Transcript The Home Environment Issues in the Home

The Home Environment Issues in
the Home-School Language
switch: Parent participation in
language education
Dr Jayaraj Maria Louis S
Hazaribag, India
1 Introduction
Education is the process of inculcating in an
individual the experiences already acquired by
the society. Education of a child is not just the
responsibility of the school but a corporate
responsibility of the schools and the parents. This
principle applies to the learning and teaching of
English too. This paper focuses on the corporate
responsibility of the school and the parents in
teaching and learning English.
There is widespread misunderstanding among parents
that the linguistic development of the students depends
solely on the teachers. The parents forget the fact the
children spend more than two third of their time at home.
There is also misunderstanding among the teachers and the
common people that the teachers are the only responsible
persons for the learning of English. Even the teachers seem
to blame themselves, the common people too seem to
blame the teachers for the poor performance of the students
in the language. The public, the teachers and the parents
themselves are not aware of the important role to be played
by the parents in learning English.
Therefore we need to educate the students, parents,
teachers and the public on the importance of the role to
be played by the parents in language learning.
2. Method
used to collect the Data:
Survey method was used to collect the data.
3. Tools used:
• Questionnaire: 198 trainees were given a
questionnaire to be filled in. The
observations made from their answers have
been incorporated in this paper.
• Observations: Observations made on the
basis of teaching the teacher trainees and
being with the 200 teacher trainees over 9
years.
4. Some of the ways in which parents
and guardians can develop the skills
and capacity of the students are:
Admitting the children in schools which emphasize
English learning: Not all schools which claim that they
are giving importance to English are capable of imparting
good English knowledge to the students. Worse still is the
fact that there are many schools which do not even try to
give good knowledge of English. So the guardians need to
choose the schools discretely in admitting and educating
their children.
Requesting vernacular medium schools to try to teach at least
some subjects in English: Attempts are being made in Jharkhand at
least in a few Hindi medium schools to use English medium books
for all major subjects at the primary level. The content to be learnt in
the primary level is not very difficult. So, the children could be
taught English. By the end of standard 5, the children would have
learnt much English. For this the parents could be motivated, so that
they will request the school administration to follow this method.
Exposing the students to English speaking people and
establishing relationship with them: When foreign visitors came to
visit the schools, the students were given opportunity to talk to the
visitors. And it was a golden opportunity for the students to practise
their language. The students were proud to talk to them. So the
children could be encouraged to mingle with people from other
states and countries.
Making English books available for reading: Often
children do not have easy access to books. A good library
could be developed at homes. English books could be made
available to them. When people can afford to spend money
on so many things, why can’t they invest money on books?
Creating an English atmosphere: An atmosphere makes a
person what he/she is. Even the type of a person is living in,
has an impact on the person’s personality. An English
atmosphere can be created at home by organizing various
activities including small scale language lab.
Inspiring the children by talking to them in English: The
children look for inspiration to learn new things. If the
parents try to speak to them in English, surely they will be
inspired to learn English.
Removal of prejudice: Sometimes the parents think that
talking to their children in a foreign language is a sign of
degradation to one’s mother tongue. This attitude needs to
be changed.
Having good knowledge of English: The children easily
imitate their parents. Surely, the fluency of the parents in
English will affect the children. The better knowledge the
parents have, the more the children will learn.
Listening to the children when they speak in English
and correct them: Often the schools, the children go to
have a large number of students. As result, the students lack
personal attention at school. Whereas at home if the parents
give attention to their own few children’s language, they
will have ample chance to improve their language.
Rewarding the children when they do well in
English: Let the parents not only expect the
children to be rewarded when they do well in
English, but they need to reward and reinforce them
in order to get the best out of them. Especially the
tribal children need a lot of encouragement.
Speaking always in English if possible: Meals is
the time the family members meet one another very
regularly. And during this conversations could be
had in English. During games, similar words and
phrases are used repeatedly. During manual work,
children enjoy chatting among themselves. These
conversations could be held in English.
Being available to the children, when they need
language related help: In modern times, the parents are
occupied so much with their own works and affairs that
they are not able to give time for their children. But the
children look for attention and guidance and
encouragement from their parents. They would like to
speak to their children. So, the parents need to quality time
to the children so that they have someone who cares for
their linguistic development.
Encouraging the children to watch selected English
films: The children like watching television. They naturally
enjoy watching the television in the mother tongue. But if
they take a bit of trouble in the beginning to watch
television in English, soon they will get accustomed to
watching in English and enjoy thereafter, resulting in
greater possibility of picking up the foreign language.
Giving personal attention: Every child is unique, precious and
capable. Often it is due to lack of personal attention that the children
are lost and they do not progress much.
Participating in English Essay and speech competitions, cultural
programs, debates, skits and dramas: These activities are arranged
in places other than schools. The parents can encourage their children
to participate in such activities.
Speaking in English at least one day a week: In some places,
speaking in Hindi all the time may not be possible. In such places,
especially hostels, at least one day speaking compulsorily in English
could be tried. This has been found helpful. In a hostel in Tamil Nadu,
a rule to speak in English during the hostel hours had been made and
the children were found to be communicating well in English among
themselves. In Jharkhand, for the less privileged children, English
medium schools and hostels have been started and these primary
school hostel children were found to be speaking well in English.
Motivating the children towards English speaking: The
parents need to motivate the children to learn English. The
parents could discuss with the children about many
persons who have succeeded in their lives by giving
importance to English.
Being interested and creating interest in the children: It
is said, as the headmaster is, so is the school. In a similar
way, you would find that the interests of the parents and
guardians are easily passed on to the children.
