Inducing Uniformality in ELT through DLL
By Mukesh Modi, Head, Dept. of English, D.M.Patel Arts and S.S.Patel Com. College, Ode. (Anand) Gujarat, India.
It’s only since recently that specialists and professionals are prepared in Indian Universities and colleges to teach English language to the varied degree of this large country. Most of the times, it is assumed, even today the practice is going on, unfortunately, even today. In most of the undergraduate colleges in India ‘General English’ or ‘Compulsory English’ is supposed and is taught by a degree holder in M.A. in English. Sometimes that M.A. in English might have studied one or two papers in Post-graduation on the theory, structure and usage of linguistic, grammar etc. But surely the emphasis is never on English Language Teaching as A Second Language or Foreign Language. And ironically most of the teachers in colleges have to teach English Language to vast number of students, which may include communication skills classes, again in which they are not systematically trained!
What are the areas of concern as a product of the existing phenomenon of teaching English by apparently non-professionals? How does the process of ELT suffer a major setback due to such state of reality? Following are some of the grave concerns and variations which imply that there is no ‘accepted uniformality’ in teaching ELT, and that is why Digital Language Laboratory is a call of the hour:
- Mostly, the general English classes are conducted to teach traditional English in isolation.
- English is taught as a subject, which it is not, and not as a skill.
- Some teachers take a luxury of wish-fulfillment of teaching a text with the zeal of a literature teacher ignoring the language aspect they are supposed to teach.
- Some teachers teach textbooks to teach the moral aspect only.
- Even the syllabus is designed in a way to deal with the written aspect of the language.
- Some teachers very religiously believe in completing the syllabus even at the cost of ignoring the basic tenets of imparting the skills of English.
- In very few classes, the emphasis is laid on the spoken part of the language. Sometimes even when it is done, it is done theoretically only. Sounds like teaching swimming on a terrace!
- Very few times the items taught in grammar are given the drills of applying in written or spoken form of the language.
In short, ELT is at the mercy of a growing up, environment, skills, attitude-aptitude, and beliefs etc of an individual teacher than relying on the systematization of the process which it should be.
Digital Language Laboratory comes here to play a huge role to induce uniformality in ELT which is a need of the hour. So many human hours have been wasted in trying to teach English through the methods which have never been systematic, and more importantly never been the successful one. The test lies in the simple test: how many of our graduates are able to be in communication in English after learning English for three years?
The skills of English, if imparted through DLL, can bring following make over in the area of ELT;
- First of all teachers of English will be turned into learning facilitator which will enhance the self-learning capacity of a pupil.
- There is a systematic pattern to be followed while teaching English through DLL.
- So there is a less place for the individual beliefs with reference to ELT in DLL atmosphere.
- There is availability and possibility of end number of practices and exercises in DLL format, in all the four departments of language- Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, which can assure the fast and consistent learning.
- May not have the direct effect on ELT, but it can be assumed that the students particularly, from the rural background can be easily converted into technology loving lot.
- There will not be wasting of human hours in discussing the literariness of a text, which is very good but not in ELT class.
- Teaching becomes less and less. Learning becomes more and more.
- The syllabus will be a flexible phenomenon. As a student wants, the syllabus can be expanded into endless learning.
- And DLL does not require specially trained people.
- Still there is a scope for innovation on the part of the teacher. The more innovative the teacher is, the process would be livelier and output oriented.
- The most useful outcome of the technology is, as stated by Prof. Kamal Mehta: “Earlier, he (the teacher) was addressing all the students in the class simultaneously, now he can address all of them, some of them and even one of them at a time.”
- The learner autonomy is created in the DLL format of ELT. Research shows that students do not learn a language at the same speed. The levels of competence for the learners are also diversified.
- Through DLL, the shift from learning to e-learning is given speed and support.
- In DLL format Task-based Language Teaching(TBLT) has a wider scope than in the traditional format.
- Digital media/soft wares provide a variety of contents and delivery vehicles for diverse nature of learners to meet their requirements.
So in one and all DLL can be a very effective tool of teaching and learning English language to English as foreign language learners. By removing the idiosyncrasies of ELT, and not removing the innovativeness, it can induce the much needed uniformality in ELT. And what more, the students will be technology friendly in the process of learning.
References
Burns A. (2000) Starting All Over Again: From Teaching Adults to Teaching Beginners. Teacher Learning in Language Teaching. Cambridge: CUP. 1996.
Chakra borty, Prasanta. ‘Teaching-Learning Strategies in the English Class Room- Some Reflections’. The Journal of English Language Teaching. Vol.XLVI No. 6 Nov-Dec. 2008.
Choudhury, Anindya Syam. ‘Task-based Language Teaching: The Pedagogy of Learner-Centeredness’ The Journal of English Language Teaching. Vol.XLVI No. 1 Jan-Feb. 2009.
Ellis R. (1985). Understanding Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: OUP.
Mehta, Kamal. ‘Guest Editor’s Note’ Technology in ELT. VOL. 1 ISSUE 1 Jan. 2009 (http://ecchanga.ac.in/telt).
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