Dealing with English language paper

D. A. SIYAMBALAPITIYA

LANGUAGE PAPER: I am no expert in ELT or in education. All that I say here is based on my English language teaching experience for a period of 55 years, first in a prestigious school, next in a remote rural school in the NCP, later in a lower middle class school close to Colombo and finally in the University in the undergraduate English language programme.

We have taught English as a second language in our country for well over half a century - 58 years to be exact. The results have been much below our expectations.

English is one area of our educational system where our youth feel ashamed of and depressed. They continue learning English even several years after leaving school because English is necessary for them to go up higher in life.

During this half a century, we have had experts from native English speaking countries and our own experts who have been trained and who have qualified in the English speaking countries.

Their projects and plans have been put into effect in the system during the past half a century. We have trained teachers, written books, held in-service training courses and done whatever that was possible to improve the levels of English of our students.

And today we have reached our final achievement level after half a century with 40% passes and 60% failures at the GCE O Level, assuming that the O Level is one criteria of achievement in our country.

It is time now to take a realistic view of English language teaching and learning in our country. Should we go on and on for the next half a century flogging our hobby horses - the Department of Education for not supplying teachers and text books in time, teachers for being inefficient and not hard working enough, text books for being unsuitable for the classrooms, methods (we have had scores of them over the years with every expert swearing on their effectiveness) and all this has kept the English Unit in the NIE busy working out ingenious ways of improving standards.

In fairness to all those connected with developing the programme of English teaching in our schools, I must say that they have done an excellent job within the resources available to them.

In my view, the poor achievement of the English programme is due to the fact that it has not taken into account the need for an external input for better achievement in language learning.

Language learning can take place in an environment of language use. Any teacher of English will tell you that a child who comes from a background of some English learn better and faster than a child who comes from a completely non-English monolingual set up.

It is from this non-English monolingual set up that many of our rural children come. It is this environment that our text- book writers, or our methodologists, or educational planners have been unable to provide through no fault of theirs.

The dissatisfaction with the teaching of English in our schools, has led parents and educational investors to establish what are called International Schools charging high fees, in every corner of the island and market them with great efficiency.

The Department itself has allowed English medium instruction in certain subjects from Grade 6 upwards. But the reality is that a large majority of children remain outside these facilities and continue to learn English as a second language in the way that it was taught in the past half a century.

It is within this reality that we must try to work out a practical solution to the problem.

In making my proposals I would like to make certain assumptions:
(1) that the GCE O Level is one criteria of an achievement level in the present system and will continue to be so
(2) that the achievement at the O Level is not the final, but only a stepping stone to further learning (we have this even now)
(3) that it would satisfy the student as well the teachers to achieve something in English at the end of their O Level rather than the present ‘failed in English’ tag.

Therefore I would suggest that a pass at the GCE O Level should be available to students at three Levels - C (lowest), B and A. In this way, we would be able to provide at least 75% of the students to get a ‘Pass in English’.

How can this be implemented? Firstly allow the present system to continue without any interruption up to the end of Year 9. Make the test in English at the end of Year 9 a Placement Test, that is, to place the students in Level C, B, or A for the Years 10 and 11. Devote the last two years before the O Level to help students to pass the O Level with English at the level they have been selected.

Let me define very briefly the Levels. Level C will be basic English. The student should be able to understand simple commands, instructions, greet, answer simple questions and make simple inquiries.

He should be able to read simple notices, time- tables, addresses, newspaper headlines, simple letters and short news items. He should be able to write an address, fill a simple form, write a simple letter of excuse or request. Level B can remain what the English paper is today. Level A should be higher than at present and should consist of an anthology of reading and an individual oral test of speaking in English.

I know there would be many snags in the implementation of this reform but I believe we have enough expertise in our country to work out solutions.

However, I would like to point out the advantages of this system: (a) nearly 70 -80% of the children in our school system will be able to get a ‘pass in English’ at the O Level. Those who pass at the lowest level can go up higher in the next year or two. (b) Teachers in the disadvantaged schools will have a goal that they can try to achieve. (c) In fact, teachers can be judged on their achievements because they have been given a possible goal, and not an impossible one as at present. (c) Those passing out at Level A will be competent in all skills of language - speaking, reading, and writing.

Finally, I would like to conclude by saying that in education it is difficult to make all achieve the same standard.

There should be provision for students to achieve a level within the given standard and they should not be cut off as having failed when they do not reach one standard. The learning speeds of children differ.

I only hope that if this plan is even considered for implementation, our friends who usually oppose anything and everything in education in this country will not go on protest marches carrying posters saying “Thope ingrisi adyapana kappadu yojana hakulaganive”

(The writer is attached to the Extension Courses Unit, Department of English, University of Colombo)