PEDAGOGY OF ENGLISH (Upper Primary Level) | D.El.Ed Notes in Hindi
PEDAGOGY OF ENGLISH (Upper Primary Level) | D.El.Ed Notes in Hindi
S-9D PEDAGOGY OF ENGLISH (Upper Primary Level)
Q. 1. Suggest useful strategies for developing listening and
speaking skills among the learners ?
Ans. Listening skills could be enhanced by focusing on making the
students listen to the sounds of English words. This would help them
with the right pronunciation of words.
In order to improve speaking skills, language games and pair work
activities are encouraging source to learn to speak the language. The
activities based on same sound words, rhyme words and intonations of
English language through simple reproduction helps a lot. Some of the
strategies to improve listening and speaking skills are as follows―
(1) Watch films that model conversation skills. It enables people to
share thoughts, opinions, and ideas, and receive them in turn.
(2) Use technology for improving student communication skills.
Students can listen to or read along with audiobooks to hear how the
speaker pronounces and enunciates different words or phrases.
(3) Reinforce active listening by reading a selection of text aloud,
and then having the class discuss and reflect on the content.
(4) Offer group presentations and assignments can also help students
sharpen both oral and written communication skills.
(5) Ask open-ended questions because they require more than a one-
or two-word response. Open-ended questions are vital for inspiring
discussion and demonstrating that there are multiple ways to perceive
and answer a question.
(6) Use tasks and activities that foster critical thinking. This is an
another task-based method for improving student communication skills
is through critical thinking exercises. This can be done verbally or through
written assignments that give students the chance to answer questions
creatively using their own words and expressions.
Q. 2. List some Strategies to improve listening and speaking
skills among students through word accent, group discussion and
spoken English.
Ans. (a) Word accent-An word accent round is a stage in the
interview process which is used for nonnative English speakers to improve
their oral communication skills. English speaker’s communication skills
are judged on the following parameters: mother-tongue accent, listening
comprehension, and fluency. In a word accent there are several exercises
in some or all of the following sections below.
● Introduction : This will feel like a normal interview students are
asked to introduce themselves. They are asked about hobbies, likings,
routine, family background, etc.
● Topic(s) : Students may be given simple topics to talk about. This
is where they will be evaluated on the flow of thoughts, fluency, how they
compose their sentences, vocabulary, etc.
● “Answering questions : This will be comprised of questions and
following instructions. For example, students may be asked to say what
the synonym or antonym of a word is. They might also be asked to listen
to a short story or statement and then retell the story or statement as
closely as they can remember in their own words.
● Reading : It is common for some word accent rounds to provide
students with written passages, and/or a list of sentences for them to read
aloud.
(b) Group discussion― Group discussion is essentially an interactive
oral process. The group members need to listen to each other and use
voice and gesture effectively, use clear language and persuasive style.
The exchange of ideas in a group discussion takes place in a systematic
and structured way. Each of the participants gets an opportunity to express
his/her views and comments on the views expressed by other members
of the group
This skill can be developed by giving students the topic individually
and asking them to brainstorm or mind-map all of the possible sub-topics
they could speak about. The students can then swap their notes and assess
or analyse the relevance of each of the sub-topics their partner has included.
Together, the students then draw up a fresh list or mind-map and discuss
how the sub-topics might be linked together, along with examples or
reasons for any arguments they might have. Encourage group discussions
outside class time. Give students some extra feedback forms to use to
give each other input on how they perform in group discussions outside
of class.
(c) Spoken English―English speaking practices with one another
helps a lot in improving listening and speaking skills. In reality, the only
way to develop fluency in speaking is by huge amounts of listening, and
then practicing. Listening is the foundation for speaking. In the classroom
and outside the teacher should make the students to talk in English, challenge
themselves to speak without stopping or stammering (taking pauses
between your words the entire time. This might mean that their sentences
won’t be grammatically perfect, and that’s okay! If they focus on speaking
fluently instead of correctly, they’ll still be understand and they’ll sound
better. Teacher can fill in the correct grammar and word rules as they
learn them better.
Q. 3. What is the importance of evaluation in the teaching of English ?
Ans. Evaluation refers to a periodic process of gathering data and
analyzing it to determine whether the learners are achieving their language
learning objectives or not. Evaluation can be done in various ways to
check the improvement of the learners and the effectiveness of the teaching
learning methods. It is a valuable tool in teaching of English in many
ways-
(i) It helps to identify areas for improvement.
(ii) It helps to achieve the desired language learning goals effectively.
(iii) It is a tool to find out where the learners are facing problems in
language learning and communication.
(iv) It helps to carried out planned activities and achieve the anticipated
results.
(v) Through gathering the data and analyzing it. th teacher can
organize learner centric activities to improve their communication skills.
(vi) It provides feedback on the effectiveness of instruction and gives
students a measure of their progress.
(vii) It ensures whether the initiatives of teaching English are effective
and reflect students need. Evaluations provide examples of success to
inspire others and improve your performance.
(viii) It helps to keeps record of students’ achievements.
Q. 4. What are the needs and process of adaptation of teaching
materials ? Discuss its teachniques or process.
Ans. Adaptation is a formal process in which the teacher makes a
decision about whether an exercise that needs changing or not. He then
writes out a revised version for the class or he constantly adapts while
teaching. Reasons for adaptations in the topic are:-
(i) Not enough coverage of grammar.
(ii) Not enough practice of grammar points.
(iii) Passage has too many difficult words.
(iv) Material is too much.
(v) Very little variety in the:activities.
(vi) Comprehension questions are too easy.
(vii) Not enough guidance for speaking and pronunciation.
(viii) subject matter not appropriate for the learners.
