The Type and Methods of English Taught in Schools of The Republic of Yemen - Assignment Example

 the type and methods of English taught in schools of the Republic of Yemen. Introduction: A misconception exists among the students and some teachers of English language or for any language, that mastery over the language can be acquired when the beginning is made through the study of grammar. Absolutely wrong! Normally, a child begins to speak its mother tongue fluently by the age of three. Did someone teach it grammar? Even before being admitted to the nursery school, the child has developed the ability to converse in its mother tongue. The parents of the child, brothers or sisters haven’t taught the child lessons in grammar specifically. None of them may know what is ‘past perfect tense’ or an ‘infinitive.’ Well, to acquire command over the language, they need not know grammar! Read a lot, listen to the conversation attentively, most of one’s language skills can be acquire through this process. This rule applies to the question of acquiring skills in English language as for the Yemeni students as well. Let me however hasten to add that I do not mean to say that the study of grammar does not have any importance as for learning any language. But for a beginner, if study of grammar is overemphasized, the learner is likely to lose interest in the subject English commands immense influence in the world, in all spheres. It is the language of international communication. David Crystal Writes, “In several countries, the role of English has become politically contentious, and arguments have raged about its current and future status. Have matters developed to the point where the rise of English as a world language is unstoppable?”(Preface, p.xii) The answer will have to be found by each country depending on its special situation. In the context of globalization, the needs of English language to the Yemeni students have grown in many areas. Most of the literature in science and technology is available in English. It is the language used in medical science and international print and electronic media. Practically viewed, learning English is not an option; it is the necessity for an individual’s and national progress. A Yemeni student going abroad for advanced studies must have reasonable knowledge in English. Though English is extensively used in the commercial world in Yemen, at the school and college level a methodology and system doesn’t exist to teach it effectively. English, though doesn’t enjoy the official status in Yemen, due to practical demand of the language in international business transactions, it has assumed an important position. The language is taught in schools and universities. Rapid growth technology and industrialization have added to the importance of English. But English is not taught in the early stages in the school, and it is taught like any other subjects. Those who have acquired sufficient knowledge of English also have a problem. David Crystal writes, “Having made progress, you will feel pride in your achievement, and savour the communicative power you have at your disposal, but may none the less feel that mother-tongue speakers of English have an unfair advantage over you.”(p.3) But this is an index of mental slavery. Why one should feel that one should pronounce English like an Englishman? Christian Mair writes, “…that a closer collaboration between linguists and literary scholars interested in the postcolonial spread of English will sharpen our awareness of culture-specific and context-specific sociolinguistic styles, communicative genres and historically evolving discursive practices.”(Introduction, p.xvi) In Yemen, intensive motivation is not provided for learning English, as the students are not sure about their future career goals and the possible role the knowledge of English language is likely to play in their life. In the rural areas, English is just irreverent even as the language has no use for them. Survey-questionnaire: Any survey done on the basis of questions drafted through a questionnaire will not reveal the whole truth, but only a part of the truth relevant to that particular time. Nevertheless, such exercises are helpful in understanding the trends and provide some insights for future surveys. The questionnaire relating to study of English, through the initiatives of The British Council in Yemen, has to be understood and interpreted in this context. The British left Yemen about forty-five years ago. “The Council has set itself four main aims in support of UK-Yemen relations and Yemeni development. These are to: help develop Yemen’s schools, universities, sports and youth services and primary health units, promote the use of English and the best British educational and training services and products as development tools, demonstrate the vitality and excellence of British arts to the Yemeni public and vice versa for Yemeni arts, encourage key Yemeni women to participate in the development of their country.” (British….) The role of English in Yemeni society-British Council: Answer the questions: 1. How do you rate the interest in English courses, offered by the British Council, among different age groups? (Very strong-strong-regular-average-weak-no interest) No age-wise figures are available. English is taught in the Yemeni schools as one of the subjects, but not at the early stages of school-life. 2. How do you rate Yemeni’s interest in different courses of English? English for special purposes (business, medical English): Such courses are held by the British Council. These courses are not on an ongoing basis. Announcements for special courses are made through Press, by sending notices to schools and colleges, and business organizations. 3. What activities and services offered by the British Council do you find the most popular in Yemeni society? a) Library services – Runs a library and educational activities, which are part of the syllabus designed by the British Council that has attained global reputation b) Courses of English: Conducts ODA educational aid programme; standard cultural and educational activities. Under the sponsorship of their British Council, forty students are sent to UK every year. It also arranges joint research programmes between Yemeni and UK universities. It has an Embassy aid and scholarship scheme. “….; provides a programme of cultural events for the public featuring exhibitions, music and drama, education talks and workshops and for a fee teaches general and specialist English to 230 key Yemenis on San’a and Hodaidah; runs a centre for UK public exams; and runs a library and video club and a UK educational information and placement service.”