To make learning English interesting and interactive for high school students, the district administration has undertaken a novel initiative.
All 149 high schools, 11 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and 11 model schools in the district have been instructed to implement All India Radio (AIR) English news listening programme as part of listening enhancement programme, English learning and general awareness development activities for students of class 8 and 9.
QnA sessions
The students are required to tune in to the five-minute English news broadcast at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. every day in their respective classrooms and note down the points.
That is followed by simple questions and discussions for another five minutes in the class to check their IQ levels, vocabulary, general knowledge and grasp on current affairs.
Some of questions asked by the teachers include: who is the news reader; who are the persons you can recall; mention two words, States, countries, places, etc.
Second stage questions include headlines; names of politicians mentioned; repeat some words/ verbs/ adjectives; sports news followed by a third phase of discussion on key issues; reproduction of some news and possibility of turning the information into a quiz of sorts.
The listening enhancement programme started on October 27 in all schools and as a prelude, an orientation programme was also conducted for English teachers.
Radio on phone
All schools are equipped with radios, which were produced a few years ago when the government implemented ‘Meena prapancham’ radio telecast programme on adolescent girls’ education. In case the schools don’t have a radio, teachers are asked to use cell phones for tuning in to radio news.
Samagra Shiksha or Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan sectoral officer D. Srinivas, who is supervising the implementation of radio listening programme, told The Hindu on Monday that the initiative is Collector Sarfaraz Ahmad’s brainchild to ensure government school students learn English with ease.
Initially, the programme will be implemented for class 8 and 9 students on a pilot basis for three months. After evaluation of their performance, the programme would be extended to students of other classes in a phased manner, he stated.
