Your accommodation is finalized at the following venues:
- Vadtal ( nine kilometers away from the Institute)
- NDDB Campus
The list of your accommodation details will be uploaded very soon.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Stay at the Conference
Dear Friends!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
An Insensitive Moment
Here is an anecdote. Please read it carefully. Answer the question at the end.
(Source: www.onestopenglish.com)
I've been teaching English to the Business students in Valdivia, the south of Chile and for more than 14 years now, I've been teaching to freshmen who scarcely know some very basic English. These students are usually both fascinated and terrified with the experience of having a class completely talked in English when they feel they are just beginning.
Some years ago, one of my students was taking an oral test which consisted basically of telling about his life after some questions. In general, he was supposed to talk about his routines (Present Simple) and current projects (Present Continuous). He was doing really well and when I asked him whether he had brothers or sisters, he answered: "Well, I had a sister who was 16..." - I corrected very politely, trying to give him a little help: 'I have a sister..." - and so we went up to the moment in which I gave up and decided to listen up to the end and then provide some corrections. All of a sudden he says: "my sister was pretty, she studied very hard and got wonderful marks, she had many friends and we all loved her..." he stops and I (stupid me), again very helpful: 'What is she doing now?'. He looks at me surprised and he says: "She died. She had an accident two months ago and I still can't believe it."
I was so shocked at my lack of sensitivity but at the same I couldn't but notice how well he had used tenses and vocabulary, in spite of my interruptions and it was REAL LIFE! It was so important to talk about his sister and his pain, that he could overcome all his difficulties with English (it wasn't easy for him). Of course I gave him the best mark and we went on talking in English about these terrible things and how they affected a family and how difficult it was to go ahead.
I know better, now, so when I student becomes so involved in a very personal story, I just let them go on along their own thread until the outcome and it is usually about something really important and transcendental in their lives.
Do you think emotional involvement helps in teaching (specially language)?
(Source: www.onestopenglish.com)
I've been teaching English to the Business students in Valdivia, the south of Chile and for more than 14 years now, I've been teaching to freshmen who scarcely know some very basic English. These students are usually both fascinated and terrified with the experience of having a class completely talked in English when they feel they are just beginning.
Some years ago, one of my students was taking an oral test which consisted basically of telling about his life after some questions. In general, he was supposed to talk about his routines (Present Simple) and current projects (Present Continuous). He was doing really well and when I asked him whether he had brothers or sisters, he answered: "Well, I had a sister who was 16..." - I corrected very politely, trying to give him a little help: 'I have a sister..." - and so we went up to the moment in which I gave up and decided to listen up to the end and then provide some corrections. All of a sudden he says: "my sister was pretty, she studied very hard and got wonderful marks, she had many friends and we all loved her..." he stops and I (stupid me), again very helpful: 'What is she doing now?'. He looks at me surprised and he says: "She died. She had an accident two months ago and I still can't believe it."
I was so shocked at my lack of sensitivity but at the same I couldn't but notice how well he had used tenses and vocabulary, in spite of my interruptions and it was REAL LIFE! It was so important to talk about his sister and his pain, that he could overcome all his difficulties with English (it wasn't easy for him). Of course I gave him the best mark and we went on talking in English about these terrible things and how they affected a family and how difficult it was to go ahead.
I know better, now, so when I student becomes so involved in a very personal story, I just let them go on along their own thread until the outcome and it is usually about something really important and transcendental in their lives.
Do you think emotional involvement helps in teaching (specially language)?
Friday, October 12, 2007
Public Speaking
Broadly interpreted, any utterance whether heard by one, few, or many- may be said to be “public”. Public speaking is said to be an enlarged conversation. There is little difference between talking to one person, to ten persons, or to a hundred. The talking that goes on at the dinner table does not differ in essence from the talking that goes on at a meeting. The only real difference is that at a meeting the speaker is allowed to talk for a longer time without interruption.
The public communication form is variously referred to as “public speaking”, “public address”, and “one-to-many interaction.” It has been described as a science, an art, and a “practical art.” It is, of course, practical in that it is useful and performs numerous functions for the speaker, the listener, and for the society as a whole. Communication experts like George Kops and Richard Worth says to the extent that in an age of accelerating change and increasing uncertainty, effective public speaking is frequently the margin of difference between success and failure.
Public speaking is considered to be purposeful communication. The speaker, generally, is said to have purpose behind his/her speech. Often speeches are classified according to purpose:
1) Speeches to inform or teach the audience.
2) Speeches to interest or to amuse or entertain the audience.
3) To stimulate or impress.
4) To convince or persuade.
