Name:
Miss. Jayati Rudresh-Kumar Thakar
Roll.
No: 30
Year:
Batch 2015-1017
M.A.
Semester: 3
Paper
no. 12 ELT
Unit:
1
Assignment
topic: Comprehension of Selective Research paper of
Unit 1
Email.Id:
jjayti.thakar94@gmail.com
Submitted
to: Smt.S.B.Gardi Department of
English, Maharaja
Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University,
Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India
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1
Satan and Saraswati: The Double Face of English in India
-E. Annamalai
Favourable
side of English Language:
English
plays a conflicting double role in India in policy and practice, in public
platform and private choice and in symbolic allegiance, and instrumental use.
After Independence, a pattern of bilingualism has emerged at the executive,
legislative, legal and educational domains with English and an Indian language.
When
India attained freedom in 1947, the British symbols were replaced but the
institutions and instruments were retained.
English
had become more and more Indianised grammatically and functionally (Kacharu-
1983) due to its use by a large number of Indians thanks to increased education,
commerce and journalism and Indian English was no more foreign.
The
constitution for the President in the case of the Union and the Governor with
the approval of the President in the case of the States to authorise
selectively in the Supreme Court and Parliment on the one hand and High Courts
and State Legislatures on the other hand.
Therefore, Hindi and the State official languages were used in some
respects in those domains even before the Official Language Act.
The
princely State of Hyderabad the Indian language medium along with the English
medium. Urdu was the medium in Osmania University in Hyderabad established in
1917. Rabindranath Tagore wrote a letter to the Nizam, ruler of Hyderabad
complementing “I have long been waiting for the day when freed from the
shackles of a foreign language; our education becomes naturally accessible to
all our people. It is the problem for the solution of which we look to our
native States.” Osmania University changed to English medium in 1947, when the
princely State was accessioned to India, for socio- political reasons.
English
was taught as first language in 1980 in 4354 schools, as a second language in
167,569 schools as third language in 61379 schools. As second and third
language it was taught in largest number of schools followed by Hindi and
Sanskrit. The number of teachers teaching English at the secondary level is
about five lakhs.
There
is a kind of diglossia with English for writing and Indian language for
speaking. It is a common occurrence in the office for an officer to discuss a
problem orally with his colleague in the Indian language or native language and
record the noting on the file in English. Similarly, the teacher in an English
medium class using the English textbook explains the points in the Indian
language.
The
fact that English is not class neutral and that it has an affluent base is
conveniently ignored.
It
is ironical that before Independence it was believed that there could be no economic
prosperity and development with the English people in power and after the
independence the belief is that there could be no economic prosperity and
development without the English language in power.
Opponent
Arguments for English:
The
opponents of English language argue that the presence of English blocks
opportunities for the Indian languages to be used in vital domains and thus
retards their growth.
The
opponents of English point out that dropping of English as medium of education
will drastically reduce the brain drain from India to the English speaking
developed countries and will thus serve the national interest.
Thus
English having a dual face in India. It also becomes icon of fashion and class.
It creates privileging state on native speakers who cannot communicate in English
language. Thus, the English speakers automatically come on hegemonic state
wherein other native speakers feel inferior or submissive among them. This fear
of having periphery state is more of within for native Indians and they avoid
the places occupied by English speakers.
2
Teaching English as a ‘Second Language’ in India
- Kapil
Kapoor
The
term ‘second language’ is understood in two different ways- 1 English is second
language after one or more Indian languages, which are primary and more
significantly, 2 in school Education, the second language is what is introduced
after the primary stage and has a pedagogical as well as a functional
definition, particularly in the context of the ‘three-language formula’.
The
significance of English as second language can only be understood in the larger
and in the historical perspective. It is to be noted that English in India is a
symbol of linguistic centralism whereas the numerous Indian languages are seen
to represent linguistic regionalism. From Macaulay to Mulayam Singh, we have
seen now in India the movement from one to the other.
This
conceptual structure has three parts: modernization, mythology and language
policy.
To
further buttress this argument, a whole mythology got built up around the role
of English in which the central metaphor is the metaphor of the ‘window’:
1English is the language of knowledge (science and technology), 2 English is
the language of liberal, modern thinking; 3 English is our ‘Window’ on the
world; 4 modern library language; English is the language of reason; 5 English
is the link language; 6 English is the lingua- franca.
