognizes English as “a determinant as a language has been accentuated of access to and opportunities for a better by the difficulties faced by the young life” (NKC, 2007). There is a large portion graduates in getting employment due to of the middle-income or lower-income poor communications skills in English. society that spends on relatively expensive On the other hand, English has remained English medium schools with a priority synonymous to the teaching of English equivalent to the health. English has been literature still. In view of globalization, the a part of the education system for more teaching of English has to shift its focus than a century now. However, only 1% from teaching of literature to teaching of people in India use English as a second language and communication skills. language. The shortage is among the non- “The place of English in India cannot graduates, 88% of the population who do be understood without simultaneously not reach college (Graddol, 2010). The understanding both the local detail and Government of India, acknowledging the the bigger national picture” (Graddol, facts, has proposed massive expansion of 2010). On one hand, English has emerged technical and vocational education during as a global language. There are many India’s eleventh five-year plan (2007-12) countries of the world like China, many to provide the skills needed for the next other countries of Asia, Latin America phase of India’s economic expansion. and countries across Europe are teaching India has the largest young population

Dr. Surendrasinh Gohil & Dr. Sunil Shah, Assistant Professors H M Patel Institute of English Training & Research, V V Nagar ,Gujarat. 52 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 in the world. This advantage “needs to advancements: technological and be converted into a dynamic economic pedagogical. The fifth generation language advantage by providing them the right laboratories support constructivist theory education and skills” according to the and communicative approach to language Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in learning. They have potential to provide the 2009 Budget speech. As a part of the quality and comprehensible input required skill development programmes, India now for quality language output according to aspires to make English a common man’s the cognitive theory of language learning. language from its long enjoyed status of With digital input and internet connectivity language of an elite. This may take long it provides extensive exposure to the but it will be impossible without use of authentic language use along with great technology to reach out to the masses enjoyment. Thus, technology in the form in distant and remote parts of the large of digital language laboratory could prove country. to be an effective means to take English to the young Indians in the schools and ICT in ELT colleges (Beatty, 2003). Along with the emergence of the In past few decades, technology has digital language labs, the markets are become inevitable in all fields of life. flooded with language laboratory software Education is not an exception. As in and materials produced by different curriculum transaction of other subjects, national and international level software technology is used in English Language companies. These software are expensive Teaching extensively. Technological to purchase and require different advancements and approaches and minimum configurations. In addition methods in ELT have developed side by to this, the software are provided with side. Innovations in language teaching inbuilt sets of materials for the language approaches, methods and techniques are practice. However, these sets of materials supported by use of technology. Technology are not universal. For a multilingual and has supported cognitive, socio-cultural as multicultural country like India, universal well as constructivist theory of language sets of materials may not prove very learning fulfilling many basic conditions effective in enhancing communication of effective language acquisition. skills. The past researches have reported Language laboratories have played a that digital language labs have proved significant role in ELT. Development of ineffective because of two major reasons: language laboratories can be termed as a. Lack of adequate teacher training, and first planned and formal use of technology in the field of language teaching and b. Lack of imaginative materials. learning. The analogue labs are replaced For a country like India where most of by the digital labs. The modern digital the teachers are first generation learners language laboratory, also known as the fifth of computer skills, we need something generation laboratory that uses computers that is easy to operate. Moreover, our with internet connectivity, has evolved to multilingual and multicultural needs this stage as a result of two simultaneous require need specific and contextualized 53 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 sets of materials. Authoring tools can a. There will be no significant address both the needs. Therefore, the difference in the overall mean scores study was conducted to check the effect of the pre-test and post-test of the of multimedia materials prepared using students. authoring tools to enhance communication b. There will be no significant skills of the undergraduate learners. difference in the mean scores of the pre-test and post-test of the students Authoring Tool: Course Lab 2.4 with respect to the language skills. The term authoring is used to describe The hypothesis were tested using one the creation of courseware using an group pre-test post-test experimental authoring tool. Davis, Bangs, Frisby and research design. Walton (2005) assert that “authoring tools The study used the First Year students enable the teacher to create complete from Arts and Commerce faculty of Sardar programmes of courseware, as opposed Patel University as population to derive to content elements such as texts, pictures the sample. Thus, 20 participants who and audio-visual recordings without having did their schooling in Gujarati Medium to learn how to programme a computer”. and qualified 12th board examination In other words, authoring tools provide a of the Gujarat State Higher Secondary shell or template to add content to create Examination Board, Gandhinagar with learning programmes. English as one of the subjects formed the The reported study used free authoring group of participants. The materials were software Course Lab 2.4 as it was found tried out on a total number of 20 students comparatively more useful after review of of which eight were female and twelve many. Course Lab 2.4 helps in creating were male of 17 to 20 years of age. interactive environment necessary for The reported study used the multimedia language learning. It is a powerful yet easy materials, the pre-test and the post- to use, e-learning authoring system that test formed the primary instruments offers a programming-free environment for for data collection. In addition to this, creating high quality interactive e-learning modified Common European Framework courses which can be published on the for Language Reference descriptors of Internet, Learning Management System proficiency level were used to assess (LMS), CD ROMs and other storage speaking skills. Finally, a feedback form devices. Minimum system requirements was used to evaluate the effect and are Microsoft Windows 98/XP/2003, usefulness of the materials. Internet Explorer 5.0, Mozilla Firefox 1.0 or higer, JavaScript enabled and XML The materials used consisted of 5 units support enabled. of 3 hours each developed considering the recent pedagogical approaches to ESL as well as recent developments in the use of Procedure technology in language learning programs. The study was guided by two null Total 15 hours of language instruction hypotheses: was provided excluding administration 54 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 of the pre-test and the post-test. Each multimedia materials developed using unit of the materials included practice in the authoring tool were effective in listening, speaking and reading skills in an developing communication skills. The integrated form. Each unit covered at least difference in the mean scores was three language functions. statistically significant revealing that it The study also used a 30 item each pre was due to the programme and not by and post test. A questionnaire was also chance. given to evaluate the materials and the A significant difference was observed programme developed using the authoring in the mean scores of listening skills tool. in the pre-test and post-test leading to the conclusion that the multimedia Data Analysis and Major Findings materials were effective in developing The analysis of the data collected listening skills. The T-value obtained using the pre-test and the post-test was from the analysis of the mean scores carried out using small sample T-test. of the pre-test and the post-test of A qualitative analysis was carried out listening skill was 12.049. The mean to measure difference in the speaking of the paired difference was 4.50 skills and to evaluate the multimedia with standard deviation 1.670. The materials, details also revealed that the P-value or value of significance was 0.000, at The data analysis showed a significant the level of 0.05. The analysis showed difference in the overall mean scores that there was a significant difference of the pre-test and the post-test of the between the mean scores of the pre- students at the end of the tryout of test and post-test of listening skill at the multimedia materials to enhance 5% level of significance rejecting the communication skills at the UG level. first null hypothesis: There will be no The T-value obtained from the analysis significant difference in the mean of the overall mean scores of the pre- scores of the pre-test and post test of test and the post-test was 11.271. The listening skill. The significance at 5% mean of the paired difference was 5.10 level also suggests that the difference with standard deviation 2.024. The in the mean scores of the pre-test and details also revealed that the P-value post-test of listening skills was due or value of significance was 0.000, at to the effect of the materials and the the level of 0.05. The analysis showed programme, not due to chance. that there was a significant difference between the overall mean scores of A qualitative analysis based on the pre-test and post-test at 5% level Common European Framework of of significance rejecting the first null Reference (CEFR) was carried out to hypothesis: There will be no significant measure speaking skills. The following difference in the mean scores of the table shows the advancement of the pre-test and post- test of the students. participants from lower to higher Hence, it could be concluded that the level. 55 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 0 A1 A1+ A2 A2+ B1 B1+ B2 B2+ Pre-test 02 16 - - 01 - 01 - - Number of studetns Post-test 00 04 06 06 02 - 02 - - Number of students Thus, it was concluded that the language teachers who wish to prepare materials prepared using authoring need specific and contextualized tools have been effective in developing materials for ESL students. The area of speaking at the UG level. using authoring tools for ESL practice There was no significant difference is less explored and there are ample achieved in the mean scores of reading scopes and possibilities for further skills in the pre-test and the post-test. research. Hence, it could be concluded that the multimedia materials need changes in Reference the practice of reading skills. Beatty, K. (2003). Teaching and researching The students’ feedback questionnaire computer-assisted language learning. London ; New York administered at the end of the : Longman. program revealed that the participants Chapelle, C. (2001). Computer applications in second language acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University enjoyed the overall design of the Press. language practice. The participants Crystal, D. (1997). English as a global language. also enjoyed use of authoring tools Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. in taking language practice exercises. Graddol, D. (2010). English Next India. London: The participants found the multimedia British Council materials easy to access as well. National Knowledge Comission (2007). National Knowledge Commission: Report to the Nation 2007. New Conclusion Delhi: Government of India Peterson, P. (1974). Origins of the language As the study reveals, the authoring laboratory. NALLD Journal 8 (4), 5-17 tools may prove to be very handy to the

56 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Effectiveness of a video based training programme on grammatical errors of engineering students Tarun Patel

