Assignment on Teaching English as a Second Language in India by Kapil Kapoor

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Name: Budhiditya Shankar Das

Course: M.A (English)

Topic: Teaching English as a Second Language in India by Kapil Kapoor

Semester: 03

Roll No.  : 07

Paper No.: 12

Paper Name: English Language Teaching-1

Email Id    : budhiditya900@gmail.com

Submitted to: Dr. Dilip Barad,

Smt. S.B.Gardi

Department of English,

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

Teaching English as a second language in India by Kapil Kapoor

Introduction

Kapil Kapoor represents his ideas about the international language English in India. In our country, English plays a role of second language. Let’s see his views about it.

    Abstract

              

 In abstract, Kapil Kapoor says that we have to understand the role and goal of English as a foreign language and we have to choose teaching theories and practices otherwise no any methodology and technology would be helpful in changing the views successfully.

     What do we mean by ‘second language’?

    We can understand it in two ways:

·        After one or more Indian languages, which are important and essential, there come           English as a ‘second language’.

·               In school, after the primary stage, second language is introduced.

Historical perspective of English

 To know the effect of English as a second language, we should understand its historical perspective. English    has become centre language, so we can say it is a symbol of linguistic centralism. Other languages can be seen as a linguistic regionalism. After freedom from Britain, the main two questions   aroused-

·        The status of English,

·        Relationship of English

Those who knew English demanded English, to achieve this, conceptual structure developed and it has three parts:

    1.    modernization,

    2.    mythology,

    3.    language policy

 Both modernization and internationalism became same and the implication of English made other Indian languages ‘traditional’ means anti-modern and backward. The second question aroused was the relationship of English with other Indian languages. To define the relationship, ‘language-planning’ came out. It gave new mythology.Other languages became regional languages. Even Hindi became regional language and it was used in official language and many states made it a regional language. No any other language can be seen with English, so it became the language of national integration, a ‘pan-Indian’ language and it helped in promoting.

   English as a ‘window’

   

     Because of the role of English, Kapoor says that it is the ‘window’ because-

    1)   It is a language of knowledge especially in the reference of science and technology,

    2)   It is a language of modern thinking,

    3)   It is the language of reason,

    4)   It is a link language,

    5)   It is the language of the world,

    6)   It is the lingua-franca.

  Indian languages are ‘the walls’ and English is the window and it gives the light of modernization.

    Language-planning

            

  To know the importance of ‘language-planning’, Kapil Kapoor has given the example of the report of the Education Commission of 1964-66. It says, “most complicated problem that the country has faced since independence and one that has resisted a solution. It goes on to add that on account of educational, cultural and political reasons.”

 It shows that this problem was since independence and it is the most complicated problem.

    Three-language formula

 In 1956, Central Advisory Board on Education proposed the three-language formula. This idea was adopted at the chief minister’s conference in 1961 with a modification. The chief aim for formula was to make English an integral part of school. It creates negative effect, too. The students who really want to learn another language, they would certainly learn English now. It made Hindi less important than English. The students have a choice now to choose between Hindi and English. Three-language formula has affected even our classical language-Sanskrit. Sanskrit is now on its decline. What a tragedy!!!!! It is the language of God and it is being destroyed. The political purpose is cleared in Macaulay’s 1813 report in which he has said,

“No Bengali who undergoes this education has any respect left for anything Hindu.”

  A student should be allowed to choose any second or third language.

    Failure in teaching English

  The teaching of English has got failure to some extent. Many committees or education commissions tried to solve this problem by taking information about the weightage, teacher-training, methodology, teaching theories etc…Kapoor has given the significant example of the meeting of ELT experts that they gather like Egyptologists meet every year when the Nile has reeded after floods. Inappropriateness of accepting English as a second language may be the cause of failure. The ELT experts have given the definition of English in the reference with the specific functions of English and the educational planners have defined English by comparing it with Hindi. Hindi is more effective in reference to English. (Nargis)

    English as a library language

 The Education Commission, 1964-66 has said about teaching that in higher education, English will be as a library language and it should be taught from std.5 though we know that for many students who come from the rural areas, can’t begin their study before class 7!!!!

