#38, Interview with Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi

Dear friends, for the ELTWeekly issue#38, we have interviewed Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi.

Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi is at present Dy Director & Professor at Amity School of Languages, Amity University, Lucknow Campus. She has done all her education from Bombay. She has done her PhD in Beckett Studies from Lucknow University. She had been teaching at Yemen University and University of Hodiedah, Republic of Yemen. She has to her credit more than 23 years of teaching experience. She is also an ELT Consultant and has conducted more than 75 ELT workshops. Dr Shefalihttp://eltailko.blogspot.com/ is the President of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Chapter of elt@i, with more than 30 members.

Here goes the interview:

Tarun Patel: How long have you been teaching English in India?

Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi: I have been teaching English in India for nearly two decades now. Of course, I also had the opportunity to teach English at the University in the Republic of Yemen for five years.

Tarun Patel: Why did you decide to become an English language teacher?

Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi: A very good question that I sometimes ask myself. I have a vision to spread and propagate English language and English language teaching across India. It is a fact, that if India has to compete with its global surroundings, then it must master itself in the use of the global language – English. With my teaching, even if I can be a drop in the ocean, then I would be highly contended. Here, I would also like to add my husband’s name Prof Raj N Bakshi, Director, EFL University, (formerly CIEFL), Lucknow Campus, who always encouraged me to pursue studies in the English Language. Otherwise, I am a Science graduate and B.Ed. from Bombay University.

Tarun Patel: Which writer / researcher has had the most influence over the way you understand learning and teaching?

Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi: There are many but to top them all is Prof M. L. Tickoo, one of the most eminent scholars and teacher-educators in India and abroad in the field of English Language teaching, its theory and practice, curriculum and course development. His book “Teaching and Learning English” which is a source book for Teachers and Teacher-Trainers is an excellent guide to all teachers of ELT in a simplified language and with practical practice. I have also conducted many ELT workshops based on an English textbook “Gul Mohar” written by Prof Tickoo, using his teaching-learning strategies.

Tarun Patel: How did you find your first teaching job?

Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi: I had no problem in finding my first teaching job, as I hail from Bombay (now Mumbai). When I went for my son’s admission to a convent school, the principal while talking to me about our background offered the job to me and I saw no reason for not accepting it as it would help me to be closer to my three-year-old son.

Tarun Patel: What are the major challenges for an English teacher while teaching in Gujarat / India?

Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi: The challenges are many but to name a few:

– English is a second language in India, so most of the students come from a background where they do not have the opportunity to use the language except in the school.
– In most schools, the English language is only restricted to the English classroom, and therefore, it is a challenge for the teacher to formulate a suitable methodology for such classrooms.
– India is a multilingual society with a multilingual culture, hence the English teacher needs to be sensitive and connect the experiences of these cultures to the English environment.
– English has been regarded as a foreign language even today in remote regions and areas of India. At some places, it is portrayed as a threat to the Mother Tongue or the National Language by some political leaders for their own self-interested purposes. The teacher may face reluctance and disinclination from the learners, which can be very disheartening and de-motivating.
– Nevertheless, teaching English-medium classes where most learners are from literate backgrounds throws up a new set of positive challenges and opportunities.

Tarun Patel: What have you learned from being an English teacher? 

Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi: As an English Teacher, I have learnt about the British Culture and renaissance, which                affected the whole world. It has given me the opportunity to develop a second language not only in my country but also in another country, where respect for teachers is immense. I have had the opportunity to visit the UK and attend many plenary sessions by eminent language experts. At the ground level, I have learnt to develop a relationship with my learners who do not share a learnt language which demands a different in-class relationship between my learners and me. I needed to create activities that increased learners’ interaction whether in pairs or groups. It was always a challenge for me to develop the English language in my young learners of school or University. Today I do the same with the teachers of English and students of professional courses.  

Tarun Patel: What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming an English teacher?

Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi: That’s a good question Tarun, the opportunities are immense and enormous as an English teacher, as there is a shortage of good English teachers all over the world. An English teacher today must not treat English as a language but as a skill to be developed among our learners. No longer is the teaching of English theoretical but it is more of a practice of skills. One could easily compare it with developing the skills of driving, swimming, riding, etc. The development of the four major skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing along with Vocabulary, Study Skills, Grammar, and Literary Skills becomes very important to all English teachers. The activities and tasks must move from easy to difficult, so that there is self-motivation within the learner to meet its objectives. The English teacher today is more of a counselor, need’s analyst, guide, facilitator, and an observer in the classroom, intervening only when required. An English teacher must put forward to the learners tasks in form of problems and thus the learner will take it as a challenge to solve such tasks. Regular vocabulary practice and numerous sentence patterns in meaningful situation of use will go a long way for the learner to acquire the English language in the classroom.

