Mansions of ‘Quality’ in School Education : English Language Situation in India

 Introduction:

India, with its diverse linguistic landscape, faces numerous challenges in its educational sector, particularly in the teaching and learning of the English language. As a former British colony, English continues to be a prominent language in various aspects of Indian society, including education, business, and administration. The significance of English has led to the emergence of various 'Mansions of Quality' in school education, where different approaches to English language teaching coexist, aiming to meet the needs of diverse learners. This article delves into the current state of English language education in India, exploring the challenges, approaches, and efforts to ensure quality education for all.

English is needed as a supporting languages—the discussion about language teaching would remain incomplete if another thing remains uncluttered, i.e. learning of another language apart from mother language. Nowadays, another supporting language is taught in the school besides the mother tongue all over the world. It is necessary to learn a second language in order to maintain a link not only in the international level but also in the interstate level.

English, the window of the world:

English is regarded as the window of the world. It might be that the idea is to some extent exaggerated. But it cannot be denied that, this language is the only medium of getting introduced to the world of knowledge. Even now also, this language is the only medium of communication among different states of India as well as outside India. Hence, English will naturally get the priority while making selection of the second language. Now the exploratory question is— what will be the aims of teaching second language and from which standard should it start?

Second-language Acquisition

The aims of learning a second language will not be as wide as mother language. This can be said without any hesitation that—The aims of learning a second language will not be as wide as mother language. That is because on one hand millions and millions of children do not have the capability and skill of learning a second language as their mother tongue, and on the other hand it is not needed either. 

Although second-language acquisition literally refers to learning a language after having acquired a first language, the term is frequently used to refer to the acquisition of a second language after a person has reached puberty. Whereas children experience little difficulty in acquiring more than one language, after puberty people generally must expend greater effort to learn a second language and they often achieve lower levels of competence in that language. People learn second languages more successfully when they become immersed in the cultures of the communities that speak those languages. People also learn second languages more successfully in cultures in which acquiring a second language is expected, as in most African countries, than they do in cultures in which second-language proficiency is considered unusual, as in most English-speaking countries.

When our learners reach the secondary stage,  they have undergone at least six to eight years of learning English as a language. They have been exposed to English language and they can read and write and are expected to speak the language well. However, this is not always the case. There are situations where students find it difficult to use the language well, be it reading, writing or speaking. Let us stop for a minute and reflect on how we teachers can help our learners to use English in the everyday teaching-learning.

Challenges:

Socio-economic Disparities: India's vast socio-economic disparities impact access to quality English education. While urban areas often offer well-equipped English-medium schools, rural regions struggle to provide the same level of resources and opportunities.

Mother Tongue Influence: Many Indian students come from homes where languages other than English are spoken primarily. This mother tongue influence can impede their English language proficiency and confidence.

Inadequate Teacher Training: A significant number of English teachers lack proper training in language pedagogy, leading to subpar teaching methodologies and ineffective learning outcomes.

Standardization Issues: India's linguistic diversity makes it challenging to standardize English language education across the nation, leading to variations in curriculum and assessment.

Approaches to English Language Education:

English-Medium Schools: English-medium schools conduct most of their instruction in English, catering primarily to urban populations and those seeking access to better employment opportunities.

Bilingual Education: Some schools adopt a bilingual approach, where instruction occurs in both the regional language and English. This method aims to preserve cultural identity while imparting English proficiency.

English as a Second Language (ESL): In schools with a regional language medium, English is taught as a second language, focusing on communication skills rather than extensive grammar.

English Language Labs: Language labs equipped with multimedia resources and language software facilitate interactive learning, allowing students to practice speaking, listening, and reading skills.

Efforts to Improve English Language Education:

Government Initiatives: The Indian government has launched various schemes and initiatives to enhance English language education, providing teacher training, textbooks, and digital resources.

Private Sector Involvement: Private companies and non-governmental organizations are actively participating in promoting English language learning through innovative methods and technology.

Online Learning Platforms: The proliferation of online platforms and mobile applications offers accessible and cost-effective English language learning options to students from all backgrounds.

Collaborative Projects: Partnerships between local and international organizations help bring expertise and best practices to improve English language teaching methodologies.

The Understanding:

Though English is officially the second language for us, the importance of the language in everyday life, for the sake of communication and also as official language, is growing so rapidly that it becomes a subject of immense importance.

Experimentation for a perfect presentation of English for the learners is absolutely scientific and satisfactory for every-one of us. Thus we need a perfect juxtaposition of traditional method of learning grammar and also modern demand of developing four skills.

Thus extracare is needed for all the different categories of students for a perfect understanding of the language and literature. We need particular stress for those students who are somehow lagging behind. It may seem somehow unscientific, but we hope to bring them back in the main stream by our effort. So the meaning of the words in their proper context, pronunciation as far our mother-tongue permits, grammatical explanation to lead the student towards more inquisitiveness to know more, help to solve different types of questions and answers have been given proper stress. The language used is easy to understand and to build up their confidence more. English is an easy and most scientific language to learn.

Linguists recommend a more holistic perspective on language proficiency and the need to support the learner with authentic contexts so that they can connect with their experience and life.

Aspects of language should not be seen as discreet skills (like listening, speaking, reading and writing). Integrated them all, when we are speaking, we are also simultaneously listening and when we are writing, we are also reading in a variety of ways. And then there are many situations (e. g. fiends reading a play together and taking notes for its production) in which all the skills in conjunction with a variety of other cognitive abilities. 

Conclusion:

The English language plays a crucial role in India's quest for development and global integration. The 'Mansions of Quality' in school education showcase various approaches to cater to the diverse linguistic needs of learners. However, there remains a pressing need to address socio-economic disparities, enhance teacher training, and standardize English language education. By employing collaborative efforts and innovative strategies, India can strive towards providing quality English education to all its students, empowering them for a brighter future in an increasingly interconnected world.

Ardhendu De