LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 15:9 September 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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English for Engineering College Students in Tamilnadu

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

Abstract

This article discusses in general terms the conditions of teaching and learning English in the engineering colleges of Tamilnadu State, India. A Picture of Diversity in Enrollment is noticed. About one hundred thousand students seem to enroll for their bachelor’s degrees in engineering and technology in Tamilnadu. There are more than 500 engineering colleges in the State of Tamilnadu. Students from other Indian states and other nations also seek to study engineering subjects in these Tamilnadu colleges. Most students seem to have difficulty in achieving mastery of English which would help them to do better in their courses and enable them to get jobs. The paper argues in favor of undertaking some collaborative projects by the faculty members of the departments of engineering subjects and the department of English. The teachers of English in engineering colleges need to get oriented toward using and teaching non-literary styles of English. Collaboration between the English faculty and Engineering faculty will be seen readily as mutually beneficial. At the same time, there may be conflicts, misunderstanding, assumptions of superiority, etc. But with suitable team building processes and application of conflict resolution steps, both the faculty members will stand to gain.

Keywords: English for Specific Purposes, joint projects of English and Engineering Faculty

A Picture of Diversity in Enrollment

About one hundred thousand students seem to enroll for their bachelor’s degrees in engineering and technology in Tamilnadu. There are more than 500 engineering colleges in the State of Tamilnadu. Students from other Indian states and other nations also seek to study engineering subjects in these Tamilnadu colleges.

Girls represent a good part of students enrolled in these engineering and technology colleges. Majority of the students seems to come from rural parts of Tamilnadu, although the state is more highly urbanized than most other states in India according to Government of India statistics. Yet, the dominant number of students comes from rural parts and from families not much exposed to collegiate education or to the use of English in and around them.

First Generation Learners

First generation learners represent a significant portion of students enrolled in engineering colleges. Even though the college entrants may have opted English as the medium of instruction in their high school and higher secondary classes, Their competence in English even for purposes of classroom instruction and learning is not impressive, to say the least.

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 & 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
Veerapandi (Via.)
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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