(British….) c) Information centers: It has two centers in San’a, Aden and Hodaidah d) Scholarships in Great Britain – Provides scholarships to students of all ages to study in Britain and offers them a programme of events. Initially, Professor Bob Sergeant, the celebrated Arab scholar, was the adviser to British Council in such activities. e) Others: With the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990, a great opportunity was there for the British Council to augment its activities in Aden. English language teaching got shot in the arm. By 1994, 400 Yemeni students from all across the country were taking the English language course, most of them being project workers and oil company officials. It had two centers in San’a, Aden and Hodaidah. But the Gulf and Civil Wars left adverse effects at the educational front. In 1995, the position of Yemen was so hopeless, that the British Council scholars had to suspend their UK studies. The activities of the Council and ODA programmes have since resumed. Its participation in arranging the country’s first National Scientific Symposium is noteworthy. DTI and the Embassy hold a touring trade catalogue exhibition with the active co-operation of the British Council and the Embassy. It also conducts English teaching classes for forty key Yemeni women and holds Gender Development workshops. 4) What are the Yemenis’ motivations to learn English you can observe among the students? The motivation is mostly for the career-oriented students, who wish to go abroad for seeking employment or for advanced studies. Yemen is now an independent country, and you find an undercurrent of dislike for the British Government, who the Yemenis think, economically exploited them by conquering their territory. Their present love for English language is out of necessity. The Government sincerely desires to preserve the Yemeni culture and encourage the local languages. They are proud of their cultural heritage and the Arabic language. Yemen is a poor country, but only poor countries need to develop the capacity to turn rich! Geographically, Yemen has strategic importance. It is a democratic country, and the Aden Freeport gives access to Asia and Africa and the shipping activities of the world. Yemen has the potentiality to supply skilled labour for the region. The British council opened up in Yemen in 1973.In its office at Aan’s, it has classrooms, audio-visual equipment, 400 videos and 6000 books, student’s computer listening centre. The UK staff work as teachers. The results of the questionnaire reveal one important aspect. There is a strong inclination with the younger generation (the students) and they are willing to take serious interest in learning English. Pronunciation and speaking the language in the correct slang are the problems, but they can be negotiated with the joint efforts of the teachers and students. The British Council library plays the important role to provide the latest in the educational field to the Yemeni students, and it’s fully equipped library is popular amongst the scholars. In the present circumstances in Yemen, The British Council can act as the catalyst agent for the promotion of English in Yemen, especially in the important cities. More impetus for the promotion of English language needs to be from the side of the Yemeni government and its policies regarding promoting English in Yemen. 5) How do you perceive the growth of English language in Yemen? The British Council, through its language programmes, can do something, but not everything. That depends upon the policies of the Yemeni Government. The people certainly do not wish to be the slaves of English language. If the Yemeni Government seriously wishes to promote English language, procedures must be initiated from the elementary school level. Accent and correct pronunciation of the language is a problem. The genuine problems of the students have been explained elsewhere in the essay by citing examples. Such problems relate not only to students but the teachers as well. Teachers from abroad can be hired, on deputation basis, specifically to train the teachers, and for direct appointment in some of the important schools. Similarly big commercial organizations may make special internal arrangements for conducting business English courses, as per their needs. Though English is one of the important international languages, the economic and scientific growth of any country need not necessarily be through the knowledge of English. Some of the greatest scientists, and literary giants did not know a word of English. Analysis: Documents General English education in Yemen is in crossroads. To teach English, a new course “Crescent English Course” is employed now. Lot of emphasis is given to dialogue learning. The importance of grammar is secondary to reading practice. Reading is a skill according to the Crescent course. This course encourages the students to enhance communication skills with vocabulary with pictures. Through this method, English is taught directly, without using Arabic. In “English for Yemen”, the emphasis is on creativity. “The foreign language teachers who lack communicative competence, linguistic competence and professional skills play a role in escalating the problems in this regard. In conclusion, the strategies and approaches of teaching and learning English should be continually checked and reviewed to cope with the quick changes and the great developments taking place around us.” (History of….) Published facts & figures Not available. Classroom resources With no official status, English is taught in the schools as one of the subjects. In the schools, institutes and universities its prominence is on the increase. The University of Science and Technology, a private university, has