THE INDIAN ENGLISH LITERATURE TEACHING AT UG LEVEL – AN ELT VIEW*

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Mishra
THE INDIAN ENGLISH LITERATURE TEACHING AT UG LEVEL – AN ELT VIEW*
Krushna Chandra Mishra
AUTHOR
Dr.Krushna Chandra Mishra has been involved in teaching English as a second language,
advanced grammar and applied English skills and literature and English language teaching for
more than 20 years. His interests include ELT, Indian writings, translations from Indian
languages, tribal folk literature and human rights and development issues. Besides, he has
authored three books and presented 37 research papers in national and international
conferences, seminars and workshops. He has been involved in educating distance learners in
Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh, and Indira
Gandhi Open University. He edits methods and methodology column in the MJAL.
Correspondence: Dr.Krushna Ch. Mishra, Reader, Dept. of English, Govt. College, Bomdila-790001, Arunachal
Pradesh , krushnasribdl@rediffmail.com,
A B S T R A C T
Literature teaching to facilitate language teaching goals and processes in Indian UG-level ESL classrooms need
to have a different orientation. Specific objectives once having been clearly outlined, it remains for the
enterprising teacher to perfectly plan the teaching progress strategies. The whole literature text needs to be broken
up into useful divisions to conform to the needs of the plan of progress which teaching in the language
achievements already targeted in some purpose-oriented way envisions. The achievement levels of the classroom
having been determined in some notional way worked out on the basis of initial interactions and informal tests
with different achiever-levels(such as LPLs or average or high achievers), the teacher is at advantage to use
literature texts in their tailor-made divisions for time allotments and time-bound coverage of matter such that
language items earmarked could be properly and verifiably taught to the benefit of the various achiever groups in
the ESL classrooms. The correction plan to keep the learner in the assured learning progress continuum has to
move accordingly where learning consolidation makes use of literary texts and highlights language properties to
help achieve the ESL teaching-learning goals as per syllabus-plans already formulated well in advance.
Introduction
This paper tries to read the existing Indian English Literature teaching scenario at collegiate UG teaching levels
in India and the ELT perspective is a basis against which a suggestion has been put forth so as to bring about a
healthy balance between literature-heavy leanings and extreme language-only orientation in our colleges. Two
things have been considered to be very relevant in our proposal - language of a certain desirable standard to be
visibly in use in interactive teaching mode, and literary appreciation skills to be further developed in the students
to lead them to expected levels of sophistication whereby students see cultural values and real life situations with
scope to use the available knowledge to answer problems of life in various complex situations. The Argument is
offered on how for complimentary and not countering purposes both literature and language teaching projects are
to be seen to be stepping-stones for proper literary analysis and thereby for interpretation of the Indian English
Literature. Reading, responding to texts and intentions, explaining ideas in proper logical chain and sequence,
scanning passages for substantiating stands and stances, summing up and again building upon important basic
ideas and issues etc. are things that show up how airy castles in fairy lands could only be built and seen to be
concretely existing once language in its ease and persuasive force grapples with life’s demanding crudities and
the reasoning mind expresses itself to plumb the depths at which the meaning of things lies.
Doing Indian English Literature in the language teaching way could be interesting and effective with UG
classes where students are mature to the degree where story sense in its sharing the ground with pragmatics of a
life in the world of flux shows them that in language only narratives occur and the life’s complexities explain
themselves only in the structured patterns of language behaviours of societies and people across the globe. That
Indian Literature including English works by Indian hands needs to share a cultural understanding primarily and
pertinently predominantly Indian is something that goes well with doing works of English/Western masters with
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much of Western/European Christian thought and we would do well to give our students what verily they have to
get as intimate and not intimidating in the explanation of our UG texts. Breaking up selected parts into planned
smaller parts which could be shown as lying inter-linked in the final and overall integrated frame of things while
following as well as upholding the author’s artistic and aesthetic vision and many messages in compact language
packages is something that the UG ESL teacher may find useful to do while raising and teaching to raise
questions for better comprehension of reading matter in hand and for explanatory skill-based reproduction of
matter for oral and written test purposes
to meet examination and evaluation requirements throughout the country. In sum, we see a distinct need to
integrate language and literature teaching skills to benefit the students the most by removing their handicap in
both the spheres.