    What are the first language, L2 and L3?

 The first language is used in the school level as a medium of instruction and a medium to express and for communication and it is generally the mother-tongue or the regional language.

The second language (L2) comes after the first language. It is used to make the speaker able to speak for wider participation. It is generally the state official language or national language.

 The third language (L3) comes after the second language. It helps to prepare the learner for all-India mobility. The aim to introduce third language is to make the learners be able to make the learners express correctly in that language.

                     

     Problems of English as a second language

 The second language helps people to keep their personal relations with others, it helps in business, in their socio-cultural activities and in the identity with a large group. In India, we study a foreign language as a second language, as an Indian language. So, we don’t get necessary competence. U.G.C. sponsored many seminars, tests but all seem to do nothing. English as a second language creates problems. It can be solved by removing English as a second language and make it a third or optional language.

 The major problems are the use of language drill, use of simple text, not sufficient reading, and role of grammar etc…A second language is generally considered as a language of repeating not for thinking!!! Any teacher can’t teach limited language. If he wanted to teach one sentence, he will have to teach grammar, vocabulary, sentence pattern. There are some conceptual problems, too. For example, the standard of English is falling.

We have failed to make-up our mind to one appropriate language theory. The west gave up grammar-centered language teaching and adopted behavioural models. Direct method, Audio-visual techniques help in language teaching but these all are costly and now even mother-tongue is taught with the help of these things. India was first grammar centered. Grammar and mathematics are principal instruments to sharpen the mind and now the west has also discovered that the grammar is a cognitive and primary to understand the language properly.

 'Method’ and ‘methodology’ are the most important in the west. It is believed that if we have right method, we can achieve our goal. ‘Technology’ is used in methods. Audio-cassettes, language laboratory, television, radio, computer-use of internet all are used in the technical method and these all have made the teaching expensive. The tradition of teaching with the black-board and text book is being lost.

     Conclusion-

Thus, we can see Kapil Kapoor in his essay ‘Teaching English as a ‘second language’ in India’ has cleared the concept of English as a second language, he has mentioned the problems in teaching English as a second language, what is the function of English in India, what are L1, L2, L3, the use of technique in teaching English all are explained in this essay. This essay helps us to understand the advantages and disadvantages of English as a second language. (Choudhary)

Choudhary, Divya. Blog. 31 October 2016. <http://divyachoudhary19.blogspot.in/2016/10/teaching-english-as-second-language-in.html>.

Nargis, Saiyad. Blog. 23 November 2011. <http://saiyadnargis142011.blogspot.in/2011/11/ec304-elt.html>.

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Assignment on Orientalism

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 Name: Budhiditya Shankar Das

 Course: M.A (English)

 Topic: Orientalism

Semester: 03

Roll No.  : 07

Paper No.: 11

Paper Name: The Post-Colonial Literature

Email Id    : budhiditya900@gmail.com

Submitted to: Dr. Dilip Barad,

Smt. S.B.Gardi

Department of English,

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

Orientalism

About Author

                 Edward said was born in 1935, 1 November and died in 25 September. He was a Palestinian American literary theorist and advocate for palestailian rights. He was university professor of English and comparative literature of Columbus University and abounding figure in post colonialism Robert frisk desired him as the Palestinians. (Hetalba)

He was best known for his books “ Orientalism” which was published in 1978.said were an influential cultural critic and author. The book orientation placed him as an international author. the book presented the idea of author that how western study the eastern culture said contended that orients scholarship was continue to inextricalsly tied to the imperialist societies that produced it making much of the work inherently politicized, servile to power and there for suspect sad’s oriental’s and following works proved influential in literature theory and criticism and continue to influence in several other fields in humanities. Said come to discuss and vigorously debate the issue of orients with scholars in the field of history and area studies. Many of them disagreed with his thesis including most famously beanery Lewis said tries to point out that how western looks towards the east. In his most famous book orients, said claim a “subtle and persistent content prejudice against arbor people and their culture” (Hetalba)

