Why Communicative English
As a global language the position of English now stands supreme. How to communicate more effectively and using less effort among the individuals, institutions and nations has been a grave concern over the ages. Still the pronunciation and ways of teaching English differ from country to country and institution to institution in the same country even.. The way of teaching English has been used as grammar translation method which gives the learners the idea of accuracy rather than using it more comfortably in the real life situation. Of course, accuracy cannot be avoided in any way. The main components of teaching and learning English are translating the ideas and contents from a language into English, which sheds spontaneity. Spontaneous use of language gives the users more freedom. Usually and naturally an individual uses his/her mother tongue more spontaneously than any other language he/she learns through efforts. Necessarily learning a language spontaneously tends to give a comfort, which narrows the gap between mother tongue and that particular language.
It is not necessary to learn mother tongue in educational institutions for communicating ideas. Rather it is learnt from the situation and environment. It is mainly for communication. Accuracy is ignored here. This language may not be appropriate in the universal situation. Suppose the local language of Chittagong or Noakhali or Barisal may not be well comprehensive to the people of other parts of Bangladesh. But the people of these areas very effectively communicate with each other to satisfy their practical needs. Again, these languages may not be used in writing purposes .English has also assumed different pronunciations in different parts of the world which are obviously different from the native speakers. Even in native countries it is pronounced differently. In the midst of these situations a common comprehensive English has evolved throughout the globe. This situation has been termed as mutual intelligibility i.e. a kind of English understandable to the people of different parts of the world. The pronunciation and accent may not be same but nobody bothers about it or nobody minds it. The purpose of communication is the focal point here. If the purpose is served, the use of language is successful.
So the main focus of learning English is for communication purpose. As we don’t have English environment to teach the people English in real situation, a controlled situation is created in the classroom to teach it. From controlled to semi-guided and then to free practice has been pursued in teaching the communicative English.
As each language is based on particular structures, the communicative English cannot avoid to teach the learners those structural patters. But the way of teaching and practicing them is different from what they were done and taught before coming this method. Teaching exclusive grammatical rules and putting much importance on them is termed by the specialists traditional way to teach English. In this methodology learners gained much more accuracy but not so fluency and spontaneity in using the language for which it is meant. Many learners gathered both accuracy and fluency through the traditional method. Of course common learners lacked it .
It is generally expected that the common learners should learn English for their practical purposes like getting jobs, running business and marinating all kinds of individual , organizational and stately affairs very effectively. The skills earned in using English broadens the way of getting good jobs.
As fully English learning environment cannot be created to contribute to practical teaching , a controlled situation is created to teach English to the students. Structures and grammars are taught from the context that is from the lessons they are taught. Teacher is to work a lot for this kind of teaching and learning. As teachers are to find out the ways and grammars used and hidden in the context. To develop that kind of skill and competency in the teachers, specialised training is a must. Due to the lack of the training the objectives of teaching communicative English may not reach its desired goal. But it is a matter of good news that training programmes have already been taken up by both in the government and private sectors and they are leading the training programmes gradually towards the way of success.
After the introduction of Communicative English in the secondary and Higher Secondary levels how far the change in teaching and learning English has been brought remains a questions to the conscious citizens of the country. Have our students who have passed the SSC or HSC examinations developed their four skills necessary for communication? Of course, time is not ripe enough to ask these questions but we should see whether the path is leading to the right direction. However, several training programmes have been taken up by ELTIP( English Language Teaching Improvement Project), BRAC and UKBET( United Kingdom and Bangladesh Education Trust) to prepare our secondary school teachers to deal with the English For Today and to develop their teaching abilities. The materials produced on the basis of the techniques of EFT. Again, question arises how far the training materials address the practical issues.
English For Today has been produced on the basis of four skills namely speaking. reading, listening and writing . We are making our teachers acquainted with the four skills and the ways how to deal with the different lessons and units of EFT in the class. Teachers are made acquainted with different techniques of teaching like pair work, group work, chain drill, choral drill, elicitation etc. to deal with the text and four skills and the trained teachers have already formed some ideas about theses things. We are not sure whether they are implementing the techniques in the class fully or partially but we have at least sensitised them. Removing the shyness of the students as well as of the teachers through training has been at least partially successful as our trained teachers speak or try to speak English in the class . I observed the situation in the teacher’s forum and visiting different schools.
