Language Dynamics in Achieving Quality Teaching and Learning in Multilingual Society

Language Dynamics in Achieving Quality Teaching and Learning in Multilingual Society

Dr. Lulabi Pattanayak

In the UNESCO Report on Education for All(EFA): Monitoring and Evaluation of 2014, Director- General UNESCO (Irina Bokova) had written that, still, fifty seven million children are failing to learn, simply because they are not in school. Accessing the school is not the only crisis; poor quality is holding back learning even for those who make it to school. One third of primary school age children are not even learning the basics, whether they have been to school or not. India shows a grim picture in literacy, by contributing to the highest numbers of illiterates of the world. Out of them two-thirds are women. This reminded me of my field study in 2001, when in a remote village of Odisha a Santhal woman said, “I have withdrawn my daughter from school. I do not want her to go to school because after five years of schooling she is unable to read single alphabet. Teachers are not bothered about learning!” In 2011, in highest gender gap districts of Rajasthan I observed same thing. In standard VII-VIII girls were fumbling while reading English sentences. In class IV&V children fail to read basic Hindi! In last fourteen years literacy scenario of India has not changed much. Even statistics of 2014 supports that. Children fail to learn basic 3Rs in-spite of all government endeavors!!Why? Causes may be multifarious, but most important one is Language.

In multilingual- pluricultural society like India, it is to be continuously reaffirmed that diversity is our strength not weakness. If we ask, in how many occasions language is being nurtured in our home front or in school to ensure quality? Answer is-‘Hardly’. Issues like language and culture are being ignored, may be not considered worthy enough to be mentioned. While working among tribal children and women in Rajasthan, Odisha and West Bengal I have always encountered with language issues. Before understanding language dynamics in Humanities it is to be remembered that language is all pervading. Without language nothing can be communicated, whether it is natural science, physical science or humanities. Most amazing thing is that, under the umbrella of Humanities language, linguistics and social sciences are included. It is complex, but to ensure quality teaching- learning identifying the nuances and acknowledging the differences between humanities, language, linguistics, natural sciences and physical sciences are also important. Apparently they might seem unrelated but there are inter-linkages. Identifying these gaps in any subjects would help in ensuring quality education. For example, many studies had shown that children fail in mathematics because they could not follow the language of mathematics, not because they do not know mathematics. Same with other subjects, language do not imply mere words; every subject is expressed in certain manner. Similarly it needs to be mentioned that, there is difference between language and literature. Language and literature are not synonymous. Language is a means of communication, it is carrier of culture, it is one’s identity and it also carries knowledge from one generation to other. No matter whether it is oral or written, it has its own script or not, language embraces all aspects of human life and keeps us rooted. Literature is an essential part of that rootedness. But knowledge processed and packaged through schooling, completely ignores orality giving emphasis only on reading and writing. It too denies that people are repository of knowledge, giving all importance to text books and mindless teaching. Hence EFA Monitoring and Evaluation Report-2014 puts a big question mark in-front of planners’ educationists, thinkers, politicians and citizens of India, why we fail to achieve our target in-spite of all our endeavor?

It is to be noted that rural India cannot be divided in different categories and sub categories. Whether it is tribals or non -tribals both are nothing but generalized abstractions. In rural India learning by doing is no slogan; rather it is part of their cultural nuances. Their culture is totally different from culture transmitted through schooling. Our current slogan ‘learning to do’ is not influenced by their doing or undoing. Rather the formal system of schooling continuously alienates them from their own culture.

i)First alienation is from mud house to pucca school building. They cannot relate to the environment in and out of the building. In the pucca house they work as labourer, where as in building individual house they are participants.

ii)Second alienation is loss of language – even if it is a small tribal / non tribal group, they speak diverse languages.Their languages are mostly unwritten, as a result, modern communication and education becomes difficult.

iii)Third alienation is the textual context. Content has no relationship with their lifestyle. Very often middle class values are communicated through these texts.

Hence in majority of the States of India children fail in MIL than mathematics. Assuming the regional or state language to be their mother tongue school refuses to acknowledge language diversity and cultural diversity in the existing teaching process. In the name of mainstreaming the children in urban or rural area their culture and language is denied. In the name of education their language is given least importance, which leads to further loss of language. Even if they try hard to hold to their identity, continuously they have to encounter mockery, in the world of dominant languages these children were forced to feel that speaking in one’s mother tongue is shame, where as talking in English, Hindi or dominant Indian languages is matter of pride. For first generation learners who are cognitively unequal to their other counterpart, to them this creates tremendous cognitive and psychological pressure inside and outside the classroom. These not only confuse the children in the school, simultaneously lead to poor learning and dropouts and destroy their social fabric completely.