1. Introduction • Can conscious use of video content help learners improve their language The present research paper reflects the skills and apply them beyond factors that obstruct the ESP students’ use of English language for academic / classroom? professional purposes. The study consists • Can video contents be used to of a video based training programme develop group interaction and promote that is designed to rectify some typical communicative activities? grammatical errors in the speaking of some randomly selected students learning 1.3 Research Objectives English for a specific purpose. It aims • The present experiment was conducted at providing a specially designed video with the following objectives: based training programme to be helpful in making the ESP students more efficient • To analyze the errors made by in receiving and reproducing their domain engineering students while speaking knowledge with the help of accurate and • To investigate the effect of video based appropriate linguistic expressions. training on the spoken expressions of engineering students 1.1 Problem Statement • To arrive at a set of strategies to The problem statement for this research use while employing audio-visual is as under: materials in the language classrooms “Effectiveness of a video based training programme on grammatical errors in 1.4 Language Training Programme speeches of engineering students”. (Video Based) 1.2 Research Questions A language training programme is a • The present experiment was started specially designed alternative strategy with the following questions: based on the need analysis carried out by • What sort of language usage strategies observing the learner’s deviated behaviour, ESL / ESP students make use of? in order to put it on a right track. The • How does video material develop concept of remedial teaching is not new language learning strategies? in the history of teaching – learning. • How does video material impact the As they say, “To err is human...”, spoken expressions of engineering errors are considered to be a natural students? human behaviour. However, as far as

Tarun Patel, Asst. Professor, SSEC, Gujarat Technological University 57 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 the teaching of any domain is taken into teach. Earlier remedial classes meant the account, the earlier remedial programmes same for all who err. Hundred students do not show the same gentle attitude as the can sit and practice the correct behaviour saying towards the error done by learners. at a time. But now it has become more Earlier, it was believed that errors are like individualistic in nature. Today’s remedial diseases, which need to be cured. So, the programmes are specially designed remedial programmes that people like T. keeping in mind the needs, abilities and Wood prepared for their students were weaknesses of individual learner. nothing but a tedious series of mechanical Thus the base of remedial programmes practice. These programmes treated errors is in need-analysis. The learners’ scope as sins, and as a result, the doer of the sin of using the taught item, his ability, his i.e. the learner, was insulted. requirement etc. would define the course This attitude to the errors was built of remedial programme. This leads to the up on the basis of structural approach fact that the factors mentioned above may to language teaching that projected the vary from learner to learner. If we consider process of teaching merely a matter of the issue in terms of language teaching, habit formation. So, they insisted upon it becomes more vital, because language drilling and mechanical practice, which is a medium to express the thoughts and they thought would solve the problem. knowledge that an individual possesses. But as we now know, learning – whether it be language learning or anything else – When we talk of need-analysis, one is more of a trial and error, as suggested more thing that comes to the mind is ESP by the cognitive school of teaching. (English for Specific Purposes) which Unlike the behaviouristic school, they said also has its base in need-analysis. English that drilling is not ALWAYS a strategy language, when learnt for a specific that can lead to correct learning. From purpose, is more important as a medium of this came into existence the functional receiving and reproducing the knowledge approach, which projected the use-oriented of the other domains of curriculum under teaching. They emphasized the practical study, than a separate subject to study. So, implementation of the learning items. its role in curriculum is important and at Under the influence of this approach, the the same time, a crucial one. Unlike those concept of errors, treatment to it, the nature who learn a language with a view to study of remedial programmes, everything went the linguistic features and literary values, under a drastic change. the others – i.e. Students learning English for a specific purpose – are many, and Later on, however it was realized that increasing rapidly in numbers. To them errors are not essentially useless. Even language is primarily and basically, a tool they can be exploited in order to learn to use for the sake of communication. correct things. A positive connotation They need to learn it in order to exploit to the term ‘error’ came into existence and express something altogether different and that played a role in redefining the from linguistic features of language. remedial programmes. They are no longer a set for practicing correct behaviour; they As a teacher in English, for the students are now different, alternative strategies to of technical education, namely Engineering 58 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 discipline the researcher observed that the In grammar, too, the chunks that are students who learn English for a specific of frequent use to the discipline in which purpose are almost poor at receiving the students are pursuing their degree in and reproducing their domain subject Engineering, have been taken up for the knowledge through English; though the remedial teaching content, So that it can same process can be done in a brilliant be directly helpful to them. way if they use their vernacular language. Thus, it takes a shape of an experimental Sometimes their use of English language research in which the grammatical errors is so poor that they are not able to fulfil in the writing of the Engineering students even the basic purpose of communication. have been identified, treated and tested This leads to a complete failure as a in order to rectify through the remedial professional. programme. This research work aims at identifying and rectifying the errors in the use of 2. Review of Related Literature English language by the students of 2.1 Teaching English as a second Engineering discipline for whom English language is a tool / medium. Ronald Carter and David Nunan (2001) Here, the writing has been focused, have dealt with various techniques to because they are the students for whom teaching English at lower and intermediate English is a second language. So, their first level. The target students fall into the output of learning a language would be in category of ESL. The activities and issues the form of written answers. And if they mentioned in their book ‘The Cambridge err here, the error would be fossilized and guide to teaching English to speakers of transferred to their speech, too. In order other languages’ have been of great help to solve the problem from the grass root in carrying out this research work level, an extensive remedial programme to This book features some well- correct errors has been implemented. researched and practiced techniques for Since language is more of a medium teaching English. For better results, the and less of content for them, they need emphasis is given to communicative to pay special attention to the basic activities in the teaching process. structures of language which can provide The book focuses on learning skills such them with a format in which they may put as Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, the content they have. So, for them the Grammar, Vocabulary and Discourse. most appropriate and accurate language structures are as important as specific In the oral skills development section, terminology at their field in order to Bygate (2001) has shared some thoughtful communicate effectively. So, this research insights which have helped researcher has focused only basic grammatical errors form a base for the entire work. in their writing, which, if corrected, can Bygate says, “Speaking in a second provide them with an accurate frame to language (L2) involves the development of their domain knowledge. a particular type of communication skill. 59 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Oral language, because of its circumstances This paper is divided into two major of production, tends to differ from written sections reflecting two kinds of video language in its typical grammatical, lexical use—showing videos to students and and discourse patterns. In addition, some videotaping student activities. of the processing skills needed in speaking According to Katchen, within these differ from those involved in reading and two categories, specific pedagogical writing.” applications are summarized and Bygate favours ‘audiolingualism’ as educational foundations elaborated. one of the best approaches to teach oral At the very beginning of the article, English skills. Audiolingualism was based Katchen says, “Language teachers have on behaviourist theories of learning and been using video technologies for at least assumed that language was little more the past twenty years. From videotapes than overt, observable behaviour. to DVDs and streaming video from the To understand what is involved in Internet, the visual mode is still powerful developing oral skills, it is useful to and popular. Far from being mere consider the nature and conditions of entertainment, carefully chosen films can speech. Enabling the speakers to self- be a useful and extremely motivational correct themselves could be the best way teaching tool for both practicing listening to help them make their speech flawless. skills and stimulating speaking and This needs to have a watch on motor writing.” control of the articulatory organs such as Katchen strongly favors the use of lips, tongue, teeth, alveolar palate velum, video for teaching English. Citing the glottis, mouth cavity and breath. Also advantage of videos, he says that video self-monitoring could help the students provides authentic language input. Movies to identify and self-correct the mistakes. and TV programs are made for native Using multimedia is the key to have the speakers, so in that sense video provides involvement of these processes in the authentic linguistic input. Language teaching. Katchen has also cited an activity As the present research work deals which can work well while using video in with the applications of video materials in the classroom. In this activity the teacher teaching English, this book was referred plays part of a video, stops it at a specific to. The views expressed by the authors are point, then asks students to speculate and authentic in nature and so are of help in discuss (or write for homework) what they such type of research works. think will happen next. 2.2 Video in ELT—Theoretical and In this article Katchen has also Pedagogical Foundations provided some tips on selection of videos In his paper ‘Video in ELT’ Katchen to teach English. He favors selection of (2000) has enlisted some useful activities videos dealing with the familiar topics of to incorporate in an ELT classroom while the students so that they feel comfortable using the video contents. All the activities in the learning process. mentioned are based on experiments Focusing his experiences with the carried out in ELT classrooms. students and reflecting the students’ voices, 60 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Katchen says, “Students in many contexts they provide authentic materials for the have said they like video activities because students. they provide a break from the usual Favoring the use of video sharing textbook-based activities, and even when sites such as YouTube and Revver, Beare the activities challenge students, learning (2007) says, “These sites also provide with video is more enjoyable. Students English learners and classes with a new do not always take the easy way out.” tool to improve listening skills. The real According to Katchen, a daily dose advantage to these sites - at least from a of video may be excessive but a regular, language learning point of view - is that well-prepared video lesson may provide a they offer authentic examples of everyday healthy addition to the student mind and English used by everyday people. Of body. course, this is the challenge as well.” Like the case study of Stempleski, Searching ESL.About.com for the term this article by Katchen has also been of “video” brings out around 276,000 result a great help for planning out the activities pages. All the pages contain lesson plans for the training offered to the subjects. and other resources on use of video in Katchen’s idea of ‘a daily dose’ inspired teaching English language. the researcher to provide the subjects with At ESL.About.com, Beare has covered a constant and continuous training to the variety of topics to provide useful subjects for brining more effective results. contents to both the teachers and learners The examples and explanations cited in the of English. paper have served as a model to follow. Some of the areas that Beare has 2.3 Use of web tools for videos covered include: - ESL Lesson Plan List for Advanced The About.com’s ESL.About.com Level Learners provides plenty of resources and for teaching English. - Book Recommendations for Advanced English Learning Kenneth Beare, who has been About. com Guide to ESL for 13 years, has - Student Correction - When and How? contributed several lesson plans on use of - CALL in the ESL/EFL Classroom video to teach English in the classrooms. - Choosing Props for the ESL/EFL One such lesson plan posted by Beare is classroom titled ‘YouTube in the Classroom!’. In this - Music in the ESL Classroom. particular lesson plan, he has incorporated All of the above resources have several activities to make students learn contributed a lot in the present research. English with the help of YouTube videos. As the researcher could not find much The lesson plan focuses on teaching printed material on use of video in ELT, of vocabulary, tenses, pronunciations, the major source has been the Internet. prepositions and more. And the About.com content being a very As Katchen did, Beare also favors rich set has helped the researcher to a videos in a language classroom because great extent. 61 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 The activities mentioned on ESL.About. speaking of Engineering students. The com have showed the researcher a track experiment was chiefly divided into three to design the skeleton of the course that stages: was offered to the research participants. i. Pre-experiment recording Also this site has been referred because ii. Experiment (Video Training) it remains updated with fresh ideas to integrate in a language classroom. iii. Post-experiment recording The experiment began with students’ 2.4 Teaching English using video taking up an opinionnaire. The aim McKinnon (2006) writes, “Video is a behind it was to motivate the students valuable and possibly underused classroom and know their own views of their tool. There is always the temptation to language proficiency. After taking up simply put a video on at the end of term the opinionnaire when the students were and let our students watch a film without called for personal interview, each of them even challenging them to be actively was motivated to achieve a better edge involved.” over English through the programme, especially designed for them. According to McKinnon, video as a listening tool can enhance the listening The informatory session ended up with experience for our students. students’ filling up the general information format. In his paper ‘Teaching Technologies, McKinnon has demonstrated several Then they were asked to record their activities based on authentic videos. The speeches in two ways i.e. spontaneous activities involve pre-viewing, while- and prepared. They were assigned the viewing and post-viewing tasks. topic ‘The Role of Internet in Our Life’ for recording a spontaneous speech. After The activities include split viewing, recording their first speech, they were vision on / sound off, vision off / sound made to record their prepared speech i.e on, observe and write, video dictogloss, ‘Importance of Books in Our Life’. They watch and observe etc. were given 30 minutes to design their McKinnon has shared the sample speech on Importance of Books. lesson plans to try out these activities. The recordings were transcribed by the This paper enlists the advantages researcher and analyzed to find out the of using video materials in the ELT erroneous areas in their spoken English. classrooms and activities for a video in At the end of the analysis, three major ELT classroom which are of immense areas were identified wherein the students help for the present research. had committed most errors, they are: a. Articles 3. Experiment b. Prepositions, and The present experiment was taken up in c. Simple Past, Simple Future tense; order to see the effect of a video training and Simple, Continuous and Perfect programme on the grammatical errors in Present Tense. 62 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 This identification was followed by the 3.1 Feedback Form designing of a rigorous training course At the end of the training programme, using Indian English movie clips. The after the Post-experiment recording, course was designed to train the students students were given a feedback form for 30 hours and was planned to deliver in through which they can express their 15 days. The training course was full of views regarding the programme. A sample communicative and functional exercises. copy of the feedback form is given in the Each of the identified area was covered appendix. with comprehensive exercises to make students know what mistakes they are With the feedback form, the aim is to making and avoid them consciously while get an honest opinion about the programme speaking. from those who really been into it and to help whom is the chief concern of the The training was done with programme. In order to get honest and communicative approach wherein the true feedback names have not been asked students were given maximum exposure to ‘speak’ and improve upon their English here. The samples of filled up forms have language skills. Some sample exercises been included in the appendix. are attached later in this chapter. 4. Data Analysis On every training day, the students were made to record themselves for 2 minutes 4.1 Error Analysis Method and the and consult the researcher to identify the Types of Errors errors they had made and correct them. The errors were analyzed by transcribing During the training, what students recorded the speeches of the engineering students. was totally unplanned. It was done so to The major areas in which the students make them make maximum mistakes and had committed errors were Articles, improve upon. Prepositions, Simple Past Tense, Simple After the training of 15 days – 2 hours Future Tense; and Simple Continuous and a day – on the last day of the programme Perfect Present Tense. students recorded themselves again, in two ways, spontaneous and prepared, and All the above mentioned grammatical filled up the feedback form about the errors were classified from the speeches. programme. The following table shows the topics given to the students for the speech and Thus, the programme ran for three the number of errors made by the students. weeks and completed successfully without any hurdles except that three students, The following graph shows the total left the programme half way due to their number of errors identified before and after involvement in cultural activities on the the experiment. The errors are divided campus. Thus, in the beginning, up to into three categories namely Articles, the personal interview, there were 15 Prepositions, Simple Past Tense, Simple students. But after that, up to the end Future Tense; and Simple Continuous and they were 12. Perfect Present Tense 63 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 4.2 Pre-experiment Recording