established a Language Unit, in which it has a programame to teach English to all the students for 250 hours. Some private schools have English from class one. All government and private schools teach English as a compulsory subject. It is the first foreign language. Some private schools and institutes teach English for four to five periods, duration of which is 45 minutes. There is a tussle between the perspectives of the teachers and the students as for developing the communicating skills in English. Instead of allowing the students to talk, teachers do more of it during the class time. Students are not encouraged to interact with their classmates in English. The observation of the English language experts in Yemen is the students lack the confidence and ability to communicate in English. They do not get the necessary support from the teachers. “However, when comparing private schools to public schools, one would notice that students in private schools have better English speaking skills, as more chances are given to them to participate in open debates during class times." I like it when our teacher talks inside the class in English and gives us a chance to participate in an open debate. It builds our language strength as well as our confidence," said 13 year old Saleh Ali Saleh from Al-Nebras private school.” (In Public …) It is necessary for the beginners to spend some extra time (apart from the time allotted for the English class) to practice the communication skills. Much depends upon their dedication and focus to improve the art of conversation. One need not worry about the grammatical mistakes, while communicating. Such mistakes will take care of themselves in due course, with practice. The audio cassettes of the target langue are helpful. a) English teaching methods (in general) The method of teaching depends upon the backgrounder information that the teacher has about his students. Various factors count. Sarroub writes, “That this process if further complicated by a combination of factors such as religion, ethnic identity, gender, language, social economic standing, and school socialization norms emphasizes, how much we need to know to make decisions for improving schools and relations among schools, communities and homes.”(p.3)Practical examples of the difficulties faced by students who are deficient in these communication skills are made clear from their comments. Mohammed, 16, about to graduate from elementary stage said: “I’m filled with so much shame when I hear my little cousin who speaks English better than me after she’s just finished the preliminary stage at a private school.’’ Fatimah Ahmed, another student who is about to graduate from secondary school, said, “I was so frustrated when my family was visited by some of our relatives from abroad, and I couldn’t communicate with their children who speak English fluently.” (Teaching English) In Yemen, the situation is almost the same as in the other Arab countries. Abbad (1988: 15) admits the weakness of Yemeni learners of English, and adds that "in spite of the low proficiency level in English of most applicants, they are accepted into the department." This is the state of affairs in most of the Arab universities. High schools graduates are appointed as English teachers, without proper appraisal about their capability to manage the classes. Yemen learners find it too difficult to communicate freely in the target language. b. English teaching policy, examinations and methods in Turkey (based on government website and on teaching books which your friends in Turkey use). English Examinations in Yemen Teaching English commences at grade seven. Emphasis on listening and speaking skills is not there. The syllabus and curriculum are substandard in most of the Yemeni schools. It is a well-researched fact that children acquire proficiency in a second language quickly as compared to the adults. It is, therefore absolutely essential that the children begin with the second language in childhood. The critical period for acquisition of language is thirteen. The Ministry of Education, Yemen has demanded that English language be taught to children from the early stages of their school life. Teaching: Translation Approach. Most of the teachers in the Yemeni schools are incompetent to teach English. They have no clarity about the aims and objectives of teaching the language. Translation skills are more difficult than learning the language. English use in Yemen The problems of the Arab world about learning the English language are the problems of Yemeni learners as well. Mukattash (1983) divides the problems that Arab learners of English face into two types. First, university students continue to make some basic errors in pronunciation, spelling, morphology and syntax. Secondly, they continue to be unable to express themselves "comfortably and efficiently either when dealing with 'academic topics' or 'common everyday topics'" (1983: 169). He argues that the students' major difficulty arises from the fact that they cannot use English correctly and appropriately in and out the classroom when required to do so. This means that the difficulty is related to the students' deficiencies in communicative competence and self-expression. He also attributes the students' failure in using English as a tool of self-expression to achieve their communicative goals to study plans and methods of teaching (1983: 169). Investigation into English Teaching Yemen There are lots of complaints about the method of teaching English in Yemeni schools. “Jauda Lhmady, a fourth year student from the Faculty of Education at the University of Science and Technology in Hadramout, suggests more attention be given to listening and speaking English at an early age.” (Teaching English….) That the students are unable to have a working knowledge about English and an effective communication skill, even after six years of learning it in schools as a foreign language speaks about the low academic standards. They are unable to comprehend what they have listened to, cannot read and write, let alone speak effectively. For this sorry state of affairs, there are administrative problems as well. The classes are overcrowded, classroom conditions