The Centre for Adult, Continuing
Education & Extension (CACEE) organized a Seminar on English Grammar on Sunday,
17 March 2013 at the University Students’ Centre,
Trivandrum. Seven students of the
English Optional of Govt. College of
Teacher Education, Trivandrum attended the Seminar.
The focus of the seminar was on the
perspective of learners while learning English Grammar- their experiences,
their needs and their insights.
The inaugural address was delivered by
Dr. Jameela Beegum A., formerly
Professor and Head, Dept. of English, University of Kerala. Dr.A. R. Supriya,
Director, CACEE, presided the session.
Dr.B. S. Jamuna, Director, Centre for
English Language Teaching, University of
Kerala, chaired the Theme-based
talk presented by teachers from various
colleges.
In the afternoon many students made presentations.
Dr.P. P. Ajayakumar, Professor,
Institute of Distance Education, University of Kerala, delivered the Valedictory Address.
From the presentations made by four students of Govt.
College of Teacher Education, Trivandrum:
1. Ms. Iswarya:
*Grammar classes are nightmares for
most students in Kerala. They find it very strenuous to follow the complex
rules of
Grammar.
*The English language is ever changing... so is grammar. The study
of grammar can provide insights
into the workings of a language.
2. Mr. Clint Jerry:
*Students make mistakes in the use of
articles, prepositions, pronouns, capital letters, adverb and adjective. We
need an open mind....
The major changes
faced by students in the study of grammar are :
·
Lack of interest
·
Influence of mother tongue
·
Lack of exposure to
the target language
·
Too much addiction
·
Impossible to teach all grammatical rules
3. Ms.Silpa Mohan:
Everyone thinks about problems related to grammar from the teaching perspective. It would be a novel idea
to look at it from the learner’s
perspective. I would like to share my experience of learning
grammar. I studied in a CBSE school and there, we had separate texts for practising Grammar.
We were not taught rules as such, rather through constant practice we
imbibed them unconsciously. My
experience of learning grammar was not
at all bad...it was a nice experience.
And now I look back at my teachers who made grammar interesting.
4.Ms. Nayana Narayanan:
Some key points to be noted in teaching Grammar:
*Grammar is an integral part of the four skills. Grammar taught in isolation does not serve the purpose of communication.
* It is not always necessary to learn
the rules of grammar consciously in
order to learn a language.
*Whenever English is taught as a second
language, it might become necessary to teach grammar rules explicitly.
* Grammar practice is not doing written exercises. It also
involves practice which helps in developing fluency.
*Examples help learners apply rules
already internalized in a meaningful
situation. Rules if abstract, will not be assimilated by the learner...
The
presentations by the faculty and the learners helped the participants look at the problems related to teaching and
learning English Grammar from different perspectives. Both for the teachers,
and the students, the ‘Sunday experience’ turned out to be quite
fruitful.
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