In short, many of the communication experts have defined the term ‘public communication’ as involving a single speaker who, in relatively formal tone and manner, presents a continuous, uninterrupted, informative, persuasive, or entertaining discourse on a subject of supposedly general interest to a sizable manner of other persons. But the term ‘public communication’ is also seen as communication involving more than two persons. In a sense we have been public speakers ever since those long-forgotten days in early childhood when most of us rose to recite “jack and Jill went up to the hill” or “Where is thumbkin” to an enthusiastic audience of relatives and friends.
Of course the importance of public speaking is observed in various factors of life. That is to say the importance of public speaking is not limited to single field. But it is also true that the words “you’re next on the stage” are almost guaranteed to bring a chill of fear to the uninitiated. Stephen Price, management consultant, states that stage fright afflicts just about everyone who’s called on to speak in public. He also says that the pain and frustration connected with public speech is difficult to imagine by those who have never lived through the experience.
Buehler.E.C and W.A.Linkugel in their book Speech Communication says that stage fright is a psychological condition caused by worry and anxiety. These emotions often overcome the speaker’s intellectual processes and interfere with his purpose, his normal self-expression, and the full utilization of his personal resources. It is possible for most of us to know about stage fright largely by its symptoms: pounding heart, flushed face, cold sweat, trembling limbs, dry mouth, loss of memory, lack of eye contact with audience, increased pulse rate, sinking feeling in the stomach, and so on. The listeners notice some symptoms and only the speaker knows others.
In short, it has been largely accepted that the fear and nervousness is part of human nature. It has been referred to feelings of excitement from anticipation before some event or happening. It is believed that if fear and tension do nothing else but stimulate the speaker to do his homework, they have performed their natural service. Fear and tension may considered to be a positive influence that sharpens the speaker’s strategy so that s/he may perform well.
The public communication form is variously referred to as “public speaking”, “public address”, and “one-to-many interaction.” It has been described as a science, an art, and a “practical art.” It is, of course, practical in that it is useful and performs numerous functions for the speaker, the listener, and for the society as a whole. Communication experts like George Kops and Richard Worth says to the extent that in an age of accelerating change and increasing uncertainty, effective public speaking is frequently the margin of difference between success and failure.
Public speaking is considered to be purposeful communication. The speaker, generally, is said to have purpose behind his/her speech. Often speeches are classified according to purpose:
1) Speeches to inform or teach the audience.
2) Speeches to interest or to amuse or entertain the audience.
3) To stimulate or impress.
4) To convince or persuade.
In short, many of the communication experts have defined the term ‘public communication’ as involving a single speaker who, in relatively formal tone and manner, presents a continuous, uninterrupted, informative, persuasive, or entertaining discourse on a subject of supposedly general interest to a sizable manner of other persons. But the term ‘public communication’ is also seen as communication involving more than two persons. In a sense we have been public speakers ever since those long-forgotten days in early childhood when most of us rose to recite “jack and Jill went up to the hill” or “Where is thumbkin” to an enthusiastic audience of relatives and friends.
Of course the importance of public speaking is observed in various factors of life. That is to say the importance of public speaking is not limited to single field. But it is also true that the words “you’re next on the stage” are almost guaranteed to bring a chill of fear to the uninitiated. Stephen Price, management consultant, states that stage fright afflicts just about everyone who’s called on to speak in public. He also says that the pain and frustration connected with public speech is difficult to imagine by those who have never lived through the experience.
Buehler.E.C and W.A.Linkugel in their book Speech Communication says that stage fright is a psychological condition caused by worry and anxiety. These emotions often overcome the speaker’s intellectual processes and interfere with his purpose, his normal self-expression, and the full utilization of his personal resources. It is possible for most of us to know about stage fright largely by its symptoms: pounding heart, flushed face, cold sweat, trembling limbs, dry mouth, loss of memory, lack of eye contact with audience, increased pulse rate, sinking feeling in the stomach, and so on. The listeners notice some symptoms and only the speaker knows others.
In short, it has been largely accepted that the fear and nervousness is part of human nature. It has been referred to feelings of excitement from anticipation before some event or happening. It is believed that if fear and tension do nothing else but stimulate the speaker to do his homework, they have performed their natural service. Fear and tension may considered to be a positive influence that sharpens the speaker’s strategy so that s/he may perform well.