Adaptation is generally viewed as a formal process in which the teacher
make a decision about, say and exercise that needs changing and then
writes out a revised version for the class. Adaptation is much more than
this. Adapted materials need not to be written down or made permanent.
It can be quite transitory. The good teacher is constantly adapting. She
adapts when she adds example not found in the book or when she
telescopes and assignment by having students prepare only select items.
She adapts even when she refers to an exercise covered earlier or when
she introduces a supplementary picture.
Q. 5. What is the relationship between curriculum, syllabus and
textbook of English in Bihar at upper primary level ?
Ans. The Curriculum is a conceptual structure for decision making
rather than details on what is to be done in the classroom. We can say that
the Curriculum is the complete set of taught materials in a school system.
it is prescriptive as opposed to the syllabus. The Syllabus is descriptive,
which incorporates the outline of the topics covered. We can say that if
the curriculum prescribes the objectives of the system, the syllabus
describes the means to achieve them. Another important feature is that the
curriculum covers all the activities and arrangements made by the institution
throughout the academic year to facilitate the learners and the instructors
whereas the syllabus is limited to a particular subject in a particular class.
A syllabus translates the philosophy of the curriculum into a series of
planned steps leading towards more narrowly defined objectives at each
level.
The syllabus determines what king of materials will be adopted and in
what ways they will be exploited for classroom teaching. In certain
educational what ways they will be exploited for classroom teaching. In
certain educational contexts, the syllabus even determines how materials
should be designed in the first place. All aspects of the curriculum and the
syllabus are incorporated in the textbooks. In other words, what is
mentioned in the curriculum is reflected in the syllabus and the textbook is
the reflection of the syllabus. The syllabus by itself cannot be transacted
in the classroom.
That is the reason why there is demand and need for the textbook.
The textbook is a concrete tool for interacting with the learners. The
more planned the textbook is, the easier the task of the teacher in making
his/her leamers transact the content becomes. Since the textbook is a
potent tool in the hands of a teacher, it must match the mental age of the
learners. Suitable vocabulary, structures, sufficient exercises for practice,
innovative activities, and appealing illustrations are the basic concepts of a
textbook. Simple language and style of presentation also matter a lot.
Q. 6. What are the objectives of teaching English at Upper
primary level in Bihar ?
Ans. An objective is a desired goal that is trying to be accomplished.
It is the main point of something or the main point that is being proved.
The objectives of teaching English at Upper primary level in Bihar are the
following―
(1) Listening, reading, speaking and writing are the four important
objectives. The first objective of teaching English is to understand written
English. Teacher should try to help children to understand written English.
Students should be made familiar with words and construction of sentences
Teacher should try to increase the ability of the pupil to speak English
accurately, correctly and fluently. It helps them to translate their mother
tongue thought into English sentence to speak it. This checks fluency as
well as spontaneity. The aim of teaching English thus should enable the
students to express their ideas in simple English.
(2) Writing is also equally important. The students should be able to
write composition.
(3) All the four skills i.e. Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
become important as the student grows, particularly reading and writing
at the later stage.
(4) Students should be able to read other books excluding textbooks
i.e. novel, poetry, drama, essay writing, autobiography, precis-writing
etc.
(5) To enable the student to brush-up their knowledge of grammatical,
lexical and discourse systems in English and use English in context
appropriately.
(6) To enable the student to improve upon their own proficiency in
English, etc.
Q. 7. What are the objectives of teaching English at the upper
primary level with reference to NCF 2005 ?
Ans. General Objectives of teaching English in upper primary level
with reference to NCF 2005 are, Students should be able to
1- Develop their intellectual, personal and professional abilities.
2 – Acquire basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading and
writing) in order to communication with speakers of English language.
3 – Acquire the linguistic competence necessarily required in various
life situations.
4-Acquire the linguistic competence required in different professions.
5 – Develop their awarences of the importance of English as a means
of international communication.
6- Develop positive attitudes towards learning English.
7 – Develop the linguistic competence that enables them to be aware
of the cultural, economical and social issues of their society in order to
contribute in giving solution.
8-Develop the linguistic competence that enables them in the future,
to present and explain the Islamic concepts and issues and participate in
spreading Islam.
9-Develop the linguistic competence that enables them, in the future,
to present the culture and civilization of their nation.
10 – Benefit from English-speaking nations, in order to enhance the
concepts of international cooperation that develop understanding and
respectof cultural differences among Nations.
11 – Acquire the linguistic bases that enable them to participate in
transferring. The scientific and technological advances of other nations to
their nation.
12- Acquire the linguistic bases that enable them to present and explain
islamic. Concepts and issues, and participate in the dissemination of them.
Q. 8. What are the methods and approaches for teaching English
at Upper primary level ? Give examples.
Ans. There is no single, universal, optimal method for teaching and
learning modern languages. We need to adopt an informed eclectic method,
incorporating elements from the entire range of methods available. No
doubt there are many methods of language. Teaching, but these are some
of the major. Ones selected-
a. The Behaviouristic Approach― A Behaviouristic approach to
leaming views learning as a mechanical process without any cognitive
involvement. It lays a lot of emphasis on habit formation. The teacher
controls the learning environment. Here the learners are perceived as empty
vessels into which the teacher pours knowledge. Behaviourist Language
Theory is identified with the Audio-lingual/Audiovisual method, associated
with the use of rote learning through repetitive drills. In this approach
there is very little room for problem solving. In the behaviourist approach
and the methods that follow this approach there is a lot of emphasis on
learning by memorising.
b. The Grammar-Translation Method – It is perhaps the oldest and
most widely practised Method of language teaching. In this method, focus
is on studying grammatical rules and how words are formed, doing written
exercises, memorising vocabulary, translating texts into the mother
language. However, in today’s Classrooms, this method is not favoured
much because it is felt that it does not provide sufficient exposure to a
rich target language learing environment.