Having good knowledge of English: The better
knowledge the parents have, the greater the possibility of
language learning for the children. The children will have
regular opportunity to dialogue with their parents in
English.
Making English newspapers available: It is said that the news and
information received in one day’s news paper is more than the
knowledge people got during their whole life time in olden days. In
some places, the newspapers are read and then sold off. Instead, these
newspapers can be made available to the children. Even, these papers
could be stored and utilized reading and comprehension practice.
Reciting prayers/verses in English: There are certain prayers which
are recited every day by the children. Is it possible to recite them in
English?
Making sure that the children do loud reading practice every day:
The more the children read, the more language the will learn. When
they read loudly, they are able to listen to the language. The loud
reading practice is done, though not regularly at PTEC, Gurwa,
Hazaribag Dt, Jharkhand and it is found to be very useful. 15 minutes
loud reading practice could be ensured by the parents at home.
Read books everyday: If the parents read books every
day, the children also see that start imitating them. It is
only when one reads regularly various types of writings;
the language becomes part of the self.
Saying at least simple things in English or using simple
words if there is lack of knowledge of English: Not all
the parents have had equal opportunities to learn English.
Those who lack knowledge of English at least could use
some words of English.
Helping the children in practicing tenses: Tenses are
foundation for the language. If the children have good grip
over English tenses, then they will be able to build upon
their further knowledge of English in an easier way.
Making English TV channels available: Giving complete
freedom to the children to watch television will not be
appropriate. Allowing them to watch selected programs of
selected channels will be of help in their language learning.
Singing English songs and listening to English songs:
Singing songs is one of the powerful ways of learning the
language. When a song is sung repeatedly, it goes on
echoing in mind and the words of the songs are easily
remembered.
Use of computers: When one types in a computer, if a
mistake is made, then the computer even corrects the
mistakes by itself, gives various options and if the user wants
he/she can check the spelling with the computer dictionary.
Make dictionaries available: Dictionaries are not easily
available to the students. As a result, when any doubt comes,
rather than referring to the dictionary, they seem to write the
words with wrong spellings.
Explain the importance of being open to corrections:
Sometimes the students do not seem to be humble enough to
accept their mistakes and learn. Rather they tend to be
defensive.
Advising the children to approach the teachers for
guidance: Sometimes the students are not openly coming out
of themselves to get guidance from the teachers. They are
hesitant to approach them for help. The parents could play a
mediator role between the teachers and the children.
5. Some of the ways in which ways
repeated exposure to the target
language help the students.
Helps the right brain learners: The studies on tribals
have shown that the tribal children are right brain
learners and for them repeated practice helps in
learning.
Helps in remembering: The more number of times
the students repeat the words and sentences, the more
easily they remember. Often it has been noticed,
when their mistakes are corrected, they tend to repeat
the same mistake again and again. On repeated
correction, they seem to improve their pronunciation.
Familiarity with the words: The students become
familiar with words, phrases and sentences by
repeated exposure.
Impact on their unconscious and subconscious
level: The repeated process helps in bringing the
language in their subconscious and unconscious
level.
Eventually feeling of joy in participating in the repeated
exposure: The students seem enjoy eventually in
participating in the repeated exposure. In the beginning,
there is certain amount of boredom experienced in the
repeated exposure.
Language becomes a reflexive action: Any reflexive action
does not need much effort. The expected action takes place
automatically in a spontaneous manner in a particular
situation. The ultimate aim of using the repeated procedure
in language learning is to make it become reflective.
Inhibitions are overcome: When the students hear the
words for the first time, they feel strange about it and tend to
avoid it. They do not feel like using those words. But when
they often hear them often, they become familiar and their
inhibitions are overcome.
Increase in the confidence level: The tribal students seem to suffer
from inferiority complex due to their past history, which hampers
language learning. They think that they will not be able to do well in
the language. And this is overcome by the repeated exposure.
Helps in overcoming fear: To unlearn the wrong learning: Even
after twelve years of learning in the schools, they make mistakes even
with ordinary and simple words. One can see that neither the teachers
nor the guardians pointed out these mistakes. They think what they
pronounce and write is correct. They do not even suspect their
knowledge of language.
Experience level increases: An experience has an impact on the
person. Any experience contributes transformation of attitudes. Any
experience comes by repeatedly doing the same or similar actions.
Language needs to become part of the children’s experience level.
6. Conclusion
Language learning is the corporate responsibility of the
students, parents and teachers. The parents need to play a
vital role it as the children spend most of their under the
care of their children. So the parents need to be educated
on the ways in which they can help in developing the
skills and capacity of the children in language learning.
They also could be educated on the ways in which
repeated exposure to the target language help the students.
The more accompaniment, the parents can give, the more
language the children will learn.
References:
• Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach, Characteristics of Jesuit Education, Rome, 1986.
• Norbert Menezes, Effective Study Skills, Prabhat Prakashan, Patna, 2011.
• Robert Slattery, We will Learn English, Xavier Sadan, Hazaribag, Jharkhand,
2010.
• Norbert Menezes, Under Achievers can be Top Scorers, Prabhat Prakashan,
Patna, 2008.
• Robert Slattery, Paradigm Shifts in Education, Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, 2006.
• Norbert Menezes, Standout among the Rest, Prabhat Prakashan, Patna, 2012.
• P J James, Tribal Learning Styles: Some reflections, Prerna Resource Centre,
1994.
• Norbert Menezes, Walking with the students, Prabhat Prakashan, Patna, 2010.
• Michael Eather, Towards Evolving an Instrument to Evaluate the Suitability of a
Textbook of Mathematics for Tribal Children at Primary Level, Bhurkunda,
1994.
• Norbert Menezes, Your Children Their Future, Prabhat Prakashan, Patna, 2012.