4.3 Spontaneous and Planned Recordings in the spontaneous recordings and 61 (Pre-experiment) (39%) errors were made in the planned recordings. Out of 156 errors made by the students in the pre-experiment recordings, they had As far as the article errors were committed 95 (61%) errors were made concerned, out of 64 article errors, 41 64 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 (64%) errors were made in the spontaneous In the area of tenses 43 errors were recordings and 23 (36%) were committed committed, out of which, 26 (60%) were in the planned ones. made in the spontaneous recordings and 17 (40%) in the planned ones. Out of 49 prepositional errors, 28 (57%) were committed in the spontaneous Also the fillers were decreased in the recordings and 21 (43%) were committed planned recordings, probably, because they in the planned recordings. got time to prepare their second speech.

4.4 Post-experiment Recording

4.5 Comparing Spontaneous and Out of 24 prepositional errors, 15 Planned Recordings (Post- (62%) were committed in the spontaneous experiment) recordings and 9 (38%) were committed Out of 74 errors made by the students in the planned recordings. in the post-experiment recordings, they had committed 45 (60%) errors were In the area of tenses 31 errors were made in the spontaneous recordings and committed, out of which, 18 (58%) were 29 (40%) errors were made in the planned recordings. made in the spontaneous recordings and As far as the article errors were 13 (42%) in the planned ones. concerned, out of 19 article errors, 12 Also the fillers were decreased in the (63%) errors were made in the spontaneous recordings and 7 (37%) were committed planned recordings, probably, because they in the planned ones. got time to prepare their second speech. 65 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 4.6 Analyzing the Impact of the Video based Training Programme

After the video based training past tense and Simple future tense. programme, the following data has been 2. The number of errors in the pre- gathered: experiment recordings and post- • Errors in the area of articles went experiment recordings indicated down from 64 (pre-experiment an obvious progress in positive recordings) to 19 (post-experiment direction geared by the video based recordings). training programme in between the • The number of prepositional errors two recordings. decreased from 49 (pre-experiment On the whole, it can be said that recordings) to 24 (post-experiment video based teaching can strengthen the recordings). Engineering students’ use of language, and • he errors in the area of English can make a good asset for a professional. tenses also shows a decrease from 43 (pre-experiment recordings) to 4.7 Student Feedback 31 (post-experiment recordings). At the end of the programme, feedback • Also, as specified in the section was taken from the students in the form of 4.5, the fillers and pauses from the a questionnaire. In this form, there were students’ speeches got decreased in 7 items; 4 were yes / no questions, and 3 the post-experiment recordings. were descriptive. A copy of filled up form is given in the appendix. Thus, through the analysis of all these items, the findings are as under. 1. From the speeches by the students under observation, it was found that the most frequent grammatical errors they made were in the areas of Articles, Prepositions, Simple present tense, Present continuous tense, Present perfect tense, Simple 66 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 5. Major Findings 5.1 Limitations The following are the key findings of The present research work has the present study: following limitations: • The video based training helped The very design of the research has the student participants decrease certain limitations. The pattern of pre- the frequency of the grammatical experiment recording and post-experiment errors they used to make in their recording are similar. To an extent this spoken expressions. raises a threat of pre-experiment recording • The article errors of the students sensitization. decreased by 60% from 64 (pre- This study focuses grammatical errors. experiment recordings) to 19 (post- However, in the post-experiment recording experiment recordings) it has been observed that though the • The prepositional errors of the learner has used correct construction of students decreased by 50% from language, due to inadequate vocabulary 49 (pre-experiment recordings) to or ignorance of other structural aspects of 24 (post-experiment recordings) language, they have erred. • The errors related to tenses The fact that they err can’t be totally decreased by 18% from 43 (pre- separated from the reasons behind these experiment recordings) to 31 (post- errors. The researcher has tried to go into experiment recordings) that, too, observing the mainframe of the • All of the students found the way present problem. Yet, the reasons behind of learning English through videos it have not been paid much attention over interesting and effective here. Had it been so, it could have helped 67 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 in treating the errors in a slightly better Jassem Ali Jassem “Study on Second Language way. Learners of Arabic: An Error Analysis Approach” Had the programme been a part of A S Noordeen (Malaysia) academic schedule only, it could have run NarodnaProsveta “Error Analysis: Bulgarian for long and could have become more Learners of English” effective. Marina Dodigovic(November 20, 2005) “Artificial 5.3 Conclusion Intelligence in Second Language Learning: Rais- ing Error Awareness (Second Language Acquisi- On the basis of the data presented in tion)” Multilingual Matters Limited the previous chapter, this chapter presented David R. Hall (January 10, 2001) “Innovation in the findings and arrived at and discussed English Language Teaching: A Reader (Teaching the recommendations. Thus, this chapter English Language Worldwide)” Routledge is a summative view of the experiment in terms of its academic outcome. C. Candlin (January 10, 2001)“English Language Teaching in its Social Context: A Reader (Teach- The present study can open up many ing English Language Worldwide)”Routledge new fields to work upon. The scope Ronald White (July 7, 1998) “The ELT Curricu- of the study is thus, very large. It can lum: Design, Innovation and Mangement (Ap- help students in many ways. Though the plied Language Studies)” Wiley-Blackwell focus is on speaking, the communicative approach of designing materials may help Jack C. Richards (March 12, 2001) “Approaches in developing other language skills like and Methods in Language Teaching” Cambridge reading, speaking and listening, too. It can University Press instill better learning habits in the students Jack Richards (June 1974) “Error Analysis Per- instead of the old habits like memorization. spectives on Second Language Acq” Longman The concept behind this experiment has Pub Group its roots in a humane approach towards Jack C Richards (1971) “Error analysis and sec- learners’ problems, and so it does help the ond language strategies” International Center for learner open up and grow. Research on Bilingualism Jack C Richards (1970) “A non-contrastive ap- References proach to error analysis: Prepared for the TES- Cheng Meizhen (December 5, 1997) “Error Analy- OL Convention, San Francisco, March, 1970”In- sis of 900 Sample Sentences”. Sinolingua ternational Center for Research on Bilingualism