Achieving quality education ensuring learning and retention following measures can be taken. They are:

In a plural society like India, to achieve quality education, planners and policy makers should not only strive for literacy but also for multiple literacies. To achieve multiple literacies, Bi-literacies is a precondition. It links one language to another. Bi-lingualism will ensure the maintenance of mother tongue or home language with school language. Ensuring quality learning, reading and writing in one’s mother tongue should go hand in hand with spoken dominant language. As languages are taught through skills emphasizing the learner’s speaking ability in mother tongue then linking to dominant language and moving from there to reading and writing would make learners competent in both the languages. Moreover it also prepares the child to study in the dominant language in post primary stages. If home language is not linked with school language, majority of the students in primary level would drop out due to language related issues. Even adult learners should go through same procedure of bilingual literacies.
An education system is as good as teachers. Unlocking their potential is essential to enhance their quality of learning. Studies show that education quality improves when teachers are supportive. It deteriorates if they are not, as a result contributing to youth illiteracy of the country.
Recruitment of right teachers, providing right training, respecting diversity and supporting weakest learners at very early stage is first and foremost priority of achieving quality education. Moreover, best teachers should be allocated to different parts of the country to be acquainted with the diverse groups of children. All these should be facilitated with right mix of incentives.
No matter how small the group is, in the name of education they should not be assimilated, should not be put in a single homogenous group. “The Education for All” of the diverse groups residing in different parts of India can never be uniform. It must seek solution to group specific problems in different states.
Giving importance to the gender perspective in education is mandatory .It would not only help in learning it would also curb dropouts among girl child.

To achieve our EFA goal by 2020, government needs to redouble efforts to provide learning to all who are in disadvantageous position, whether from poverty, gender, where they are living or other factors. To bring changes, most important thing is to reach out to grass-root level. Otherwise even after another or more fourteen years universalisation would seem a distant dream.

In ensuring quality education, language plays an important role. Hence linguists have vital role to play:

Planners and Policy makers should put language agenda before formulating anything. Simultaneously, there should be a proper Language Policy to address all the issues of our country. Continuously evaluate our education and development programs in the light of this policy. To curb dropout and ensure retention elementary and secondary education need to be reflected in the light of this policy. At government level linguists should explain how multilingualism is an asset not a deficiency.
Secondly, linguists would sensitize policy makers, educationists, planners, teachers and parents that bi-literacies , later multiple literacies would enhance learning ability. They would also emphasize how till class-V teaching- learning process should be based on bi-literacies. Then from class V-X, bi-literacies need to be interwoven with multiple- literacies. Then only it can curb dropouts and rate of failure.
Thirdly, putting the language agenda in pedagogy alone would not suffice the needs of the children in the classrooms. Teachers need to be trained time to time by the expert linguists to understand the nuances of role of language in any subject.
Fourthly, providing training to the teacher alone would not solve our problem. Because language is not an issue in rural area it is also prevailing in urban area among most elite groups. They believe many language curbs creativity and retards cognition. Hence linguists too can play a crucial role in explaining the connection between language, cognition and creativity. It would help teacher and parent in grooming the child.
Linguists should sensitize common mass to speak in their mother tongue, explain them why speaking in one’s mother tongue is sense of pride not a matter of shame. It would also curb further language loss.
Lastly, encourage more written materials in all the mother tongues. Mother tongue speakers should be encouraged. Simultaneously, well written reading materials should be made available for them. All reading and interacting materials, e. g. books, stories need to incorporate culture, tradition, beliefs, needs and aspirations of the groups they are addressing to. Curriculum need to be learner centric, otherwise it would deter the learners from taking interest in their mother tongue. Moreover, administrative work should be encouraged in mother tongue along with state language for conserving the mother tongue. So that development is not retarded because of language loss.

To achieve quality teaching and learning merely formulating different programmes with different denominations would not suffice our need. Understanding the language dynamics in education is the call of the moment, though it never got its due, it is an elixir to everything relating to development.

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