The introduction of communicative English has not yet been embraced by most of the teachers, students and guardians .It is very usual because since the people of our country started learning English they had been following traditional method. The present day scholars who are at the helm of affairs are the product of that English. They developed a solid foundation of English through the grammar translation method. Now the world has changed a lot. Global communication has assumed a very important shape and phenomenon. Bangladesh as a poor country has to communicate with the outside world for having donation, relief, job , scientific cooperation, mass communication and what not. The channels of communication have multiplied as well. People having the quality of communication in English is necessarily preferred and hence the English knowing people and individuals are in good demand in the world market. The graduates produced by our colleges and universities miserably lack this phenomenon. The graduates of our neighbouring countries like India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan prove their worth in this line which has opened scope world wide for them. Necessarily these countries also earn much foreign exchange through the exportation of their English skilled manpower. Even Dhaka city sees many Indian and Sri Lankan people in many of the executive posts mainly because of their having strong ability to communicate in English. Now it has come to the realisation of our policy makers that we are being deprived globally in many fields due to the lack of communicative ability of our graduates.
Communication does necessarily not mean only oral communication. It can be of written or even through signs and beckons. But oral communication attaches much importance. The English we used to teach our students could not directly help them develop their oral communication in English. The present approach wants to develop that side of our students through some controlled and created practice and situation. It should be in everybody’s consideration that written communication is also not less important and it cannot be done trough inaccurate English. Accuracy earned or learned through communicative English is a new idea. Accuracy learned or earned through it calls for huge study and practice as students are encouraged to memorise or learn grammatical rules. They must learn them through the context and situation. Teaching through context and situation has evolved as a great challenge as trained, innovative and hard working teachers are hardly available in our educational arena particularly in the primary and secondary levels. To train them up has further appeared as a big challenge both for the government as well as for the organizations concerned. However, conducting research on these issues and finding out ways and means to address the situation s has started appearing though in limited scales.
Curriculum and textbooks need to be revised simultaneously with teachers training. Books which fail to give interest to the students will hardly bring benefit for them . Ample colourful pictures, stories along with practical situational lessons and dialogues may rouse interest among the learners Trained teachers will create the controlled and guided situations in the classroom. These multifarious steps can come to our learners with the message of communicate approach which will really help them communicate in their real life situations.
Md. Masum Billah
Programme Manager:
Post Primary Basic And Continuing Education(PACE) Programme
BRAC Head Office, Dhaka.
Phone: 9355253 (home)
01714-091431(cell)
Showing posts with label 05 October 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 05 October 2010. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Using games in teaching English
Using games in teaching English
There goes a common perception that all learning should be serious and solemn in nature and that if one is having fun and there is hilarity and laughter, then it is not really learning. Almost all the guardians, school authorities and even many teachers strongly hold this opinion. Hence, they don’t want the teachers to sue any game in the classroom particularly in the language class. They think it to be the wastage of time in the class. But nowadays language specialists, researchers and textbook writers opine that using games in the language class is one of the most essential and effective tools to teach language. Though playing games it is possible to learn and teach a language as well as enjoy oneself at the same time. One of the best ways to do this is through games. Language learning is a hard task which can sometimes be frustrating. Constant effort is required to understand, produce and manipulate the target language. Well-chosen games are invaluable as they give students a break and at the same time allow students to practice language skills. Games are highly motivating since they are amusing and at the same time challenging. Furthermore, they employ meaningful and useful language in real contexts. Games are highly motivating because they are amusing and interesting. They can be used to give practice in all language skills and be used to practice many types of communication. Language learning is really a difficult task, effort is required at every moment and must be maintained over a long period of time. Games help and encourage many learners to sustain their interest and work. Games also help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful. The learners want to take part and in order to do so must understand what others are saying or have written and they must speak or write in order to express their own point of view or give information.
