Saturday, May 13, 2006

The Red Chair and English...?

Wow, I have not only expected this kind of article and the way of expression from someone who himself came from the same faculty of thinking but also placing these kind of questions. Simply wonderful! We are, indeed, progressing! Thank you Mr. Sam George alias Dharumi.

His writings can be found and to get enlightened please travel on this link http://sixth-finger.blogspot.com/2006/05/12-mother-tongue-raj-legacy_12.html . However, if someone is hesitant to travel on that; here are some of the hightlights from his own pad which I am placing here to get you motivated to go there...

...Hence there has to be a gap between learning in one's own mother tongue and in a foreign language. Especially this is very much so in lower classes, say, till the end of schooling. So a student can acquire more knowledge faster if he does his studies in his own mother tongue and his comprehension and mastery over the subject would be much better. What he has to do in addition is to learn one another language, English and he will have definitely enough energy to do well in one more language since his learning process of other subjects through his own mother tongue would be considerably and comparatively easier than being through English. Our schooling focuses on quantity and not on quality. Loads and loads of information are fed to the students not worrying how much is being grasped, absorbed and assimilated by the students. This leads to rote learning. The cognitive levels of understanding, comprehension,analysis and appreciation are left out from our schooling system...

Having read that I completely put myself in that frame as to what the professor is talking about. Since, I have been there and felt what he has seen the struggle in youths. So here I am sharing and confessing some of my view points on that crucial issue.

We as a nation with a strong lingual richness and background we should believe in autonomy. And encourage our children to pursue their learning skills in our own mother tongue as long as they wish; providing opportunities and necessary encouragement for the effort, as an incentive to that, offering jobs in all sectors.

Anyway, here it goes my feedback to Sam's musings...

Hi sam,

You maynot believe what I am going to say but it is a piece of truth. I have been thinking about all along since the day I switched my medium of learning from Tamil to English at my Higher Secondary level to College.

I felt that pinch in me. Why all at a sudden I should go through this nerve breaking hardship, switching to a language where I am less familiar with. In other case, my another brother happened to fail in a few classes. In spite, of his first rank at YMCA school (+2) and won a gold medal there, where he studied in Tamil medium.

When he joined for his higher studies with MCC, he was very much threatned and discouraged for not being able to grasp the essence of the very subject he very much loved to pursue. The consequence of it, he quit it in the mid-term. It was unfinished.

So I understand what do you exactly mean. In my case, I self-taught pretty much in every aspect of it. I am proud of myself where I am today with What I know of. Yet, still I am learning in a hard way.

That fake illusion should be unveiled from both the parent and kids alike, for that case even our very government and the society in whole. Thinking that if we do speak in english we are being treated like a king and get a special treatment etc.,


It is a sheer shame and ignorance in our side.

You see the Japanese and Chinese are very competent in terms of new invention and technology because they value their mother tongue and learn the fundamental principles of complex issue where they can shine with it later on in their future.

It is not the case with us. However, I see the hope at the end of the tunnel. When the mojarity of the population get more education and awareness of their own, they will be grounded and appreciate what for who they are.

And that is my hope. Right now what is going on is just a mere ignorance, mimicking with a copy-cat attitude.

I am going to publish this same feedback as a separate essay in my blog. With your article in the front line! I need it very much please understand me.

Good piece very much needed at this era, where we are today!

Another one of the good thoughts from your side ;-)


P.S: Perhaps if the teacher him/herself in the first place is taught and trained really good, they might resolve the problem too, I suppose. Since, they can find some other alternative and creative way to teach the fundamentals of a language to the kids. Govt. funded schools are the worst in that case!!

Orani

20 comments:

Sivabalan said...

First,

I want to salute Mr.faculty of thinking Mr. Sam George alias Dharumi and Mr.Orani for posting such a wonderful blog.

Sivabalan said...

//Loads and loads of information are fed to the students not worrying how much is being grasped, absorbed and assimilated by the students.//

Excellent lines..

It is obivious this leads to increase in failure rate among middle & low ranked students.

Sivabalan said...

// And encourage our children to pursue their learning skills in our own mother tongue as long as they wish//

Mr.Orani,

I agree with this.

But how to manage the competition?

Sivabalan said...

//Thinking that if we do speak in english we are being treated like a king and get a special treatment etc.,//

Mr.Orani,

It is brave slap on many faces.

Sivabalan said...

//the Japanese and Chinese are very competent in terms of new invention and technology because they value their mother tongue and learn the fundamental principles of complex issue where they can shine with it later on in their future. //

Mr.Orani,

It is true lines. What ever we had achieved in our good olden days were only on out mother tongue.

Once we had intruded by foreign language, we have not given any great thing to the world as we did in past.

இயற்கை நேசி|Oruni said...

Hi Mr. Sivabalan, thanks for visiting and sharing your view on this.

//But how to manage the competition?//

However the Chinese and Japanese are managing with their population.

I do also realize that we can not compare with those nations since India is diversified with its multi-lingual and culture, therefore, English acts as the only cementing language we have.