For example― the teacher opens the book, reads out the passage and
translates each line into Hindi or the mother tongue. At the end of the
passage or short text, s/he also gives a summary in Hindi. Once the
translation of the text is over; he comes to the grammatical exercises,
starts explaining rules of grammar in Hindi and writing examples in English
on the blackboard, the students simply note down what the teacher says
or writes on the blackboard
c. Cognitive approach― A Cognitive perspective involves the process
of acquiring knowledge through the use of reasoning, intuition, or
perception. It is thus related to thought processes. In this approach learners
are encouraged to work out rules deductively for themselves. For example
– the teacher shows an animated video in the classroom of a busy road,
showing a traffic jam. Some vehicles are parked near the board “No
Parking”. Pets are also on the road. A boy is helping an old lady cross the
road. The traffic policeman is present there but he is a mere spectator.
After watching the video, the teacher asks the students to answer the
questions based on that video. For example-
● Should the pets be allowed on the road as shown here?
● Is the traffic policeman doing his duty properly?
This method emphasise the learner’s cognitive activity, involving
reasoning and mental processes rather than habit formation.
a. The Structural Approach― The structural approach emphasises
that language can best be learnt through a scientific selection and grading
of structures or patterns of sentences and vocabulary. It believes that
word order or the patterns of form” is of primary importance in learning
a foreign or second language. It is the order of words in a pattern that
makes true meaning clear. It lays a lot of emphasis on the use of function
or structural words. It gives due importance to the forming of language
habits. It regards speech as more important than reading and writing. For
example the teacher communicate with the students to teach the structure
formation of sentences―
Teacher: Good morning children.
Children: Good morning, Ma’m.
Teacher: (Showing a basket to the class) What’s this?
Children: A basket.
Teacher: Answer in a complete sentence not in a phrase.
Children: It is a basket.
In this way the teacher teach only one type of structure in one drill
b. The communicative Approach – communicative language
teaching makes use of real life situations that require communication.
classroom tasks equip students with the skills necessary for communication
in those contexts.
The teacher first sets up situaton that the students are likely to face in
real life e.g asking for informatin, describing a process,
telephoning, apologising, complaining, giving direction, etc. The role of the
teacher is that of facilitator and guide, not an all knowing giver of knowledge.
This approach lays more emphasis on engaging the larners in meaningful
interactionsand construction of maning rather than in pattern practice/
Structual drill/habit formation students are given opportunities to reflect
on their own learning process. For example – the teacher communicates
in the classroom in the following manner-
Teacher: Good morning, children.
Students: Good morning, sir
Teacher: Have you seen your parents preparing tea?
Students: Yes, sir.
Teacther: Could any one of you tell the class how your father or
mother prepares tea?
Students: No, sir.
cup of tea?
Teacher:Alright. Can you name the things that we need to make a
Students: Yes sir. we need water, tea leaves, milk and sugar.
Q. 9. What are the techniques of evaluating learning materials?
Ans. The techniques of evaluating learning materials are the
following―
a. Evaluating Traditional resources―Traditional resources include
any
textbooks and workbooks used in the classroom. For example,
language arts classrooms almost always have literature textbooks, writing
textbooks, and even vocabulary and spelling workbooks. In addition to
these, traditional resources also include any supplemental reading material,
like novels or poems outside of the textbook. To evaluate these traditional
resources, the most important aspect is to make sure the choosen material
within the resource that appropriately relates to the learning objective.
Most textbooks and workbooks have already been designed to align with
certain educational standards and are therefore very reliable in regards to
addressing classroom goals. Still, it is important to be sure to choose
material within the textbooks that matches specific learning objective.
b. Evaluating Graphic Organizers― Graphic organizer is any type
of visual representation of information. Diagrams, charts, tables, flow
charts, and graphs are all examples of graphic organizers. To evaluate
graphic organizers, the most important aspect is to make sure they support
learning and are not merely creative distractions. Some materials can be
very fun and interesting, but if they do not support learning, they should
not be included in the lesson. For instance, a Venn diagram on two
characters in the novel, A Tale of Two Cities, can be a nice visual, but this
is a higher-level novel and needs a more in depth type of graphic organizer.
At this level, a Venn diagram is just too simple.
c. Evaluating Teacher-Made Resources―A last type of
instructional material comprises any teacher-made resources. These
include anything the teacher creates, like handouts, worksheets, tests,
quizzes, and projects. Many of these are used for assessment in the
classroom, which is determining the level of learning on any given topic.
Evaluating these materials is important. Everything a teacher creates
must be true assessment of the learning objective. For instance, a test on
a more advanced novel needs to show how a student can apply the
concepts of theme, character development, conflict and other literary
ideas covered in that unit, etc.
Q. 10. What is the need for materials evaluation ?
Or
Do all teaching materials need evaluation ?
Ans. Teaching materials mean anything which is used to help language
learning. For example book, workbooks, CDS, flashcards etc. Materials
evaluations are a procedure that involves measuring the value of a set of
learning materials. It focuses largely on the need of the users. We need to
evaluate teaching materials because some materials are inappropriate or
unuseful for the learners in the teaching context. So we need to evaluate
teaching materials in order to:-
(i) Make materials meaningful, enjoyable and understandable.
(ii) To match them with the objectives laid down in the curriculum.
(iii) To make them compatible with the learning context including
social beliefs and cultural practices.
(iv) To make them appropriate for developing the desired language
skills.
No, all teaching materials do not need evaluation. But in recent years
there is an increase in the use of commercially produced foreign language
books as teaching materials for the learners. Which are not appropriate
for their teaching context.
