LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 11 : 11 November 2011
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.

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Comprehensible Input Processed through DIG Activities for
Time-Bound Speaking Skills

K. Sathya Sai, Ph.D. and G. Baskaran, Ph.D.

Abstract

Activating Speaking Skills of ESL Learners to meet the expectation at work situation remains one of the major challenges of English Language Teachers in Colleges. Adult Second Language Learners in countries like India aspire to learn time-bound speaking skills in order to secure a particular job. The subjects just need a limited vocabulary range and knowledge in frequently used structures and expressions at least to manage fairly their work situation in the beginning. Their ‘acquired competency’ from formal education is passive and they find a gap between knowledge gained from education and skills required to communicate at work situation.

This paper explores a method that helps the subjects for time-bound speaking skills and also activate ‘Learned Competency’ in due course of time. The emphasis of this new method is on activating speaking skills by DIG (Drill, Imitation, and Generation) activities among adult learners who have certain productive inability due to various reasons. The subjects of the study have been exposed to the second language only in the class rooms for more than a decade and their ‘Learned Competency’ is memory oriented and their ‘Acquired Competency’ is evanescent due to lack of practice. Hence, this new approach emphasizes on ‘DIG (Drill, Imitation, and Generation) activities in acquired ‘comprehensible input’ to develop productive skills of the learners by imposing pressing situation in production point.

Key terms: 1.Comprehensible input: language that is presented at a level understood by the learner. 2. DIG Activities: Drill, Imitation and Generation of sentences. 3. Learned Competency: knowledge of a language gained from formal learning (but not active in usage due to lack of practice.) 4. Acquired Competency: Ability developed from an environment where the learners learn how to use a language from other users.

Select Performance in Select Skills

This paper is an attempt to evolve a special method for developing speaking skills among ESL Learners closely following Stephen Krashen’s Second Language Acquisition theory with some modifications in order to address the specific problems of the select Learners, and also to meet their immediate requirement. The emphasis of this method is on activating speaking skills of adult learners who have certain productive inability due to various reasons. The subjects of the study have been exposed to the second language only in the class rooms for more than a decade and their ‘Learned Competency’ is memory oriented and their ‘Acquired Competency’ is evanescent due to lack of practice. The select subjects have not been given situations to practice language skills, and they themselves have never initiated discussion in second language. Assessments to test their language skills are always in the form of written examination, and spoken aspect is not considered for assessment at all. Hence, there is no need or compulsion for the learners to speak the target language in the class room or not even for examination.

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

K. Satya Sai, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Alagappa Government Arts College
Kariakudi-3
Tamilnadu
India
ksathyasai@gmail.com

G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Research Centre in English
V H N Senthikumara Nadar College
Virudhunagar- 626 001
Tamilnadu, India
rgbaskaran@gmail.com
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