The Indian ESL Teaching Scene Using Literature - Problems and Expectations:
ELT in Indian situation is a matter that throws difficult challenges for the teacher of English who in his classroom
has to work for language learning of his students mostly while doing a lot many literary texts. Literary texts from
culturally different locations, namely, British, American or other regions, offer special challenges while
equipping the students with language sense and literary appreciation skills. The learner background at all stages
of education offers special challenges because of large class conditions and heterogeneous groups of learners.
Literature teaching on the new communicative teaching format at post-higher secondary level of ESL learning is
a complex challenge when moving from conventional teacher-centred classroom poses attitudinal and practical
difficulties on part of teachers.
B.N. Patanik evaluates the Indian scene saying: “… One can see that the two extremely important aims
of language planning in our country to-day are (a) the enrichment of Hindi so that it can prove adequate to fulfil
the task of functioning as the sole official language of the country, and (b) the rapid development of the regional
languages so that these can be used in as many domains as possible. Consequently… except for a very small
section of the people, Indians would tend to use English only in a very few situations in day-to-day life. This
must be reflected in the programme of English language teaching in this country…” (Patnaik: 1991) He holds:
The teacher of English in India is in a state of indecision on the issue of the variety of English which should
acquire the status of the educational model. … The decision to advise the learner against the use of colloquial
forms can be justified on the ground that since English in India is to be used in mostly formal and semi-formal
situations, the General English courses intended to teach language to all learners must be designed in such a way
as to teach formal and semi-formal styles. “(ibid.)
Gambhir (1991) in this connection observes: “…The most important thing for second language learners
is to be able to acquire or assimilate rules as to what different structures may mean in different social situations in
a given language…”, and again: “…The format of the classroom and teaching materials has to be as far as
possible close to natural socio-linguistic situations that a person is likely to encounter in the target society. The
classroom should be less of formal academic centre where the teacher is explaining how a language works and
students are taking notes; or, a teacher is making students drill key structures of a language. A language
classroom should emphasize activities which take place in real life communication rather than pattern
rehearsal…”
In continuation of the above, it is worthwhile to note that in the wake of the communicative
teaching strategies, the teacher of English has to take note of how production skills have assumed the highest
significance now. Gumperz (1982) and Green (1989) have laid emphasis on pronunciation, grammar and
discourse patterns’ and Tam (1997) has stressed the importance of ‘repetition’ in oral productions. Wilkins
(1997) has underlined the role of ‘grammar’ and ‘vocabulary’ without which meaningful communication is
impossible. Talagaki (1997) has suggested to make use of the promises held forth by ‘brain-storming, skits and
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interviews’ for communicative purposes. Rivers and Temperley (1978) have seen the usefulness of writing and
speaking integration for reinforcement and mutual enrichment suggesting thereby also the importance of the
listening and reading skills in the communication-oriented success. Sheppard (1992) and Leiki (1992) recognize
the value of ‘content feedback’ in writing alongside ‘a limited amount of grammar, punctuation and spelling
feedback’ for effective writing. Ellis (1994) holds that ‘motivation’ is an important factor in student development
programmes and in projects meant to ensure learning. Green (1993) emphasizes on the need for appropriate
teacher work in terms of planning for sustaining motivation at the pre-teaching, while-teaching and post-teaching
phases.
Green (1993) also draws attention to the fact that the teacher must recognise that in “large teachercentred
classes, students have little opportunity to deliver enough output to be judged fairly or receive
constructive feedback to enhance feelings of security and success.” Indian classrooms being especially ‘large
teacher centred’ ones the need is to help/support the emotional state of the learners that is so vital to the language
learning situations. Mishra and Mahapatra (2001) observe: “ …the teacher’s task consist pre-eminently in
strengthening the individual students’ resolution to progress on the basis of their successful learning experiences
which the teacher necessarily critically most sensibly makes use of to stress the fact that confidence–level of the
participating students is boosted and contribution-level later on in terms of involvement and dedicated hard work
is remarkably upgraded on every subsequent teacher-student evaluation-based interaction. Here again, the teacher
creates and fosters a non-threatening learning-ensuring atmosphere using his understanding of the students’
background - cultural, socio-economic and the like - which play important role in determining learning success
and the rate and pace of its consolidation.” Baskturkmen (1994) requires ‘a more natural type of interaction in
the class-room’ with a greater role for the students ‘in controlling the content and the flow of exchange’. Keeping
in view the above observations, it is quite reasonable to expect that a clear idea as to what should be the nature of
the teacher responsibility to make the Indian English second language teaching classroom desirably productive.
