Manoj Godara, Chandigarh, 19 Dec : The Vice Chancellor of English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad, Prof. Abhai Maurya, released a twin volume on training teachers of English, produced by the Institute faculty at the Regional Institute of English today. Observing the display of the Institute’s publications he lauded the capacity of the Institute to produce materials for teacher development. Titled A Handbook of Teaching English and Teaching Young Learners, both Orient Blackswan, New Delhi 2009 publications, the books focus on the methodology of promoting speaking and writing skills among learners through activity based learning. The activities adopt a multi sensory approach to teaching so that learners with different sense perceptions feel stimulated to practise English. Edited by Dr Sharda Kaushik, Director and Dr Bindu Bajwa, Associate Professor, the books have been written following the guidelines provided by the National Policy of Education 1986 and the National Curriculum Framework 2005. The books are to be used by Punjab to train Government school teachers under various SSA Schemes. “The purpose of writing such books is to make the teachers complete educationists,” observed Dr Sharda Kaushik, Director of the Institute. “Teachers get empowered by researching and developing need-based supplementary materials on their own.” She further stated that the Institute has become a ‘Mecca’ of English Language Teaching for the NCR region with one of the best Multimedia Language Labs and a library with over 20,000 volumes.
While addressing the school teachers being trained under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan scheme of Chandigarh Administration and postgraduate teachers and lecturers under training on PGCTE course from J&K, Haryana, Punjab, HP and Chandigarh, Prof. Abhai Maurya motivated them to introduce innovative methods of teaching English in their schools. He asked them to regularly add to their own qualifications by joining courses offered by EFLU, one of its kinds. He spoke at length about the All India English Language Testing Authority (AIELTA) test to be launched by the University in February 2010, aimed at standardizing teaching and learning levels of English in India. He extensively educated the trainees on the world becoming a globalized village and the growing importance of acquiring communication skills in English and foreign languages. He introduced the trainees to the logo of EFL-U ‘Words illumine everything’ which is a translation of ‘Sarvam Shabdena Bhashyate’ .Further stating the NCR region as somewhat ‘Englishly Backward’ he encouraged the trainees to motivate their students to join English courses which are of a good standard.
Dr Sharda Kaushik, Director of the Institute further apprised him of the latest multimedia software in ELT available at the Institute. Prof. Maurya while taking a round of the Institute praised the efforts to make the Institute one of the best in the region.