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Abstract

The south Indian state of Kerala at the turn of the century, implemented an ‘activity-based, learner centred, process oriented curriculum’ in the constructivist paradigm with a pronounced focus on ‘Discourse-based Pedagogy’. There were however variations in transactional patterns particularly in tribal and rural areas where teachers showed a pronounced affinity for the bilingual method. An NGO, the English Language Teachers’ Interaction Forum (ELTIF) attempted to train teachers and also teach school children in villages using novel tasks and activities which were conversation driven and ‘interactive’. A variant of all these was the attempt by a school in a remote town to introduce an ‘immersion programme’ where native speakers from the UK, lived and interacted with the local community and also engaged sessions for school children. Which of these practices actually improved the competence of learners? Were there any tangible benefits? How was the issue of ‘cultural baggage’ addressed? To find answers to such questions, the investigator collected data from documents and studies published in journals and corroborated it with data collected from the field through observation, and interviews with teachers, students and the community. The study found that each strategy has its own benefit and flaws and a lot depends on learner interaction and willingness to use the target language, English. It is hoped that the findings of this study would help curriculum developers to design more need-based, learner friendly materials and employ strategies that enable learners to use the language effectively in an increasingly globalized and technology driven world.

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