ELTWeekly Vol. 5 Issue#18 | May 27, 2013 | ISSN 0975-3036
This paper is submitted by G.Karthiga, Ph.D Research Scholar, Dept of English, A.V.V.M.Sri. Pushpam College, Poondi, Thanjavur, India.
English occupies important place in school education system of Tamilnadu. Even though Tamil plays a prominent role in education system parents and students are becoming aware of English language. Tamil can help us survive in Tamilnadu and even in certain other countries but a second language like English can help them survive in any part of the world. This importance is engrossed only after higher secondary education.
There are lot of higher secondary schools in Tamilnadu. Students in these schools are able to achieve in their academic percentage but fail to surpass when they move to college and they even struggle to get a job after college studies during off campus or on campus recruitment. A student who scores thousand marks in higher secondary level cannot even completely write a page of essay about herself/himself. A student who gets centum in maths, physics, chemistry or biology is unable to get one ninety marks in English. What is the reason behind all this failure in English for both written and oral communication? Yes it is the lack of deliberation for English subject in Schools after tenth standard.
Students in higher secondary don’t concentrate or muse on English Language and when they go to college, all subjects are to be learnt in English and lack concentration in studies due to this English language understanding and learning disability. They even do not go for recruitment as communication in English is a must in campus drive.
Reasons for their failure in school:
- Teachers mainly concentrate on subjects like Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
- Subject teachers try to borrow the classes of English teachers.
- English teachers also leave students to learn main subjects.
- The practical course work is given with full twenty five marks without any assessment.
- One of the major problems in teachers of certain government higher secondary schools is upgrading from B.T assistant to P.G assistant through cross majors and where they are appointed as English teachers.
- Language lab is not utilised properly and students are just shown the lab.
- No proper activity classes are taken for English.
Reasons for failure in home:
- Parents pose students to learn only main subjects.
- Uneducated parents do understand the importance of English language communication.
- They also believe old methods of learning subjects as they are not aware of technological development.
Counteractive measure:
English can only be learnt through self interest and it cannot be imposed or thrust on any one. Students should enjoy learning English and should concentrate equally with other subjects keeping in mind that this is also a subject and language to proceed along with success in career.
- No cross major teachers in English should be appointed at higher secondary level.
- Teachers can be given proper bridge course in English for communication.
- Above all, practise is a main facet for communication.
- Students can be given small sentences conversation daily.
- They can be given chances to enact plays with rewards. This will not only enable communication but eliminates fear.
- Activity with web quests can be used to help students for grammar usage.
- English lab should be enhanced with softwares for communication.
- Practical books should be properly assessed and given marks.
- Students should be exposed to foreign speakers and can also be engaged to communication with them through tandem learning.
- Awareness should be given for students about learning and communicating in English.
- Pair works among students will also help students to avoid shyness.
- Books with communication focus and grammar should be given for higher secondary students.
- Last but important students should often be asked to present a self introduction in front of other students.
- Teachers should explain the importance of learning English at higher secondary level.
- Government should give importance for English Language communication from school days itself.
These causes and remedies may work with different range in different students where a government school student may be slow when compared to a student of private school. Government along with teachers, parents and students can co-operate and help each student to come up with flourishing colours in future. This cannot happen overnight but with a period of time changes can be made. English language communication brings recruiters closers to their sphere and students need not go back of the recruiters. Above all success depends on student’s effort to learn the language and the ability express it to express themselves.