Teaching English in Schools and Junior Colleges in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Every English Teacher in Andhra Pradesh as any one else across the world is well aware of the fact that Teaching English involves four basic skills; Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Yet most of the teachers neglect the basic aims of teaching English. Some times I feel that they forget that their aim is teaching English. They teach English like a science teacher or an arts teacher who are interested in teaching concepts. Like other teachers involved in teaching concepts, the English teacher is involved in teaching poems, stories, morals, characters, literary terms etc. I don’t say that all the teachers are doing that. But confidently I can say that majority of them are doing it.

It is all because of the confusion among the English Teachers. The English Teacher has been enjoying English Literature and appreciating it till he takes up teaching English as his profession. Of course, he has been trained to be English teacher, thoroughly trained as to how to teach English language. He has got even good grades in English methodology and as well as in practical classes in internship. But as soon as he becomes teacher of English, his longing for literature once again takes him under its clutches. He forgets as soon as he starts teaching Shelly’s poem the aims of teaching English. He happily goes on teaching appreciating the poem totally ignoring for what reason the poem is prescribed. He makes class more enjoyable by explaining the comedy and wit in R. K. Narayan’s story prescribed as a prose piece. He makes class more informative while teaching of an essay which may be of computers.

In Andhra Pradesh, where English is a major problem for rural students, teachers are compelled to use translation method. So the teachers make the English class like a Telugu Class or a moral class. They go on translating the poem, prose and a story into Telugu and go on appreciating the poetic beauty or literary values involved in them. All this is done in their mother tongue Telugu. So there is no listening of English in the class room. As there is no listening, there can be no speaking. Then if we consider reading. Of course, reading is totally given new meaning. Reading is the reading of English text without comprehension. The student who is able to read aloud and fluently, without a pass he is appreciated by the teacher. Then what is the plight of writing. Writing is also given new meaning. Students are never asked to write about something of their own. They are given notes with question and answers. They are encouraged to by heart word by word. Then they are asked the questions. Students would write what they have already by hearted. He is given full marks, cent percent, who has best vomited it.

Is it possible for a student to learn English under the methodology that is practiced by the English teachers. No. In fact every one knows it. But they don’t want to change their methodology. Than saying don’t want to it is apt to say – they are unable to. Yes they are unable to change their ways. Due to privatization in education in Andhra Pradesh, the students and parents expect marks than stuff. So the teachers are interested in helping their students get maximum marks. What is the use of teaching basic skills. Are the question papers are testing these four skills. Then why should a teacher be more worried of skills.

Then what are we testing the students by conducting examinations in English. We ask paragraph questions, essay type questions, short answer type questions and annotations involving knowledge, understanding and inference. So we are actually testing the literature part of the lessons that are prescribed. These questions alone consists 40% of the question paper. Then there will be comprehension passages for 10% of the total marks. These comprehension passages are the source for the teacher to pass the below average students. The teacher never cares to ask questions on the passages given to test whether the student has really comprehended the given passage. Whatever answer he writes, he is given marks. The student just repeat the same sentence that was there in the passage as an answer. He is given marks for that.

Then of course, 50% of the question paper is either on grammar or on writing skills. Grammar of course is given due importance by the teachers. But the problem of the grammar teaching is that it is taught in isolation, taking it away from the language. It is taught like mathematics, involving formulas and principles. Though the English Teacher in Andhra Pradesh teaches Grammar well, it doesn’t help the students improve his language, but only helps to get good marks.

So only the Telugu rural students are very poor in English language.

Your comments are invited for I feel that this aspect of the problem of teaching English is totally neglected.