English Proficiency Programme

PELT Closure: Balance Sheet

What was expected from the course.

• A systematic scheme

  • Words: Single vowel patterns; Multiple vowel patterns; Professional instruments of vocabulary building.

  • Sentences: Simple PPF in active voice; Passive voice and continuous tense; All tenses - mostly in simple sentences; All kinds of sentence and their Analysis.

  • Ask whether it was systemaic enough for learning and teaching of English.

• A representative and suggestive set of material

  • Any representative topic that has been left out?

  • Any suggestion that is unclear?

• Material and Method rolled together

  • A 'student' goes out with the seed of a future potential teacher inside.

  • A 'teacher' attending the course develops a thorough understanding regarding what a student really undergoes.

• Starting from the base, targetting the top

  • Very little background is needed to appreciate the initial lessons.

  • We consider no text beyond the appreciation of our average student.

• Beneficial use of the medium of CLL

  • In the earlier segments, not in the later (professional) segment.

• Scalability for audience of different backgrounds

  • 40 days (2 months) for those who start with a good/reasonable background (A/B).

  • 40 weeks (1 year) for the real clientele of EPP project/mission (B/C/D).

  • 40 months (4 years) for children and those with really poor background (D/E).

  • Extrapolate and ask whether the same core thread with less or more practice will suit all segments.

The promise of significant improvement starting from any level.

• Ask yourself if you have gained significantly over last two months in your command over English or in your thought regarding how English can be taught systematically.

  • If not, then it is important to figure out why.

How this course should really be delivered.

• Conduct an entry-level test. Identify those who can sustain Module (Quarter) 1. Arrange a preparatory "Module Zero" for those who cannot.

• Conduct Module 1 over at least ten weeks (may be up to ten months for children), with comprehensive practice sessions. At the end, conduct a test on Module 1. Advise those who fail this test to make-up on Module 1 or repeat it, before joining Module 2.

• Exercise similar checks after Modules 2 and 3.

• Intersperse material of Module 4 with items of teaching methodology. Ask Module 4 students to execute teaching assignments. Include this performance in the overall evaluation of Module 4.

• Throughout the four modules, arrange a number of speaking and discussion sessions.

• Towards the end of Module 4, encourage the students on creative writing, and get them to comment upon one another's work at a professional level (peer review).

Besides, with humility, we admit that the experience of last two months has been overwhelming to us.