Orientalism

Orientalism Edward said is a canonical text of cultural studies in which he has challenged the concept of oriental’s or the difference between east and west, as he puts it he says that with the start of European colonization the European come in contact with the lesser developed countries of the east. They found their civilization and culture them exotic, and established the science of orientalism, or the people from these exotic civilizations. The main thing for the European visitor was a European representation of the orient and it’s had a privileged communal significance for the journalist and his French readers. American will not feel quite the same about the orient, which for them is much more likely to be associated very differently with the east, china and Japan mainly. Unlike the Americans, the French and British less so the German, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Italians and have had a long tradition of what I shall be calling orientalism, a way of coming to terms with the experience. The orient is not only adjustment to Europe, it is also the place of Europe‘s greatest and richest and oldest colonies, the source of its civilization and language, its cultural constant, and one of its deepest and most recurring images of the other. (Choudhary)

     Edward said argues that the Europeans divided the world into parts. The east and the west or the occident and the orient or the civilized and the uncivilized. This was totally an artificial boundary, and it was laid on the basis of the concept of them and us or their and ours. The Europeans used orientalism to define themselves. Some particular attributes, and whether the Orientals weren’t the occident’s were the Europeans defined themselves as the superior race compared to the Orientals and the justified their colonization by this concept. They said that it was their duty towards the ward to civilize the uncivilized ward. The main problem, however, arose when the European started generalizing the attributes they associated with Orientals, and started parting these artificial characteristics associated with Orientals in their western world through their scientific reports, literary work and other media sources. WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT IT CREATED ACERTAIN IMAGE ABOUT THE ORIENTAS IN THEIR European mind and doing that infused bias in the European attitude toward the Orientals. This prejudice was also found in the orientalists and all their scientific research and reports were under the influence of this. The generalized attributes associated with the Orientals can be seen even today. For example, the Arabs are defined as uncivilized people and Islam is seen as religion of the terrorist. Edward said explains how the science of orientalism developed and how the Orientals started considering the Orientals as non human beings. The Orientals divided the world in to parts by using the concept of ours and theirs. An imaginary geographical line was down between what was ours and what was theirs. The orients were regarded as uncivilized people and the western said that since they were the refined race it was their duty to civilize people those people and in order to achieve their goal, they had to colonize and rule the orients. They said that the orients themselves were incapable of running their own government. The Europeans also through that they had the right to represent the Orientals in the west all by themselves. In doing so, shaped the Orientals the way they perceived them or in other wards they were reinitializing the orient. Various teams have been sent to the east were oriental is silently observed to the Orientals by living with them and everything the west .This resulted in the generalization whatever was seen by the projected to the civilized world of the west. This resulted in the generalization whatever was seen by the oriental action of an individual.

          The most important use of oriental ism to the European was that they defined themselves by defining the Orientals. FOR EXA qualities such as lazy irrational uncivilized crudeness were related to the Orientals and automatically the Europeans become active retinal civilized sophisticated. Thus in order to achieve this goal. It was very necessary for the orientalists to generalize the culture of the orients.

    Then Edward said goes on to talk about two other scholars’ massing and Gibb. Through massing on bit liberal with orientalist and often tried to protect their right, there was still inherited biased found in him his work, with the changing world situation especially after world war orientalism took a more liberal stance toward s most of its subjects but Islamic orientalism did not enjoy this status .There were constant attacks to show Islam as religion.

          Edward said concludes his book by saying that the orientalist should not make generalization or they should include the write perspective too, but creating a boundary at the first place is something which should be not alone.

Conclusion:

               Orientalism by Edward W. Said is a critique of the study of the Orient and its ideas. Said examines the historical, cultural, and political views of the East that are held by the West, and examines how they developed and where they came from. He basically traces the various views and perceptions back to the colonial period of British and European domination in the Middle East. During this period, the United States was not yet a world power and didn't enter into anything in the East yet. The views and perceptions that came into being were basically the result of the British and French. The British had colonies in the East at this time; the French did not but were trying to acquire some.

Choudhary, Divya. Blog. 31 October 2016. <http://divyachoudhary19.blogspot.in/2016/10/orientalism.html>.

Hetalba, Gohil. Blog. 24 November 2011. <http://gohilhetalba052011.blogspot.in/2011/11/orientalism.html>.