Many experienced textbook and methodology manuals writers have argued that games are not just time-filing activities but a have a great education value. W.R. Lee holds that most language games make learners use the language instead of thinking about learning the correct forms (19179:2). He also says that games should be treated as central not peripheral to the foreign language teaching programme. A similar opinion is expressed by Rchard Amato, who believes games to be fun but warns against overlooking their pedagogical value, particularly in foreign language teaching. There are many advantages of using games; games can lower anxiety, thus making the acquisition of input more likely. They are highly motivating and entertaining, and they can give shy students more opportunity to express their opinions and feelings. They normally don’t want to express themselves. But through games their hidden potential can be discovered and they feel encouraged and secure to tell their opinions. Games also enable learners to acquire new experiences within a foreign language which are not always possible during a typical lesson. Furthermore, to quote Richard Amato, ‘they add diversion to the regular classroom activities, break the ice,’ they to introduce new ideas. In an easy, relaxed atmosphere which is created by using games, students’ member things faster and better. So, using games seems to be a good medicine teaches a language in a friendly atmosphere.
Games encourage, entertain, teach, and promote fluency. If not for many of these reasons, they should be used just because they help students see beauty in a foreign language and not just problems that at times seem overwhelming. It’s a very important thing that learners think English to be a very boring subject. It is full of problems. When games are introduced, they definitely dispel these notions from their minds and will prepare to learn it through fun and interest. Games ought to be at the heart of teaching foreign languages. Rixon suggests that games be used at all stages of the lesson, provided that they are suitable and carefully chosen. Games have been shown to have advantages and effectiveness in learning vocabulary in various ways. First, games bring in relaxation and fun for students, thus help them learn and retain new words more easily. Second, games usually involve friendly competition and they keep learners interested. These create the motivation for learners of English to get involved and participate actively in the learning activities. Third, vocabularies games bring real world context into the classroom and enhance students’ use of English in a flexible, communicative ways.
Therefore, the role of games in teaching and learning vocabulary cannot be denied. However, in order to achieve the most from vocabulary games, it is essential that suitable games are chosen. Whenever, a game is to be conducted, the number of students, proficiency level, cultural context, timing, learning topic, and the classroom settings are factors that should be taken into account. In conclusion, learning vocabulary through game is an effective and interesting way that can be applied in any classrooms. It is suggested that games are used not only for mere fun, but more importantly, for the useful practice and review of language lessons, thus leading toward the goal of improving learners’ communicative competence. Games are fun and children like to play them. Through games children experiment, discover and interact with their environment. ‘The game context makes the foreign language immediately useful to the children. It brings the target language to life.’--- Lewis 1999.The game makes the reasons for speaking plausible even to reluctant children.
Through playing games, students can learn English the way children learn their mother tongue without being aware they are studying , thus without stress, they can learn a lot. Even, shy students can participate positively. But a game must be more than just fun, a game should involve ‘friendly’ competition, it should keep all of the students involved and interested. A game should encourage students to focus on the use of language rather than on the language itself. A game should give students a chance to learn, practice or review specific language materials. In an effort to supplement lesson plans in the English as Second Language classroom, teachers often turn to games. The justification for using games in the classroom has been well demonstrated as benefiting students in a variety of ways. These benefits range from cognitive aspects of language learning to more cooperative group dynamics.
Md. Masum Billah
Programme Manager: BRAC Education Program, PACE
Cell: 01714-091431
Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com
There goes a common perception that all learning should be serious and solemn in nature and that if one is having fun and there is hilarity and laughter, then it is not really learning. Almost all the guardians, school authorities and even many teachers strongly hold this opinion. Hence, they don’t want the teachers to sue any game in the classroom particularly in the language class. They think it to be the wastage of time in the class. But nowadays language specialists, researchers and textbook writers opine that using games in the language class is one of the most essential and effective tools to teach language. Though playing games it is possible to learn and teach a language as well as enjoy oneself at the same time. One of the best ways to do this is through games. Language learning is a hard task which can sometimes be frustrating. Constant effort is required to understand, produce and manipulate the target language. Well-chosen games are invaluable as they give students a break and at the same time allow students to practice language skills. Games are highly motivating since they are amusing and at the same time challenging. Furthermore, they employ meaningful and useful language in real contexts. Games are highly motivating because they are amusing and interesting. They can be used to give practice in all language skills and be used to practice many types of communication. Language learning is really a difficult task, effort is required at every moment and must be maintained over a long period of time. Games help and encourage many learners to sustain their interest and work. Games also help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful. The learners want to take part and in order to do so must understand what others are saying or have written and they must speak or write in order to express their own point of view or give information.
