Teaching English to the children of elementary schools is a challenging task, specially when English is going to be not only a subject with its own contents, but also the medium through which at least one other subject is to be taught from class III (or so) in all non-English medium schools in India. It demands close attention to the skills of listening and speaking so that students could interact in the class. The book pays special attention to the ways of improving one’s pronunciations and the skills of listening to others. It includes:
-Lessons on all the four skills with guidance on planning them.
-Vocabulary building through word games and other devices.
-Simplified explanations for correct grammatical usage.
-Innovating methods to make the class more student-friendly and inter-active
It discusses various approaches to and methods of teaching English and encourages teacher-educators to be eclectic.
Anjani Kumar Sinha (Ph.D. from University of Chicago) is a former Professor and Head, Department of Linguistics, University of Delhi. He also taught English in Patna University, Taiz and Sanna University (Yemen), and Linguistics at Chicago, Osmania and Delhi universities. He has been Visiting Professor at several universities and published research articles in India and abroad. His recent publications are Enhancing Communication Skills and Pedagogy of Teaching English Language in India.
Unit I English Language in Primary School Curriculum
Knowledge of Language
Language: Unique to Human Beings; Experiments with the Children of Primates; Innateness Hypothesis; Language Development of a Child; The Mother Tongue; The Second Language; Characteristics of a Language; Knowledge of a Language; Definition of Language
The Importance of Teaching English at the Primary Level inIndia
Academic Need; Job-Oriented Needs; Needed for Interstate Communication; Introducing the Teaching of English from Class I; Importance of Teaching English; Implications of the Recommendation; A Move towards Bilingual Education; The French Immersion Programme in Canada; Monolingual vs Bilingual Education; Experiment at Central Institute of Indian Languages; Bilingualism in India; The Critical Period Hypothesis; Neurological Evidence
The Place of English in Primary School Curriculum
Bilingual Medium of Instruction; Learning the Four Skills; Steps in Language Learning; Skill Development Activities; Objectives—Converse and Express; Various Modes of Reading; Reading for Listening Comprehension; Importance of Fulfilling the Objectives; All Skills Equally Essential
Nature and Characteristics of the English Language
Spread of English; Inner and Outer Circles of Speakers of English; English in the Post-colonial Era; Rich Vocabulary; Extension of Meaning of Existing Words; Liberal Borrowing; Idiomatic Use; Synonyms and Antonyms; Varieties of English; Need for a Uniform Standard; English as a Lingua Franca; Modern Usage; The Changing Syntax of English
Need for Creating an Environment to Learn English
New Textbooks; Experience of an American Child in Hyderabad; Teaching Aids; Dramatization; Puppets and Marionettes; Use of Mass Media; Illustrations and Charts; Pattern Practice
Creativity and Innovation: Expectation from the EnglishLanguage Teacher
The Facilitator of the Child’s Growth; Teaching through Interaction; Experience the Needs of the Learner; Creative Teaching; Awareness of English Vowels; Awareness of English Consonants; Knowledge of Syntax; Need for Careful Planning; Qualities of a Good Teacher
Unit II Language Skills
Listening and Speaking
To Listen vs To Hear; Development of Speaking and Listening Skills in the Child’s Mothertongue; Bilingual Environment; The Beginners of Three Types; Listening; Types of Listening; Purpose of Listening; Listening for Gist; Listening for Specific Details; Listening Environment in the Classroom; Objectives of Getting Trained to Listen; Objectives of Learning to Speak; Factors Affecting Listening and Speaking; Listening to English Sounds; Identification of Sounds; Sound Contrast and Phonetic Drills for Speaking Distinctly; Consonants; Consonant Clusters; Stress; Intonation; Rhythmic Pattern; Modulation of Voice; Skill Development Activity; Practice in Sound Contrast; Exposure to Nursery Rhymes; From Listening to Speaking; Main Objectives
Unit III Language Skills: Reading and Writing
Reading
Meaning of Reading; Learning to Read the Mothertongue; Reading in the Second Language; Letter-Sound Correlation of English Consonants; Vowels; Word Recognition; Spelling Games; Chain Spelling; Drills and Dictation; Vocabulary and Reading Development; Guessing the Meaning; Three Approaches to Reading; Reading English in Indian Context; Improving Reading Speed; Reading Strategies
Writing
Writing Skill; Steps in the Growth of Writing Skills; Learning to Write; Copying Familiar Texts; Spelling; Punctuation Marks; Dictation; Controlled Composition; Paragraph Writing; Free Composition; Creative Writing; Strategy for Writing Free Composition
Teaching Grammar
Sentences; Types of Sentences; Basic/Simple Sentences; Formation of Various Kinds of Sentences; Clauses; Agreement Rules; Pronouns; Case Forms of Pronouns; Reflexive Pronouns; Demonstrative Pronouns; Determiners; Adjective; Comparison of Adjectives; Verbs; Verb Forms; Tense Forms; Present Tense; Tense Usage; The Subjunctive Mood; Finite and Non-finite Verbs; Passive Forms of Verbs; Negative Sentences; Interrogative Sentences; Shifts in Verb Forms; Indirect Speech; Preposition and Prepositional Phrases; Word Order; Order of Adjectives in an Adjectival Phrase (AP)
Unit IVLesson Planning and Material Development
Lesson Planning
Objectives of Micro1-Lesson Planning; Priorities in Lesson Planning; Telling a Story; Unit Planning; Steps in Planning a Unit; Components of a Good Plan; Presentation of a Lesson Plan; Specific Objectives; Introduction; Presentation; Contrast
Approaches to the Teaching of English
Psychological Approaches; Behaviourist Approach; Developmental Approach; Connectionist Approach; Prototype Theory; Sociological Approach; Malinowaski-Firth; Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis; Language Deficit Hypothesis; Charles C Fries; Communicative Competence; Discourse Analysis
Methods of Teaching English and Developing Skills
Bilingual Method; Grammar—Translation Method; Present Indicative; John Miller’s Bilingual Conversational Texts; The Mastery System; Michigan Oral Approach; The Audiolingual Method; The Cognitive-Developmental Method; Developing the Four Skills; Bilingual or monolingual Method?
Developing Material Aids for Language Teaching
Dramatization in Grade I Classroom; Dialogues; Puppets and Marionettes; Songs and Choral Readings; Comic Posters; Cartoons; Flash Cards; Charts; Pictures; Language Laboratory; Information and Computing Technology (ICT); Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL); Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL); Multimedia Approach
Unit VAssessment and Evaluation
Assessment of Learners
Assessment/Achievement Test; Summative Test; Diagnostic Test; Assessment of Listening Ability; Assessment of Speaking Ability; Assessment of Reading Ability; Assessment of Writing Ability; Types of Test; Evaluating the Child’s Growth; Portfolios; Errors or Interlanguage; Self-evaluation; Comprehensive and Continuous Evaluation (CCE); Remedial Measures
Unit VI: Practicum
Practicum
Lesson Plan (for class I or II): Lesson 1; Recognition of Sounds; Teaching Aids needed; Previous knowledge assumed; Introduction; Presentation; Lesson Plan‑ 2 (for class III); Listening Comprehension; Presentation; Lesson Plan 3; Reading; The Butterfly; Post-reading; Lesson Plan 4 for Class IV; Writing; Practicum; Word Games; Chain Spelling (Antakshari); Anagrams: Rearrangement of sounds of words; Opposites (Antonyms); Words Defined; Scrambling; Scrabble
Glossary
References