Volume : III, Issue : III, March - 2013

Should Functional English be Taught as A Subject in Technical Programmes ?

Dr. Arun K. Behera

Abstract :

English has long been considered an internationally accepted means of communication. Hence, to survive and succeed in global environment, it’s imperative to have proficiency in English. Inadvertently, schooling worldwide inculcate English as a primary medium of instruction and also as a prime subject. The benevolence is carried forward, up to the undergraduate level. However, observing the current trend in graduates, it is realized that the university stipulate a mere 2 hours in a week in technical institutes for Functional English, in a semester spanning 3–4 months. The reduced teaching hours and the failure to consider English as a compulsory subject with respect to attendance and evaluation has been a major setback, especially for students hailing from a background, where native language is the major medium of instruction. This condition cannot be seen with complacency, since the students in 4 years undergraduate degree course appear for at least 64 subjects, where, their performance is judged by English writing skills. Also, the failure to implement Functional English successfully has reflected in various stressors during placement. The high rate of rejection at interviews has been much attributed to the lapses in communication and presentation skills alone. The outlook therefore necessitates an effective content based teaching methodology. The current study suggests certain remedial measures to improve the effectiveness of English as a subject in technical institute and also discusses them in ief.

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Article: Download PDF   DOI : 10.36106/ijar  

Cite This Article:

Dr. Arun K. Behera Should Functional English be Taught as A Subject in Technical Programmes ? Indian Journal of Applied Research, Vol.III, Issue.III March 2013

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