Q. 11. What are the defferences between linguistic competence
and communicative competence ? Show the differences with the help
of an example.
Ans. Linguistic competence:― It is the ideal language system that
enables speakers to produce and understand countless number of
sentences in their language. They develop intuitive notion about what
structure is grammatically correct or incorrect. They become able to
distinguish between grammatical structures from ungrammatical
Structures. Their competency involves all aspects of language written,
spoken, reading and cultural wealth of that language. Also they have the
knowledge of correct sounds, structures and grammatical items in linguistic
competence, for example :―
(i) I want to buy a car.
(ii) I want buy to a car.
The speaker of English would not accept sentence (ii) although all the
words in it are English words.
Communicative competence:― It is the language system that
enables the user how to form grammatically correct sentences. They
have the knowledge of grammatical rules and also they know about when
and were to use there sentences and with whom. This is an operational
form of a language system. It includes :―
(1) Knowledge of grammar
(2) Knowledge of vocabulary
(3) Knowledge of how to respond
(4) Knowledge of how to use language appropriately for example
(i) Please, let me go.
(ii) Close the door.
The learner can easily understand that the first sentence is a request
and the second one is an order to someone.
Q. 12. What are the different approaches for teaching English
grammar ? Explain it.
Ans. The role of grammar in a language is make language correct
and accurate. It is a description of the rules that govern how sentences
are formed in a language. Different approaches for teaching grammar are :
(1) Prescriptive or Deductive approach:― It is a rule driven
approach and is thought to be traditional.
The teacher states the rules of the language and provides examples in
support of these rules. The learner is expected to learn these rules and
practice them to reinforce them. For e.g.-The teacher tells the definition
of Noun. Give them examples of its different kinds. Then he asks the
learners to do some exercises and memories the definitions and rules.
(2) Communicative approach:― In this approach learners acquire
the grammar of the language, through activities and interaction between
“Sir, May I close the window?”
the learners and teachers and the leamers themselves. For e.g. Student:
Teacher,” Why do you want to close the window?”
Student 1: “It’s cold and windy.”
Teacher, “Does anyone else feel cold?”
Student 2: “I feel hot, If you close the window, it will be worse.”
It this method the teacher is teaching grammar (simple present tense)
but not impose rules of the grammar. Here language is learnt through
communication.
(3) Constructivist approach:― In this approach the teacher engages
the learners in real life situations and facilitates them to infer rules of the
language. The learners make their own meaning based upon their
background knowledge, experiences and purposes.
For e.g.―Make the learners to sit facing each other. Now the teacher
facilitates them to talk about their names, parent’s names, place where
they live in. Now draw the columns on board as the following –
Name Person Place
Now he tells them all these words on the board are naming words
and are called nouns. In this activity the teacher creates an environment
for the students to build their own knowledge.
Q. 13. What are the Strategies for teaching reading skills of
seen/unseen passages, reading of informative pieces with essays,
reading of fables, folktales, short plays and short stories ?
Ans. a. Seen/unseen passages―Comprehension of a seen/unseen
passage means a complete and thorough understanding of the passage.
In seen passages the main idea is given in the text where as in the unseen
passage the main idea is hidden in the context of the passage. The main
object of comprehension is to test one’s ability to grasp the meaning of a
given passage properly and also one’s ability to answer, in one’s own
words, the questions based on the passage. A variety of questions like
short answer type questions, completion of incomplete sentences, filling
the blanks with appropriate words and exercises based on vocabulary are
set forth for the purpose.
Before attempting to answer the questions on a passage, it is necessary
to read the passage again and again so that a general idea of the subject of
the passage becomes clear. Once the passage is clear, it is easy to answer
the answers of the questions.
Teacher should tell that one should also keep the following points in
mind before answering the questions set on a given passage:
1. Read the passage quickly to have some general idea of the subject
matter.
2. Read the passage again and underline the important points.
3. Read the questions and try to know what has been asked.
4. Read the passage again and underline the portions where the
probableanswers may be available.
5. Use, as far as possible, your own words to answer the questions
in a precise and brief way.
6. Always use complete sentences while answering a question.
7. If you are asked to give the meaning of some words or phrases,
try to express your idea, in your own words, as clearly as possible.
8. Don’t give your own opinions or comments about anything unless
you are asked to do so. Example –
There is a story of a man who thought he had a right to do what he
liked. One day, this gentleman was walking along a busy road, spinning
his walking-stick round and round in his hand, and was trying to look
important. A man walking behind him objected.
“You ought not to spin your walking-stick round and round like that!
he said.
“I am free to do what I like with my walking-stick,” argued the
gentleman.
“Of course you are,” said the other man, “but you ought to know
that your freedom ends where my nose begins.”
The story tells us that we can enjoy our rights and our freedom only
if they do not interfere with other people’s rights and freedom.
Questions
1. Why was the gentleman on the road moving his walking stick
round and round?
2. Who objected him?
3. What argument did the gentleman give?
4. Was the other satisfied with argument?
5. What did he say in reply?
b. Reading of informative pieces with essays—The purpose of an
informative essay is to educate others on a certain topic. Typically, these
essays will answer one of the five Ws: who, what, where, when, and
why. Of course, they can also answer “how,” indicating how to do
something. The basic structure of an informative essay is very simple. It
needs to have a beginning, middle, and end. These are known more formally
as the introduction, body, and conclusion, respectively. The introduction,
is the opportunity to present thesis statement and grab the attention of the
reader. The body, is the opportunity to expound upon the thesis statement
and grab the attention of the audience with solid facts, statistics, statements,
and other supporting details. The conclusion, is the opportunity to
summarize the essay in a paragraph or two. It should spur the reader to
want to learn more about the topic. Example-
The process of donating blood is decidedly simple. Many folks carry
out the process while reading a chapter from a new book or watching an
episode of their favourite TV show. Indeed, the infinitesimal amount of
time it takes to donate blood can transfer into a lifetime of happiness for
the recipient. Remember to bring juice or something sugary to keep your
glucose levels high at the end of the procedure. Then, hold your head up
high, knowing there’s a life out there that’s about to be saved by you.
