IS ENGLISH EVERYTHING???


 

IS ENGLISH EVERYTHING?
By Ms Moqheeta Mehboob


I wanted to share some reflections from the school development programs I've been involved with, particularly regarding the use of language in the classroom. During these programs, I've noticed a recurring issue: the strict enforcement of English across all subjects, even when it's not the English language class. While I understand the intent behind this, I've seen how it can inhibit students from fully expressing their understanding and engaging deeply with the material.
From my observations, when students are allowed to use their mother tongue, they participate more freely and demonstrate a clearer grasp of concepts. This aligns with what the NCERT also advocates—allowing students to respond in their mother tongue to ensure they can fully engage with the content. The focus, after all, should be on learning and understanding, not just on using correct English.
The SCERT of Telangana has emphasized this in their guidelines as well. They recommend a bilingual approach where students can express themselves in their mother tongue, and teachers then help them transition those thoughts into English. This approach respects the students' linguistic backgrounds while also gradually building their English proficiency.
I understand that many of our schools are labeled as English medium, and there's a perceived obligation to ensure that English is used in every class to satisfy parents and societal expectations. However, based on what I've seen, enforcing English at the expense of students' understanding does more harm than good. The primary objective should be to ensure that students comprehend the material and can think critically about it—whether they're discussing it in English or their mother tongue.
Yes, mastering English is important, but it shouldn't come at the cost of students' ability to learn and express themselves. By adopting a more flexible, bilingual approach, we can support our students' overall development and ensure they are truly learning, rather than just struggling to present their knowledge in English.
Let's keep our focus on what really matters: helping our students understand the world around them and develop the skills they need to succeed, in whichever language allows them to do that best.


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