English classes in the State are set to undergo a makeover with ‘Hello English,’ a learning enhancement programme by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA).
The project aims at bringing about confidence in using the English language among students of the Lower Primary (LP) section by training their teachers to instruct the language more efficiently. Around 18,000 teachers from across the State will receive training under the project.
‘Hello English’ was officially inaugurated by Education Minister C. Ravindranath here on Friday.
Training module
SSA’s training module is designed to impart interesting learning strategies that go beyond the textbooks and immerse the students in the language, thereby making them proficient in it. For example, interactive learning methods such as dramatisation, narration, and choreography will be employed to encourage student involvement and self-expression.
Further, students will be encouraged to read non-textbook stories and other texts in English, and also to write on their own through class newspapers, diary entries, and so on. English reading corners will be set up in classrooms as part of this. The students’ creations in English will be exhibited at the school level.
Instead of forcefully imposing a centrally designed one-size-fits-all curriculum, the SSA has gone for a grassroots-level approach whereby learning strategies can be customised according to proficiency levels and the school culture.
The module was designed through a three-month study, involving try-outs in twenty different schools and interactions with learners, parents, and teachers.
Long-term project
‘Hello English’ has been devised as a long-term project that will evolve through experiential research.
In the first stage of the programme, 200 key resource persons were trained over five days. In the next stage, beginning next week, two teachers from every government-aided and government-run LP school in the State will receive training for five days from these resource persons.
This will be followed by a try-out period of a month, after which the teachers will attend English cluster meetings in order to discuss their experiences and issues. Further, they will receive online support and access to learning resources. Long-term training programmes will be held over the summer holidays for interested teachers.
The programme will be expanded to the Upper Primary (UP) section from next year.
