I WAS taken aback when I saw lockstep and rote learning methodologies in English teaching being applied on high school students in Punjab.

After completing my MA English, I joined the education sector with many good intentions, but I'm surprised to see mediaeval lockstep rote learning methodology still being applied to teach English.

In an era when effective and modern methodologies of teaching English as a foreign language exist, we ought to teach our students in a way that enables them to communicate with the world.

The decision of the Punjab government (Education Department) that matriculation English paper should be restricted to pre - given comprehension questions, a set of a few applications/letters and some other questions etc., amounts to learning and teaching English without understanding it.

This cursed rote learning spoils students' sense of originality and, secondly, makes them unable to communicate with the contemporary world in the language they have passed in their examination in good marks.

I request the authorities that examination papers should be set in a manner that discourages rote learners. It should have the capacity to evaluate the students' practical understanding of the language.

MUHAMMAD SAQIB ZAFAR
Nankana Sahib