Nishant Saxena
In a bid to foster English language proficiency and speaking skills among students, state-run schools in Uttar Pradesh (UP) are adopting a new approach that goes beyond traditional textbooks. The English Language Teaching Institute (ELTI) in Prayagraj has developed a series of videos designed to create an English language environment, enhance oral skills (listening and speaking), expand vocabulary (meanings and pronunciation), and nurture comprehension and imagination abilities in children.
The video series comprises 30 episodes, each centered around different situations and themes, featuring engaging conversations. Initially, the videos will target students in grades six to eight attending government schools and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV). This initiative is one among several measures undertaken by the education department to strengthen English education across the state.
Previously, spoken English training was provided to teachers, and infotainment audios were distributed to schools to facilitate English language acquisition among students.
According to Skand Shukla, the principal of ELTI, each video, uploaded on the Diksha portal, consists of three segments. The first part introduces and explains challenging words, focusing on pronunciation and meaning. The second part presents the main video, emphasizing conversational skills. The third part includes practice sessions and exercises. Each video has a duration of 10 to 12 minutes, allocating two minutes for introduction, five minutes for the video content, and three minutes for practice sessions and exercises. The videos will be in English, supplemented with subtitles.
Shukla expressed enthusiasm about involving government schoolchildren in the videos, remarking on their commendable performance in both speaking and acting. Government teachers also participate in the videos, engaging in conversations with the students.
The practice sessions, as described by Shukla, involve activities such as role play, comprehension questions, arranging sentences in multiple choice format, and fill-in-the-blanks exercises. Additionally, a handbook will accompany the videos, featuring presentations of difficult words (pronunciation and meaning), text, and practice exercises.
Also Run: Students Boycott Classes as Molestation Allegations Surface in Agra Government School