Many experienced textbook and methodology manuals writers have argued that games are not just time-filing activities but a have a great education value. W.R. Lee holds that most language games make learners use the language instead of thinking about learning the correct forms (19179:2). He also says that games should be treated as central not peripheral to the foreign language teaching programme. A similar opinion is expressed by Rchard Amato, who believes games to be fun but warns against overlooking their pedagogical value, particularly in foreign language teaching. There are many advantages of using games; games can lower anxiety, thus making the acquisition of input more likely. They are highly motivating and entertaining, and they can give shy students more opportunity to express their opinions and feelings. They normally don’t want to express themselves. But through games their hidden potential can be discovered and they feel encouraged and secure to tell their opinions. Games also enable learners to acquire new experiences within a foreign language which are not always possible during a typical lesson. Furthermore, to quote Richard Amato, ‘they add diversion to the regular classroom activities, break the ice,’ they to introduce new ideas. In an easy, relaxed atmosphere which is created by using games, students’ member things faster and better. So, using games seems to be a good medicine teaches a language in a friendly atmosphere.
Games encourage, entertain, teach, and promote fluency. If not for many of these reasons, they should be used just because they help students see beauty in a foreign language and not just problems that at times seem overwhelming. It’s a very important thing that learners think English to be a very boring subject. It is full of problems. When games are introduced, they definitely dispel these notions from their minds and will prepare to learn it through fun and interest. Games ought to be at the heart of teaching foreign languages. Rixon suggests that games be used at all stages of the lesson, provided that they are suitable and carefully chosen. Games have been shown to have advantages and effectiveness in learning vocabulary in various ways. First, games bring in relaxation and fun for students, thus help them learn and retain new words more easily. Second, games usually involve friendly competition and they keep learners interested. These create the motivation for learners of English to get involved and participate actively in the learning activities. Third, vocabularies games bring real world context into the classroom and enhance students’ use of English in a flexible, communicative ways.
Therefore, the role of games in teaching and learning vocabulary cannot be denied. However, in order to achieve the most from vocabulary games, it is essential that suitable games are chosen. Whenever, a game is to be conducted, the number of students, proficiency level, cultural context, timing, learning topic, and the classroom settings are factors that should be taken into account. In conclusion, learning vocabulary through game is an effective and interesting way that can be applied in any classrooms. It is suggested that games are used not only for mere fun, but more importantly, for the useful practice and review of language lessons, thus leading toward the goal of improving learners’ communicative competence. Games are fun and children like to play them. Through games children experiment, discover and interact with their environment. ‘The game context makes the foreign language immediately useful to the children. It brings the target language to life.’--- Lewis 1999.The game makes the reasons for speaking plausible even to reluctant children.
Through playing games, students can learn English the way children learn their mother tongue without being aware they are studying , thus without stress, they can learn a lot. Even, shy students can participate positively. But a game must be more than just fun, a game should involve ‘friendly’ competition, it should keep all of the students involved and interested. A game should encourage students to focus on the use of language rather than on the language itself. A game should give students a chance to learn, practice or review specific language materials. In an effort to supplement lesson plans in the English as Second Language classroom, teachers often turn to games. The justification for using games in the classroom has been well demonstrated as benefiting students in a variety of ways. These benefits range from cognitive aspects of language learning to more cooperative group dynamics.
Md. Masum Billah
Programme Manager: BRAC Education Program, PACE
Cell: 01714-091431
Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com
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