Teaching Guidelines for Spoken English Course in India & its Benefits

Experience Drawn From Spoken English Classes

An experience which I experienced some seventeen years ago has now tempted me to write a hub. Just a minute, do not consider this article to be a reminiscence of my personal experience. This article is only based upon the conclusions I had drawn from the teaching experience which I gained as a teacher of Spoken English. I would love to deal with the basic requirements of the Spoken English classes, its benefits and the ways to be fluent in English after joining the classes.

Need of a Spoken English Classes

The Spoken English classes are very common in India as English is not a native language of the Indians. English is a foreign language for the Indians and to be very specific India has lot many languages. In India, Hindi is a national language but almost all the states have their own mother tongue. This is not all. Every mother tongue has some regional touch so do Hindi and in such a situation learning a new language that to a foreign one becomes quite difficult. Some more difficulties which crop up at the time of learning a new language are the need of a very good teacher and also a proper communication and understanding skill.

Learning to speak English fluently is now a necessity. It is no more a matter of status or fashion but it is of utmost necessity for a good job and to prosper in one’s career. Lot of achievements in life is very much dependent upon the way you conduct yourself with the international clients and delegates especially in the multi national companies. Even in the government jobs the high profile people also need a fluency in English. Again, it is not just because to leave an impression of smartness but it is required to communicate your important points in a smart manner. Normally, people can easily make their point work in their own favour if they can interact properly and put forward their points in an open platter.

Ability to read and write English properly is very important especially for higher studies in abroad as well as for good standard of books and study materials. It will be wrong to say that the books available in Hindi or the different mother tongues are of sub standard but it is also true that the books available in English on different subjects are in wider range. The spectrum is quite a large one. Now, the matter is about Spoken English. I would say it is as important as the ability to read and write English properly. In India a fluency in English works as an added advantage. It is simply because in India every learned person is not a fluent speaker in English because it is not our native language. Thus, if you go for an interview especially for an English medium school a bit less learned interviewee can win the challenge because of fluency. As it is a basic important criterion for an English medium school.

It is very common in India that during childhood the need to learn English is not felt. Especially, the lack of speaking power in English does not bother until one reaches a stage where to become successful, one must be fluent in English. This is the time when the candidates feel the need to learn English but the point is where they will learn it to be fluent. The age of the candidates do not permit them to go back to school or college to learn Spoken English. Then starts the search of such an institute where one can learn to speak English very properly. That is the reason why the business minded people have opened up many different institutes with the help of the fluent English speaker. Across India many such institutes are in full swing but in actuality some are really beneficial and some are not. There is a need to know why some Spoken English institutes are beneficial and some are not. What are the essential guidelines an institute must follow to teach Spoken English so that the students can raise their fluency in speaking English? The important teaching guidelines and its benefits are:

1. The Spoken English teachers must drive away the fear in the students who are afraid of speaking English in public through anencouragement to speak in front of the whole class.

2. Encourage them to speak on very simple and easy topics in front of the classwithout any interruption or a laugh from your side but keep the track of mistakes they commit while speaking.

3. Correct the pronunciation, accent and the grammatical errors afterwards in one to one basis as it will not allow the students to feel shy in front of the batch mates. Well, do not over emphasize on these because then it will not allow the students to come out of their shell.

4. Suggests the students to read storybooks, newspapers and anything in English but firstly those which are written in easy language.

5. This will help them to form ideas and thoughts in English and not in one’s mother tongue.

6. To converse fluently in English one must think in English, construct sentences in English and speak in English. Translation from mother tongue to English is not desirable because it breaks the continuity. So, stress on thinking in English (Be it in easy English in the beginning).

7. After some time when students are able to shun their shyness to some extent then the basics of English that means grammar must be taught.

8. At the time of teaching grammar the teacher must consider such chapters at first which are required to speak English properly. It includes ‘Parts of Speech and Vocabulary and Idiom’.

9. ‘Parts of Speech’ include ‘Noun, Pronoun, Adjective, Verb, Adverb, Preposition, Conjunction, Interjection’ and their various uses. Teachers must teach the students with lots of examples and it must be from the day to day life. Allow the students to make sentences with one particular word in different usages.

10. The complicated portions of grammar such as the different aspects of ‘Sentence Structure’ must be dealt with according to the need.

11. One thing to remember about the Spoken English course is that the students must be allotted a time slot everyday to converse in English. Thus, grammar lessons should not consume the total class time. Regular practice is required among the students which will constantly drive away shyness and fear.

12. With regular practice in the class, a proper back up with grammatical details and an encouragement will help the students to develop confidence. Once confidence grows nothing can push them back.

13. Now, it’s time to start with ‘Group Discussion’. Take up some burning and interesting topics. Allow them few minutes to think and arrange their own points regarding the topic. Then at first the teacher may start the discussion, you can ask a particular student to begin or leave it open to the students to begin with.

14. A Group Discussion is a very healthy way to have a conversation. The students have to converse without a break. Here, listening becomes very important. Follow what others say. Then only counter questions, answers, additional points may come up as well as one may second one’s thought.

15. If during a Group Discussion session some students avoid to talk then it’s the job of the teacher to make them speak by providing some hints or putting up some direct questions. In this way, all will start speaking a bit fluently within a span of time and that’s how the students will come out of their fear and shyness completely.

16. Group Discussion is a very important aspect of Spoken English course but it should not be held in the very beginning of the course. It is natural that students will be of different level so those who are a little better among the rest will always dominate. Thus, the weaker lot will feel a pressure.

17. Once all start to participate in the Group Discussion and start speaking spontaneously then almost the job of enhancing fluency is done. Now it’s time to take care of ‘Pronunciation and Accent’ as a whole. Time to time, from the beginning of the course teacher must pin point the pronunciation of different words but do not put an extra emphasis on it. If it’s done like that then the students will get trapped into the aspect of Pronunciation and Accent. That will break the flow of the speaker.

18. Some knowledge and tips on Pronunciation and Accent will polish their English and beautify the spoken language. Side by side their fluency in English should be enhanced with more and more practice.

19. The teacher has to inject one notion in the mind of the students that nothing can substitute ‘practice’ because it is the secret of success. Even, never miss an opportunity to speak in front of the strangers. These two attributes will boost up confidence and that’s the most important quality for achieving success.

20. At last, I would like to point out that a crash course of either four or six months cannot produce a student with extraordinary fluency in the language. Within a short span of time no student can match the ability of those who learnt and practiced Spoken English from the early school days. Well, let’s remember nothing is impossible. Short term course helps in driving away fear and shyness, to learn the basics and develops a self confidence. Along with having these qualities one has to practice regularly. No excuses are acceptable for bunking practices because ‘Practice makes a man perfect’. Expecting a phenomenal result in a short time span is definitely asking for too much but it can be achieved without any doubt in the long run with a constant practice.

My experience says that if the Spoken English institutes follow the above written guidelines or add some effective changes, if required, then the short term course for Spoken English is definitely beneficial. As a caution, I must add that if interested then may take some suggestions from the books on Spoken English but never abide by it completely. Fluency will increase with a practice and not with mugging up the relevant lines from a book. Thus, to gain fluency in English one has to be patient and keep on practicing.