68 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Empowering the Learners of Tribal area to learn English through Technology Anil Varsat

English is in India today a symbol of to popular needs rather than the other way people’s aspirations for quality in education. round. We address this question, therefore, The current status of English stems from its in various ways. First, we hope through overwhelming presence on the world stage multilingualism to counter some possible and the reflection of this in the national ill-effects such as the loss of one’s own arena. It is predicted that by 2010, a surge language(s), or the burden of sheer in English-language learning will include incomprehension. Second, we describe a third of the world’s people (Graddol what can realistically be achieved in given 1997).1 The opening up of the Indian situations, supplemented with affirmative economy in the 1990s has coincided with action interventions where necessary; the an explosion in the demand for English in aim is to identify delivery systems for our schools because English is perceived comprehensible input to the child, whether to open up opportunities (Das 2005). in the classroom or outside it. For a fuller understanding of the issues around the The visible impact of this presence of early introduction of English, we have English is that it is today being demanded included an assessment of the “critical by everyone at the very initial stage of period” or “sensitive window” hypothesis schooling. The English teaching profession to show that this does not entail a very has consistently recommended a relatively early introduction of English. late (Class IV, V, or VI) introduction of English, and this is reflected in spirit in English Language Teaching is one policy documents. The dissatisfaction of the fastest growing sectors in the with this recommendation is evident in world. The use of new technologies is the mushrooming of private English- an integral and driving component of medium schools and the early introduction this growth (White, 1988). Computers of English in state school systems. The deliver multimedia presentations for popular response to systemic failure has entertainment, advertising, or education. been to extend downwards the very system Edutainment is the term used to refer to the that has failed to deliver. The level of applications which incorporate multimedia introduction of English has now become entertainment with educational objectives. a matter of political response to people’s Multimedia incorporates text, audio, aspirations, rendering almost irrelevant an graphics, animations, or real video into academic debate on the merits of a very English lessons. Curriculum developers early introduction. There are problems and instructional designers collaborate of systemic feasibility and preparedness, with skilled teachers and subject experts for example, finding the required number to create effective, integrated learning of competent teachers. But there is an strategies which strengthen teachers’ expectation that the system should respond professional skills, make optimal use

Anil Varsat, H M Patel Institute of English Training and Research, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand. 69 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 of classroom time, and broaden student spoken by teachers and taught to access to learning materials (Richards, them. There is a need of a bridge 2001). Audio Streaming, Power Point course which can fill up this divide. Presentations (PPT), Flash or Java 2) To focus on the cultural life there Animation, Video, etc. are the different young children leave every day. The multimedia tools used in teaching English. English vocabulary has to be supplied Vision and hearing are the dominant to them for small activity and the senses. Multimedia can provide a sensory skills that they have command over and real learning experience; it presents for example: the description of the a greater potential for learning (Lindfors, “Hat” the weekly market is more 1987). Audio software contains options important than the description of a like play, stop, record, etc. It does not mall in town or in a city. Similarly the contain images or animations. Power point young learners are good at so many presentation contains text and images. skills to which city dwellers has no Audio files can be inserted, if necessary. excess. Flash animations contain text, audio, images, and animations. Videos can be For instance they live a life of freedom played in any media player. It contains and its nature and have world, the world sub-texts for easy understanding of the of insects and the life cycles. They are also conversations. familiar with farming, grazing, animals, gathering, medicinal product, making huts, At the outset I must admit that I was plying instruments swimming etc. if a list highly impressed by the experiment of English words related to their daily life carried out by Sugata Mitra in the area is prepared and given to them I think it of learning autonomy. Let me brief you can inject in them a sense of confidence about experiment carried out by him in and which can gradually help them to some of the places in India and abroad. switch over to urban way of life. This experiment is known as “The Hole in the Wall”. I think and perceive that multimedia can play a vital role in reaching out to the Taking a cue from his experiment I also tribal learners effectively. The use of planned to carry out the experiment in the computers and interest can eliminate the tribal area of Kaparada of Valsad District distance between the rural or the tribal of Gujarat satates. This experiment is and the urban once a virtual class is under way and will take a couple of created and the learners have can excess months to accomplish, however the initial to online materials he can learn language efforts have been very encouraging and at his own pace, provided there is no eye-opener. The most striking that has power disruption. emerged from the initial phase of the I can foresee a positive response among experiment is the readiness of both the the tribal learners if a suitable online learner and the teacher to make a serious material is prepared along with a booklet attempt in learning an English language. in two languages and a dialect. Once it However I feel that there are certain issues is accomplished the teaching learning which require special attention. programme can be more interactive. The 1) The tribal area uses a dialect which is learners during the two or three contact different from the standard Guajarati meetings evinced a great enthusiasm for 70 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 learning English language. They are keen process but depended on the learner’s learners provided the teachers allow them interest, habits, background and attitude. to listen them some spoken English in However, it was difficult for traditional their day today classroom. English grammar teaching methods to WELCOME English is a SATCOM based address these concepts until multimedia programme for English language teaching was integrated. for over 9000 students of 234 schools Technology/Multimedia has become in scheduled areas, across 15 districts of an important classroom teaching tool Gujarat. The SATCOM programme seeks because it can integrate all of the sensory to reach out to students who, because of learning methods and addresses an their location in remote tribal areas and individual student’s needs by requiring limited resources, do not receive much total student interaction and response. meaningful exposure to English in their Because multimedia language programs natural environment outside the classroom. interest students with visual effects, audio While formulating the 9th Five Year effects and interesting real-life situations, Plan, Government of India (GOI) realized students become enthusiastic and wish to that unless the quality of education is participate more in the language learning substantially improved in the tribal areas, process. some of the serious issues involved with employability and subsequent performance Current multimedia packages address of tribal youths cannot be addressed. It was specific learning objectives and are felt that as the tribal children suffer from oriented towards the learner’s cultural various locational and social disadvantages, background, effectively addressing most they lack self confidence and exposure and students’ sensory and cultural learning this can only be resolved by providing the needs. best possible quality of education. Keeping Many modern language teachers have in view these objectives, since 1997- accepted technology as a viable means of 1998, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has teaching language acquisition. Those who implemented the scheme of establishing have been using technology are finding it Eklavya Model School (EMRS) in the more interesting for the class, and because country. In Gujarat, the Eklavya School of that learners have started taking more Project was launched in the year 1999- interest in technology and through it they 2000 and over the period, 10 such schools are learning more language skills. The have been sanctioned in Gujarat. The Government of Gujarat has promoted an integration of technology is more effective autonomous society, named Gujarat State than using the teacher center model solely. Tribal Development Residential Education Technologies effectiveness lies in the Institution Society (GSTDREIS) in order ability to expose learners to real situations. to implement this scheme. References:

Advantages EKLAVYA MODEL RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN GUJARAT: A REVIEW SATCOM Teachers began to understand that Programme for English Language Teaching to language acquisition was not a passive Schools in Scheduled Areas of Gujarat: A Report. 71 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Relevance of Community Work in Teacher Education Dr. Shamsha Emanuel