Tarun Patel: What most interests you about ELT at the moment?

Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi: Today one is not only an English teacher but can become an English trainer for other professional occupations and professions. Moreover, English as a language has many dimensions which can be approached according to one’s likes and perception. It is very interesting to teach English, as today it has become multi-disciplinary. One has classroom teaching in schools with various activities and tasks, Technical English, English for Law, Business English, English Communication, and Corporate English and so on. The list is endless. Of course, English Literature is in itself a vast plethora of knowledge. Also the returns are good with the new pay commission and an over-increasing realization that if one has to succeed in life then one needs the knowledge of the English language, be it in any domain or sphere of life. ELT has many opportunities to offer today. There are many forums, Associations and centers of ELT which are trying to bring most of the ELT teachers/trainers under one umbrella. I feel proud to say that in Lucknow itself we have started an ELT@I, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Chapter and have already 40 members. 
 
Tarun Patel: How do you see the role of the EL teacher evolving over the next 5 – 10 years?

Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi: An EL teacher is going to be nothing short of a CEO, a Manager, a Leader, a Trainer or a famous Writer/Material Producer. The role is of great importance and value as the English language now does not belong to any particular country but has become a global language. The EL teacher will have a global responsibility to spread English and at the same time keep the native culture in tact. The other term could be glocal which is constituted by global + local. New vocabulary words are coined with the advent of new inventions and discoveries. Day-by-day research will get interesting in the English language and new developments would be possible as English would reach the corners of the whole world. This will open new doors to the EL teacher and offer more challenges and opportunities.

Tarun Patel: Please share some tips on becoming a ‘better’ English teacher.

Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi: I would like to give some management tips as a teacher today manages a class just like a manager and does need stress busters, time management, course planning, psychological management, effectively organizing and conducting  the class tasks and activities and so on.

1. Teachers like managers need to be clear communicators in English, good listeners, good organizers, good motivators, and to be able to deal fairly and equitably with students without allowing personal bias to enter the relationship. They also need to enforce disciplinary procedures when needed.

2. There are no set rules for all English classes. Each class is different. The teacher is the best decision maker for his/her class. As with all English classroom management practices, adapt what you like to your classroom, taking in account the age, ethnicity, and personality of the class as a group, and of you as a teacher.

3. “Over plan” the lessons for the first week or two. It is important for the English teacher to impress on the students from the outset that he or she is organized and confident of his/her ability to get through the syllabus. Today’s student must not be under-mined; he/she is a very clever and informed student. The English teacher must treat them with respect and use this characteristic to encourage the learner further.

4. An English teacher can be firm yet still be supportive and friendly with students. A firm teacher can provide an environment where the students feel safe and secure.

5. Red is a “negative” color. Think: stop signs and lights, warning labels, poison, danger etc. Our society has conditioned us to immediately view red as something negative. Do not mark in red color. It promotes a negative self esteem. Instead of a cross sign ‘X’, use a slash ‘/’ sign, when marking a wrong answer. This will promote a positive self esteem and thus make our sensitive learners more acceptable to their errors. And we all know English is learnt with error analysis. No learner cannot make any errors while learning the English language.

6. Good EL teachers are patient at explaining things. Being comfortable with explaining content and context to students is an essential skill for teachers. Time spent in the beginning of the lesson will bring excellent dividends at the end of the lesson.

7. An EL teacher must have a sense of humor and use humor as part of his/her teaching method. Humor, used properly, can be a powerful addition to any lesson. The teacher must integrate humour into lessons, explanations and anecdotes to help the students learn, as it also helps the student to recall what they have learnt.

8. An EL teacher must be a good manager of time. Time is one of the most precious resources a teacher has. Good teachers have learned to use this resource wisely. The teacher must monitor his/her time and allocate primary importance to priorities and deadlines. In this way, he/she is also teaching his/her learners to respect time and work within a time limit.

Today what I like the most of an EL teacher is that he/she is a modern teacher, coach and a mentor who synthesizes the best skills and practices for use in business, leadership training, academics, life styles, exercise, health and nutrition and finance to benefit students, individuals, executives, entrepreneurs and professionals. Therefore, ELT is the best choice today.

 Tarun Patel: Thanks very much for agreeing for this interview Ma’am. We look forward to have such more inputs from you 🙂

Prof (Dr) Shefali Bakshi: Thanks Tarun, All the best!