The teacher should motivate the learners to read pieces of informative
essays. The more they read the more it inform and educate them on a
topic given. Teachers can help students, grabbing the main idea and
information about the topic.
c. Reading of fables/folk tales/shortplays/short stories—A fable
is a story that features animals, plants or forces of nature which are
anthropomorphised (given human qualities). A fable always ends with a
“moral”. This is the lesson that is intended to be learnt through reading
the story.
Folktales (or folk tales) are stories passed down through generations,
mainly by telling. Different kinds of folktales include fairy tales (or
fairytales), tall tales, trickster tales, myths, and legends.
Short plays and short stories also are the useful resources to improve
reading abilities of the learners. All these scripts are for entertaining
purpose, thus are interesting to read. Teachers should make arrangements
in the classroom for students to read fables, folk tales, short plays and
short story books. This will enhance the reading ability and learning English
language as well.
Q. 14. What are the Strategies for teaching controlled, free,
guided composition, sentence making, dictations, grammar items
and translations to Improve writing.
Ans. a. Controlled, free, guided composition―Composition is
the expression of thoughts, ideas, feelings, observations, experiences in
written form. It refers to the process of collecting thoughts or information,
arranging them in a sequence and expressing them in accordance with
recognized standards of form.
An essay, a story a letter, a poem, a description etc are some of the
forms of composition.
Writing composition should be taught to students when the students
have gained sufficient knowledge of English vocabulary, structures and
spellings. The aims of written composition are as follows:
(i) To develop their writing ability.
(ii) To enable them to write correctly
(iii) To enable them to express their ideas and thoughts in writing in
an organized way.
There are two types of written composition:
(a) Guided written composition
(b) Free written composition
Guided Written Composition is usually introduced at the early stage.
The teacher guides the students to write with the help of controlled
vocabulary and structures. It lays the foundations for writing free
composition. Guided written composition can be done by using the
following methods:
(i) By giving dictation
(ii) By giving certain words and asking the students to make the
sentences using those words.
(iii) By giving substitution table to make various sentences.
(iv) Writing description of an object or a picture with the help of key
words.
(v) By asking to complete the story or a paragraph by filling the
gaps.
(vi) By giving few sentences from the text book and ask them to
write parallel sentences.
(vii)By reproducing the gist of story.
(viii) By reproducing the description of the picture.
(ix) Expansion of a topic on the basis of the given outlines.
There are five types of free composition:
(i) Narrative composition―It involves description of an event like
visit to the zoo, a journey by train etc.
(ii) Story type composition― The teacher can present a picture or
series of pictures before the students and ask them to write the story.
(iii) Reflective Composition—It includes essay writing, letter writing
application etc.
(iv) Imaginative composition—The teacher can give some imaginary
situation or topic to the students to write on it using their own imagination.
For example: If I were a principal! When I trapped in a road jam!
(v) Literary composition―Literary composition includes abstract
writing and explanation writing.
Free Written Composition should be introduced at the later stage. In
free composition, there is no restriction on the students regarding use of
vocabulary, structures and the length of composition etc. Students
are
free to tackle the topic on their own freely. They are encouraged to think
freely and express themselves freely.
Guided writing involves a teacher working with a group of leamers
on a writing task. The aims of the task are based on what they have
previously been learning about the writing process. Guided writing aims
to support learners in this psychologically and cognitively difficult activity.
b. Sentence making―At this level students know the basic
structure of the sentences. So sentence making abilities can be improved
by telling the students to write a poem, anecdotes, role-play or interpreting
pictures or cartoons shown to them.
A final teaching strategy takes writing sentences to the next level.
For this, have each student get out a sheet of paper. Each student will
begin a story that will be completed by the other students. For round 1
have each student write down a descriptive subject. Then, perform a
write around and have each paper passed to the next student, who must
complete the sentence with a predicate. Finally, they will start the next
sentence with another subject for the next round. The rounds continue
until each student gets their original paper back with a creative story now
complete.
For advanced students, allow for variations in the sentence structure.
Students can choose to either provide a subject or a predicate, or even
give verbs that need objects to make a complete sentence.
c. Dictations―Dictation is a great tool for teaching spelling because
it allows children to use their spelling skills in a “real world” application.
Simply put, teacher say a phrase or sentence containing their spelling
words, and students repeat it and write it down. At this level it is possible
to focus on all aspects of writing a sentence-spelling, mechanics,
creativity, word choice, and grammarat one time. To dictate a word,
phrase or sentence―
● Let student know that he needs to focus his attention since the
teacher will only be saying the sentence once.
● Repeating the sentence will help the child retain it in short term
memory long enough to write it down.
● Don’t correct the child as he writes out the sentence, even if the
teacher sees him start to make a spelling mistake. In fact it’s
best to look away while he’s writing! This will allow him to
concentrate on what he’s doing without feeling like he’s being
monitored or judged, and it allows him to “own” the process of
spelling. There will be time for correcting spelling after the next
step.
This is a good time for the student to practice self-correction
Finally, check the sentence and correct it.
d. Grammar items and translations―The teaching of grammar is
a complex but crucial process in learning a language. In case of methods
generally four types of method i.e. Grammar Translation method, Direct
method, Audio-lingual method and Communicative Language Teaching
method can be specified.
