Many years back when I was a student I asked my teacher why do we need to study Literature at all? I was told my by learned teacher that there are many reasons but I would be given only two- one because it is the part of the course prescribed by the board so we just can't escape from it and secondly and more importantly it would help us to understand the nuances of English Language. I wasn't fully convinced so I put a rejoinder to my previous question as why does the board prescribe such a course where a 15 year old child is expected to study a full drama or Shakespeare , 20 poems and 15 short stories ( some of which were by no means short). I was rebuffed by my teacher saying that instead of putting irrelevant questions it would be much better if I start paying more attention to my studies.I kept on pondering over the question why is it necessary to study literature, I started asking many learned people and I got a variety of replies. Some said that it is necessary to understand a language- "Language without Literature”, they proclaimed , "is incomplete". I had no doubts in my mind regarding the study of language. I knew it for sure that English is the global language and the emerging link language in India. So English would be the passport to success. My problem was with literature. I was convinced that to study a language I do not need to study literature, I reasoned that for day to day communicational needs, I would certainly not use the kind of language that Shakespeare used in his plays. I was reasonably certain that if I start using the language of poetry most of the people would not understand.I had no option but to study the texts that the greats wrote ages ago,but in the process I got hooked on to the texts. It was as if I fell in love with the texts. It was like a miracle.Now I am a teacher and my teaching assignments are mostly to teach English Literature to 15-18 year olds. The course comes with the staple of a play of Shakespeare, some 15 poems and 15 stories. Over the years I have fallen in love with literature and though my initial college education was in Commerce, I had no problem in becoming a teacher of English Literature because I must confess that Literature is my first love.In my initial teaching years whenever I was confronted with the same question that I put my teacher, I tried to avoid it as I knew that if I am totally not convinced with the answer how would I be able to convince my students giving the same answer. At the same time I was not willing to let them go without getting a convincing answer.I had to fall back on my own instincts to give an answer. I jotted down the benefits that literature did to me and wow I had a convincing answer.One fine morning in my third year as a teacher I started teaching a new batch of students and my very first class was on why study literature. I wanted to give my students the answer before the question is asked. I have followed the same routine every year for over 15 years now and each time it gives me immense pleasure to see the students stare with wonder when I start the class by asking them the same question that I asked my teacher years ago and see them smile with conviction by the time the class comes to an end.I believe and I insist my students to believe that Literature is nothing but the reflection of life. It allows us to understand life. I tell my students that the study of science would make them a good scientist, the study of mathematics would make them a good mathematician, the study of history would make them a good historian, the study of medicine would make them a good doctor but whatever they are in their lives they are human beings first and literature aims to make a good human being.Next, I tell them that the study of literature enriches their understanding ofhuman beings. When they relate people with the characters that they had studied, they are able to understand people and when they judge any action of a person and relate it to the action of a character that they had studied they get a chance to understand the motives for such action. I tell them that if they want to be successful in their lives, they should not be judgemental just on the basis of an action but have the insight to look at the motives of such action. It is here that the study of literature comes handy.I tell my students that literature teaches a person to be more accommodating. It helps us to understand and appreciate the other point of view. There are many things that can be interpreted in ways more than one. Each interpretation can stand the test of time. Literature prepares us for a world where we need to accept that others may hold a view different from that of ours .An important thing that I tell my students is that Literature holds views that are universal and at the same time deeply personal. The truths are universal but the communication of those views is at a very personal level. The poet or the author addresses his audience but at the same time the poet or author is communicating with each and every individual reader. This in itself gives a sense of satisfaction when we realise that Shakespeare or Keats is talking to us directly.Now I realise that a man is incomplete without the study of literature. Literature is the best and by far the most disciplined way to inspire and provoke. I have seen the profound effect of poems on some of my students. An inspiring poem and the students are changed for the rest of their life. I myself have changed one of my habits after reading a poem by W.H Auden “The Unknown Citizen” in which Auden laments over the fact that in the modern world man is identified by a number and that people are losing the human touch. Since then I have made it a point that whenever I take the roll call I call out the name of the student and not identify the student by his / her roll number.