Introduction nature of the profession; NCTE has recommended a compulsory field work- Teacher education is an integral component of the educational system. It practical activity called ‘Community is intimately connected with society and Work’ wherein student teachers are is conditioned by the ethos, culture and exposed to the various sections of the character of a nation. Teacher education society. Community work in the teacher by its very nature is interdisciplinary. education course refers to work done The major areas of inter-disciplinarity by the student teachers. This refers to a implicit in teacher education programmes variety of activities like literacy camps, include philosophy, psychology, sociology, health check up camps and other activities economics, history and culture. A careful wherein student teachers directly work analysis of the objectives of the teacher with the community. The major objectives education course reveals that Society of this practical work are to make the and socio-sensitive skills and community student teachers work with the diverse skills are important objectives of the groups of the society and to enable the teacher education course. The Gurukul pre-service teachers to understand their System of education was very closely knit social responsibilities and sensitise them with the society wherein the concept of towards the diverse needs of the society community work was in focus in order to (Bhatia, 1984 and Porter & Poulsen, 1989). make the student teachers aware of their Accordingly, teacher education colleges social responsibilities. Moreover, even need to conduct a range of field based – today teachers play a crucial role in the community based programmes during the development of the society. The National teacher preparation courses. However, the Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) studies by Kakad, G.M (1983), Bhatia Curriculum Framework for Quality Work (1984) Sharon, F. & Margret, B. (1985), in India states, “Teacher as a professional Donald, R. & William, D. (1986) and and intellectual cannot remain indifferent Porter & Poulsen (1989) indicate lack of to the events that are taking place in social experiences as one of the major society. The academic and social issues pitfalls of the teacher education courses are inter-related and inter-dependent. In in various countries including India. contemporary context, the role of the teacher is no longer confined to teaching One of the major objectives of the alone. The teachers are expected to play an teacher education programme is to prepare active role in the developmental activities teachers to be sensitive to the society’s responding to progress of the community”. needs. This implies that the pre-service teachers need to interact with the society Keeping in view the social and its diverse groups like school students, responsibilities of a teacher and the social in-service teachers, parents, deprived Dr. Shamsha Emanuel, Assistant Professor, Waymade College of Education 72 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 communities, etc. The basic premise here is needs and capabilities of and the concerns that ‘Socially sensitive pre-service teachers of the community through pre-service can contribute to improve the quality of teacher education programme. schooling and education’. Further, the The Kothari Commission has rightly NCTE has recognised that “the breaking pointed out the need for building bridges of isolation from the community is between teacher education and community essential for enabling teachers and teacher by articulating “20% weightage in terms educators to reconstruct pedagogical and of time must be given to community based educational principles and practices in the programmes in the Teacher Education Pre- light of experiences gained from mutually service Programme”. Thus, teachers need beneficial community interactions. to be sensitive towards the varied needs Teachers as professionals and intellectuals and nature of the community. cannot remain indifferent to the events that take place in society. The academic and The present study focuses on critical social issues are inter-related and inter- analysis and relevance of Service Learning dependent. In contemporary context, the vis-à-vis Community Work in the Teacher role of the teacher is no longer confined Education Course. to teaching alone. Teachers are expected to play an active role in the developmental The Research Design activities responding to progress of the The objective of the study were to community.” Therefore, the component study the existing status of community- ‘working with community’ which is one based programmes in secondary teacher of the implicit practical works of pre- education colleges affiliated to various service teacher education programme universities in Gujarat and to suggest needs attention. measures to incorporate community based The NPE (1986) also states, “The learning in the B.Ed. curriculum. status of teachers reflects the socio-cultural Eleven colleges were randomly ethos of a society; it said that no people selected. The major questions before the can rise above the level of its teachers. researcher were ‘Is Community work The government and community must important for Student Teachers?, What are create conditions that will help motivate the various community based activities and inspire teachers on constructive and conducted at the colleges of education? creative lines. Teachers must have freedom And, how can Community Work become to innovate, to develop appropriate a fruitful endeavor in the B.Ed. course?’ methods of communication and activities relevant to the needs and capabilities A questionnaire was constructed and of and the concerns of the community.” validated to obtain data regarding the For this, teacher education must provide practical activities related to community opportunities to the student teachers to / field based work from three teacher work with the community members. educators of each college. The questions Teachers learn this part of developing related to community work, community appropriate methods of communication based activities and practical activities, and planning activities relevant to the opinions of the teacher educators about 73 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 the community based learning were sought methodologies. The students of the through the questionnaire. colleges developed their non formal mode of teaching skills in a realistic setting In addition, anecdotal records were used during the community outreach activities. to collect empirical data from the teacher educators and students. The purpose Moreover, community based activities was to find the views of students and when woven into the curriculum- in the teacher educators about the community, form of theory as well as assignments their experiences while working with the proved to be beneficial for students. community, their willingness to work with Community experiences also helped the community. students feel confident in handling parents- teachers’ meeting and conducting simple The investigator collected the data community projects. personally using the tools as well as used The study also revealed that inspirational e-mail and survey sites to collect the stories, anecdotes and passages about necessary data indicated above. teachers and their impact on society when The data obtained through questionnaire discussed in class had a positive impact and anecdotal records were analysed on students (i.e. role concept of teachers’). qualitatively using content analysis and It helps them become aware of their roles percentage analysis techniques. in society. Thus it can be concluded that community Findings of the study and learning work provides valuable insights into the values know-how of interaction in the society / community. It also provides valuable The data analysis and interpretation insights into the classroom situations paved a way to the findings of the study mentioned below. and student diversity. Service learning approach can be interwoven in the B.Ed. All the colleges had some community course. Researches by Sullivan (1991), work as a component but, had no specific Root and Batchelder (1994), Seigel guidelines or course structure for the (1995), LeCompte (1996) and Wade same. Most of the community based (1997) also indicate the effectiveness activities are implemented in an isolated of service learning. Another important and erratic manner. A piece-meal approach learning acquired by the researcher is to community work and skill development that community work cannot be a formal programme was followed. As a result of structured activity. It needs to be culture this, the objective of community work specific – local specific and informal in activity was not achieved to a significant nature. level. This hindered the process of attitude formation. Due to this, student References teachers did not have a favorable attitude Bhatnagar, B. (1980). A study of teaching towards community work and also did not learning process and practical work in B.Ed. understand their role/s in society. programmes in India. Fourth Survey of Research in Education 1983-88. New Delhi. In 20% colleges community work Bhatia (1984). A study of B.Ed. curriculum in was integrated via the service learning colleges of education affiliated to the University of 74 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Bombay. Fourth Survey of Research in Education Mangala, S. (2000). Teacher education: trends 1983-88. New Delhi. and strategies. New Delhi: Radha publications. Boyle,B.,Marilynne, S.,Christine,E.(2000). Porter & Poulsen, S. J. (1989).Principles of Community-based service learning for multicultural good practice for combining service and learning. teacher education.(ERIC No. EJ609026 ). Racine, WI: Johnson Foundation. Butcher, J. (2003). Teacher education, Root, S. C., & Batchelder, T. (1994). community service learning and student efficacy The impact of service learning on preservice for community engagement. Asia-Pacific Journal teachers’development. Paper presented at the annual of Teacher Education, 31( 2). meeting of the American Educational Research Dauber, S.L., & Epstein, J.L. (1993). Parent Association, New Orleans. attitudes and practices of involvement in inner-city Satyabalan,V.(1993). Effectiveness of primary elementary and middle schools. In N.F. Chavkin education in rural areas of Tamil Nadu. (Ed.), Families and schools in a pluralistic society. Unpublished doctorial thesis. The Maharaja Sayaji Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Rao University of Baroda. Vadodara: CASE. Davies, D. (1991). Schools reaching out: Family, Sharon, F.N. & Marget, B. (1985). Pitfalls of school and community partnerships for student experience in teacher preparation. Teachers College success. Phi Delta Kappan, 72 (5), 376-382. Record, 87( 1), 53-65. Deo (1985). A study on the practical programme Shumer, R. (1997). Teacher education and of B.Ed. other than the practice teaching in Teacher service-learning: A critical perspective. In J. Educational Institutions. Fourth Survey of Research Erickson & J. Anderson (Eds.), Learning with in Education 1983-88, New Delhi. the community: Concepts and models for service- Donald, R. & William, D. (1986). Field learning in teacher education (pp. 113--123). experiences in teacher education: Considerations Washington, DC: American Association for Higher and recommendation. Journal of Teacher Education, Education. 37 (3), 34-40. Siddique M. (2010). Research methodology. Dooley, D. (2004). Social research methods. Delhi: APH publishing cooperation. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited. Sullivan, R. (1991). The role of service learning Doyle, W., & Ponder, G. (1978). The practicality in restructuring teacher education. Paper presented ethic in teacher decision making. Interchange, 8(3), at the annual meeting of the Association of Teacher 1-12. Educators, New Orleans. Erickson, J. A. & Anderson, J. B. (1997). Swap, S. (1993). Developing home-school partnerships. New York: Teacher’s College Press. Learning with the community: concepts and models for service learning in teacher education. Talesra, H.(2004). Sociological foundations of Washington, DC: American Association for Higher education. New Delhi: Kanishka Publishers Education. Vadeboncoeur, J. A., Rahm, J., Aguilera, D. Furco, A. (1996). Service-learning: A balanced & LeCompte, M. (1996). Building democratic approach to experiential education. Expanding character through community experiences in teacher boundaries: service and learning, 1(1), 2-6. education. Education and urban society, 28(2), 189- 207. (ERIC No. EJ522432). Furco, A., & Ammon, M. (2000). Service- learning in California’s teacher education programs. Wade, R. C. (1995). Developing active citizens: Berkeley, CA: University of California. Community service-learning in social studies teacher education. The Social Studies, 85, 122-128. Furco, A. (2002). Institutionalizing service- learning in higher education. Journal of Public Warburton,J. & Oppenheimer, M. (2000). Affairs, 6, 39-67. Volunteers and Volunteering. Sydney: The Federation Press. Gelmon, Sherril B., & et al. (2001). Assessing Service-Learning and Civic Engagement: Principles Warren (1963). Service learning. RMC Research and Techniques. Providence, RI: Campus Compact. Corp., Denver. (LC220.5A88 2001). Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Kakad, G.M.(1983). A study on secondary Learning, Meaning and Identity. Cambridge: teacher education curriculum: an analytical study Cambridge University Press. and developing teacher education programme. Wilson,J. & Musick, M. (1998). The Fourth Survey of Research in Education 1983-88. Contribution of Social Resources to Volunteering, New Delhi. Social Science, America. 75 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Nativism and Resultant Rootlessness, Exile, Cultural Alienation, and Identity Crisis in Half a Life by V S Naipaul Bhaskar Pandya

“….We cannot understand all the traits we have inherited. Sometimes we can be strangers to ourselves.”1 Introduction family history and then to the history of (Caribbean) Trinidad itself. We are taken Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul (more popularly known as V S Naipaul) back to the Trinidad of 1930 and 1940. He is certainly a prominent expatriate of the traces the history of the Indo – Trinidadian present time especially among the writers family and their cultural adjustments in the of Indian origin. He is the seventh Indian light of the colonialism. In this process of or person with Indian roots who is awarded self - realization, he also gazes at other Nobel Prize and second for literature after cultures. In this gaze, England is an Rabindranath Tagore. obvious point of reference. It is because of two reasons: First one is the impact of His contribution, as a writer in English the colonial regime and the second one is in the West, is quite noteworthy and it it has gifted him with an identity. manifests varied experiences, too. He is also among the eminent writers of the Naipaul himself is of the opinion, “To commonwealth who has significantly take an interest in a writer’s work is, for me, contributed to the postcolonial literature. to take an interest in his life; one interest His works show a deep concern for the follows automatically on the other” (1981, cultures of the colonized countries, the p. 212). The statement actually attests to socio-political and cultural history of India a fairly universal response to literature. and the economic conditions of a few It seems humanly impossible to make a Eastern Countries passing through a period study of a writer’s work without taking of transition from colonial dominion to an interest in the writer as a man. The independence. He is considered to be one names and personalities of great writers who has with his brilliant skill of language are as much a part of literary heritage of a and fascinating narrative technique swept nation as their works. Would the literature the western world off (Khan, 1998). of any country be the same, if we were It is his self – consciousness that is left only with the works and knew nothing manifest in his writing in a very peculiar of the men behind them? In spite of all way. Critics have also tried to explore that has been said against the biographical other levels of this self – consciousness. approach, the writer’s life still remains An overview of his works say that his key to a deeper understanding of his or earlier works take us back in time to his her work (Joshi 1994, p. 13).