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Assignment on The Scarlet Letter as the story of Sin, Crime and Punishment

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Name: Budhiditya Shankar Das

Course: M.A (English)

Topic: The Scarlet Letter as the story of Sin, Crime and Punishment

Semester: 03

Roll No.  : 07

Paper No.: 10

Paper Name: The American Literature

Email Id    : budhiditya900@gmail.com

Submitted to: Dr. Dilip Barad,

Smt. S.B.Gardi

Department of English,

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

THE SCARLET LETTER AS THE STORY OF SIN, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

In the second coming, it is said "To be without sin, shame and regret is to be more than human." In the Bible, it has been written "Thou salt not commit adultery." It is god's seventh instruction and those who violate it are sinners.

 The Scarlet Letter takes us to the early days of Puritan society. This book has derived its title from the custom which was strictly practiced by the Puritan settles. Whenever a woman was caught in adultery, she had to wear the letter 'A' embroidered in Scarlet color on her dress. Scarlet color symbolises blood, death, child birth and life. The scarlet letter is a book which deals with the values of the sin of adultery in the lives of three people most affected by it. These three people are Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. The couple of forbidden lovers and the wounded husband. It is an outrage of one individual against another and against the social code of ethics. This story is a story of sin too. That is why Hester and Dimmesdale who have committed adultery cannot be forgiven. The novel begins with a scene where a young woman. Hester Prynne is standing at the scaffold in the summer morning in the summer morning in the market place in Boston. She has committed adultery and stands in disgrace and tries to hide the scarlet letter 'A' on her bosom by holding her child close. Hawthorne defines Hester Prynne as "The woman was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance, on a large scale. She had dark and lavish hair, so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a glow, and a face which besides being beautiful from regularity of feature and richness of appearance, had the impressiveness belonging to a marked brow and deep black eyes." People see Hester as a morally despoiled woman and expressed hatred. The chief minister and Dimmesdale urge her to confess the name of her lover who should be sharing her but Hester remains silent. Seeing his wife on the scaffold, he decides to conceal his identity and quickly puts his finger to his lips to warm Hester against the betraying the slightest sign of recognition. When Hester is taken back to the prison, a doctor visits her which turns out to be his husband Chillingworth. He tries many a times to know the name of Hester's lover but does not get successful and gets frustrated. Hester and Dimmesdale then plan to go to other place and decide to leave on election arrive. When the sermon gets over, people walk out of the church and Dimmesdale walks in. He asserts his guilt and shows everyone 'A' engraved on his chest and then dies. As Chillingworth couldn't take revenge, he dies of frustration. Here we can say that Dimmesdale is a greater sinner than Hester. He tries to conceal his crime from the public. He goes against the purity of his profession his conscience allows him no rest and he gets troubled constantly by his soul. He adds hypocrisy to his sin. He can't sit or study peacefully. He becomes restless and can't sleep peacefully. He remains awaked at night, writes sermons, and keeps fast. 'A man must be true confessor' is a puritan belief. He goes deeper and deeper into the pit of sin. The secret of his sin burns within him, which prompts him to confess yet he is afraid to reveal himself for what he is. Chillingworth is a greater offender. He was absent from Hester's life for seven years. In this case, we can say that a person needs love and so Hester fell in love with Dimmesdale. He is a person who is devoted to cold science. The way in which he broods over revenge and marks down highs victim and drives him steadily to self-destruction is made very creditable when he learns of Hester's shame, he dewiest his very identity and pursues revenge. 'Sinful father feels more pain than sinful mother.' Whenever we talk about sin, we talk about punishment. God also gave punishment to his children Adam and Eve. By giving birth to the child, she crossed broke the moral order of the society according to the puritan society. Though Dimmesdale loved Hester, he could not cross the Puritan culture moral order of the society. They both are self conscious. Hester is the first sinner. Other people become happy when Hester is punished as they have conditional mind and they do not feel her feelings.

