Problems of Teaching English at the Collegiate Levelin the Tribal Areas of Gujarat

Abstract

Teaching of English language is a challenge for the teachers in tribal areas. The reason is that the students who pass out the higher secondary examinations with or without English come to colleges with very little or perhaps no background of English. Though they learn the tenses, verb forms, articles, degrees, passive constructions etc as a part of their syllabi, they have very poor knowledge of English. We have been concerned with downward trend noticeable in standards of English in Gujarat and the time has come for us to act. We need to do this to help Gujarat progress raise its standards in English. One of the basic requirements of an educational institution specifically created to serve the needs of the young learners from a tribal belt in any state is that higher education provided to them be geared to fulfil the need of making them self-sufficient and self-reliant. It must enable them to find gainful employment when they pass out of the portals of such institutions. Some of these issues relate to (1) The rationale behind teaching English at the collegiate level to the young learners in the tribal areas of Gujarat, (2) The problems teachers and learners face in teaching-learning process at the collegiate level in such areas in Gujarat, (3) The need to take a re-look at the aim, objectives, content, materials and testing procedures used in teaching and testing given the level and the demographic profile, (4) The need to design strategies to tackle the problems of teaching English at the collegiate level in the tribal areas of Gujarat.