Bhaskar Pandya, Head, Department of Communication Skills, Faculty of Management Studies, CHARUSAT, Changa 76 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 V S Naipaul is primarily considered his writing career. He himself has said, to be a writer of diaspora. He is the one “When I speak about being an exile or a who through his characters expresses the refugee, I am not just using a metaphor.” theme of identity crisis and rootlessness. (Peter Webb et al, 1980, p. 34). He was, He is, as the critics regard him, the best actually, born into exile, separated from known for it in the literary world. Though his racial and cultural roots. He was, then, not so explicit, without any doubt, all his driven into another exile from the land of writings have a very close relationship his birth. A third dispossession awaited with his own personal life. him in England. He was really and truly “lost”. Bruce King writes, “While the Nativism and Naipaul novels and short stories have seldom been about himself, they have reflected the With reference to his works, primarily, various stages of his disillusionment with the problem, in the study of the works Trinidad, his despair with India and his of V S Naipaul, is identifying his native concern with being a homeless ex-colonial and, then, studying his works with (p. 108).” And then, he set out to search the same reference. There are lots of himself and his world through his works. questions unanswered like: Is India his He himself has written, “Most imaginative native place? Or the place (Trinidad) writers discover themselves, and their where he was born? Or the Great Britain world, through their work (Naipaul, 1980, of which he has the citizenship? Some p. 211).” of his books are found to be English in nature, some Indian, whereas, some are There were three nativistic driving closely associated with Trinidad. Hence, forces behind Naipaul’s works. First he is also considered to be a Trinidadian was his displacement from his ancestral writer who writes for English readership land – India; second one was again (Gupta, 2010, p. 21). Means he writes his displacement from his native land with England and at Trinidad. However, – Trinidad; and the third one was the in the present work, he is considered to influence of his father. Thus, in his case, be a product of distinctive combination of nativism has to be studied as spiritual circumstances (Joshi, 1994). A Brahmin nativism wherein cultures do not contact Hindu born in Trinidad, he is an Indian and clash but the root, society, culture, by ancestry, a Trinidadian by nativity and nation and thus, the identity of a person British by residence as well as intellectual is found to be missing. training and inclination (Joshi, 1994, p. He has explored with great sensitivity 14). the predicament of the exile – the pain Thus, present study is based on the of homelessness and of loss of roots. It fact that most of Naipaul’s writing issues is because Naipaul has, always, been from an earnest desire to understand his preoccupied with dislocation, migration, own position in the world. The unique exile, identity crisis and the feeling of combination of circumstances which being rootless. Therefore, he has been related him to three societies and yet left found (almost all through his literary him with a deep sense of homelessness, career,) in search for identity in his fiction. undeniably play a predominant part in He is an Indian in the West Indies; a West shaping his sensibility and determining Indian in the England; and a nomadic 77 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 intellectual in the Third World. As given However, Naipaul (1981) himself by Pandit (2003) “The West Indians regard writes initially that the novel is, “not him as an English man because of his exact about the countries, periods, or British education; the English look upon situations it appears to describe.” It is him as an Indian for his ancestry and the about homelessness. He also presents the color of his skin; and the Indian refer to struggle for identities. It is also called, him as a West Indian writer (p. 128).” “a treatise on the pangs of the exiles”. Being specific, Half a Life by Naipaul Those living in exiles are living without is also all about exile, alienation, cultural a meaning and a purpose that is why, tradition, soil and roots. Naipaul calls it ‘Half a Life’. It is said that all cultures are hybrid It is true that the novel has a very and heterogeneous by nature. Because it thin structure. Even then there is a very is really very difficult to deny the existing wide cast of characters: Perci Cato – a continuity of long traditions, linguistic Jamaican of mixed parentage, Marcus, an heritage and sustained habitations. ambitious businessman, Roger, a young lawyer, Perdita, Roger’s Fiancee, Carla, Edward Said (1993) says in Culture the Convent girl, Richardo, a Militaryman, and Imperialism, “Survival, in fact, is The Nornhas, Julio, Correia, a formidable about connections between cultures (p. Portuguese, Greca Carl, the manager’s 408).” Exile is a status to the marginal. wife, Gouveria, an architect, Mrs. Nornha, It is, actually, a mental condition. As a a good storyteller, and Ana. mental condition, it is called a sense of insecurity and anxiety. In most common The protagonist of the novel is Willie situations, men and women in exile often Chandran. He is born of a Brahmin Father search for authentic identity and home. and a schedule caste mother. He leaves Naipaul is also found to be in search for India for England and then England an identity. He is not happy and satisfied for Africa. Thus, the locales and the with Trinidad, feels uprooted in India story therein are in three parts. The first and again in England he fails to identify part is entitled ‘A Visit from Somerset himself with the culture and values of the Maugham’; second one is called ‘The British. First Chapter’, and the third one is labeled ‘A Second Translation’. British India that In Half a Life, Naipaul (1981) portrays is untouched by the colonial agitation is the lives of the people of mixed descent the locale of the first part. In the second in three different locales – India, England, part, post-war London and the lonely and Africa. A princely state in British India pavements is the locale; whereas, in the is the setting of the first part of the novel; third part, province of Portuguese Africa second one is set in post-war London with living in the final stage of colonialism West End Clubs and pavements – lonely locates major story. ones; similarly, the third one is set in a province of Portuguese Africa. Moreover, Finally, all the fictional experiences they are not only the background settings and the story depicted in the novel are of the novel but also internal and integral restlessly nomadic. Further, Naipaul parts of the novel. Further, they are taken elaborates and narrates on the themes from the real life. Story is found to be full of exile, alienation, displacement and of irony and sarcasm. dislocation. Somebody has rightly said 78 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 that the book is about the confused principal. Disappointed his father says, identities, a theme that Naipaul discusses “You have blackened all our faces and in almost all the books he has written – now we will have to face the anger of the people coming from small places, smaller school principal. You have dishonoured historical contexts and struggling with the his daughter.” looseness of their selves and their lives. As a result, he is charged with The novel has three parts with different corruption. He is also forced to leave his settings cast in different eras. Each part job at the Maharaja’s. Then, he takes shelter is a narration of an individual narrator. In in a temple. He goes in silence. He finds it the first part, Willie Chandran’s father tells the need of the hour. It also proves to be a his story which took about ten years. It, great help to him in that sort of a situation. actually, reminds the readers of Naipaul. He lives in the temple on the bounty of He (2001) writes: the pilgrims and becomes a holy man. But I must go back. We come from a line he could not reside there forever. Further, of priests. We were attached to a certain he also takes a vow which Naipaul (2001) temple. I do not know when the temple puts as, “privately, in the recesses of my was built or which ruler built it or for how heart I took a view of sexual abstinences, long we have been attached to it; we are a vow of brahmacharya.” not people with that kind of knowledge. But he is found to be hollow. Soon, We of the temple priesthood and our he becomes the father of Willie and after family made a community. At one time some time the father of a daughter also. I suppose we would have been a very She is given the name Sarojini. The name rich and prosperous community, served was given after the woman poet of our in various ways by people whom we independence movement. It was a view served. But when the Muslims conquered to have the blessings of the similar kind. the land we all became poor. The people An esteemed international marriage is also we served could no longer support us. planned for her. Naipaul shares that it was Things became worse when the British the story that Willie Chandran’s father told. came. There was law, but the population It took about ten years. Different things increased. There were far too many of us had to be said at different times. Willie in the temple community. This was what Chandran grew up during the telling of my grandfather told me. this story. Willie’s father was an idler student The second part starts with Willie of BA at the university. But he had no Chandran’s experiences in the mission interest in literature. So, he decides to school. Willie and his sister Sarojini go hear the call of Mahatma Gandhi, father to the mission school. It is because her of the Nation – India for the students to mother also attended the same school. In boycott the university. He, finally, decides this part, Naipaul, actually, intervenes as to follow Mahatma and sacrifice his life. an omniscient narrator. Willie now sets He looks back to his ancestral land and out for his life journey. marries / lives with a backward class girl. Willie’s stay at the mission school He does so to get Mahatma’s favour. To proves to be disillusioned. On one hand, get that favour, even he goes to the extent he is ashamed of his father, whereas, on of refusing to marry the daughter of the the other, his mother becomes a victim 79 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 of Indian caste system. In her school, Ultimately, Willie moves to England Willie’s mother found that a ragged and on scholarship. He is one among the half-starved servant was serving water to immigrants in post-war London. There are all the students. He was giving it from lonely pavements of West end clubs and a barrel. He would pour water into a isolated streets. There he passes through brass vessel or in an aluminum one when sexual encounters leading again to failures. a student would come to drink water. He also attempts writing in English. Finally, when she goes to the servant, no In the run, Willie develops friendship choice is offered to her. Instead, he poured with Percy Cato. He is of the Jamaican water in a dirty tin. Later on, the poor girl mixed parentage. He had an Indian realizes that aluminum was for Muslims grandmother. Actually, he is a bohemian. and Christians and other people of those He also meets some frightening men. strata, brass was for the people of the Among those he meets a person who is caste and that poor tin was meant for her. working for BBC. He advices Willie to Later on, Willie goes to London for work for BBC. Initially, Willie’s work higher studies, of course with the help of is accepted by the publisher. But, later, one of his father’s friends. But, there, he stories based on India and other related finds himself uprooted from his own culture themes come back. He, thus, fails to and hence, without any kind of fulfillment. succeed even as a writer. He reacts, “let He meets a lot of people, comes in good the book die. Let it fade away. Let me not contact with them, becomes friendly but, be reminded of it. I will write no more even then, he fails to adapt their culture. (p. 123).” He is completely cut off from his roots Fortunately, Ana comes to his rescue. i.e. culture. He is found to be aimless; She is quite young, thin and really very floating aimlessly like the survivor ofa pretty girl. She has a kind of admiration shipwreck. He is trying to find security. for Willie’ stories, too. He is happy in Thus, Naipaul presents culture shock her company. His half-life is full and resultant of a changed environment. In complete. fact, Naipaul himself is suffering from cultural alienation. The same is presented Alongside his happiness, some sorrow herein through the life-story of Willie. It also follows. The tenure of his scholarship is like transplanting a tree. Uprooted and ends. Willie is now found to be even in a transplanted tree does not normally have pathetic situation. He thinks, “My life is healthy roots nor does it have normal going to change completely. I will have growth. Hence, one’s complete growth to look for a place to stay. I will have and fulfillment is not possible unless and to look for a job. It will be a different until the person finds himself or herself on London then.” one’s own culture. Though Willie makes a Fortunately for him, Ana proves to be lot many of efforts to settle down, moves survivor. Willie moves to Africa with her. from place to place, tries to be used to She leads him to her home in a region new environment, he is overtaken by of Portuguese Africa wherein people are the feeling of alienation from within. It living their last days of colonialism. He is, actually, a result of his failure to get encounters sex with other ladies without a place in the world. The story further any kind of feeling of guilt or betrayal. elaborates the same. He finds another man in himself. One 80 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 day, he sleeps on the front steps of the “The loss of the passport worried me estate house and becomes unconscious. more than everything else. Without my When he wakes up, he finds himself passport, I didn’t see how I could prove to in Military Hospital. He is among the any office in Africa or England or India, soldiers with red eyes and shining faces. who I was?” Post-Independence Civil War starts and he feels, “The physical pain of my damaged Thus, the title of the novel is quite body was like the other pain that had been appropriate and in line with the theme of with me for months and perhaps for years the novel. Uprooted from his own culture, (p. 227).” He, further, feels that he has Willie lives a half – life. Further, as given already given eighteen long years to Ana by Asha Chaubey (2002), “Naipaul focuses and now cannot give her any more. He on the half – ness of his personality, the has an earnest desire to live a life of his incompleteness of his life for all of which own. He, finally, leaves Ana and goes to he is moved with despise for his father. Berlin to his sister Sarojini. He blames his father for the half – status that he has been accorded (p. 170).” Because of colonialism, one may find Asha (2002) also writes, “This story of that people live under western influence, try to follow the western cultural practices Willie’s father is told by him in his reply and lifestyles. But, ultimately, his own to Willie’s question regarding his middle native culture and traditional forms form name. Willie is moved with a contempt a base of all his growth and achievement. for his father who has given him a half One can find satisfaction and fulfillment status in society. It is his father’s mistake only in one’s own native culture. Even which lies like a curse on him. Being a those who, are carried away by the maze half – Brahmin, he cannot relate fully of some cultures, strongly feel a need for to the low caste and being a low caste their culture after a considerable period of mother’s son, he is not completely and life. The life they live till then is called whole-heartedly accepted in the Brahmin half – life herein. As said by Savitri community. His in-acceptability or half (2003), “The story tells us that uprooted – acceptability leads him to rejection as from his own culture, man feels identity far his parental authority is concerned (p. crisis, because one cannot cut off from his 169).” It is expressed as, own culture, neither can adopt fully the “My decision was simple. It was to foreign culture (p. 224).” What happens with Willie is quite the same story. His turn my back on our ancestry, the foolish, cultural and resultant social alienation in foreign – ruled, starveling priests my England and later in Mozambique finds the grandfather had told me about, to turn roots in Willie’s cultural alienation, which my back on all my father’s foolish hopes is again a result of his parental alienation. for me as someone high in Maharaja’s The same way Willie’s realization of the service, all the foolish hopes of the college fact that his middle name is quite alien principal to have me marry his daughter… and subsequent queries also refer to his and to do the only noble thing that lay in roots but reveal the theme of rootlessness. my power, which was to marry the lowest Loss of identity also forms an integral part person I could find (p. 11).” He is even of the novel. It becomes clear through the found to be tongue – tied when his teacher expressions like, used to ask, “What does your father do?” 81 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Similarly, his sister Sarojini is also Through the novel, Naipaul has made a living a half – life. With her husband she quite successful attempt to give a voice to is wandering here and there. Percy Cato, all those who are homeless, rootless and Willie’s friend in London has no place to are struggling for identity. Identity crisis stay and hence, he is living half – life. is a result of rootlessness or homelessness Greca and her husband also lead a half – and craving for one’s land, home, identity life. They move from town to town, house and native. Almost all or at least all major to house, and job to job. Naipaul calls characters are rural and poor and are taken himself a man without a country and an from the quite lower middle class society. outsider in search of his roots, native. The Moreover, as Prasad (2003) says, “They situation without those roots, culture and long for a free and fair existence but traditions is called leading a half – life. unfortunately they are not able to cross the The language of the novel has dignified boundary of the colonial society (p. 120).” simplicity. Naipaul hardly uses any Further, Ormerod also believes, Naipaul’s derogatory words. The use of first person is a world of “homeless nomadic migrants, helps him stay away and narrate the story; making middle passages from Africa or it is quite an objective way of narration. India to the West Indies thence to England The story flows as it is uttered by the and back again, for, after three hundred characters. The rest is left to the readers. years, there is no society and no system However, it is full of irony. Though the of values in which they can take root (p. novel meets an abrupt end, it is justified 162).” Prasad further opines, “Against by Roger, the journalist in the second part. this crucial and critical background, the He tells Willie, characters of Naipaul are seen struggling “I know your great namesake and family for permanence and stability….” friend (implying Somerset Maugham) says Pandit (2003) also opines, “Every that a story should have a beginning, a individual in the world, however low middle and an end. But actually, if you his social and economic status, desires think about it, life isn’t like that. Life to possess some space that could be his doesn’t have a neat beginning and a tidy end. Life is always going on. You should very own, his house or home. This desire begin in the middle and end in the middle, is more evident in people who, for some and it should all be there (p. 83).” reason or other, are displaced from their origins and for whom homelessness is an Conclusion everyday phenomenon. The realization of this rootlessness forces them to create a Both the novel deals with culture, solid home – space even in an alien land identity and roots. It is because Naipaul, (p. 130).” himself, had to undergo a lot of ups and downs to assert his own identity. He could All the sorrows, sufferings, miseries not find his roots nor could he adjust and pains of Willie or other characters in himself to a country. Naipaul (2002) the novel are quite natural and resultant himself admits, “Living in a borrowed issues of people living in an alien land or culture, the West Indian, more than most, of the people who are deprived of their needs writers to tell him who he is and native or home land. Willie, for instance, where he stands (p. 73).” always carries his native with him. 82 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Mohan C R (2004) in the preface to References: Postcolonial Situation in the Novels of Chaubey, A. (2002). Naipaul’s Half A Life: V S Naipaul writes, “Writing from the coming to terms with king cophetua, in V S Naipaul: unique position of being an East Indian in Critical Essays, ed. Ray, M. New Delhi: Atlantic. the West Indies, Naipaul has been able to Gupta, S. (2010). V S Naipaul. New Delhi: capture the experiences of the colonized Atlantic. in all its psychological depth, by virtue of Joshi, C. B. (1994). V S Naipaul: the voice of which he has carved a niche for himself exile. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers. as a novelist of the colonial experience (p. Khan, A. J. (1998). V S Naipaul: a critical v).” study. New Delhi: Creative Books. Similarly, in the Introduction of the King, B. (1980). The new english literatures: same book, Mohan C R (2004) also cultural nationalism in a changing world. New opines, “Naipaul deals predominantly with York: St. Martin’s the East Indian experiences in the West Mohan, C. R. (2004). Postcolonial situation in Indies. He presents a poignant picture of the novels of V S Naipaul. New Delhi: Atlantic. the East Indians struggling to preserve Naipaul, V. S. (1981). Half a life. London: their identity in an alien environment, but Minerva. ultimately succumbing to the influence of ------. (1980). The return of eva peron with the the dominating culture. The compromises killings in trinidad. New Delhi: Vintage. that these Indians have to make in order to ------. (2001). Half a life. London: Picador. come to terms with the alien environment ------. (2002). The middle passage. New Delhi: and forge an identity for themselves, Vintage Publications. form a long and painful process, which is Pandit, M. L. (2003). The immigrant experience touchingly retold by Naipaul (p. 13).” of displacement, exile, and homelessness in A Quite the same way Mohit K Ray House for Mr. Biswas, in V S Naipaul: a literary (2002) in the Preface to V S Naipaul: response to the nobel laureate, ed. Suman, Bala. New Delhi: Khosla. Critical Essays gives, “Naipaul is one of literature’s greatest travellers and Prasad, A. N. (2003). Identity crisis in A House his leading theme of rootlessness, the for Mr. Biswas, in V S Naipaul: a literary response to the nobel laureate, ed. Suman, Bala. New Delhi: alienating effects of colonial past on Khosla. today’s postcolonial people has taken him to Africa, South America, India and all Ray, M. K. (2002). V S Naipaul: critical essays. New Delhi: Atlantic. over the world – not in search of roots but in search of rootlessness (p. vi).” He finds Said, E. (1993). Culture and imperialism. USA: it so because he finds him, “an uprooted Random House. person adrift in the world his experience Tripathi, S. (2003). V S Naipaul’s such a long of the two worlds to none of which he journey in search of soil and roots: a study of Half could really belong (p. v).” a Life, in V S Naipaul: a literary response to the nobel laureate, ed. Suman, Bala. p. 223. New Delhi: Finally, William Walsh also writes Khosla. commenting upon Naipaul and his theme Webb, P., Behre, E. and Kirkland, R. (1980). of rootlessness, “We are all, all our lives, The Master of the Novel, Newsweek, August 18, stiffening in a rented mansion.” 1980. p. 34. 83 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 MOBIGAM: Language on the move in Gujarat A preliminary status report Dr. James Simpson, Dr. Atanu Bhattacharya, Dr. Richard Badgar, Dr. Sunil Shah