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I teach English in a school where a majority of the students are first generation or at best second generation learners of English. English is not the mother tongue or any of them but they all are to take English as their first language.What I have experienced as a teacher that Instead of treating English as a language we have treated it as a subject. Let us not discuss why we have done it, let us concentrate on what best we can do to treat it as a language instead of a subject.The basic skills of any language are LSRW and it is necessary to follow the same order. Let us take a flashback and understand haw have we learnt out mother tongue. We will appreciate that we have learnt to Listen first, then speak, then Read and then write. But for English we have sort of moved in the Reverse Gear, the very first day a child is introduced to English, he is given a pencil and paper and taught the alphabet. The child gets enough of writing practice but the other skills are ignored. We must appreciate that our role as English teachers is to create conditions to ensure that the child learns all the skills.Language begins with the ear. From the moment we are born, there is a strong connection between hearing language and producing language. We can readily observe the connection between hearing and speaking in a child's language development.A new-born baby is wonderfully attuned to his or her mother's voice. In experimental studies, day-old babies were presented with three different voices: the mother's normal speaking voice; the mother's voice on a monotone; and the voice of a stranger. Each baby responded only to its mother's normal speaking voice.Babies who are only a few days old will turn their heads towards sounds, and at two weeks they prefer human voices to non-human sounds.A child who has normal hearing develops the sounds of speech from interaction with people close to him or her and, by doing this, lays the foundations for other oral skills, such as turn-taking in conversation.Each one of us can contribute to create an atmosphere whereby our students would learn to listen, speak, read and write correct English..As far as writing skills are concerned, what I have felt is that the basic problem is with the verbs and tenses, if this problem is solved, I am sure 99% of all problems related to English will be automatically solved.Another important thing that we all have to see is that the students make extensive use of the dictionary. Whenever possible and in whichever way possible they should be asked to make extensive use of dictionary.to be continued...
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This post consists of the thoughts that I scribbled in April 2010The present condition of Indian Cricket reminds me of a famous poem of Eliot and I would like to share my thoughts about Indian CricketThe Wasteland of Indian Cricket(With Due Apologies to Mr. T.S.Eliot)April is the cruelest monthBreeding hatred and mistrust in benign heartsMixing memory and desireStirring old reminiscences with novel accents.Winter kept them warm…Wrapping distrust in tepid smilesNourishing us with balmy postures.Summer surprised us…Both came to the limelight with one sweet tweetThe sweetness vanished and it became sour tweet.Overnight friends became foes..Unknown beautician became a primetime celebrityNews channels suddenly got a spicy pie to distribute.Other important national issues lost the sheenAll energies were engaged to trace the route fromGod’s own Land to Paradise on EarthSon of God’s own land..Now we cannot say or guess…Were you mentoring for your own land orProtecting the sweat of the Paradise on Earth.We know these things don’t bother youFor you only know a sweet smileOn a sweet face and her sweat..Now you realizeThe grand old tree gives not shelterThe grand empress no solaceThe young scion nowhere to be seen..You hope for a shadow..but Old friends show their back.Now you see something different fromEither your shadow at morning marching behind youOr her shadow in the evening struggling to be with youor their shadows at night rising to meet you..They called you The Global Leader of Tomorrow.. The Pride of IndiaWhen you came back from the big battlefieldBeaten and bruised but with your head held highWe welcomed you for you made us proud.You were our hope then.. you still are.Our prayers are with you.You will overcome..Mr. Maverick, (an arrogant egoist)Have you felt the pinch? You set a trail with a sweet tweet..Are you the illegitimate father of the million dollar baby that you flout ?Or it is someone else’s entrusted to your care?Mr. Someone, has your child outgrown you?Is it too hot to handle now?Or you want to dump it now having smelled the rat?Mr. Maverick don’t just warn your enemiesDon’t just caution your friendsDon’t just hide the beans and threaten to spill them.Please for God’s sake come clean..Golden City full of muckGolden people with hearts of filthRun for a golden cover in this muckstorm.All confess just 70 drops of sweat had undone so many.Why are your sighs so short and infrequent now?It was not so long ago when all you golden peopleFixed your eyes before Mr. Maverick’s feetAnd followed him down every street.For you your golden muck was more precious thanThe fate of the nation.You followed him to distant shores not willing to waitTill the fate of the nation is sealed.May we now ask why did you do so?Let us not forgetThe corpse Mr. Maverick planted three years agoThe corpse that his golden friends nurtured.It has begun to sproutHold your breathIt has turned into a monster.Will it swallow all this year?The sunrise seems distant…The mudslinging continues….
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