'Sinful mother is happier than a sinful father.' When Dimmesdale comes to meet Hester in secret place or you have to accept us in daylight in front of everyone." The forest is shown as dark forest. She is tempered there and so she goes there. For people, it is a punishment to go in the dark, deep forest. Hester goes with the child and when she comes out, she is not the same Hester. It is due to the dark forest, she could change the sign A'. Hester returns. She has to. Her sin lies in New England. Hester chooses to return to New England to live the moral life: "But there was a more real life for Hester Prynne, here in New England than in that unfamiliar region where Pearl had found a home. Here had been her sin; here her regret and here was yet to be her penitence."  Pearl constantly reminds her mother Hester about her sin or crime which was done in past. When they are living in the forest, Pearl tells Hester: "Mother, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. It will not feel from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet." She can be said a born misfit of the infantile world. The shadow of parent's sin can be seen forcing over the child of Hester.

CONCLUSION: -

 The Scarlet Letter is a tragic story of sin, crime and Punishment which can be learnt by the actions of all the characters, the crime they committed and the situations they face. The act of adultery is certain a crime against the individual. Same way, it is also a crime against society as it involves the violation of the moral code formulated and honoured by the society. Hawthorne has given the concept of sin and evil which is a puritan heritage. Sin and crime was the endless theme in this novel and the consequences of guilt as primarily psychological in nature. Hester's charm is shown by a sense of guilt. The story shows the concept of sin, crime and Punishment through Hester's life and Dimmesdale's inner guilt. (Choudhary)

Choudhary, Divya. Blog. 12 November 2016. <http://divyachoudhary19.blogspot.in/2016/11/scarlet-letter-is-as-story-of-sin-crime.html>.

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Assignment on Use of Mythical Technique in The Waste Land

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Name: Budhiditya Shankar Das

Course: M.A (English)

 Topic: Use of Mythical Technique in The Waste Land

Semester: 03

Roll No.  : 07

Paper No.: 09

Paper Name: The Modern Literature

Email Id    : budhiditya900@gmail.com

Submitted to: Dr. Dilip Barad,

Smt. S.B.Gardi

Department of English,

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University



Use of Mythical technique in the Waste Land

Introduction: T.S.Eliot was born in 1888, in St. Louis, Missouri. His first work was “The love song of J.Alfred Prufrock” in 1915. He wrote the poem “The Waste Land” while recovering from the exhaustion. From 1911 to 1914 he returned back to Harvard where he expanded his knowledge by reading Indian philosophy and studying Sanskrit. In 1919, Eliot published poems which contained “Gerontion”.In 1922 his poetic work comes out in shape of “The Waste Land” a complex examination of disillusionment. This work was immediately spread like a virus in all literary corners and it is frequently considered as the most influential work in 20th century. He founded what would become an influential literary journal called ‘Criterion’ (1922-1939).His major works are “Ash Wednesday” (1930), “Four Quartets”(1943),”Use of Criticism”(1933), “After strange Gods”(1934) and received Nobel Prize in literature in 1948. (Wikipedia)

T.S.Eliot ‘The Waste Land’ is an important achievement in the history of English poetry and one of the most talked poems of the 20th century by Thomas Stern Eliot. This poem is very long one including four hundred forty lines which is divided into five parts. They are given below:

(1) The Burial of the Dead

(2) A Game of chess

(3) The fire sermon

(4) Death by water

(5) What the Thunder said

What is a Myth?

“A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining a natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events”.  (Dictionary)

An exaggerated or idealized conception of a person or thing: ‘the book is a scholarly study of the Churchill myth’. (Dictionary)

A fictitious or imaginary person or thing: ‘nobody had ever heard of Simon’s mysterious friend – Anna said he was a myth’. (Dictionary)

There are many myths which can be observed in this poem. T.S Eliot’s The waste land is an important land mark in the history of English poetry and one of the most talked poems of the same Age. Here T.S Eliot described the mythical background in his poem. This mythical technique can be elaborated as given below.