Translation was the basis of language teaching for a very long time,
and then rejected as new methodologies started to appear. It was a key
element of the Grammar Translation Method. Translation activities are
tricky to set up and take a lot of preparation, especially anticipating possible
problems. To teach translation, here are some ideas for classroom activities
● Learner groups work on translating different sections of a text,
and then regroup to connect together their parts into a full text
with suitable connecting language.
● Learners bring in examples of LI language in their own language)
or L2 (in English language) for discussion and translation,
Leamers bring in short texts/proverbs/poems and present them
to the class, explaining why they like them. These are then used
for translation.
Q. 15. Mention a sample learning plan for teaching English.
Ans.
Learning Plan
(Teacher’s Name)
(Class) (Period) (Date)
(Subject) (Unit)
(Topic)
ph
Q. 16. Frame a learning plan for a prose.
Learning plan for prose
Teacher’s Name : Date ―
Class – 6 Period – 2nd Subject – English
Unit -3 Topic – Lata Mangeshkar The Melody Queen
Review of the pre― understanding of the topic :
Student’s pre―understanding of the topic :
1. Are the students familiar with the topic which is to be
taught? Are the matters discussed in the topic related to the
immediate environment of the children? How or how not?
Lata Mangeshkar songs are an important part of our social and cultural
life. Other than this, children know that she is a playback singer. So the
topic is related to the immediate environment of the children.
Teacher’s pre- understanding of the topic:
2. Have you read out of this topic before ? Do you think that
you have the proper understanding of the topic so that you can
teach it to your students ?
Yes I have taught and read this lesson before. I have proper and
sficient understanding of the topic.
The relation of the topic with the curriculum/ syllabus :
3. Which objectives / points of the curriculum/syllabus is the
hupic related to ? Which other subjects / units for this class is this
topic related to ? Is this topic included in the curriculum of the
earlier classes? How or how not?
This lesson connects students to society and life outside school.
This lesson can be related to music, women empowerment as well as
many personality which is discussed in the other classes. So this lesson
can encourge children to talk about what women can really achieve life.
Developing learning plan of the topic :
Description of the topic / subtopic and the importance of its
learning :
4. Write a brief introduction of the topics / sub-topic based
on your understanding of the lesson. Then critically analyse why
should this be taught to the children ? What important knowledge
is inherent in this topic ? Which dimensions of child development
will it specifically affect ?
Lata Mangeshkar is the most famous Indian singer. She has been the
role model for several playback singers. She has won many prestigious
awards including the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 2001 and
Dadasaheb Phalke award. This lesson should be taught to the children,
so that they come to know the melody queen. The topic would be
particularly very motivating for the girls and they can think of achieving
excellence like lata.
Pedagogic choice of Method/ Methods of teaching and learning :
To teach this lesson I would use question answer method in the
beginning to warm up the students and then gradually initiate them for
understanding the topic.
Role play and group discussion will also be used along with ICT to
ensure better understanding and encourage the learners to communicate
both orally and in writing.
Planning:
This is a 40 minutes class. The class may begin with a popular song
in mobile phone may be used for this. Students may be asked to identify
the song and make the observations on it. Then they will be the
brainstormed regarding the singers of India. The questions to be asked at
this would be as the following:
1. Which songs do you like?
2. Who is the singer of the song ? etc.
This way the teacher will assess the previous knowledge of the
students and the students will add to their knowledge listening to the
answers of the fellow students. This would take 8-10 minutes.
Now the teacher divide the class into groups and have the words
written on the flash cards and as soon as the group tells the word she will
show the flash card to the children of the new words such as
patriotic,
aggression, heroic, sacrifice and epitome. Or even the group may be asked
to prepare Flashcards of the difficult words they have identified while
reading the lesson. The teacher would encourage the learners to guess
the meaning of these words and write the responses on the blackboard.
The students would also be encouraged to frame sentences. This would
take at least 20 minutes.
In the last 10 minutes the teacher would ask one representative from
each group to read the paragraph aloud and then give the summary of the
paragraph in their own words.
Suggestive points for self evaluation by teacher (post-teaching activity):
1. How many students passed to the questions ? What were
the important questions asked by the students ? Were these
questions explained well ? Do we need to discuss these questions in
the next period as well ?
5 students asked questions-
(a) Why did Nehru cry?
(b) What was the pretext of Indo – China war?
These questions were explained well in the classroom the same period.
2. Did I identify the students who needed special help for
supplementary teaching ?
Identified 6 students who needed special help in framing sentences.
3. Which TLM’s did I use while teaching the topic ? What was
their utility ?
I used Flashcards and mobile phone while teaching the topic and
they proved useful in understanding the topic.
4. Did the learner understand the objectives of the topic ? Did
I evaluate it or not?
Yes, the learners did understand the objectives of the topic. I evaluate
them when I asked questions about lesson.
5. Did I face any difficulty while teaching in the class ? What
changes will I bring in the teaching learning planning, if the topic is
to be taught again?
No, I did not face any difficulty in the class. If the topic is to be
taught again, I would teach them through a quiz activity.
6. Is there any question related to this topic needed to
discussed with the subject expert and mentors ?
No, there is no such questions to be discussed with the subject experts.
7. Any other comments ?
No.
Q. 17. Frame a learning plan for poetry.
Ans. Learning plan for poetry
Teacher’s Name : Date :
Class : 6 Period : 3rd Subject―English
Unit: 1 Topic : My Mother
Review of the pre―understanding of the topic :
Student’s pre―understanding of the topic :
1. Are the students familiar with the topic which is to be
taught ? Are the matters discussed in the topic related to the
immediate environment of the children? How or how not?
