English demands mustering our energy to master it

By K. A. I. KALYANARATNE

Consultant, Publications
Postgraduate Institute of Management
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Vice President
Hela Havula

Our mother tongue and our first language being either Sinhala or Tamil, depending on the particular community we belong to, English is invariably considered as our second language. Therefore, English is treated as a foreign language. It is an irony that although both Sinhala and Tamil should be our link languages, on the assumption that each major community should learn the language of the other major community, English is treated as our ‘link-language’; a language quite ‘foreign’ to us. However, the fact remains that we are expected to learn English as most of our academic and professional examinations at postgraduate levels are conducted in English.

Revelations at a Preliminary Survey

A few years ago, I conducted the Integrated English Course for four batches (two batches in each category) at the PIM, who followed the two programmes; (i) MBA – Inland Revenue and (ii) MBA Customs and International Trade, in the years 2016 and 2017. This special three-month-course was a recent introduced to the MBA programme, as the Institute observed that especially the younger students needed an extra backup if they were to be competent to meet the challenges of the post-graduate programmes. A survey conducted at the commencement of these courses revealed that a majority of the students had completed their primary and secondary education in their mother-tongue. Some of them had continued to follow their basic degree in their mother-tongue. It was, therefore, an uphill task for them to switch over to the medium of English. It would not have been an issue if they had had a sound-foundation in the English language especially in their primary and secondary levels of education.

The Challenges a Teacher of English had to Overcome

Therefore, as a teacher of English, the following basic framework was structured to launch the project. In fact, the project was aimed at bringing the language skills of the target groups to the level of providing an effective answer to their basic challenges, namely, (i) understanding what was taught, and (ii) expressing in their own words, through their writings and presentations, the knowledge they acquired.

Sticking to Basics and Fundamentals – The Surest Way to Achieve One’s Objectives

Many successful businessmen say that their winning strategy has been sticking to the basics — the simple principles that have stood the test of time. I remember how we learnt the language, sticking to this principle, in college. The methodology consisted of

(i) a lot of wide reading and coming to grips with new words and word-clusters,

(ii) a lot of writing by way of (a) essays (b) editorials, (c) reports,

(iii) comprehension, precise-writing and paraphrasing.

(iv) Detection of mistakes and correction of sentences

(v) Selecting a book of their choice aimed at cultivating the habit of reading, and, ultimately, getting each of them to make a short presentation on the book he/she read during the study-term.

(vi) In between, elements like prepositions, articles and idioms were taught in small doses, without making the study unpalatable.

To get a taste of the vast and varied storehouse of English literature, a few short and simple poems like James Leigh Hunt’s ‘The Plate of Gold’, and P. B. Shelly’s ‘Ozymandias’, were read with them highlighting the poetic expressions and how beautifully the language was used by such poets to accentuate interest in the reader.

In short, what was followed was choosing material that created an interest in the learning partners, while assigning a reasonable amount of homework. These exercises were not only marked promptly, highlighting the pluses and minuses, the shortcomings were also discussed among them in class. These discussions were a part of the knowledge-sharing process that followed.

Paraphrasing, Comprehension and Precis Writing – A Vintage Recipe that Worked Well

A basic measurement of learning is the level of one’s ability to express in his/her own words what he/she had learnt. If a person masters this craft of re-phrasing what has been learnt, cramming (studying intensively), and memorizing resorted to by many a student would sooner be realized as futile acts. These shorter methods while taxing one’s brain, is only short lived. Knowledge reproduced in this manner will vanish from them no sooner their immediate task is over. This ability to retell what one has learnt will make that knowledge one’s own. The teachers of English, or for that matter, of any language, had been resorting to these basic practices, to drive home the fact that once a person is able to repeat in his/her own words what has been said or written differently elsewhere, is the surest way to remember. These were the basics on which teachers of yesteryear taught languages to their students. However, the two prerequisites needed to perform this task depend on two abilities; (i) the ability to understand what was read or learnt, and ii) the ability to convert that knowledge into his/her own words. Of course, both these abilities depend on one prime factor, that is, to possess a rich diction/vocabulary. It is words in their clusters that convey ideas.

Gaining Comprehension Skills – A Sure Answer to Plagiarism

Comprehension skills and language fluency go hand in hand, and in fact comprehension is an inseparable part of every subject. Frequent practising of comprehension skills make students gain confidence and feel comfortable in what they read. This is a skill that would become part and parcel of every study, and at every level of their education, and also an effective answer to plagiarism.

Plagiarism, that has crept into academic and professional studies at higher levels, has reached alarmingly proportions in recent time. Therefore, all seats of higher learning are ‘fighting tooth and nail’ to arrest this deceitful trend, as it is paramount to ensure ethical practices among students to conduct their studies honestly, and in accordance with the accepted academic standards. These seats of learning have continued to deliberate on measures to arrest this unhealthy trend. In fact, these institutions have now put in place their own ‘Plagiarism Policies’, recommending deterrent action against those committing this offence.

