News
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Improving standard of English in Pakistan
Seminar on English language kicks off
* British Council director says teaching English language is a ‘live’ issue for educators, politicians and general public in Pakistan
KARACHI: Creative approaches to teaching English, introducing new learning technologies, designing innovative material, encouraging research in teaching English language and supporting continuous professional development are all needed to improve the standard of English in Pakistan.
This was underscored by speakers on the first day of an international seminar on teaching English language organised by Aga Khan University, Centre of English Language (CEL) at the university.
Introducing the seminar, CEL Head Dr Graeme Cane said that the two-day event will give language teachers more awareness of recent developments in teaching/learning methodology. It is also an opportunity for delegates to meet with leading theorists and writers, and to exchange ideas with fellow professionals from all sectors of English Language Teaching (ELT).
Chief guest British Council Director David Martin shared that English language teaching is a ‘live’ issue for educators, politicians and the general public in Pakistan. He highlighted the research conducted by Leeds University, UK’s Dr Hywel Coleman on language policy and shared that several discussions on the recommendations of his study have been held in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. The outcomes of these discussions are to be debated by a panel of experts, followed by the provincial education ministers. He added that in late February a number of workshops will be conducted in Islamabad with over 15 English language groups. The recommendations of this entire exercise will then be shared with the federal government.
The keynote speaker, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad’s Learning Innovation Division (LID) Director General and Head Professor Noor Amna Malik pointed out that HEC has quality teacher education as one of the key pillars of its strategic vision. Teachers are critical to Pakistan’s development as a moderate and democratic nation, and seek to improve the country’s economy by channelling its young people to become productive citizens. In March 2003, HEC organised a National Committee on English, with national and international ELT experts, to address concerns regarding the declining standards of English in higher education. The following year, the Committee’s English Language Teaching Reforms (ELTR) project was set-up to build capacity in English language teaching and research in the higher education sector.
Professor Malik pointed out that ELTR provided formal training in English language teaching to 1,504 faculties in colleges and universities across the country. In its second phase, another 1,400 ELT teachers will be trained through its programmes. ELTR will also offer 150 one to two-year fellowships to faculties in the humanities and the social sciences departments to strengthen their English language proficiency as well. ppi
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk