As part of the government’s policy in education, children
have to study a third language between Class V and Class VIII, other than
English and their mother-tongue. In probably 99% of the cases, this is
considered a wearisome burden by the children and, especially, by their
parents. The children are constantly consoled by their parents that they must
somehow try to get through this paper by learning whatever they are taught by
heart - “It is not necessary for you to understand ; just learn enough so that
you can pass!”
It can well be imagined that under such advice given by their
own parents, what will be the level of interest that the children will be
taking in this third language, which, presumably, is being taught to promote
national integration.
Of course, any additional subject to learn is a burden.
However, this burden can be made light and enjoyable, if approached in one way
; irksome and detestable, if handled in another. Let us examine as to what is
happening which creates this distinct animus towards the third language being
taught in schools.
The entire teaching curriculum in the school for the third
language is based on transferring reading and writing skills to the
students. It is this which is the burdensome and irksome part, because not
only has the student to get familiar with a script that may well be different
from his own mother-tongue, he has to make a physical effort in writing as well
as remembering all kinds of silly passages of stories and about events that are
unrelated to his daily life. Further, since he very well knows that he is not
expected to master this language – his
parents are not going to say anything if he does badly in this subject - - and, that, in any case, he has to stop
learning it after 3 to 4 years, the student does not make any effort to apply
himself to learn the language.
The fundamental problem here is that “learning the language”
has been given to mean only reading and writing. It appears to me that
the essence of learning of a language has been missed out, which is, the
ability to understand the language and speak it.
Teachers and parents know only too well, how quickly the
children learn to speak a new language if only they have friends and neighbours
who speak the same. Perhaps, if the
school authorities were to shift their focus in teaching a new language from
imparting reading and writing skills, which the students find a burden, to
imparting a speaking and
understanding ability, they will
kill two birds with one stone.
The whole exercise would become far more enjoyable and light
for the student. They need, perhaps, have no text books nor any exercise
book. Every class they should only be asked to engage in conversation in
the new language. At last, now, they would learn something from these classes
which would be positive and tangible. This, in turn, would go a long way in
meeting the stated aim of achieving national integration, because the students
would be actually speaking and understanding a new tongue which would aid in
communicating with people from a different part of the country.
It is, therefore, suggested that there should be an immediate
shift of focus from teaching reading and writing skills in the third language
to ONLY imparting a speaking and understanding ability. Some may argue that
learning a language does not only mean speaking. “What is the use of knowing a language
without being able to read and write it ?” may well be the skeptics learned
query.
This is a silly argument. It is silly because today, in the
name of teaching how to read and write in the third language, you are not only
failing to do that, you are also making a mockery of any speaking/understanding
ability ; as a result, at the end of the 3 / 4
years of “the third language teaching period”, the student merely heaves
a sigh of relief and promptly forgets all that the has been ‘apparently’
taught.
In any case, nobody expects nor is it the aim of this 3
language policy to make students experts in the third language ; the main objective has been to achieve
national integration by improving the ability to understand and communicate
with each other in our multi-lingual society by acquiring some grasp of a
tongue other than one’s own.
If the latter be the case, then the ability to speak (and
understand) the language achieves the same purpose to a far greater degree,
irrespective of whether the person knows how to read and write it. Further,
since oral learning, without any burden of reading or writing work will be far
more acceptable to the student, there is a much greater chance that effective
learning of at least the spoken language will, indeed, take place
December 7, 1990
Bombay
