LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 16:1 January 2016
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.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
         Renuga Devi, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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M. S. Thirumalai
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Communication and Disruption in English Classroom

G. Baskaran, Ph.D., D. Nagarathinam, Ph.D. and M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

Abstract

This paper discusses the usefulness of group communication to develop better performance in English among the students of engineering colleges in Tamilnadu. It raises the question whether the emphasis on speaking in full and complete sentences is an appropriate goal. It points out that code-mixing code-switching or shifting is not very common when we want to use English for communication. Other issues discussed include the need for getting closer to Standard English, use of English in group meetings, speaking English using written English, advantages of group communication in learning to use English in engineering colleges, and disruptive acts during group communication.

Keywords: Code mixing, code-switching, communication through speaking, group communication, disruptive acts, collaborative team activity to learn to use English.

Speak in Full Sentences Only?

Does communication mean speaking in full sentences? Traditionally, English teachers wanted their students to speak in complete and full sentences. Composing a complete sentence does take time and it involves mastery of grammar and related features of speaking such as appropriate pause between sentences, appropriate pause using phrases within sentences, etc. Since our ultimate goal in most cases is to master writing in English, such an insistence is understandable. The performance of a student in English is still largely assessed by the level of mastery of writing in English.

Communication through Speaking

On the other hand, communication through speech may or may not contain complete sentences. Even broken sentences are understood using the context in which these are uttered. Even wrong use of a word may be corrected suitably and understood properly. Manner of delivery of sentences, phrases, along with intonation, comes to dominate communication. This does not mean that we accept speaking ungrammatical sentences or ungrammatical English. A strategy that encourages fluency and slowly switches over to correct grammar in several stages with examples and practice may be the best thing to adopt.

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

G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor
Faculty of English & Foreign Languages
Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed University)
Gandhigram
Dindigul 624 302
Tamilnadu
India rgbaskaran@gmail.com

D. Nagarathinam, Ph.D.
Principal
Theni Kammavar Sangam College of Technology
(Via) Veerapandi
Theni-625 534
Tamilnadu
India
Dnagarathinam1960@gmail.com

M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Faculty Member
University of Phoenix, AZ
USA
thirumalai12@email.phoenix.edu
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