As
we said, the metaphor of the ‘window’ is central in this structure, in which
Indian Languages are the ‘walls’, that enclose us in ‘darkness’ and English is
the ‘window’ that, lets in the ‘light’ of reason and modernization. We have
elsewhere shown the hollowness of each of these claims (K. Kapoor and R.S.
Gupta: 1990, Preface).
The
second language, i.e. L2 is that language which is introduced compulsorily
either at the end of the primary stage or in the beginning of the lower
secondary stage after the attainment of sufficient proficiency in the first
language by the learner. The main objective of the second language is to enable
the speaker for wider participation in society, and the nation leading to
secondary socialization. Hence the second language is usually either the state
official language or national language.
3
Teaching of EST (English for Science and Technology) in Indian Conditions
Teaching
of EST in India suffers from certain, drawbacks: courses are unrelated to the
specific needs of the scientific sub-register; and the teachers are
ill-equipped. The needs analysis of students admitted to B.Sc. or B.Tech.
points to two major abilities required: reading and comprehension of technical
texts and writing of technical English, Spoken English is on a low priority.
Technical English is characterized by technical vocabulary, foreign plurals,
complex noun phrase, simple present, passive construction and conditional and
exemplification; they are linked by using rope, hook and wedge language.
These
three aspects of EST teaching, namely, needs analysis, structure of technical
English and teaching materials, and expertise are inter- related and each of
them must be considered in the context of the other two.
There
are few conflicts/limitations for English language in EST.
·
It is icon of style and
fashion
·
It established unique
culture
·
English is current Need
·
Course design should be such
which helps a learner of EST to offer contemporary or up-to-date knowledge
·
L1, L2 conflict- Learner’s
first language (L1) interface in second language (L2)
·
Ill- equipped teachers
·
Learner’s need analysis
·
Merely a subject
·
Unawareness of teachers
·
Carelessness of students
·
Students under L1 influence
·
Their financial crises
·
Lack of availability of
material in mother tongue and regional language
·
Spoken English is at a low
priority
·
Teachers of EST must know
scientific vocabulary or preferably from science background
·
Professionalization,
privatization for English education (higher fees). Basically it becomes
business to make money.
Moreover
teachers should know the needs of their target students. They can apply
strategies of needs analysis and error analysis. So, they can come across their
students’ requirements. Sometimes students don’t know their flaws and
obligations. Through, this tactics they can also be aware of that. It’s true
that it becomes tough when one need to learn how to unlearn then to relearn.
Withal one more thing affects that the attitude towards learning, there can be
two possibilities of having different attitudes one is positive and the other
is negative.
“Teachers
are somewhere root-cause of the problem.”
Above
statement represents the idea of problems which are created by inaccurate
knowledge as well the
ill-equipment of teachers for the text. Their way of conveying knowledge
should be student friendly. To raise interest in students for learning begins
with their own interest in that particular subject. Many learners have a usual
complain that they were not given the proper knowledge or the proper guidance
for English at very primary state so their roots of the language are too weak.
Teachers should offer a learning environment where learner can contribute,
share and grow.
Simultaneously,
learners have fear to communicate in English as a second language where their
first language interrupts. Their communicative competence is nil. As well the
material should be concise, accurate and genuine.
There
are two major abilities needed by the learners:
1. Reading
and comprehension of technical texts written in English.
2. Writing
of technical English.
Structure
of Technical English and Teaching Materials
The
most obvious characteristic feature of Technical English- T.E., is technical
vocabulary. It consists of Greek and Latin elements including affixes, which
functions as productive factors for word formation. Each element consistently
stands for the concept it represents: photon, photo-chemistry, photosynthesis,
photo-meter; tribology, tribometer, tribo- electricity.
Technical
language follows the principles of economy and conciseness; it therefore avoids
periphrases and rhetorical expression, lying emphasis on directness rather than
figurative circumlocution. Semantically, the language is referential and
denotative without any emotive overtones.
Moving
to higher units, we have to take into account paragraph structure and linking
as well as discourse forms. There are following principle links like:
1. Rope link -
2. Hook link -
3. Wedge link –
Thus
EST has a direct learning on India’s modernization and progress. Teachers of
EST much have good command over English and some acquaintance of science is
also required or should be from science background and need to avoid L1/
dialect interface error.
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