Possible Sources of Stage Fright
Buehler and Linkugel (ibid) states that stage fright and its control are to a great extent an individual problem. The most common source of stage fright is said to be the concept of self-image. “ Your feeling of self-esteem is being threatened. You care too much what others may think of you.” Hence the ‘conscious self’ pushes the ‘real self’ out of the way. Another possible reason for stage fright is said to be the conflict between the thoughts and feelings. “Sweet thoughts of triumph conflict sharply with bitter thoughts of failure.” Another species of stage fright arises out of a feeling of dread or aversion to do anything before a group or imagine the audience to be much larger than it is and the very term Public Speaking strikes terror in their hearts. Some fears are believed grown out of the unknown that is lack of awareness regarding many things connected with the audience, the situation and the topic itself. Many times the strange and unfamiliar bring on that nervous and uneasy feeling.
Constructive Attitudes to Stage Fright
Many individuals believe stage fright as a weakness but, in fact, it is common to most speakers. Most people experience at least some of these feelings at one time or another. Buehler and Linkugel (ibid) verbalize that stage fright is so prevalent that it has been experienced by many of the world’s most renowned orators. Even such famous speakers as Daniel Webster, Mark Twain, Will Rogers, and Winston Churchill complained of stage fright. But as Stephen Price says that one must find a way to release this nervous energy in constructive expression. He says that our normal reaction to all fear is either fight or flight. But “when we are giving a talk, we know that we are not going to fight the audience, and we are too responsible to run away.”
Buehler and Linkugel pronounce that the person himself is responsible for the problem i.e. stage fright. “Like your fingerprints, it is peculiarly yours, and you are the only person in the world who can cope with it.” One of the best solutions recommended by them is to use an inventory of questions for self-evaluation and find appropriate answers for them. Another best solution is practice. As Publius Syrus, an ancient Roman author rightly said, practice is the best of all instructors. Control of stage fright cannot be accomplished overnight, it comes gradually and by facing up to it. Finally, in Speech Communication, specific tactics are prescribed for the speaker like delivery of speech, purpose and bodily communication. In many of the books of communication it is said that the best way to gain confidence is to take up the challenge to speak at every opportunity. The best way to rid of the stage fright is only by confronting it. As in words of Robert Frost, “ The only way around is through.”
Buehler and Linkugel pronounce that the person himself is responsible for the problem i.e. stage fright. “Like your fingerprints, it is peculiarly yours, and you are the only person in the world who can cope with it.” One of the best solutions recommended by them is to use an inventory of questions for self-evaluation and find appropriate answers for them. Another best solution is practice. As Publius Syrus, an ancient Roman author rightly said, practice is the best of all instructors. Control of stage fright cannot be accomplished overnight, it comes gradually and by facing up to it. Finally, in Speech Communication, specific tactics are prescribed for the speaker like delivery of speech, purpose and bodily communication. In many of the books of communication it is said that the best way to gain confidence is to take up the challenge to speak at every opportunity. The best way to rid of the stage fright is only by confronting it. As in words of Robert Frost, “ The only way around is through.”
Features of Spoken English
Stress:
Language is a system of communication and we all serve the purpose of communication through words or combination of words. We do communicate to convey meaning and the meaning on some scale is dependent on clarity of speech i.e. pronunciation. There is much more to the pronunciation of English than its individual sounds. The organizations of sounds play a greater role in communication than the sounds themselves. Sound system involves not only vowels and consonants but also stress and intonation.
Daniel Jones (1983) describes ‘Stress’ as the degree of force with which a sound or syllable is uttered. In fact, in English and many other languages, one or more of the syllables in each content word is stressed. When words are combined into phrases and sentences, one of the syllables receives greater stress than all others. Whereas T.Balasubramanian (2002) is of the view that, of course, the greater prominence of a syllable may be due to stress or greater breath force, but often the length of the vowel in a syllable, stress and pitch change work together to render a syllable more prominent than its neighbouring syllables. In short, one can say that the English language derives much of its rhythm and clarity from the use of stressed syllables within the words and across the word boundaries. Thus, stress is important in bringing out meaning. As R.K. Bansal (1988) rightly pointed out when talking to native English speakers, most frequent cause of the unintelligibility of Indian English lies in the use of wrong word accent. And so, stress in the wrong place can play havoc with clarity of speech and can become the barrier or hindrance in communication.
Intonation:
Intonation is not a separate phenomenon and depends on the pitch of the voice i.e. frequency of vibration or the rate at which the vocal cords vibrate. Generally when we speak, we do not always speak on the same note. That is to say, sometimes the pitch rises, falls, and remains level or high or low. The patterns of variation of the pitch of the voice constitute the ‘intonation of a language’. But these changes in vocal pitch are not haphazard. The factors that chiefly determine the choice of one pattern as against the type of utterance (statement vs. question, command vs. request, simple vs. complex) is important, and subjective in that the speaker’s mood and his attitude to what he is saying are also significant. In short, intonation helps us to understand the meaning, the attitude of the speaker, the relationship between the speaker and the ‘spoken to’ and the situation.
