English language is binding force for unity: Vice-Chancellor

English language, though a colonial legacy, has all along been a binding force for unity in a multilingual country such as India, Alagappa University Vice-Chancellor N. Rajendran has said.

Addressing a two-day international conference on recent ‘Trends in English language teaching’ held at the university in Karaikudi recently, he exhorted students to learn and master the language as it had a unique place in a globalised world.

Students should cultivate the habit of reading English novels and books. They could gain passive skills by reading and listening to the language and, thereby, master the active skills of speaking and writing. “Forget kindle [reading App] and kindle your mind and heart by reading printed books,” he said in a lighter vein.

He also advised students to shed inhibitions and speak in English whenever it was warranted. Continuous reading of English newspapers, listening to news bulletins and other broadcast programmes could be some of the interesting ways to learn and master the language.

In her keynote address, Anitha Devi Pillai of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, dwelt at length, three approaches — text, writer and reader oriented — that were being adopted in different parts of the world for mastering the language, and explained the advantages and shortcomings of each approach.

Pointing that no single model or approach would fit all classrooms, she said the approaches needed to be modified to suit the learning needs of the students. Traditional ways of teaching writing were inadequate to address the needs of the digital world.

Multi-literacies played greater role in the English language syllabus in many countries including Singapore. Teachers could incorporate digital storytelling as a tool to encourage students to engage with the text, visuals and sound, she suggested.

Ellis Mary, Department of English Language and Literature, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, said mastering English, the international language, was essential in today’s competitive world for aspiring students.

She wanted the teachers to be familiar with latest developments in teaching of English at the global level.