But I do have a different thinking on that, I am coming up with another article how the primary school educator can help with it; by enhancing their teaching skill and approach. We will see, if we come up with any new thought on it.

Thanks, Sivabalan!

Sivabalan said...

Mr.Orani,

// I am coming up with another article how the primary school educator can help with it;//

Please go ahead. I am very much interested in it.

You may allow me my questions on certain subject.

Thanks

தருமி said...

Thanks a lot, Prabha, for endorsing my views. But all these are going as 'voices in wilderness'. I always wonder whether our worrying voices will ever fall into the 'right' ears!

இயற்கை நேசி|Oruni said...

//Thinking that if we do speak in english we are being treated like a king and get a special treatment etc.,//

Mr.Orani,

>>It is brave slap on many faces. <<


Siva, Don't you think, what I have said is just true? I have had many experiences in India.

I can give you a classic example as to what happened to me when I visited India last time and try to get in Oxford Press the one at Chennai branch by Gemini Circle.

I will bring it up that issue into another blog over here. That should be something an interesting issue to look into.

Orani.

Sivabalan said...

//I will bring it up that issue into another blog over here. That should be something an interesting issue to look into. //


Mr.Orani

Please post it. I am waiting for it.

Good Work.

இயற்கை நேசி|Oruni said...

Hi Siva,

//Once we had intruded by foreign language, we have not given any great thing to the world as we did in past.//

That is mostly because, I believe, our concentration and focus are channeled soley into trying to master the language and beuatify it, rather than treating it as a tool of communication.

Have you ever noticed the fanciness of writing in India with lots and lots of complicated vocabularies just to confuse the reader as to what the author is talking about?

Yet, the author himself is thinking that he writes pretty good with all those gimmick words not realising he loses so much in due course. It is very boring, in my view.

Orani.

இயற்கை நேசி|Oruni said...

Hi sam,

//But all these are going as 'voices in wilderness'. I always wonder whether our worrying voices will ever fall into the 'right' ears! //

I think so too, in spite of concentrating on the context that we are talking about, most of the time I ended up paying attention to the language.

That was the case even with my major subject in Zoology. Thereby, as you said, I failed to remember most of the good stuff, since, I dealt with memorizing certain part of it.

Still I am thinking, how this can be overcome by laying a strong foundation at the primary school level.

Orani.

Anonymous said...

Hey Orani,

First of learn to write decent english before talking about language preference while studying.

Your language is so bad that it is quite natural that you praise Sam's blog which is one more example of bad english. It is really shocking to know that he is a Professor!

My God.. it is his inferiority complex that he is unable to write decent english which prompts him to write about the importance of learning in one's own mother tongue. What a Pity!

இயற்கை நேசி|Oruni said...

Hey Son of Anony,

Why do not you show your face, in the first place, I should not have wasted my time at all to answer your 2 cents advise.

Why do not you get yourself an ID and start writing what you had to say, rather than hiding behind a door and talk;like a little kid. If you want to have a responsible and productive dialogue try to peal off the fear you have by unveiling your fear mask.

Before you go around and point your finger at people; in my view, you are wasting your time as well as other people's time too.

I can be little more nasty, for the comment that you have been sending here, yet, I have been decent enough to holding from doing it.

Understand this too, what I am placing here is my concern as to how the kids are struggling with language burden since there is no adequate basis at the primary school level.

Plus for your kind information, from now on there won't be anymore anonymous messages published, so, do not waste your time sitting here and sending one. Good day man!

Orani

Sivabalan said...

Orani,

Well said.

First, let him/her come with any "bloody" name and we can discuss his/her point.

இயற்கை நேசி|Oruni said...

Hi Siva,

//First, let him/her come with any "bloody" name and we can discuss his/her point. //

In fact, I have ignored two of his earlier anonymous comments and this one I felt, a little bit too much.

What he/she wants anyway, why people are so regid and conservative about everything? Where he/she fails to see what we are discussing about here? We are clear that we are not against any language but we are particular with teaching approach and the burden kids are bearing with it.

We have to step out of that fundamentalistic mind set in order to have some decent dialogue, whether it is going with or against it.

Orani.

Sivabalan said...

Orani,

Just leave this ridicules person.

Instead of giving such a useless comment, he/she can discuss some useful stuff. It must be beneficial to all of us.

I am fed up.

தருமி said...

hi Orani
i found that comment of anony very interesting and really stimulating!!!!!

இயற்கை நேசி|Oruni said...

Sam,

Of course, it is very stimulating! It sounds like someone is getting hurt or feel for it. But the point is I do not get it, why they have to suffer for it.

Why it always hurt when you place the truth in the front line? I want to have more conversation with that person if he/she comes with a face.

Just I am curious, why he feels the way he feels so that we can understand the concern he has. I want as you said the stimulation, the most wanted 'stuff' for the creator ;-))))

orani.

புருனோ Bruno said...

http://payanangal.blogspot.com/2008/07/blog-post_31.html