Normally, a syllable on which a pitch change takes place is usually marked with one of the following signs, depending upon the type of pitch-change.
i. [ \ ] high fall
ii. [ ] law fall
iii. [ / ] high rise
iv. [ ] low rise
v. [ v ] fall rise
vi. [ ^ ] rise fall
It is essential in a study of speech in English to understand the four basic variations in intonation.
1) Rising intonation
2) Falling intonation
3) Falling rising intonation
4) Rising falling intonation
1.Rising Intonation is used in
· Questions, which demand an answer yes/no
e.g Do you agree?
Are you coming?
· Polite requests:
e.g. Would you switch on the fan?
· Exclamations, Greetings:
e.g. Good evening (cheerful greeting)
Best of luck (cheerful good wishes)
· Wh-questions: (asked in a friendly manner)
e.g. How’s your brother?
· Incomplete utterances:
e.g. It’s already 12’O clock. (But the show has not started yet)
2.Falling Intonation is used in
· Commands
e.g. Come here.
· ‘Wh’ questions in a neutral or unfriendly way
e.g. When are you coming?
· Ordinary statements without emotional implications
e.g. It’s 11’O clock.
· Tag questions
e.g. (It’s a lovely day.) Isn’t it?
· Exclamations, Greetings
e.g. How surprising!
Good morning (routine sort of greeting)
3.Falling rising tone is used in
· Special implication such as insinuations, apology, unpleasant news, happiness, reassurance or doubt on the part of the speaker.
e.g. I saw you at the cinema. (You said you had to study)
Sir’s here already. (So hurry up)
4.Rising falling tone is used in
· Reinforcing, indication warmth, anger or sarcasm
e.g. It was frightful.
How interesting.
Language is a system of communication and we all serve the purpose of communication through words or combination of words. We do communicate to convey meaning and the meaning on some scale is dependent on clarity of speech i.e. pronunciation. There is much more to the pronunciation of English than its individual sounds. The organizations of sounds play a greater role in communication than the sounds themselves. Sound system involves not only vowels and consonants but also stress and intonation.
Daniel Jones (1983) describes ‘Stress’ as the degree of force with which a sound or syllable is uttered. In fact, in English and many other languages, one or more of the syllables in each content word is stressed. When words are combined into phrases and sentences, one of the syllables receives greater stress than all others. Whereas T.Balasubramanian (2002) is of the view that, of course, the greater prominence of a syllable may be due to stress or greater breath force, but often the length of the vowel in a syllable, stress and pitch change work together to render a syllable more prominent than its neighbouring syllables. In short, one can say that the English language derives much of its rhythm and clarity from the use of stressed syllables within the words and across the word boundaries. Thus, stress is important in bringing out meaning. As R.K. Bansal (1988) rightly pointed out when talking to native English speakers, most frequent cause of the unintelligibility of Indian English lies in the use of wrong word accent. And so, stress in the wrong place can play havoc with clarity of speech and can become the barrier or hindrance in communication.
Intonation:
Intonation is not a separate phenomenon and depends on the pitch of the voice i.e. frequency of vibration or the rate at which the vocal cords vibrate. Generally when we speak, we do not always speak on the same note. That is to say, sometimes the pitch rises, falls, and remains level or high or low. The patterns of variation of the pitch of the voice constitute the ‘intonation of a language’. But these changes in vocal pitch are not haphazard. The factors that chiefly determine the choice of one pattern as against the type of utterance (statement vs. question, command vs. request, simple vs. complex) is important, and subjective in that the speaker’s mood and his attitude to what he is saying are also significant. In short, intonation helps us to understand the meaning, the attitude of the speaker, the relationship between the speaker and the ‘spoken to’ and the situation.
Normally, a syllable on which a pitch change takes place is usually marked with one of the following signs, depending upon the type of pitch-change.
i. [ \ ] high fall
ii. [ ] law fall
iii. [ / ] high rise
iv. [ ] low rise
v. [ v ] fall rise
vi. [ ^ ] rise fall
It is essential in a study of speech in English to understand the four basic variations in intonation.
1) Rising intonation
2) Falling intonation
3) Falling rising intonation
4) Rising falling intonation
1.Rising Intonation is used in
· Questions, which demand an answer yes/no
e.g Do you agree?
Are you coming?
· Polite requests:
e.g. Would you switch on the fan?