are poor, no motivation, students do not get adequate support for learning English from home as well as the society, the subjects and the related of burden of other subjects is too much, all these contribute to the poor performance of the students in English. Highlighting the problems of the Yemini students trying to grapple with the intricacies of English language Loukia K Sarroub writes, “In 1998, Saba’s hands and fingers punctuated each thought as she spoke with slight staccato that is characteristic of English speech influenced by Arabic (p.1) This is not only the problem of the Yemeni students, but all students from the most of the Arab countries. Overall Conclusion: The problems of Yemeni students whether in Yemen or for those students who are studying abroad are more or less the same. Sarroub writes, “However, the idea of success becomes more complex when it is woven into a fabric created out of the threads of cultural, religious, linguistic, geographical, national and even personal forces,”(p.3) Conclusion: Leaning English is not the exclusive problem of Yemen. Most of the issues are common to the Arab learners of English. A tangible solution will have to be found, foreign language learners’ strategic competence will have to be properly paid attention to, to draft solutions accordingly. The important aspect is communication. In mastering a language three sections are involved. Reading, writing, and speaking (communicating) A study-buddy approach, where two individuals sit together, one of them reads loudly and other one listens, and the roles are reversed, is helpful. Proficiency in writing can be acquainted by practicing hard. There is no other substitute for it. Speaking also is a matter of practice. If you engage in conversation with the native speakers, the chances of tangible improvement in the communications skills are dim. But everybody can not travel to English-speaking countries for the purpose of mastering the language. The only way to learn English in Yemen is through formal instruction, in the classroom. The native Arabic teachers are mostly performing this role. With little scope to interaction in the target language, the progress in language skills is not likely to be at the expected level. Those who visit Yemen as tourists-- their contribution to enhancing the knowledge to the local people/students of Yemen has only of entertainment value as visitors they do not have much time to spare for teaching language! The Yemenis through this process can pick up a few sentences here and there! As for the issue of grammar mentioned in the introduction, its practical outcome is seen in the schools of Yemen, where too much attention is given to reading and writing. Teachers, who are themselves, do not have much expertise in communication skills; focus on grammar and reading and writing. Memorise the grammar rules and cram the words as for vocabulary. But if you ask them to construct a good sentence or explain something spontaneously on a given topic, the students fair poorly, for they have no intrinsic communication skills. The natural expression in English language is not there. Moreover, conversation in any language is an art. If that is not within the student, even in his own local language, one can least expect it from him in English language that requires special communication skills. So, the students cannot be blamed; the teachers cannot be blamed. The current methods and the personnel engaged in drafting the policies for improving the communications skills of English in Yemen are faulty and unimaginative. Such type of teaching will not provide the desired results. There is a natural order of things for every activity. You don’t teach the children to run first and then walk! Rather they run of their own self, without your teaching them, thanking you for the walking lessons that you have taught them! Similarly, the natural order of learning the language is listening, speaking, reading and writing. As explained in the introduction, the child first listened to the mother, pencil and paper was not provided to it in the cradle, with instructions to write. Then child acquired the knowledge of language, without your ‘actually’ teaching it. It was constantly listening, listening and listening! And finally it began to reproduce the language by syllables, single sounds, words and sentences and the like. It started observing and imitating the language of its parents and many times reproduced their expressions, verbatim! The results of the present defective methods are there for everyone to see in Yemen. The students lack fundamental skills of communications even after spending many years learning English! In day to day life, in areas where they need communication skills in English they lag behind and give a poor account of themselves. ************** Works Citied: Abbad, A. 1988 An Analysis of Communicative Competence Features in English Language Texts in Yemen Arab Republic, PhD Dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (IL). British-Yemeni Society: The British Council in Yemen. Article by: Brendan McSharry, November 1996 Retrieved on May 26, 2010. Crystal, David. English as a Global Language: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition, July 28, 2003. History of English teaching in Yemen. Article by: Mohammed H. Al-Fattah;12-08-2009 Retrieved on May 26, 2010 In Public Schools, Students Struggling to Speak English (Reports): Article by: Abdul Rahim Al-Showthabi(Yemen Post) October 13, 2008. Retrieved on May 26, 2010 Mair, Christian. The Politics of English as a World Language: New Horizons in Postcolonial Cultural Studies: Google Books, 2003. Mukattash, L. 1983 The problem of difficulty in foreign language learning, in: Dahiyat, E. / Ibrahim, M. (eds.) Papers from the First Conference on the Problems of Teaching English Language and Literature at Arab Universities, Amman, University of Jordan Sarroub, Loukia K. All American Yemeni Girls: Being Muslim in a Public School; University of Pennsylvania Press, February 15, 2005. Teaching English better in Yemeni schools. Article published on 11-03-2010; Updated: 24-5-2010 Issue No.1366 www.yementimes.com/defaultdet.aspx?SUB_ID=33702 - Cached Retrieved on May 26, 2010 Read More