LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 15:4 April 2015
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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A Study of the Low Achievement of English Language Learners in
Reading Skill at the Elementary Stage in Manipur

M. Gunamani Singh, Ph.D. Scholar
N. Pramodini Devi, Ph.D.

Abstract

Several methodologies and approaches were offered in NCF-2005. These were expected to be adopted in the schools but these were found only partially implemented at the Elementary stage in Manipur. Probably this could be one of the main reasons that the problem of low achievement persisted in some schools and English language learners did not attain the proficiency of reading skill required at the end of the Elementary stage in Manipur. Therefore, there is need to address this issue because it may not help future careers of the children. After the identification of this problem, ten schools (5 Private English medium schools and 5 Government schools) were selected for our study. Among these 5 Private schools, 2 of them were convent schools. Of the 5 Government schools, one is a model school where relatively more facility has been created by the Government. In order to carry out the investigation, language ability tests of reading skill were conducted. Questionnaires were administered to the teachers of English, who are working in these ten schools and their responses were analyzed. In addition, the Heads/Principals were also consulted by the investigator in relation to teaching/learning process, evaluation systems and their administration. We found some discrepancies in methods, approaches and lecture method (simply reading out text books to the students). It was found that CCE (Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation) was not properly followed. Despite the fact that some of the schools were found not implementing methods and approaches of NCF-2005 and MLL (Minimum Level of Learning) based teaching in the schools, some of the students had better performance in the language ability tests.

Key words: NCF-2005, elementary school, reading skill, teaching methodology, English learning

Introduction

Betts (1966) has defined reading as a thinking process. No doubt, thinking is an important aspect of reading process but not the whole of it. According to Goodman (1970) "the purpose of reading is the reconstruction of meaning. Meaning is not in print, but it is the meaning that the author begins with when he writes. Jenkinson (1973) adds a new dimension to this definition when he writes about reading. "Reading has been defined as an act of responding to printed symbols so that meaning is created. It has long since been recognized, however, that getting meaning from the printed page is too limited as a definition of reading. Bringing meaning to the printed page indicates more accurately the reciprocal process between the printer symbols and the mind of the reader". Constructing meaning is also a form of thinking.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

M. Gunamani Singh, M.A. English, B.Ed., M.Ed., Ph.D. Scholar
Department of Linguistics
Manipur University
Imphal
Canchpur-795003
Manipur
India
mutum.gunamani@gmail.com

N. Pramodini Devi, Ph.D. (Corresponding Author)
Professor
Department of Linguistics
Manpur University
India
npdini@yahoo.co.in
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