To Teach and Learn

The Nature of Language was not studied in the old English curriculum. It came with the new and it came with a wide possibility of answers that can come from anywhere, as long as it concerned language albeit the syllabus, which I doubt I can call one. The teachers were given three pages of notes on theories of language acquisition, levels of analysis and other basic terms in linguistics. I received the notes from a colleague of mine who attended a workshop on teaching Nature of Language. The same thing was to be taught from class nine till twelve (as far as we have been informed). Students have to write answers to 10 points under this section in the exam. Since the questions (set by the teachers who are put together by BIG SEA) don't follow the specified notes, most students lose marks in this section. Few questions always surprise/confuse us. Students may lose only one or two points but they lose and sometimes they don't qualify for a RGoB scholarship because their English m...

I remember my language teacher and Shakespeare. He would try to impersonate a victorian theatrical scene with the Shakespearean English that he so stylishly uttered to our bewilderment. Most of us then were amazed by the strange poetic language heard for the first time and few were, of course, dumbstruck because the English was different and difficult. But the excitement only lasted for the first few periods. After that, it was only listening to the teacher, period after period. Even the most promising student slowly drifted away into daydreams. Thinking about it right now, a role play would have made the whole awesomeness more exciting or simply put, more durable and understandable. Today students don't have to study Shakespeare. Instead, they have one-act plays, 'Once Upon a Greek Stage' in class eleven and 'Episode in the Life of an Author' in twelve. Going by the teacher's guide, most teachers I know start with a role play. And how they, the students, e...