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by Andrew Scott

In the wake of the government's admirable effort to give a new lease of life to the teaching and learning of English in particularly the nation's rural schools and in the universities it is timely for us to ponder on some ways and means of improving the teaching of English.

The government deserves the appreciation of all for taking quick steps to strengthen the teaching of English in Sri Lanka at a time when a knowledge of this world language has become all important to the very survival of the individuals if they are to keep track with the speedy technological and scientific developments in the modern world.

Even though today there is a unanimous acceptance of English as the most essential medium for global communication and as the most convenient access to modern knowledge it is really pathetic that the teaching of English in most of Sri Lanka's schools, particularly in those in the rural areas, and even in important academic institutions such as the universities has not improved very much qualitatively in spite of the country spending a colossal sum of money on the teaching of English at various levels and for the training of English teachers.

At the same time right now, specially with the re-introduction of the English medium for those desirous of pursuing their studies in the English medium, the demand for more and better English is the highest ever.

It must be accepted that at present the proficiency in English of a majority of school children and those pursuing courses of study in our universities and other seats of higher education has much to be desired.

Thus it is timely that the government has embarked on a meaningful national plan for the effective teaching of English throughout the country.

Though we have been discussing the problem of the dwindling standard of English in our schools and other educational institutions during the last few decades nothing much has been done to practically arrest these falling standards.

Without merely lamenting about the dearth of competent and knowledgeable English teachers and the frustratingly low standard of English prevailing in the country it is time we did some positive thinking on the entire subject of English teaching and devise new ways and means to solve it by harnessing to the fullest the already available resources.

The present standard of English in most of the state schools has much to be desired and quick action must be taken to check its further deterioration.

It is laudable that in the new educational reforms much weightage is given to the effective teaching of English in all our schools supported by the re-introduction of English as an additional medium of instruction in our schools after almost five decades of the Sinhala and Tamil only policy in the field of education.

The primary causes for the deterioration of the standard of English in Sri Lanka seem to be the somewhat low status to which English was forcibly pushed into during the last few decades, particularly in our rural schools, along with the switch over to Swabasha and the short supply of efficient English teachers to man the teaching of this language in the schools, universities and other academic institutions.

Subsequent to the introduction of Swabasha as the sole medium of instruction in our schools the English language came to be widely referred to as the "second language."

This tag naturally causes a psychological aversion to the study of English as the very words "second language" pushes the status of English to the background and the average student is led to believe that his or her mother tongue, be it Sinhala or Tamil, occupies a socially superior status. This should not be the case.

There cannot be a second language in any enlightened society. All languages have an equal status in any progressive society. Thus it is timely that we changed our attitude and think of English as well as other languages as equal in importance with one's mother tongue. English could best be referred to as an international language.

This will erase the rather ambiguous phrase "second language" from the minds of the learners of English as the two words "second language" implies a low psychological profile even in the minds of the adults as well as the teachers.

The other important cause is the low English language competency among the majority of the country's English teachers.

This could be very effectively remedied by taking steps to engage competent English teachers in our schools and by taking rapid methods to improve the knowledge of English is some of the present teachers who surprisingly lack a proper knowledge of the nuances of the very language they are called upon to teach.

I wish to suggest some simple but effective ways of overcoming the problem of the dearth of competent English teachers.

While many schools in Sri Lanka have an acute shortage of efficient English teachers, there are many individuals thoroughly competent in this langauge spread throughout the country and if the state pays them an appreciable allowance many of them would volunteer to assist us to revive the fast deteriorating standard of English in at lest some of our academic institutions.

In this country still there is a group of teachers who have been educated in the English medium but are presently teaching various other subjects in the Sinhala or the Tamil medium.

There is no doubt that most of these teachers would be much better English teachers than the newly recruited English teachers as they have been educated in the English medium.

Quick action should be taken to enlist the services of these teachers to teach English. The services of retired English teachers, a majority of whom have a very high competency in English, could also be easily enlisted for the effective teaching of English.

Of course none of these ventures would be a success if those who could teach English well are not paid well.

Even though we are faced with an acute shortage of English teachers the authorities should not hasten to appoint half qualified and ill-trained teachers to handle this very responsible task of teaching English particularly in our schools. The appointment of such teachers will be disastrous in the long run.

In fact the root cause for the failure of English teaching in our schools during the recent past is largely due to the incompetence of some English teachers who are merely survivalists under the attractive title English teachers.

During the past when English was used as a medium of instruction in this country and when more English was used in social and academic circules in our society each school evolved its own methods and strategies to teach English effectively producing excellent results and students had a high standard of English.

Even today the international schools in Sri Lanka adopt the same principle where each school has its own methods and strategies to teach English and their students possess a very high proficiency in English.

In contrast to this for the past several decades in the State schools throughout the country the same type of book (with slight variations) and the same methodology in variant forms is adopted in the teaching of English.

This too seems to have contributed significantly to the rapid decline in the standard of English in our schools. So if at least some of the more competent teachers of English are given a free hand to use their own methods and strategies in the teaching of English.

While being proud of our national languages, Sinhala and Tamil, and while paying our highest respects and regards to our rich religious and cultural heritage we should embark on a well planned system for the effective teaching of English in the entire country whereby all those aspiring to master English, be they be from the towns or from the villages, could benefit with the best English education that would open up new vistas in life.

In the modern world poised for globalisation English has become the easiest medium of access to all things good and wonderful in life and every citizen of this country should be given the opportunity to attain a high proficiency in this langauge.

(The writer, a widely experienced teacher of English, has served in Sri Lankan schools and higher education institutions).

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