· Exclamations, Greetings:
e.g. Good evening (cheerful greeting)
Best of luck (cheerful good wishes)
· Wh-questions: (asked in a friendly manner)
e.g. How’s your brother?
· Incomplete utterances:
e.g. It’s already 12’O clock. (But the show has not started yet)
2.Falling Intonation is used in
· Commands
e.g. Come here.
· ‘Wh’ questions in a neutral or unfriendly way
e.g. When are you coming?
· Ordinary statements without emotional implications
e.g. It’s 11’O clock.
· Tag questions
e.g. (It’s a lovely day.) Isn’t it?
· Exclamations, Greetings
e.g. How surprising!
Good morning (routine sort of greeting)
3.Falling rising tone is used in
· Special implication such as insinuations, apology, unpleasant news, happiness, reassurance or doubt on the part of the speaker.
e.g. I saw you at the cinema. (You said you had to study)
Sir’s here already. (So hurry up)
4.Rising falling tone is used in
· Reinforcing, indication warmth, anger or sarcasm
e.g. It was frightful.
How interesting.
Rhythm
English is said to have a stress-timed rhythm. This means that in an English utterance, the strong or prominent or accented syllables have the tendency to occur at regular intervals of time, irrespective of the number of weak or unaccented syllables between any two accented syllables. Another important aspect of English rhythm is weak forms. The weak forms exhibit reduction of the length of sounds, weakening of the vowels in them and also in the elision of vowels and consonants.
Juncture
The difference between nitrate, night rate and Nye trait is juncture. It is the combination of sounds into syllables that allows us to distinguish between ‘a nice man’ and ‘an iceman’ or between ‘keepsticking’ and keeps ticking. Usually context is sufficient to clarify the meaning. But as an effective speaker one needs to be aware of this feature to avoid ambiguity on the part of the listener.
Articulation and pronunciation
It is very much true that an intelligible speech is an asset to one’s personality; it increases one’s effectiveness as a speaker and is invaluable in professional relationships. As a learner in a speech course, one should be aware that one couldn’t afford to have speech that is substandard in anyway because of its influence upon one’s own oral communication. Lilywhite, Phelps, and Bosye, who surveyed 1,004 successful teachers on this point, found that 80.5 percent regarded “ speaking with correct articulation and pronunciation ” as the most significant aspect of speech ability in influencing their pupils to speak correctly and clearly.
Robinson,K.F. and A.B. Becker in ‘Effective Speech for the Teacher’ describes three main types of articulatory errors:
1) Omissions: leave out sounds
e.g. dint for didn’t
Goverment for government
2) Substitutions: replace a correct sound with an incorrect one.
e.g. dis, dat instead of these, that
3) Distortion: approximate the correct sound but fail to produce it exactly.
They have also identified some mistakes or misuses of speech sounds in pronunciation that are the same as these in articulation.
A) Stress the wrong syllable.
B) Place the sound in the wrong syllable.
C) Misuse one or more consonant sounds
English is said to have a stress-timed rhythm. This means that in an English utterance, the strong or prominent or accented syllables have the tendency to occur at regular intervals of time, irrespective of the number of weak or unaccented syllables between any two accented syllables. Another important aspect of English rhythm is weak forms. The weak forms exhibit reduction of the length of sounds, weakening of the vowels in them and also in the elision of vowels and consonants.
Juncture
The difference between nitrate, night rate and Nye trait is juncture. It is the combination of sounds into syllables that allows us to distinguish between ‘a nice man’ and ‘an iceman’ or between ‘keepsticking’ and keeps ticking. Usually context is sufficient to clarify the meaning. But as an effective speaker one needs to be aware of this feature to avoid ambiguity on the part of the listener.
Articulation and pronunciation
It is very much true that an intelligible speech is an asset to one’s personality; it increases one’s effectiveness as a speaker and is invaluable in professional relationships. As a learner in a speech course, one should be aware that one couldn’t afford to have speech that is substandard in anyway because of its influence upon one’s own oral communication. Lilywhite, Phelps, and Bosye, who surveyed 1,004 successful teachers on this point, found that 80.5 percent regarded “ speaking with correct articulation and pronunciation ” as the most significant aspect of speech ability in influencing their pupils to speak correctly and clearly.
Robinson,K.F. and A.B. Becker in ‘Effective Speech for the Teacher’ describes three main types of articulatory errors:
1) Omissions: leave out sounds
e.g. dint for didn’t
Goverment for government
2) Substitutions: replace a correct sound with an incorrect one.
e.g. dis, dat instead of these, that
3) Distortion: approximate the correct sound but fail to produce it exactly.
They have also identified some mistakes or misuses of speech sounds in pronunciation that are the same as these in articulation.