MOBIGAM is a collaborative project, understand how mobile technologies funded by the British Academy, between are actually used; School of Education, University of Leeds • the shift to mobile technologies and H M Patel Institute of English Training and user-generated online content and Research and other Higher Education repositions teachers and learners institutions in the state of Gujarat. The in the learning environment, with Mobigam project is aimed at studying the under-explored implications for how use of mobile technologies for language language learning might happen. learning in the state of Gujarat, India. The aim of the Mobigam project is to There is broad recognition that while address this gap in understanding. In the mobile use is spreading rapidly across the first phase of the project, we are: state of Gujarat (as with other parts of India and indeed globally), there is little • developing a training programme for understanding of how these technologies research methods appropriate for the context of rural and semi-rural Gujarat; are used, what patterns of use exist across which dimensions of variation, and what • developing and piloting research people’s specific language and literacy instruments for studying the use of practices with mobile technology look like. mobile technologies for language Empirical research aimed at gaining an learning in the state; understanding of these issues will provide • identifying research sites for carrying a basis upon which recommendations out such a study. might be made to policy, in Gujarat and With a view to gain an insight into beyond. However, at present neither their these questions, two workshops were held use nor the factors that influence their use with research participants at H M Patel are well-understood. In particular: Institute of English Training and Research, • mobile technologies contribute to Vallabh Vidyanagar (7-8 January 2013), digital inclusion in India through their and Ahmedabad Management Association, relative cheapness, but how users Ahmedabad (10-11 January 2013). interact with them is barely researched While the workshops were aimed at in the Indian context; disseminating research training methods, they also focussed on the nature of the • there is a tension between the autonomy research questions that we possibly need afforded by mobile technologies to ask in the particular context of Gujarat. and their employment in language The following research questions emerged learning, which is premature until we as worthwhile to look at. 84 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 Research questions might be used in formal sites of learning, for language and literacy development, General descriptive questions about for example, or how teachers might mobile use. These encompass questions be made aware of the possibilities for about the technologies, tools and devices their exploitation in learning contexts. people own or have access to. The ‘what’, We will continue to investigate ways of ‘where’ and ‘when’ of the research incorporating these concerns into the belong here – what do people actually research design; it may be that there will use their mobile devices to do, where be greater scope for such developmental are they when they do so, and are there work at a later stage. any particular patterns relating to when mobiles are used. More specifically, the Research design questions about language use are located here, informed initially by our discussions We currently envisage a three-level about multilingualism online and about research design. ‘Gujlish’ and translanguaging in SMS. General Questions about mobile use and At the top, most general level we will specific contextual variables. Geography investigate correlations between mobile use – the way the patterns of use might differ and a range of variables: age; educational in the urban/rural/’tribal’ areas of the state background; gender; geographical location – has been a key concern of workshop (the urban/rural/tribal question). This is in participants, and has prompted us to move an attempt to gain broad-brush data on away from our initial position of restricting general patterns and will involve large- the focus to the semi-rural areas. Providing scale survey work. It will take place first an empirically-informed description of and will inform the research carried out at mobile use across the range (more to less the other scales. densely populated; more to less developed infrastructure) could be a very productive Intermediate part of our project, with the potential At an intermediate level we will to usefully inform policy, particularly identify a number of sites (perhaps 6-10) education policy. Other demographic where we can locate groups of individuals details relate mobile use to age, gender, for more focused study. The choice of and length of schooled experience, all these sites will be ratified by a preliminary of which could be pertinent. Questions of survey we will carry out as part of this barriers to use and access also pertain here: year’s Mobigam activities, separate from expense, connectivity (a major concern), the main research initiative: it will explore institutional and familial constraints, and in a general way patterns of difference an overall policy landscape that might be and similarity across geographical more or less benign. locations inter alia (see below). The Developmental questions. Finally there choice of participants might also be driven have emerged a set of questions which by this preliminary survey. For instance, imply a more developmental approach if we find that mobile use varies greatly than we had envisaged: how mobiles between two distinct categories (e.g. older/ 85 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 younger people or females/males), then vs. Vernacular-medium schools? those differences will be reflected in our [Data: survey/diary study/group choice of group. Alternatively at each site interview.] we will aim for a representative balance across some dimensions (e.g. age, gender), Etc. and make geographical location the main By locating the research at these sites, point of contrast. Numbers should be large and by recruiting a certain number of enough to allow the comparison of sub- participants at each one, we can carry groups (e.g. all the Vernacular-medium out focused comparative studies, at a educated people across the different sites; level of detail that the broad survey will or all the school-age children). Once not allow, but with larger numbers than the sites have been identified and the the ethnographic case studies can afford. people there recruited, we can use them Work will carry on at each site that will to address some of the more focused contribute to addressing a number of questions that have emerged, by applying different questions. a range of appropriate strategies. Some such questions, together with indicative Ethnographic case study data sources, are: Finally, within these sites we can What is the nature of peoples’ recruit one individual per site for the in- multilingual language practices using depth ethnographic investigation of mobile SMS? use. This will involve the recruitment and training of an ethnographer located in each [Data: survey/diary study/content of place, who will track one individual for a SMS/stimulated recall interview. Could certain period of time (or repeatedly, over compare urban with rural patterns, or an extended period), building up a picture older/younger people] of each individual who will become the Gender: Is the use of mobile devices by subject of an in-depth case study. These men different from that by women? case studies will involve observation, [Data: survey/diary study. Again we recording of situated interaction, and could compare urban with rural patterns.] collection of mobile data. The focal How does use differ between the city individuals might range from urban elite and the countryside? to rural and tribal poor, and will also include people who are not expert users [Data: survey/diary study, possibly of English, and have perhaps attended augmented with interview data.] vernacular-medium schools. People as well as their devices are mobile. How does individual mobility Sites relate to mobile use? As for research sites for the [Data: logs from GPS tracking/diary intermediate-level and the ethnographic study/interview.] work, we are considering four types of Does use differ between those with site: urban, ‘semi’ (rural/urban), rural, different types of schooled background, and ‘tribal’. The precise location is not e.g. those who attended English-medium decided. Ahmedabad would be a clear 86 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 candidate for one of the ‘urban’ sites, as • education in Gujarat would Bhavnagar, a somewhat smaller • similar projects in India and in other city where we have good contacts. countries Gandhinagar, just outside Ahmedabad, • mobile use and Bhavnagar could be the two ‘centres’ of the research. Vallabh Vidyanagar itself, • digital literacies home of HM Patel Institute, falls into Preliminary survey the category of ‘semi-rural’, and rural areas abound in the state, within reach To provide a rationale for some of our of the urban centres with which we are initial decisions – choice of ‘intermediate’ most familiar. HM Patel Institute would research site being primary – we plan to be a good place to base the large-scale carry out a survey of mobile use which survey, because of its excellent contacts we will distribute as widely as possible among students, ex-students and teachers across the state between April and June across the state. Ensuring we can recruit 2013. This will aim to ascertain patterns researchers who can locate themselves of difference (e.g. of aspects of mobile in the different areas will be key to the use between urban and rural areas), success of the project. which in turn will enable us to justify our ‘categories’ of area where we choose to Literature and database locate the research. Its design will draw on the diary pro forma which we asked We will develop an extensive thematic participants to complete prior to the literature review to provide a base for the research workshops. research. The themes might encompass Conclusion • research methods appropriate for our study We plan to have a series of workshops in the month of June 2013 in four separate • background on Gujarat (demographics; locations of Gujarat, keeping the research infrastructure; connectivity; coverage) methods training in mind, but hope to • Gujarat-specific educational initiatives extend our research base by also sharing involving new technology (e.g. our preliminary findings from the initial EGRAM) survey that we plan to administer.