The mission-mode approach, the inspired mindset to do good to the learners and to the society as a whole, is
necessary if the ESL teaching project has to be made into a success.
The Indian UG ESL classroom with a literature-based, and literature-biased, syllabus at both
compulsory and Honours/major teaching courses is a complex forum where formality of the systemic discipline
makes learning of English as a language principally meant for use in real life situations difficult. To understand
this difficulty experienced by the learner(s), it is necessary to ask (a)if English language –as language warranted
to be taught - is difficult,(b)if literature given in English language – for course contents at given stages - is
difficult, or (c) if teaching of literature in English in Indian UG classes makes understanding of things -
literary/aesthetic-artistic - difficult. Each of the three questions is important and seeks to be answered if we intend
to bring to our English literature teaching classes some very definite and verifiable learning outcome. The ESL
teacher training courses need to find out if the answer to each of the above questions individually or together does
not contain the key to do away with the difficulty of the classroom English literature teaching at UG level. The
ESL teacher doing literature has to ask if learning suffers due to students’ improper and unwelcoming attitude to
English as a teaching subject, if literature offered in Indian languages and that in English pose difference in
experience and response - with resistance to English language affecting appreciation of literature offered in
English, and if therein the method of presenting literature using English language makes things difficult. In all the
cases, the perceptive teacher realises what is urgently warranted to be done in the situation with the compulsion
for him being to make students learn English as a language which they could very effectively use in all practical
situations of life and to make them appreciate literature on offer as really related to practical situations that life
faces.
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The general poor response of students in literature classes in English is indicative of the fact that a good
deal needs to be done to make classes interesting, involving and interactive. When literatures is offered, the
teacher has to make the book (textual stuff prescribed ) practically as many times conveniently broken up into
inter-linkable parts as possible .These parts are to be further appropriately planned to be reproduced on a revision
teaching format to ensure that comprehension questions are asked, vocabulary exercises for synonyms, antonyms
and then right words in right situations and expressions, idiomatic expression etc. are given, composition
exercises based on the selected paragraphs or the ideas with which the classes have been conversant are assigned
and work produced by students where they show evidence of what they have learnt, what sequence of events on a
logical chain they have been able to give to the events, and what organisational pattern in terms of cohesion and
coherence they have been able to use is corrected to put matters in proper perspective – remedial lessons as may
be found useful could be conducted to enable less successful students to come up when proper encouragement in
continuous doses is provided to them both individually and ,when groups work, in suitable uniformly progressing
compatible groups.
The Indian ESL classrooms with adequate concentration on language development through literature
ideally stand to gain if the texts from the Indian English literature selected be offered at the UG level with
emerging Indians realities in mind and to hold the attention and interest of the youth to properly make them
responsible participants in the task of national re-construction. The role and responsibility of the English teaching
syllabus has to be arranging for the students their regular bread after the college education and making them
respond to the challenges the country and the world are poised to face due to unforeseen changes that keep on fast
invading the arena of our life and experiences. What Indian English literature classes offered on the language
teaching focus would then have to do may include some of the following:
1. Literature in the Indian sense of ‘sahitya’ has to be offered to show to the students that society-andindividual
linkage on a responsible basis of sympathy and concern is of a vital significance if a world based on
the ideal of vasudhaiva kutumbakam (one world-one family) and on the cherished eternal values of nonviolence,
love, co-operation and mutual respect is to be realised in future;
2. Literature is to be offered under properly planned divisions of the syllabus into units and sub-units to ensure
conscious learning of language structures, and an insight into how the same could be used for producing
connected compositions in oral and written discourses;
3. Testing, evaluation and remedial teaching have to be done to have a proper assessment of learners’
understanding of the Indian situation, the global situation, the emerging order of realities, and the problemsolving
demands on the language learning for handling the questions of human rights and equality.
Towards building up a language-development-oriented literature teaching in Indian ESL teaching
situation consistent careful efforts need to be made where the classroom teaching should equip the young collegegoing
students in India with a growing sense of patriotism that would be open to embrace and appreciate
whatever best could be there in the international experience. Syllabus, examination, evaluation – every aspect of
ELT accordingly would have to be appropriately re-cast to face the challenges of globalisation while in every
way making the best use of the opportunities created by globalisation drives.
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(*Paper presented at the 52nd All India English Teachers’ Conference held at RTM NAGPUR University,
Nagpur on 8-10 January 2008)