The Problems of Learning English Literature For Rural Indian Students

The article "The Problems of  Learning English Literature  For   Rural Indian Students" is based on my own observations and sharing views with students in India, supplemented by information collected from other resource persons in this field. A major source of information has been the large number of sighs and whims on exam papers, written by students.

Field survey of "The Problems of Learning English Literature For Rural Indian Students” took place during the rainy season 1999 when I was volunteering in a village primary school. This was during a rare and colourful phase of my transition, when I was preparing myself teaching and setting up structures for the continuation of my work. Further investigations have been made during visits to different schools and colleges in India and coaching tutorial to my students ranging primary to teaching aspirant from 2000 to till date. The better part of my study is conducted with rural students who have been studying English Literature in graduation or masters. 

Repeatedly my students have claimed that when they are trying to make the attempt of writing their feelings on a particular literary piece, words are bound to become insane. We can't dive into the vast ocean of their problems here. We'll rather get acquainted with a brief outline of their problems and their extensive feelings.  

Most of my students claim that the method of their learning English is impractical. It hardly enable them to learn English with comprehension and speak it correctly so as to make themselves understand and express simple ideas and give easy description in writing English language. According to my students, in campus they never converse each other through English. The students are tied down to the prescribed books, authors, history and of course the notes that they will latter copy in the exam papers. I cant deny this argument as most of the student's answer script are tediously the same tautology.

Partha, a student of English M. A., says that the language skills of understanding, speaking, reading and writing in them are delinked from their need of working knowledge of English in varying social conditions. They are able to understand but hardly enjoy common English language of everyday life. Commonest form of correspondence in English to people, friends, relatives, tradesman and officials are possible in given practical situations.However such an opportunity is denied in the present syllabi. Contrastingly literature is learned only by theory never on practice, both the taste of literature and language is gone for ever.

Thus even after studying Keats- Shelley -Byron they are unable to make contact or communications with outside environment or world and make easy adjustments with different people lands and nature through English.  The greater sphere of communications that should have been leading and establishing them in greater part of life, is missing them. 

My students take English Literature with the hope that they will be placed in higher academic life and higher qualifications in any sphere of education throughout their own land and abroad. Myself an alchemist, in that perspective, try my best  to transform students' energies from the lowest to the highest center of functioning, from the mud to the lotus, from the baser metal into gold, from stones into diamonds!!!! The result is failure in its truest meaning. The reason is lack of preparation and if I try to prepare the soil, the seasons pass-by. The exam 'tolls the knell of parting day,  '.

Certainly we the teachers are responsible, but it is a vicious circle; we are not the only ones who are responsible. The successful politicians and priests of university keep conditioning the new generations for the same ambitions; they make the society, they cultivate its mind and conditioning.They  also can not deny responsibility. 

Ardhendu De