ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: The English and Applied Linguistics Department of Allama Iqbal Open University organized a one-day workshop on developing sustainable technology for improving English teaching.

The academic coordinator, Shahid Abrar Awan, said the workshop was designed to introduce Pakistani teachers the new method of relaying correct words, sounds, symbols or pictures to improve comprehension of English language among college and university students.

Geoffrey Barton, an Advisor to Kensington Teachers Institute at California, and his Hungarian associate, Ms Alymagambeytov, were resource persons at the workshop in which more than 30 Pakistani teachers participated on call by the Society of Pakistan English language teachers (Spelt).

Mr Barton said if students were found disturbing the classroom, it meant they had not clearly understood the concept being taught. He said he had come to Pakistan to introduce Ron Hubbard’s word clearing method.

“A large number of people study only to pass examinations, which is not the right way.”

He advised the Pakistani English language teachers to go on probing whether students understand what was being taught or whether in the process words were being misunderstood.

“The misunderstood word is the first barrier, which stop students from learning.” It was very important for teachers to remove this first barrier and after removing the barrier their students could learn anything they want to, he said.

He told teachers nine different methods of finding misunderstood words but said, often the best way was to ask a student to read a page and then ask him to reproduce the passage orally.

Retention was a good test to know the meanings of the passages and also a safe method for students, who usually did not retain more than 5 per cent of a lecture which could improve to 50 per cent after interaction. Among other things, the consultant advised teachers to insist on their students to read out aloud, and revive the tradition once in vogue many years ago.

He strongly emphasised the importance of dictionaries in vocabulary building without which no student could acquire proficiency in the English language learning methods.

Meanwhile, during a chat, Mr Barton said this was his fourth visit to Pakistan.

He said he had met thousands of English language teachers in Pakistan, who were very facile in teaching the subject.

Asked about the deteriorating English standard in Pakistan, Mr Barton replied, generally speaking, educational standards were on the decline since thirties and the vocabulary of an average American college student was not more than 3,000 words

He said he was happy to be in Pakistan, which seemed to be a safe place. — Jonaid Iqbal