A) Stress the wrong syllable.
B) Place the sound in the wrong syllable.
C) Misuse one or more consonant sounds
D) Misuse one or more vowel sounds.
The Nature of Oral Communication
Communication is said to be the most important skill of human survival because one needs it to maintain contact with the world. It is true that we communicate all the time, knowingly or unknowingly. Of course, oral communication is a two way process between the speaker and the receiver, involving the productive skill of speaking and the receptive skill of understanding (listening). Apart from the speaker and the receiver there are many elements involved in the process of communication. And all of them are equally important in communication.
i. A source
ii. Stimuli received from that source
iii. A receiver
iv. Sensory receptors
v. The receivers’ interpretation of and responses to the sensations
vi. Noise
vii. Feedback
viii. Situation or context
Communication, generally, is described as a process. But it is a process of processes because it involves many processes e.g. receiving sensation, interpretation of the received sensation and responding to interpretations. Another important aspect of communication is the nonverbal behaviour. During communication, the gestures, facial expression and body movements naturally influence both the speaker and the receiver. And nonverbal behaviour does convey meaning along with the verbal message.
Pedagogical Implications of Oral Communication
Donn Byrne (ibid) discusses the pedagogical implications. For effective communication what he suggests is the need to develop the skills of speaking and listening as an integrated approach. Generally, in classroom much more time is given to develop the ability of students to speak and very less account is given to the skill of listening. Therefore poor understanding often generates nervousness among the students in real life situations. In order to cope up with that, the students need regular and frequent training through a programme of listening comprehension, which exposes them in the classroom to suitably varied models of natural speech from the earliest stages of the language course. So far as teaching of the speaking is concerned, the main goal in teaching the productive skill of speaking is that of oral fluency: the ability to express oneself intelligibly, reasonably accurately and without undue hesitation. By intelligibility Donn Byrne means being able to make the difference between essential sounds such as /i/ and /i:/, /e/ and /ae/and so on. The learners need an adequate mastery of grammar, vocabulary and phonology in order to accomplish an effective communication. But excessive stress on any of these may slow down progress in other area. So there should be balance. Along with grammar and vocabulary the learners need to focus on certain features such as difference between key sounds, weak forms, basic stress and intonation patterns in the area of reception as well as production. In short, it will be easy task to acquire language learning and fluency, if adequate attention is paid to all the three areas i.e. listening comprehension, oral production and interdependence of the oral skills in communication.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Enhancing Teaching and Learning through CALL
This article actually, to some extent, is an attempt to record steps taken in the direction of using CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) materials at a broader societal ground. To be very clear, it is partially a report on and a part of project funded by the British Council. The announcement of the project was made in June 2006 on ELTeCS website which is an online Association of English Language Teachers in India. The project is mainly handled by H.M.Patel Institute of English Training and Research in association with the Institute of English, Kolkata. The project is entitled as ‘Initiating CALL activities in Gujarat and West Bengal’.
Background and rationale of the Project:
It is an observable fact that technology has brought in many changes in the field of Education at large and ELT in particular. Although teaching English through technology in India seems to be very ambitious, since majority of the schools belong to rural India, recent initiative taken by the government and private institutions in this direction cannot be overlooked completely. For example, the government of Gujarat has made a commitment to provide computers in each school and it has begun also. However, merely the presence of hardware equipment will not make the surety of its use and benefits with the intention of which the government has made this provision.
CALL is an example of technology which is in prominent use, though limited to urban parts of the country. The large mass of teachers in rural schools can also be equipped with the skills through training.
H.M.Patel Institute of English Training and Research is one of the pioneers in creating and trying out CALL materials. It is high time to take a step further and reach out to the teachers and students at large. Thus, rationale for the project is to prepare sustainable and renewable CALL materials that the teachers could either access at home or could be given access to when they come for training at the institute. The existing instruction materials could be used for the purpose. The idea is not to make the teachers work on the material initially, but to show them the possibilities of CALL. Later on the teachers can be asked for their suggestions as to how they could adapt them to their own particular contexts. The project would also incorporate mechanisms of feedback and contact so that the work done by the teachers could be traced, monitored and possibly published.
Objectives to be achieved by the end of the project:
· To make the teachers of English aware of CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) materials
· To train them to use it for effective instruction.
· To create a platform for discussing and sharing best practices in using CALL materials.
· To create a network of teachers and other professionals who could tryout, review and modify the CALL materials.