·         The Grail Legend

·         The King Fisher

·         Myth of Tiresias

The Grail Legend:

The Myth about this vessel was that at have acquired medicinal and miraculous properties so the result is that it became an object for purity or one kind of devotion and worship. The lance used to pierce the sides of Christ and kept with it. But a time the original Grail was mysteriously disappeared and many of the bold Knights staked their lives and them searching for this vessel. It was generally believed that the grail was sometimes could be found in the sky as the floating saucer but it could only see by those, Knights who were virginal beauty. (Rabhadiya)

Myth of Tiresias:

Here in this poem this myth often comes up to the end of this poem. Tiresias is represented as a bi-sexual in The Waste Land as he was blind but he has the gift of prophecy and immortality. Many stories are same like Tiresias story. According to one story this wise Theban soothsayer in his youth once saw the goddess Athena naked in a pond and goddess struck him blind but his mother was a friend of hers so she bestowed upon him. According to Eliot, Tiresias comes out as the central figure through this poem, what Tiresias sees is the substance of the whole poem. The importance of Tiresias is complex and varied but it is connected with history with the story of King Oedipus, Thebes the classical legend of a waste land. Let’s see the story of King Oedipus in the context of Tiresias and see how it is connected with waste and as a myth. (Choudhary)

King Fisher:

According to this myth King Fisher was the prince named King Fisher. It was one of the regions where Grail worship had been anciently vogue, and a temple Known as Chapel Perilous, still stood there, broken and dilapidated, as a mournful memorial of what once was, but later had ceased to be. It was said that the lost Grail was hidden in this chapel. At that time the king himself had become a physical wreck, maimed and impotent, as a result. It was whispered, of a sin committed by his soldiery in outraging the chastity of a group of nuns attached to the Grail chapel. The impotency of the Fisher King was reflected sympathetically in the land of which he was the head and ruler. It had become dry and barren, the haunt and home of want and famine. The King, however, was waiting with hope, despite his illness, that one day the Knight of the pure soul would visit his star-crossed kingdom, march to the Chapel Perilous, answer questions and solve riddles.

So, here Eliot shows the Fisher King as symbolic of humanity robbed of its sexuality potency in the modern world and connected to the meaninglessness of urban existence. (Choudhary)

There are other symbols like: 

    Ø  Drought

    Ø  Animals

    Ø  Landscape

    Ø  Thunder

    Ø  Religion etc.

So, here this poem The Waste Land is symbolically very rich poem. We rarely find such a variety of symbols except in T.S.Eliot’s Wasteland. Living beings, animal or insect have been the important symbol. (Choudhary)

King Oedipus and his Waste land:

Tiresias serves, in the first place to complicate the mythical frame of the poem and in the second place to universalize. Oedipus unwittingly kills his father and marries with his mother and thus call down upon his supposedly innocent head the curse of the gods in form of virulent plague, epidemic an destructive which neither king nor commoners fails to regard as a punishment for some dark and hidden crime. Tiresias, the blind prophet is summoned and when compelled by the king tells the shocking truth that he, the king himself, is the plague spot.  Such is the conspiracy of circumstances that the king is slowly but irresistibly, driven to the realization of this horrible truth. Nothing remains for the king but the duty of expiation, self mutilation, self-exile, self-abasement and a prolonged penance which eventually result in spiritual calm and inner illumination. (Rabhadiya)

Tiresias is represented as a bi-sexual in The Waste Land as he was blind but he has the gift of prophecy and immortality. Many stories are same like Tiresias story. According to one story this wise Theban soothsayer in his youth once saw the goddess Athena naked in a pond and goddess struck him blind but his mother was a friend of hers so she bestowed upon him. According to another story, Tiresias saw two snakes copulating them with his stick and the snakes in wrath transformed him into women. Later on, he was questioned by love and juno as to whether Man is more passionate or woman. He declared that woman is more passionate. At this Juno was angry and stuck him blind but Zesus or Love compensated him by conferring upon the twin gifts of prophecy and immortality. (Rabhadiya)

Choudhary, Divya. Blog. 26 October 2016. <http://divyachoudhary19.blogspot.in/2016/10/use-of-mythical-technique-in-waste-land.html>.

Dictionary. <https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/myth>.

Rabhadiya, Vinod. Blog. 15 October 2014. <http://vjrabhadiya.blogspot.in/2014/10/myths-in-waste-land-introduction-t.html>.

Wikipedia. 1 September 2016. <https://www.biography.com/people/ts-eliot-9286072>.

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