Feature

The Art of Teaching English

Syed Naquib Muslim

ENGLISH is being taught at almost all the educational institutions of Bangladesh. It is known to all that for achieving higher education both at home and abroad knowledge of English is essential. Experience however suggests that performance of our students in this language in examinations like S.S.C , H.S.C, B.A., TOEFL. GMAT, GRE, and also in BCS examinations is not very encouraging.

It is the responsibility of English teachers to teach English as effectively as possible. Students' performance is linked to teachers' art of teaching.

In teaching English as a language, the teacher's objective should be to enable his or her learners to acquire four skills-
* Comprehending English when it is written (i. e. reading)
* Understanding English when it is spoken (i.e. listening)
* Speaking English with partners
* Writing English on various topics that relate to practical life

These four core skills are interlinked as developing one skill helps to develop the other. Here are an array of principles teachers can keep in mind while teaching---

1. Teachers must themselves be equipped with reliable and up-to-date language books, credible dictionaries. Writings of world famous authors like George Orwell, E B White, Joan Didion, Annie Dillard, Cynthia Ozick should be introduced to students who will study them repeatedly.

2. Teachers themselves should grow the habit of serious reading and writing and watching public speeches/debates. The same of course is true of learners.

3. In the classroom, teachers should not spend more than thirty minutes at a stretch in explaining a piece of a text book After thirty minutes they should concentrate on practice/exercises/tests to involve learners in practical work to make their learning endurable.

4. Teachers must not make haste before entering the classroom. They must plan and organise each teaching class/session the day before. For effective tutoring, they should supervise not more than 25 students at a time. Size of the students is an important factor for effective transfer of learning.

5. Language-teaching involves a set of skills. As creative teacher devises practical exercises for learners. Learning by listening and speaking is easier than by reading and writing. Teacher has to relate students' learning to their real life, their future needs and interests. Unless learners find interest in and scope for using their learning, they will soon forget it, and energy and time spent by/for them become non-rewarding.

6. Teacher may use audio-visual aids for illustrating new words or grammatical items. They can have for each teaching session a kit of objects such as pictures, models, photographs, charts etc. The matching of words or sentences with pictures help the teacher and the taught alike. It is better if teachers acquire skills in drawing sketches. The methods “Look and say'' or '' Do and say'' are very useful in fast learning.

(Dr. Syed Naquib Muslim is a secretary to the government on LPR)