Yes the poem “My Mother’ is not only familiar to the students but
also appears to the emotional involvement between the mother and the
child. She is the world to all the children. It is related to their environment.
Teacher’s pre-understanding of the topic :
2. Have you read out of this topic before ? Do you think that
you have the proper understanding of the topic so that you can
teach it to your students ?
Yes I have taught and read this lesson before. I have proper and
sufficient understanding of the topic.
The relation of the topic with the curriculum/ syllabus :
3. Which objectives / points of the curriculum/ syllabus is the
topic related to ? Which other subjects / units for this class is this
topic related to ? Is this topic included in the curriculum of the
earlier classes ? How or how not!
The content of the poem is related to the social cultural background
of the learners. This topic is related to the 7th chapter of this book titled
“A Mother’s Love’. This poem automatically relates wheresoever’s parental
love is discussed.
Developing learning plan of the topic :
Description of the topic / subtopic and the importance of its
learning :
4. Write a brief introduction of the topics / sub-topic based
on your understanding of the lesson. Then critically analyse why
should this be taught to the children ? What important knowledge
is inherent in this topic ? Which dimensions of child development
will it specifically affect ?
In this poem the child recognises the Mother’s love, affection, care,
concern and kindness. The child wants to take care of his mother when
she is old and weak. This poem should be taught to the children to make
them realise what their mothers do for them and also inculcate in them
the feeling that they should also take care of their mothers when she is
old.
Pedagogic choice of Method/ Methods of teaching and learning :
To teach this lesson I would use reading-writing method and question-
answer method. Through reading Writing method children can learn two
skills-listening and speaking specifically and then learn vocabulary words.
Secondly from question-answer method the children can frame answers
on their own and their communicative ability can be enhanced.
Planning :
This is a 40 minutes class. In the first 10 minutes I will create the
learning environment suited for the poem “My Mother’. I will ask topic
related questions based on their environment and about their family. For
the next 20 minutes I will teach the content of the poem. I would now
recite the poem aloud with rect pronunciation, rhythm, stress and
intonation if the students ask I will decide the poem again and again with
my emotions and actions. Then I would ask the students to read the
poem on their own. I will then ask them to underline the new words. I
will then ask them to make guesses of the meaning of these words and
write the responses on the blackboard in English and if needed in Hindi
too. In the last 10 minutes I shall ask the children to discuss the topic in
groups and answer questions in complete sentences. I will also ask each
group to use the new words in sentences on their own.
Suggestive points for self evaluation by teacher (post – teaching
activity) :
1. How many students passed to the questions ? What were
the important questions asked by the students ? Were these
questions explained well ? Do we need to discuss these questions in
the next period as well ?
6 students asked questions
(a) How can we take care of our mother?
(b) What do we do to please our mother?
These questions were explained well in the classroom the same period.
2. Did I identify the students who needed special help for
supplementary teaching ?
l identified 5 students who needed special help in framing sentences.
3. Which TLM’s did I use while teaching the topic ? What was
their utility ?
I used chalk, blackboard, word chart etc while teaching the topic
and they proved useful in understanding the topic.
4. Did the learner understand the objectives of the topic? Did
I evaluate it or not?
Yes, the learners did understand the objectives of the topic. I evaluate
them when I asked questions about lesson.”
5. Did I face any difficulty while teaching in the class ? What
changes will I bring in the teaching learning planning, if the topic is
to be taught again ?
No, I did not face any difficulty in the class. If the topic is to be
taught again, I would ask them to write a short poem on their own.
6. Is there any question related to this topic needed to be
discussed with the subject expert and mentors ?
No, there is no such questions to be discussed with the subject experts.
7. Any other comments ?
No.
Q. 18. Explain the role of a teacher of teaching English at upper
primary level?
Ans. The role of a teacher undergoes fundamental changes with the
classroom, moves from teacher centered to student centered. Here are
the some of the important role of a teacher of teaching English at upper
primary level:―
(i) He acts as a facilitator, resource person in language classroom.
(ii) He provides maximum opportunities to the students and
encourages them to communicate and interact in English language.
(iii) He creates a positive and supportive learning environment within
the class and allows the student to experiment and express themselves in
English language.
(iv) He designs the activities around the student’s interests to
experience a high degree of success.
(v) He plays an important role in language learning of students
because he is aware of the program objectives and ensures that the
objectives are being met.
(vi) He makes the classroom student centered and facilitate, advice,
assist and offer direction, observe the activities and correct the students
only if the errors are so serious as to block communication.
(vii) He helps the students to acquire skills that will enable them to be
independent language learners.
(viii) One of the biggest roles a teacher may have is that of a mentor.
Students look up to teachers and may pattern their own behavior and
work ethic to match the instructor.
Q. 19. What are the Strategies for developing a learning plan
for teaching English using specific skills/concepts/genres for prose,
poetry, drama and integrated grammar.
Ans. Prose― Prose is a form of language which is used by people in
speaking and writing. It has natural flow of speech and comprises full
sentences and consists of paragraphs. Strategies to teach prose are –
a. Read―Encourage the learners to read with reasoning i.e. motivate
them to observe the facts and answers to who, why, how, what, when,
where etc in the material.
b. Write―Ask the learners to write about the story material they
have read. This will help them in improving their comprehension. The
learners may be asked to alter some details like the end of the story, tense
etc. They may be assigned a character from the story and asked to write
their opinion about it.
c. Discussion―Asking appropriate questions to the learners about
the text and involving them in the discussion maybe a useful strategy for
teaching prose. The learners may be divided into small groups and given
some task; they can subsequently present the points emerging out of the
discussion to the whole group.
d. Using teaching learning materials/teaching aids–Relevant and
available materials/aids can be used to provide text to the learners for
better comprehension e.g. pictures, charts, real objects etc.