87 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013 H M Patel Institute of English Training and Research A Report on International Conference ‘Bridging the Gap Through English: Education, Equity, Empowerment and Employability’

An international conference on officer, SCOPE and Dr Harshadbhai Shah, ‘Bridging the Gap Through English: vice-chancellor, Children University. Education, Equity, Empowerment and Two international delegates, M Employability’ was organized by HM Naka and Yokohama from CASIO, also Patel Institute of English Training and participated in the conference along with Research in Vallabh Vidyanagar during CASIO’s country head Kulbhushan Seth. 22-23 June 2012. In her address, Dr. Jayanti Ravi , the The two-day event organized by the chief executive officer of SCOPE - said Society for Creation of Opportunity that states like Kerala were looking up to Through Proficiency in English (SCOPE) is Gujarat for innovative approaches towards being sponsored by CASIO, and the partner education. for promoting English for the programme The group of teachers, students, is Times Foundation. University of research scholars and entrepreneurs Cambridge, ESOL Examinations, is the along with dignitaries from the Gujarat assessment and certification partner. government had joined hands to take an The conference also has the approval of oath to set higher standards and bridge the University Grants Commission. gap of employability and empowerment The inaugural session discussed how that is widening with each passing year the gap between demand and supply can for the youth in India. be bridged through English. The session Dr. Jayanti Ravi highlighted that the witnessed the presence of Dr. Jayanti SCOPE has signed an MOU with the Ravi, commissioner, higher education; Times Foundation and was working to R P Patel, secretary, Charutar Vidya make the youth of Gujarat proficient in Mandal; Harish Padh, vice-chancellor, SP English. She even mentioned that the University; R P Jadeja, director, HM Patel efforts being put in jointly with Times Institute of English Training and Research; Foundation may ultimately increase the and Sandeep Sharma, joint chief executive English readership in the region.

88 ELT Quarterly Volume 14 Issue 1-4 March 2013