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EFL Indian teachers attend follow up meeting in Calcutta |
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The EFL training at the Hamline University in the USA has greatly changed perception of Indian teachers to English teaching methods. They have learned how to make their English language classes more interactive and interesting to their students. Many of them believe that, through the training, their classes are now more participatory than anytime in the past. One teacher would like to term it as “a paradigm shift” from the traditional way of teaching English in most typical Indian schools.
A group of EFL teachers in three states (West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa) from India gathered in a follow up meeting held at the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture in Calcutta on 19 October 2006. Nazrul Islam from RI SOL Bangladesh Office moderated the meeting. The day long meeting provided the teaches with opportunity to get together after returning from the exchange visit to the USA and to talk about their experiences, success stories and challenges with applying their news skills and knowledge in their schools and communities. A teacher from Shakwat Memorial School in the West Bengal has described use of thinking map or concept map in classroom as “a very good way for critical thinking and self learning” while a teacher from Saint Joseph School in the same state believes it “promotes self learning and develops thinking skills”. The teachers also praised the project based learning methods and cooperative learning environment which have encouraged their students to take lead on the learning process. However, several teachers especially from rural and semi urban areas have found it difficult to use online blackboard because of limited access to internet at their schools or areas they live in.
While the training exposed the teachers to an array of new methodologies it has also impacted on their career development and availing new professional opportunities. A teacher from Shakwat Memorial School in the West Bengal was selected by the state education department to work as a resource person for a series of training for English teachers in the Bengali speaking state.
The teachers were excited to see the teaching materials in boxes of books which they hope to use in enhancing their skills. The American Center in Calcutta was a great help in bringing the boxes from the United States. The public affairs officials of the center helped RI SOL to organize the meeting in Calcutta.
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