Team TLT
The National Education Policy seeks to raise the status of Indian languages to put them on par with English, the preferred medium of instruction and learning. It recommends that they be adopted as the mediums of instruction. Saying “it is well understood that young children learn and grasp non-trivial concepts more quickly in their home language/mother tongue”, it says that wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Class 5, but preferably till Class 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language. Thereafter, the home/local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible. Both public and private schools should follow this, it says, adding that high-quality textbooks, including in science, will be made available in these languages.
The NEP says teachers will be encouraged to use a bilingual approach, including bilingual teaching-learning materials. As research shows that children pick up languages extremely quickly between the ages of two and eight and that multilingualism has great cognitive benefits for young students, from the foundational stage, children will be exposed to various languages, with a particular emphasis on the mother tongue.
The Central and State governments will make major efforts to invest in large numbers of language teachers in all regional languages. The NEP suggests that States from different regions of India may enter into bilateral agreements to hire teachers in large numbers from each other, to satisfy the three-language formula in their respective States. It envisages the extensive use of technology for teaching and learning of different languages and to popularise language learning.
The three-language formula will continue to be implemented while keeping in mind the Constitutional provisions. However, there will be a greater flexibility, and no language will be imposed on any State. The three languages learned by children will be the choices of States, regions, and the students themselves, so long as at least two of the three languages are native to India. In particular, students who wish to change one or more of the three languages they are studying may do so in Grade 6 or 7, as long as they are able to demonstrate basic proficiency in three languages (including one language of India at the literature level) by the end of secondary school.
‘LANGUAGE SHOULD TEACH CHILDREN TO COMMUNICATE’
The LearnED Talk spoke to two senior academicians to find out what they think of the multilingualism
recommendations in the NEP. Rama J Sudev, former principal of a CBSE school, has worked in the education field since 1988: By Class 2, learning outcomes for students should be to read, understand and translate their thoughts. By Class 5 they should be thorough in this ability to express themselves. We are teaching them in a language they cannot understand
Going to school and studying should be a celebration on a daily basis. Some children are unhappy at home and then they come to school and suffer. If we teach them to express themselves properly, and
they don’t have anything pent up, they will be happy. How do we do that? Through language. Children can learn five languages provided they are not tested, not stressed.
English is not the same as literature. Teaching them some 25 lessons and having them memorise it is
not the same as teaching language. Teach them how to communicate. Make the child think.
The focus on regional language is a good thing. How many non-Tamilians in Tamil Nadu know Tamil? If I go to Germany, wouldn’t I learn German? Don’t people going to the US learn English?
Many teachers who are supposed to know English speak pathetic English. They have their own limits-
their background, the teaching they have received. They cannot impart what they do not have. It’s also important to note that not all subjects should be taught in the local language as the students go to higher classes. They need to know concepts and terms in English – for the future.
Till Class 5, classes can be multilingual. Medium of instruction can be the local language. Make it easy;
allow them to use terms such as ‘photosynthesis’, ‘carbon dioxide’ and ‘oxygen’ in English, if that’s easier. After Class 5, even teachers are not equipped to teach the entire subject in local languages.
From Class Six, the medium of instruction should be English. Tell them that they have graduated and
hence the change in medium of instruction. Students can be given the option of answering in regional
language or English.
Language can be a cause for snobbery. How can respect for local languages be inculcated? Native/regional languages will help children think and speak what they feel. In other languages, they won’t express themselves at all. The power of expression will aid learning.
When I was the principal, I started mother tongue classes for kindergarten students once a week. Children are shy, insecure and need a language that is familiar to them. We would play a lot of songs, narrate stories and such to put them in a very comfortable zone. We used parents and grandparents to put them at ease. In such a setting, they will come to respect other languages also.
Schools should give children the option to learn whichever languages they want to from Class 6. If
teachers are not available, give parents the option of being their language teachers.
‘TEACHERS WILL NEED MUCH TRAINING, MATERIALS AND SUPPORT’
Padmini Sankaran, educator and teacher trainer with over 35 years’ experience: The proposals in the
National Education Policy are very broad. The challenge is to make them effective and scalable. They cannot be the same throughout the country as what works in one state or region may not work in another. I wonder what the plan for implementation is. Will the implementation be left to the states? How will the Centre support the states?
The NEP has provided a framework but the actual delivery of the proposals is in the hands of the school. Various factors need to be considered. What is the school’s understanding of the NEP’s recommendations? What are the requirements and how will the schools fulfil them? Are teachers quipped to deliver the results? Do they have the necessary resources?
These questions are dealt with differently by different schools in different regions but then the students in all schools take the same standardised exam. In one way it democratises the learning process but in other ways it privileges some over others.
The NEP lays out the norms for the curriculum but does not say how educators should go about delivering the curriculum. It mentions the need for better assessment but it does not mention the method. Often the assessments test rote learning but that would not work in language education. Language learning involves learning a range of skills through practice, so it is not enough to know the
grammar rules. Students learn to apply them appropriately when speaking or writing keeping in
mind other parameters such as audience, context and so on.
Often in schools there seems to be a hierarchy of subjects, with the sciences and mathematics at the
top, and language relegated as a ‘soft skill’ to the bottom of the pile. It is just something students
have to pass. As a consequence of this attitude, several generations have lost the ability to convey
ideas in language that does justice to the complexity and nuances of those ideas. One needs to use appropriate language to express one’s understanding of any subject. Language education should give learners the ability to use words and sentences effectively to communicate in any domain. Isaac Asimov’s introduction to the sciences (The Intelligent Man’s Guide to Science) helped me to better understand the Physical and Biological Sciences, which I attribute not just to his thorough knowledge of the content, but even more to his clear writing style.
When reading in a subject, if one does not pay attention to the way language is used, one’s understanding and expression in the subject is limited. In school, if language is treated merely as a subject, a child misses out on the skill of being able to use the language effectively to learn and to communicate one’s learning across all subjects. Language is the vehicle for all subjects.
Some of us in India grew up with the three-language policy but after a point the language (medium) of instruction dominated teaching and learning of all subjects. Next in importance came the home language. We lost the third language after a certain class or when we moved away from the school/region. If the NEP’s ideas on language teaching and learning are to be implemented at schools, appropriate support in the form of teaching materials and formal teacher training based on recent research on language learning and acquisition must be provided for language teachers and school leaders. Canada is an example. It has great experience in teaching subjects in two languages – French and English. Some subjects are learnt in English, others in French. Educators have access to a vast amount of resources including teaching materials and teacher training.
Research has shown that the first language one learns – if learnt well – aids the development and
transfer of language skills to other languages learned. If we believe in equity, language teaching resources need to be made available for all languages. Being multilingual has several benefits from strengthening cognitive skills to building greater perspective, to understanding other cultures, and helps you participate in experiences that you may miss out on otherwise.
As told to Sravanthi Challapalli.