Poetry – It is a form of literature which express feelings, emotions
and ideas by using a distinctive style and rhythm. Strategies
for teaching
poetry are―
a. Encourage the learners to pick out the words or phrases used in
the poem and discuss their meaning. Allow the learners to express their
views and ask them to write a description of something or someone
using these words/phrases.
b. Some points tell a story or describe some incidents or experiences
of the poet. The learners can be asked to write a short story or create a
Play on the basis of the content of the poem.
c. The learners may be encouraged to analyse the content of the
poem and give their views on it.
d. Encourage the learners for recitation of the poem. The poem
should be recited with proper Rhythm and stress.
Drama―Children often imitate the behaviour of their parents,
teachers etc. in schools. They are putting themselves in the role of some
persons from their surroundings trying to act accordingly. Drama can be
used as a very effective tool for language learning as it provides context
for listening and using language. Here are some Strategies for teaching
drama―
a. Role play―Students are given some roll (doctor, shopkeeper,
customer, guide etc) and they can act using the ideas about the role
Teacher may give them input by discussing about the role in the class.
b. On the spot improvisations―The teacher may give instructions
to the learners in the form of a word, phrase or statements and the learners
have to act accordingly. The teacher may give instructions to other learners
and they may join the act.
c. Acting play scripts―A short pre-written script can be given to
learners to act. They may rehearse the play and present it.
d. Prepare a drama―The learners can be divided into groups and
asked to prepare a short scene on given topic. The teacher may choose
topics from the textbook or any other resource which is relevant and
appropriate for the learners. The teacher shall facilitate the learners in
preparing the drama. The scenes so prepared shall be presented in the
class.
Integrated grammar―In traditional grammar teaching, the teacher
starts with a statement about a grammatical point. But in the integrated
grammar, the teacher gives meaningful input through context and provide
the learners with an opportunity to put the grammar to use and relate it
with real life situations. The strategy can be broadly divided into three
three stages―
● Initial stage-Where the teacher may introduce the context.
● During a stage―In this stage, the teacher brings in the
grammatical point along with the context without mentioning it
formally and may try to formulate the rule.
● Practice stage—Where the teacher may lead the discussion in
such a way that the learners get an opportunity to apply it.
For example, when teaching indirect/reported speech, the teacher
may take a news article and highlight the examples of indirect speech for
the students to expose them to this new form. Ask students to study
these bolded sentences, and ask why these sentences are written in the
way they are. For indirect speech, the teacher may show two copies of
the same article, one with direct speech and one with indirect speech.
Allow the students to compare and contrast to figure out the grammatical
rules underlying this concept.
Alternatively, the teacher may show students a text after he has
introduced the grammar concept to the student and ask them to find all
of the examples of the rule he has just taught. While teaching past perfect,
the teacher may give students a story to have students compare and
contrast past simple and past perfect events.
Q. 20. What are the points of concern while making a learning plan?
Ans. Planning a lesson is a reflective process that involves a careful
consolidation of thoughts as well. Here are some key points to keep in
mind while preparing a learning plan-
a. While preparing a running plan, one must keep in mind the
learners’ level, their linguistic needs and objectives of teaching
the lesson.
b. Objectives of the learning plan must not be understood in isolation,
it must be developed on the basis of the curriculum of upper
primary level.
c. Why there is a need to teach this particular lesson to students?
What is the relation of this lesson with the wider objectives of
the English at this level? These questions are very important for
reflection.
d. Try to relate the classroom situation while choosing the teaching
methods.
e. Try to create innovative TLMs which can really support while
teaching English.
f. Relate the topics with the real life situations of the learners and
meaningful activities.
8. Ensure maximum participation of learners by encouraging them
to ask and answer questions.
h. Address the individual needs of learners.
i. Use the blackboard effectively.
j. Encourage group/pair to help learners overcome their doubts
and difficulties and gain confidence.
k. Use simple and correct English.
l. Modify teaching in accordance with the classroom situation.
m. Provide adequate space for feedback and reinforcement.
Q. 21. What is a learning plan ? How it is different from lesson
plan ? Write specific objectives of a learning plan in behavioural
terms.
Ans. A learning plan is a document that is used to plan learning over
an extended period of time. It is a comprehensive, customizable, multi-
day plan for instruction and assessment. Learning plank is an effective
tool which allows us to teaching specific topic in the class in a pre planned
way. It is flexible, reciprocal and participatory. It entails that the teacher
act as a facilitator. It gives more time in independent thinking and practice
to children. Unlike the lesson plan it demands pre planning, post planning
and planning during teaching. A lesson plan is teacher centric while a
learning plan is centric. A daily lesson plan is developed by a teacher to
guide class learning. Details will vary depending on the preference of the
teacher, subject being covered, and the needs of the students.
Whereas a learning plan does that by building students’ reading,
listening, speaking and writing skill It includes multiple opportunities
for differentiation, including selecting essential questions, readings, and
instructional strategies and assessments all organized within a framework
based on backward design.
The objectives of a learning plan in behaviouristic terms are―
(1) To make the classroom environment lively and interesting.
(2) To encourage the learners to think independently.
(3) To find ways for maximum utilization of the available resources
to achieve the learning objectives.
(4) To achieve the linguistic needs and objectives of teaching the
lesson.
(5) To make the learning an enjoyable experience for both the learner
and the teacher.
(6) To acquire basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading and
writing) in order to communication with speakers of English language.
(7) To acquire the linguistic competence necessarily required in
various life situations.
(8) To develop positive attitudes towards learning English.
