Author Archives: niqueluz

The Future of EL education: Methodological Choices

Panel: Mr. HH Ariyadasa, Mr. David Graddol, Prof. Ajit K. Mohanty

In this main stage discussion some interesting points were raised. Let us know your thoughts and views on these issues.

1. Advocating a shift away from rote memorisation.

2. English has to be embedded into multi-lingual school education.

3. In their current state, English medium schools are not the solution, and may actually cause failure in the educational system.

4. (A student asks) Isn’t learning four langauges a waste of time? Why don’t we learn science instead?

5. Moving English down to class 1 exposes the educational system at its weakest, most vulnerable point.

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Continuous Professsional Development

A brief outline of the issues covered by the two eminent speakers:

Krishna Dixit

At present there is no CPD policy in India, clearly a neglected area.

Why CPD?

1. Inadequate education

2. Facilitate change

3. Help teachers to prosper in ELT

How to motivate teachers ? How can the system help teachers embark on this lifelong journey?

Rod Bolitho: the notion of developement must come from within the individual.

‘continuous’ requires constant reinvention.

‘professional’ teaching as a real profession to be taken seriously. Teachers are typically challenged more than other professions .

‘development’ self-directed change and progress in individuals and institutions.

Echoing and touching upon what Dr. Martin Wedell “If the exams don’t change, nothing changes”.

We need a policy for a financial support as at the moment it operates on a ‘goodwill basis’.

‘Change Forces’ change is mandatory, but growth is optional.

So… as a teacher are you a hedgehog, a dinosaur or a chameleon?

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Don’t miss Manish Sabharwal’s power of rhetoric

In this session, one of the highlights of the two-day policy dialogue, Manish Sabharwal casually steers us down an enchanted river of laid back eloquence , deftly pointing out some big ideas along the way.

It’s a mesmirising speech on ‘Skills for Employablity’. Catch it here:

http://www.britishcouncil.org.in/efponline/sessions/19_3.html

Analogies like: Cambrian explosions, ovarian lotteries; thought worlds, policy orphans,; good is NOT the enemy of the great, bad is better than nothing.

What are your thoughts?

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The Role of English in India

In this stimulating and thought-provoking debate, it was generally agreed by the panel that the role of English in the future of India’s social and economic development is both necessary and desirable.

There is a need for an ongoing shift of English as an elitist language, towards a more universal access for all. In this way, the people themselves can choose to pursue English.

However, there were certain caveats to this:

one danger of pushing through the English language agenda is that of lack of infrastructure in place. A lack of teachers coupled with unregulated quality of teaching practice will not bring about the desired results of incresed numbers of proficent speakers of English.

Furthermore, if increased amounts of time are given to English studies in class, and these classes are ‘ineffective’, then the learner will not only suffer from a lack of English, but this will be at the expense of other important subjects.

Very salient points. So what are the solutions?

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