Making English more relevant to rural students

Sattur

S. Ramasamy Naidu Memorial College, Sattur has brought out a series of four textbooks — Practical English — to teach general English to the first and second year students.

Former Professor of The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, N. Krishnaswamy, and his wife, Lalitha Krishnaswamy, have guided the college teachers in brining out the series that have been designed to make teaching-learning of English interesting, entertaining and effective.

“Teachers were involved in the process of creating materials to make them more responsible and also to have a lasting effect on improving the quality of learning and teaching,” Prof. Krishnaswamy said.

Stating that English has become the global language that would give the students a lot of opportunity and also mobility, he said that the dominance of western content in English made the students scared of the language.

“My philosophy is that materials should be based on our own culture and context,” he said.

More than 25% of the materials is all about communication. “We need to make the students know how to converse, how to convince someone, express differences of opinions and also face interviews or group discussions,” he added.

The books have been based on the concepts of vocationally useful — to communicate; intellectually challenging — not to memorise and reproduce, but make them think. For example, a lesson on mobile phone menace will help them think about it. “The subject is very contemporary,” he added.

The lessons should also be culturally appropriate. “When students get puzzled over the content of Shakespeare and Milton, a story on Ekalaviya will make them more involved. The students need to only learn the language using a story they already know,” he added.

The materials are based on the concepts of aesthetically satisfying and socially relevant. “There is a lesson on water, which is more relevant across the world,” he added.

Dr. Krishnaswamy says the books will cater to the academic level of the students of college, who are mostly from economically backward and from rural areas.

He has helped other colleges in Erode, Tiruchengode and Tiruchi and also for Periyar University, Salem, to frame their own materials for General English.

Principal S. Ganeshram, Head of the Department of English, R. Sumathi, were present. The books were released by the college President, V. Venkatraman, and the first copy was received by former Principal of Thiagarajar College, Prof. R. Raja Govindasamy.

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