As mentioned earlier into the article the project involves mainly two states in India, selected group of teachers from Gujarat and West Bengal would be directly benefited by this programme. The project includes CALL materials focusing mainly on ‘the teaching of grammar, reading comprehension and the teaching of poetry’. At the outset, the selected group of teachers will be trained for using those materials. Later on the material will be revised meeting their basic needs, of course with their comments and feedback. This will not only train them in using CALL materials but also instill confidence among them as they will be skilled in using technology for teaching English. What the teachers need is the guidelines and training in making use of this facility for their classroom instructions. In addition to that, the outcome of the project will not be limited to the teachers of Gujarat or West Bengal as it will be published online. Thus the entire mass of teachers in India is likely to benefit if they make use of the available materials.
The Porject is planned to follow the steps given below:
§ Selecting adequate CALL materials
§ Training the group of teachers to use CALL materials
§ Preparing feedback schedule
§ Monitoring and analyzing feedback
§ Conducting workshop: to study and revise the CALL materials
§ Revising the materials to meet the actual needs of the teachers in their context
§ Preparing the final copy of these material and publish it
The project, at present, is at its middle stage. That is, adequate CALL materials have been identified, even the teachers have gone through the training for using CALL materials for teaching purposes and the questionnaire is also distributed among the teachers for their feedback.
Conclusion:
The aim is to bring out awareness and develop skills among the teachers regarding the use of CALL for teaching English. The project is likely to improve the ELT practice in a novel way because at present the use of CALL material is done only in the urban parts of the country. With this project, efforts will be made to extend the use of CALL material to the rural parts of India, specifically in Gujarat and West Bengal. Now we need to provide specific training for language teachers. It’s high time to equip the language teachers with the skills that they haven’t developed so far.
The Project is expected to get end by May 2007. But once the project ends the actual task to utilize the outcome of the project will begin. H.M.Patel Institute of English Training and Research takes the responsibility for the continuous production and tryout of CALL materials.
Enhancing Teaching and Learning through CALL
This article actually, to some extent, is an attempt to record steps taken in the direction of using CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) materials at a broader societal ground. To be very clear, it is partially a report on and a part of project funded by the British Council. The announcement of the project was made in June 2006 on ELTeCS website which is an online Association of English Language Teachers in India. The project is mainly handled by H.M.Patel Institute of English Training and Research in association with the Institute of English, Kolkata. The project is entitled as ‘Initiating CALL activities in Gujarat and West Bengal’.
Background and rationale of the Project:
It is an observable fact that technology has brought in many changes in the field of Education at large and ELT in particular. Although teaching English through technology in India seems to be very ambitious, since majority of the schools belong to rural India, recent initiative taken by the government and private institutions in this direction cannot be overlooked completely. For example, the government of Gujarat has made a commitment to provide computers in each school and it has begun also. However, merely the presence of hardware equipment will not make the surety of its use and benefits with the intention of which the government has made this provision.
CALL is an example of technology which is in prominent use, though limited to urban parts of the country. The large mass of teachers in rural schools can also be equipped with the skills through training.
H.M.Patel Institute of English Training and Research is one of the pioneers in creating and trying out CALL materials. It is high time to take a step further and reach out to the teachers and students at large. Thus, rationale for the project is to prepare sustainable and renewable CALL materials that the teachers could either access at home or could be given access to when they come for training at the institute. The existing instruction materials could be used for the purpose. The idea is not to make the teachers work on the material initially, but to show them the possibilities of CALL. Later on the teachers can be asked for their suggestions as to how they could adapt them to their own particular contexts. The project would also incorporate mechanisms of feedback and contact so that the work done by the teachers could be traced, monitored and possibly published.
Objectives to be achieved by the end of the project:
· To make the teachers of English aware of CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) materials
· To train them to use it for effective instruction.
· To create a platform for discussing and sharing best practices in using CALL materials.
· To create a network of teachers and other professionals who could tryout, review and modify the CALL materials.
As mentioned earlier into the article the project involves mainly two states in India, selected group of teachers from Gujarat and West Bengal would be directly benefited by this programme. The project includes CALL materials focusing mainly on ‘the teaching of grammar, reading comprehension and the teaching of poetry’. At the outset, the selected group of teachers will be trained for using those materials. Later on the material will be revised meeting their basic needs, of course with their comments and feedback. This will not only train them in using CALL materials but also instill confidence among them as they will be skilled in using technology for teaching English. What the teachers need is the guidelines and training in making use of this facility for their classroom instructions. In addition to that, the outcome of the project will not be limited to the teachers of Gujarat or West Bengal as it will be published online. Thus the entire mass of teachers in India is likely to benefit if they make use of the available materials.
