In the process of learning as well as teaching, it is the curriculum or the syllabus which plays the key and crucial role in learning or imparting the content of a subject to student-learners. The correct and appropriate curriculum is the vital factor in respect of a language especially English in promoting their communication skills. If the curriculum is devised keeping in view of the level of the students from the lowest level to the highest level in a systematic matter, it is definitely possible to maintain their standards. To make the well-designed curriculum fruitful and successful, teaching and learning must go on simultaneously and equally well. If the either activity is defective, the purpose of the curriculum goes futile. One is haste and the other is waste. To make the process of learning up to the mark, the process of teaching ought to be effective and the teacher must be well qualified and trained; and well devoted and committed to teaching to the objective of the curriculum. The teacher has to keep abreast with the latest trends in the quality of teaching by attending the refresher’s course and doing research in his field. The learner should at the same time face the system of examination to assess his standard to maintain as per the level his study. Student-standards and class-standards should go together in respect of the syllabus.
The policy of the designing of syllabi for all the students at all levels must be given top priority. Right form KG to PG one must design the syllabi of all classes. He must have full knowledge of maturity levels for the attainment of knowledge and so he is aware of where to begin and where to end. He should have the clear picture and comprehensive knowledge of the subject at every level. He should know how to teach and how to learn at different levels. Mathematics is taught step by step: numbers, notation and numeration, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and so on by the teacher and learnt by the student without fail. If any teacher starts with division, the student is not able to learn it. It is wrong on his part to select the item of division first as it is not the first one for a student to learn. The question asked at the intermediate level should not be more difficult than that given at the degree level. When it is so, the fact is that there are defects in the curriculum. The syllabus designer must be able to understand the fact that he should go step by step from the fundamental level to the higher level. The teacher has to deal with the syllabus, designed by keeping in view all these facts in his mind. As there were many syllabus designers at various levels: primary school, high school, intermediate, degree and post-graduate course, there is no coordination.
When we think of English syllabus, there have been many syllabus designers from Regional Institutes, Central Institutes, etc. Different people have framed syllabi at different levels giving priority to the topics of their choice. When I was a matriculation student, I had the analysis of sentences in the English curriculum. I gained the knowledge of grammar and so I was able to write correct sentences in the school final examination. I secured high marks in English on par with the student who got the first rank in the state. I learnt the analysis of sentences along with other items of grammar as I was taught excellently. Today I have command over English because of my learning all the grammar items especially the analysis of sentences at the stage. Where is the analysis of sentences now? At what stage do we find it? Never…Never…When its so, how are the students expected to learn, speak read and write excellent English. I can state one more example from my experience as the Subject Expert. There was a question on the verb patterns (structures) at intermediate level for about a decade. All of a sudden the question on structures was removed from the question paper as a glittering star disappeared from the galaxy from the blue firmament. The paper setter might have thought that that the students coming to the stage had already learnt the structures. As the subject expert for the intermediate examination Valuation Camp, I observed a few students were able to write sentences on the pattern given correctly. The teachers valuing the question on the pattern marking the right mark for the wrong sentences were instructed to award marks for the correct sentences. In the structure S+ V+ Object+ Noun, some students wrote sentences with ‘as’ before the noun. For example, ‘They named him as Gopal.’ Such wrong sentences awarded marks. In the other examination, there was another pattern, S+ V+ O+ (Bare) Infinitive. For this, students wrote sentences with ‘to’ before the (bare) infinitive. For example, ‘He made me to study well’. For such wrong sentences marks were awarded. The shocking observation was that some teachers did not know the concept of structures. For example: most of the students. They thought that the students could use any subject, any verb, any noun or pronoun and any infinitive in the sentences for the pattern. They awarded full marks for the question and all were wrong as the pattern. I explained to them the concept. “The verbs like ‘have’, ‘let’, ‘see’, ‘hear’, ‘find’, ‘feel’, ‘know’, etc but not all verbs can be used to frame sentences on the pattern. I feel sorry, for you did not know the concept of the verb patterns. There were pitfalls in all especially the teachers sharing the responsibility to the syllabus designers.
Why are the students weak now in English? They are weak not because it is a foreign language or their regional medium is their background. It is only because of the defective curriculum of English. Nearly ninety-five percent of the students are therefore not able to speak or write correct English. On one side, English is given top priority as it is the international language, the language of global interaction and it on the other hand there is sheer negligence in respect of curriculum-designing. When the students want to learn a language, they expect the systematic curriculum and appropriate attention to learning the essentials of the language especially grammar. The teacher plays a pivotal role in imparting them to the students. A man not knowing what parts are essential, cannot think of assembling the desired set. Language is set by means of the systematic arrangement of essential words as the television set is assembled with its systematic assemblage of essential parts. Grammar which is the most essential part is ignored for the comfortable convenience on the part of the students. As a result English became a difficult language and the students became weak to leave beyond repair.
Any language is learnt through its literature. The more you study a literature, the more you learn its language. When the literature part is neglected, the language part is also neglected. At the graduate level, the students in the past studied dramas, a good number of poems and lessons. The curriculum has become topsy-turvy keeping in view the reform of simplification. In its place, five or six small poems, six or seven short stories and about ten lessons are studied at the graduate level now. The text book is as light as a feather to be put in the shirt-pocket. Moreover, there is an ample choice in attempting the questions in the examination. They are studying a few to get on well and get through the examination without attempting the questions on grammar. If there is any teacher to help them write the answers in the examination, he is garlanded by the students for his magnanimous help.
As far as the English curriculum is concerned, the use of articles, the use of prepositions, the tense, the voice, the degrees of comparison, direct and indirect speech and transformation of sentences, etc are at every stage irrespective of the class or standard. After passing all through all stages, the students are passing their examinations but do not know what they are and how the questions are to be answered. As a matter of fact, all these items should be introduced to the students as per the stages. One should not think that any question can be asked at any stage as all items are there at every stage in the curriculum. The defective curriculum is responsible for this lapse. Sometimes a question asked at the Intermediate level is more difficult than that asked at the degree level. Some times the question asked at the degree level is easier than that asked at the matriculation level. That is the fate of grammar in the hands of the syllabus designers of English. There are questions on these items right from clerk grade examination to IAS examination. What are to be asked is not clear. The coordination is lacking in at all levels.
In the growing importance to optional subjects especially science and mathematics, the subject of English is neglected more and more than before. In view of globalization, the world has become a global village where all are realizing the growing importance of English as opportunities are coming to reach out to all aspirants. The students who comfortably neglected English at all stages are running after English to gain command over it in the way one is found crying over split milk.
EDUTRACKS
October 2021. Vol. 21 No. 2