Duality of English

The biggest challenge faced by both teachers and students of English is the significant duality posed by the two ‘Englishes’, British English and American English. The issue has been created by the two streams going ‘on their own’ without reaching commonality or striking at a common approach. The very fact that these two streams of the language are termed as British and American, it makes pretty obvious that the said duality exists. Even a cursory glance through the two approaches, the following differences as shown in theFigures appearing here, would become quite evident.

It is due to this basic difference that some institutes of higher learning meekly say that what is recommended in the writings of students is ‘the use of English (United Kingdom) and spelling’. This is not an instruction or a rule that should be stuck to. This itself is evidence of the penetration of American English, and its influence over the English language. The saddest part is that students are unaware of this duality, and they are helpless in knowing these differences unless/until they are guided. Teaching of English at school-level also does not delve into these ‘tricky and controversial areas’. In fact, there’s hardly a publication that brings out these differences in the contemporary use of English.

Merriam-Webster English Dictionary (WMD) Vs. Oxford English Dictionary (OED)

The prevailing language-controversy began with the publishing of the initial Webster’s Dictionary by Noah Webster in 1806. He was an American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and author. The Merriam-Webster English Dictionary (MWD) which is now a popular volume in our libraries, is a revised and edited version of Noah Webster’s original publication. In fact, MWD had undergone a series of revisions to make it sufficiently comprehensive for use. Basically, MWD is considered a liberal dictionary, updating its definitions and entries with the time. Due to this quality of constant revisions and expansions MWD has now been accepted as a premier dictionary of English.

In the process of assessing the merits and demerits of the two dictionaries the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has now been considered as ‘conservative’ in its approach. It tantamount to say that the OED is oblivious to the constantly occurring changes to the language, by way of pronunciation, grammar, definitions and admission of words/terms. It thus connotes that OED is more concerned with documenting the language as it has progressed. It is very much a lexicographical history book for the English language. Thus WMD progressively gaining sway over its acceptance, would further erode the position held by both OED and British English.

Duality in the Use of Prepositions and Basic Grammar-Rules

Prepositions may be considered as mortar that is used to fix bricks in their proper places. Hence, prepositions, often called the ‘biggest small words in English’ fix solid words together by showing relationship in space or time or a logical relationship between two or more people, places or things. In a language like English where nouns cannot be declined flexibility is brought in by the use of propositions. These are thus a part of the foundation of the English language. Therefore, a misused preposition can make a big difference between a clearly stated sentence and a confusing mix of words. Sinhala differs vastly in this aspect as its nouns can be declined.

Therefore, if there is a duality / difference in the use of many a preposition in the two Englishes as seen below, it is obvious that the learner will be bemused!

Apart from spellings, vocabulary and the use of prepositions, there are some major grammar differences between the two Englishes. For instance, collective nouns are considered singular in American English, as ‘the band is playing’. In contrast they can be considered as either singular or plural in British English, the commonest being the plural form, i.e, ‘the band are playing’. The British are also more likely to use ‘shall’ with ‘I’, while the Americans are bent on using ‘will’ with ‘I’. Further, while Americans, continue to use ‘gotten’ as the past participle of ‘get’, the British have long since dropped ‘gotten’ in favour of ‘got’.

The English Teacher’s Travails and Dilemma

In fact, my precise objective of penning this short essay is to highlight the trying and challenging circumstances under which our teachers of English are performing their task of guiding the younger generations to impart knowledge and enhance their language-competencies. Unlike most eastern languages, English is a hybrid product, depending much on German and other major European languages for its growth and enrichment. It is because of this fact that Walt Whitman, American poet (1819-1892) said that

‘Viewed freely, the English language is the accretion and growth of

every dialect, race, and range of time, and is both the

free and compacted composition of all.’

Its complexity has been further aggravated by its illogicalities in its grammar; and some extremists say that it’s a jumble of contradictions.

The battle between the forces of correctness and the forces of usage is still being waged. The controversy on ‘it is me’ versus ‘it is I’ is a case in point. The complexities that have been created by the independent growth of the two Englishes, has resulted in more exceptions than the rules of its grammar. Some critics have even gone to the extent of commenting on how nonsensical its word-formations are. They bring in to say that if ‘office leads to officer’ and ‘commission leads to commissioner’ ‘prison should lead to ‘prisoner who is in-charge of the prison, and not the person who is imprisoned for committing a crime.

This chaotic situation has been further aggravated by the absence of an updated / current book of grammar that provides answers to all the above complexities and controversies. English grammar books that are available are those that have been published several decades ago, and further, none of these deals with the language’s latest developments, especially American English.