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September 24, 2006
The best-laid plans
I never knew the literal meaning of “being in shambles” until I interned at a leading English newspaper, where while editing I put “a” before “shambles” because I thought it sounded better. It was my supervisor who corrected me, which, in turn, led me to doubt my English language skills. Since then, I have often wondered whether the English taught in schools and colleges is actually applied during the course of one’s career.
At a time when the phenomenon of “global English” is becoming increasingly common, with most countries striving to adapt to a simpler form of English easily understood by both native and non-native speakers, educators in Pakistan, it seems, are more concerned with keeping up with the British standard of English, emphasising on grammar and punctuation in the curricula. However, they often overlook the fact that while this so-called correct form of English does look good in literature books and novels, it has little use in everyday life. “In our system of education, English is taught in the guise of grammar and our teachers feel comfortable hiding behind it,” explains Muhammad Zafar, assistant professor at the Centre of English Language, Aga Khan University. Narrating his experience with a renowned business school where his daughter, at the undergraduate level, was made to distinguish between nouns and verbs in her “language” class, Zafar explains that such an education at institutions of higher learning serves no real purpose.
In fact, a business graduate heading a human resources department at a multi-national feels that even after studying in English medium institutions throughout the course of his academic life, he is still not well-versed with the language. The language barrier is so huge that he faces problems corresponding with his clients. “I can tell you the definition of active and passive voices but I don’t know how to use them,” he says. He explains that in school, his teacher would make him do exercises in grammar books but she never really made an effort to help them apply their knowledge to everyday situations. “My deficiency when it comes to English often puts me in an embarrassing position in front of my boss. In fact, my job is also at stake because of this.”
His case is hardly an exception. Both academically and professionally, there are many people who can define and identify the grammar rules in textbooks but when it comes to usage, they are at a loss. This is mainly because the system of education in Pakistan is so concerned with the language practices of native speakers that policy makers, while devising strategies to adopt it, neglect the very basic essence of learning a language, that is, communication.
The problem not only persists in Pakistan, but can be found in other developing countries as well. English is not perceived as a tool to communicate but as a tool to exercise power in society. Therefore, even after rigorous learning programmes, students end up not knowing anything.
Of course, this is not to say that that there shouldn’t be grammatical references in textbooks. Nevertheless, while teaching the language, the basic aim — to facilitate communication in a language besides one’s mother tongue — must not be ignored. Adrian Tennant, a freelance teacher trainer and chair of the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IAEFTL) membership committee, has espoused this clearly in his comprehensibility theory in which he encourages teachers to teach that model of English which is comprehensible to their students. He argues that students learn a language to communicate and to understand, therefore, “slightly incorrect grammar or vocabulary shouldn’t be the important thing. Comprehension should be the most important thing.” This concept is popularly known as English as an International Language (EIL) around the world where English is used by non-native speakers as a tool of communication regardless of its idiomatic usage. In fact, this English-speaking group is the largest in the world — around 1.5 billion.
Sadly, however, this concept yet isn’t very popular in Pakistan, at least in academic circles. The preoccupation with the “correct” use of English is common among teachers. Promoting the concept of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) might be useful in this regard. ESP basically says that English is used for specific purposes, according to the needs of the learner. “Why must one teach a doctor Shakespeare’s sonnets when he doesn’t need them?” says Zafar, fiercely advocating the need for a change in the system. “Teach them what they will be likely to use professionally,” he says, suggesting that general English should be taught up till matriculation and after that, ESP. “This can be done by establishing English Language Teaching Centres at colleges with the help of the Higher Education Commission.”
Other things that need to be reviewed are teaching methodologies and the curriculum. In Pakistan, the concept of teachers’ training is virtually unknown as even a mere graduate with no prior training in teaching can end up being an educator. It is for this reason that one feels teachers must be trained properly to take into consideration the needs of their students. When deciding on a syllabus, they must consider the purpose of teaching the syllabi, evaluating whether or not it serves the objectives for learning English. This can be achieved by making teachers’ training compulsory.
Curriculum is another area which needs to be reformed. “More importance to reading and writing skills alone affect the smooth acquisition of language,” says Fatima Zia Dar, a freelance language and education consultant, who says that the present curriculum is weak because it ignores speaking and listening, two important skills for learning a language. She suggests that equal emphasis should be laid on all four skills, thus providing more opportunities for the students to listen and speak.
It is here that the role of media comes in — the single most important tool which has made the current language “global” and for introducing a new kind of English through the internet. In Pakistan also, a new concept of global English may be promoted through the media. Movies can be a good source in this regard. According to a research conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong on the role of film in English Language Teaching, movies help to improve the listening and speaking skills of students and their knowledge of actual conversations.
The internet can be another major source in this regard. “Interaction with foreign students through blogs and chatrooms can be a very good source to enhance global language,” says Saema Khan, an O-level teacher at Bahria College, suggesting a platform on the internet for teachers from different regions.
English is the one area of learning which has always been emphasised upon by educators in Pakistan. However, the preoccupation with the nuances and idiosyncrasies of the language have made the process of learning it extremely complex. This leads to inconvenience for learners. They say the best-laid plans are the simplest ones so why make a simple thing like language more complicated than it has to be? n
The writer is a student at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Karachi
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