ELTWeekly Newsletter Vol. 3 Issue#94 | August 8, 2011 | ISSN 0975-3036
In the present scenario, the young minds are adaptable to the change in the environment but are restricted to acquire a language which is already in their minds right from their childhood. As most of the medium of education is English and the world getting global to learn a language which has got a global acceptance has become a status symbol as well as the need of the hour. Everyone wants some sort of change. May it be in the medium of instruction or may be in the curriculum.
The conventional mode of lecturing on a particular issue evokes the monotony of the listener and the teacher questions his own efficiency as long hours of preparations is all fake. The often haunted question that arises within the trainer is, why learners do not learn what the teacher teach ? Is the problem with the teacher or is it with the students ? The adolescent when come into a scenario where they have a choice to self select 4 W’s and 1 H, [What, When, Why and How] they need a practical approach in teaching learning progress.
Heterogeneity of the learner group is only one of the many problems encountered by the language teachers. How do the teachers of English handle the challenge and turn it into an opportunity to justify their role in empowering professionals of tomorrow and augmenting the fortunes of India as an important player in the global market ?
This paper focuses on some suggestions for enhancing the learning strategies in training the trainer.
There have been many interesting developments in the study of language over the past two decades, but it is still a fact that any individual speaker of a language has a more comprehensive “unconscious” knowledge of how language works than any linguist has yet been able to describe.
Most of us take language for granted. We use it every day-in spoken, auditory, and electronic forms- while forgetting that this is what makes human communication possible. Undoubtedly, our ability to communicate personally or professionally is basically based on the existence of language. Speakers don’t understand that when they throw a word out in it public it builds a relationship with the listener.
In the fast changing scenario of liberation, privatization, and globalization every student is expected to be highly skilled in their fields. The basic education received at school days plays a significant role in moulding their personalities and also in imparting skills. But yet, it becomes vital for the teachers during higher education to nurture and groom the students to meet the future challenges.
Methodology tells you how to impart the language skills effectively to the students. As English is accepted as a global language it is our responsibility as teachers to teach the language in such a manner that it enables them to meet the requirements of the language on a day to day basis.
According to Mr. W.F.Makey “ a method determines what and how much is taught (selection) the order in which it is taught (grading) and how the meaning and form are conveyed (presentation) and what is done to make the use of language (unconscious) repetition.
Language as such has become quiet common and knowledge of the language is given to every child right from his being a learner. But the point is and the main objective of the trainer is to train the young technocrats for corporate readiness and to use the language effectively.
Long before a child starts to go to school he becomes an extremely sophisticated language user, operating a system for self expression and communication that no other creature is at par with it. Despite the circumstances there is an innate pre disposition in the human infant to acquire language. Acquiring the language is not enough, until and unless he has the interactive capacity with other language users in order to bring this general language capacity into operation with a particular language such as English.
Self identification leads to self modification. The students while they come to technical colleges have a mental block of accepting a language that is already known to them but yet fail to identify themselves with the surrounding scenario and the inability of being an effective speaker. However it becomes inevitable that they should be motivated and made flexible to accept the power of the language and come out of their cocoons of Mr. Know All attitude.
Secondly, we try to speak a standard variety of English and all of us speak with an accent. It is a myth that some do not. We might feel that some speakers have a distinct or easily recognized type of accent while others may have more subtle or less noticeable but every language user has an accent. This also becomes an inhibition for some and restricts them to open up with their interactive qualities. How do we bring them out of their myth ? I think the best way would be to help them to drive out their notion by using audio-lingual method of learning. Here they would listen through audiovisual aids and improve the listening skills.
According to Thomas N. Huckin and Leslie A Olsen state “Scientists and engineers may be technically brilliant and creative, but unless they can convince co-workers, clients and supervisors of their worth, their technical skills will be unnoticed, unappreciated and unused In a word, if technical people cannot communicate to others what they are doing and why it is important, it is they with their excellent technical skills will be superfluous. From this perspective communication skills are not just handy, they are critical tools for success, even survival mode, in “real world” environments” The validity of the statement becomes more convincing in view of the current scenario of globalization in the Corporate Sectors. As English language is the only lingua franca in the global sphere hence corporate skills can be mastered only through good use of language.
Improved language skills will enable the learners to be at par with recent development in the corporate scenario. Any kind of work whether in corporate of any other area is actually on economic or social technique of dealing. As the areas of corporate sector is mushrooming intensely, the approaches to make a niche for oneself is all the more challenging.
With this background the approach towards language acquisition should be broadly, in two ways ‘subject oriented’ ‘language oriented’. As the professionals need to master the language in a manner which would help them to make a relevant approach in the international arena.
Developing oral skills is a complex work and so is to adopt the language skills for improving the effectiveness of individuals. As rightly pointed out by A,.C.Baugh “English is the easiest language to speak badly. It is the most difficult language to speak correctly”. Hence learning a language is an important aspect but application of it cannot be ignored.
‘English’ is the glue that holds organizations together. It helps the individuals to accomplish both individual and organizational goals, implement and respond to change, coordinate day to day activities and engage virtually relevant behaviors.
Etiquette and protocol aside, people with good communication skills are those with certain key competencies and characteristics. These basic communication skills help to nurture a sympathetic personal and initiative approach to do business that lends itself to working with the unknown. Working in the global workplace, although a necessity, is proving to have a positive effect on individuals and companies. To conclude, the need for effective communication skills obvious – are all working in an interconnected global economy and it is important to bridge the gap through the mastery of the language which makes them being corporate ready.
References
- McArthur, Ton “World English and world Englishs: Trends, Tension varieties and standards in language teachings.
- Huckin, Thomas N. and Olsen, Leslie A, “Technical Writing and Professional Communication For Nonnative Speakers of English”. McGraw – Hill International Editions.
- Onkar R.M., “Managing Career by Discovering Your Personality” A pragmatic perspective of soft skills. S.Chand and Company, New Delhi.
About the author
Dr. Swayam Prabha Satpathy, M. A. (English Literature) Ph.d., P.G. Diploma in Mass Communication and Journalism. Dr. Satpathay has published and presented several articles in International and National Conferences. Areas of Interest. Communication Skills and Soft Skills. She has authored a book on “Comic Vision of Neil Simon”. She is at present working as Assistant Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social sciences at Institute of Technical Education and Reasearch, Siksha “O” Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar.
A very useful article in the context of current scenario of English, being a global language.