Thursday May 10, 2007
Teachers, let go of the old ways
By LYNNE McGREADY
I DECIDED to write this article after watching many of my own students lose confidence in their ability to enhance their English language skills. I have written this in the hope that I am merely providing ‘food for thought’ to teachers like myself and not a lecture.
Let me begin by setting things straight – I am not a linguist nor am I a scholar of the history of the English language. It is not my intention to set out standards of “correct” or “incorrect” usage of English grammar. There are many other “gurus” out there who are far more equipped to do this than I.
I am simply another teacher determined to ensure that Malaysians who are not “English-educated” (as some of my colleagues prefer to describe their qualifications) are not deterred from enhancing their English language skills due to the feeling that achieving clarity and effectiveness in their writing or speaking is far beyond their capabilities.
I feel we must reduce the struggle to achieve what they think is an ideal form of this language. A major negative side-effect of this, of course, is that they begin to feel that the way they speak is a corruption of this imagined ideal.
Problem no. 1
Which variety of English is the “correct” one? This is a question that I am confident many teachers are asked by their students.
It is my opinion that this belief in the existence of a “pure” English somewhere in today’s chaotic world is the true origin of the first barrier to developing self-confidence in language skill development.
Do we as teachers and trainers of the English language all maintain consistency in our response that English today exists in many varieties? Do we all admit/accept that major changes have been made to the language as a result of changes in our environment, e.g. new technology, globalisation, culture and even world events?
Are we consistent in our explanation that no two individuals anywhere in the world will use English in exactly the same way? Do we all work in parallel in reminding our students that the vocabulary and the phrases people use depend on where they live, their age, their education, etc?
I feel that too often, we as teachers may imply that there is a “correctness” in the language – some form of absolute standard by which words and grammar can be judged – almost like a black-and-white rule – when in reality, this “correctness” is all in our own heads! I must admit to having caught myself doing this from time to time – only to have to give myself a regular wake-up call when I catch myself drilling my students to death or nitpicking my colleagues!
Problem no. 2
Really bad writing or speaking is not necessarily simply a problem of broken grammatical rules. In my experience, it is predominantly a result of minimal vocabulary and lack of knowledge of the many ways there are to structure these words into meaningful and effective sentences.
Problem no. 3
General knowledge of the parts of the world for which English is the most commonly spoken language is not simply an optional additive! No language can be separated from the culture which formed and uses it!
It must concern us when we hear people say, “Why should I care what the capital of England is? I was not good at Geography! This knowledge has no bearing on my learning English!”
And now ? to bring this case to a close ?
I believe we all must become passionate about the need to:
·Talk regularly about the importance of the acquisition of new vocabulary – helping people to learn words which will enable them to express themselves more effectively and clearly. We need to make reading interesting for all ages and backgrounds.
What is the point in managers and leaders of the future understanding the rules of the Present Perfect Tense when they don’t know the name of the capital city of England or America? Finally, I think it’s about all of us ‘letting go’ of the old ways and habits of speaking and writing, and learning new ones without thinking of the process as one that is arduous and torturous!
I rest my case ...
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