LANGUAGE IN INDIA

ELT in Libyan Universities - A Pragmatic Approach

S. Rajendran, Ph.D.

Abstract

Teaching English language and literature is an uphill task in Libyan universities. Not only are the students first generation learners but they have also been affected by the pull of their mother tongue and special writing style. The experience of a foreign teacher in the universities of Libya is challenging and enriching as well. Lack of interest and motivation and competitive spirit on the part of students, non-availabity of study materials, books, journals and news papers, absence of scholarly ambience and some of the blocks which hinder the process of learning the English language.

However, there are also special attributes found in them such as their amazing memory power, communicative English, their eagerness to listen to stories their sense of humour, etc.

Teaching English could be a rewarding experience in Libya if the teacher is imbibed with understanding, appreciation, encouragement and the skills for using appropriate, pragmatic teaching strategies so that the inherent talents of students could be brought out and enhanced. Hence, this paper focuses on the pragmatic approach to the teaching English to the Libyan students at the university level.

English in Libya

In Libya, English language skills are now recognized as indispensable not only in schools and universities but also in the armed forces. Ian Black (2007) reports: "After years when foreign language teaching was banned, Libyans are now queuing up to learning English."

English is a compulsory subject from the 5th grade of elementary school in Libya. There is a great desire amongst young professionals in Libya for developing English language skills for their betterment and favorable placement in the competitive global world. In short, the need for learning English is intensely felt for the social and economic development and for the advancement in the field of science and technology in the country.

Difficulties in Teaching English in Libya

But teaching English in the Libyan universities is a Herculean task. Except in the language class, students find no opportunity to learn or use English anywhere. Not even name boards of shops, hospitals, banks etc., are written in English.

Invariably Arabic is used everywhere. It is surprising to note that the university students fail to understand the meanings of even the commonly used English words like 'post office', 'money', 'street', etc., The complete lack of exposure to English of the students makes even more the task difficult to the teachers. Students seem to have no idea of proper sentence structure in English. They do not know the correct spellings and grammatical rules.

As Arabic is a stressed language like English, students use stress in speaking English but stress in the wrong syllables making their English unintelligible. The students seem to be less motivated and uninterested in English language classes. Still as a silver lining in a cloud, the Libyan students have excellent memory, interest in humour, communicative language and stories. The students seem to have no reading habit. This may be due to the absence of news papers, weeklies, monthlies and journals in English.

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