The Porject is planned to follow the steps given below:
§ Selecting adequate CALL materials
§ Training the group of teachers to use CALL materials
§ Preparing feedback schedule
§ Monitoring and analyzing feedback
§ Conducting workshop: to study and revise the CALL materials
§ Revising the materials to meet the actual needs of the teachers in their context
§ Preparing the final copy of these material and publish it
The project, at present, is at its middle stage. That is, adequate CALL materials have been identified, even the teachers have gone through the training for using CALL materials for teaching purposes and the questionnaire is also distributed among the teachers for their feedback.
Conclusion:
The aim is to bring out awareness and develop skills among the teachers regarding the use of CALL for teaching English. The project is likely to improve the ELT practice in a novel way because at present the use of CALL material is done only in the urban parts of the country. With this project, efforts will be made to extend the use of CALL material to the rural parts of India, specifically in Gujarat and West Bengal. Now we need to provide specific training for language teachers. It’s high time to equip the language teachers with the skills that they haven’t developed so far.
The Project is expected to get end by May 2007. But once the project ends the actual task to utilize the outcome of the project will begin. H.M.Patel Institute of English Training and Research takes the responsibility for the continuous production and tryout of CALL materials.
Background and rationale of the Project:
It is an observable fact that technology has brought in many changes in the field of Education at large and ELT in particular. Although teaching English through technology in India seems to be very ambitious, since majority of the schools belong to rural India, recent initiative taken by the government and private institutions in this direction cannot be overlooked completely. For example, the government of Gujarat has made a commitment to provide computers in each school and it has begun also. However, merely the presence of hardware equipment will not make the surety of its use and benefits with the intention of which the government has made this provision.
CALL is an example of technology which is in prominent use, though limited to urban parts of the country. The large mass of teachers in rural schools can also be equipped with the skills through training.
H.M.Patel Institute of English Training and Research is one of the pioneers in creating and trying out CALL materials. It is high time to take a step further and reach out to the teachers and students at large. Thus, rationale for the project is to prepare sustainable and renewable CALL materials that the teachers could either access at home or could be given access to when they come for training at the institute. The existing instruction materials could be used for the purpose. The idea is not to make the teachers work on the material initially, but to show them the possibilities of CALL. Later on the teachers can be asked for their suggestions as to how they could adapt them to their own particular contexts. The project would also incorporate mechanisms of feedback and contact so that the work done by the teachers could be traced, monitored and possibly published.
Objectives to be achieved by the end of the project:
· To make the teachers of English aware of CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) materials
· To train them to use it for effective instruction.
· To create a platform for discussing and sharing best practices in using CALL materials.
· To create a network of teachers and other professionals who could tryout, review and modify the CALL materials.
As mentioned earlier into the article the project involves mainly two states in India, selected group of teachers from Gujarat and West Bengal would be directly benefited by this programme. The project includes CALL materials focusing mainly on ‘the teaching of grammar, reading comprehension and the teaching of poetry’. At the outset, the selected group of teachers will be trained for using those materials. Later on the material will be revised meeting their basic needs, of course with their comments and feedback. This will not only train them in using CALL materials but also instill confidence among them as they will be skilled in using technology for teaching English. What the teachers need is the guidelines and training in making use of this facility for their classroom instructions. In addition to that, the outcome of the project will not be limited to the teachers of Gujarat or West Bengal as it will be published online. Thus the entire mass of teachers in India is likely to benefit if they make use of the available materials.
The Porject is planned to follow the steps given below:
§ Selecting adequate CALL materials
§ Training the group of teachers to use CALL materials
§ Preparing feedback schedule
§ Monitoring and analyzing feedback
§ Conducting workshop: to study and revise the CALL materials
§ Revising the materials to meet the actual needs of the teachers in their context
§ Preparing the final copy of these material and publish it
The project, at present, is at its middle stage. That is, adequate CALL materials have been identified, even the teachers have gone through the training for using CALL materials for teaching purposes and the questionnaire is also distributed among the teachers for their feedback.
Conclusion:
The aim is to bring out awareness and develop skills among the teachers regarding the use of CALL for teaching English. The project is likely to improve the ELT practice in a novel way because at present the use of CALL material is done only in the urban parts of the country. With this project, efforts will be made to extend the use of CALL material to the rural parts of India, specifically in Gujarat and West Bengal. Now we need to provide specific training for language teachers. It’s high time to equip the language teachers with the skills that they haven’t developed so far.
The Project is expected to get end by May 2007. But once the project ends the actual task to utilize the outcome of the project will begin. H.M.Patel Institute of English Training and Research takes the responsibility for the continuous production and tryout of CALL materials.
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