We all saw this news item in late December: A Buddhist monk ranks first in Arts stream of GCE Advanced Level examination. He scored Distinctions (A’s) in all three compulsory subjects of Buddhism, Sanskrit and Indian History. News not reported in media: The same monk, whose grades eclipsed everyone else, failed – yes, failed – in the noncompulsory subject of General English (which is typically easier). The revelation came only in the form of screenshot of his marks shared on Facebook. Social media pundits jumped to offer diverse theories. One said English gets stepmotherly treatment at Buddhist privenas (which might be true). Another said the problem is not with teachers but with students. They, especially the rural ones, ignore the noncompulsory General English in favour of the three compulsory ones, which count for university entrance (sounds logical). One more added that failure in General English is a universal phenomenon: nearly half of A/L students anyway fail this subject. This again may be true, but I have no data on A/L General English.
Facts: At the GCE (Ordinary Level) examination, more than half the students fail English. The pass rate was 30% in 2008. It has gradually increased since, but even in 2015, the last year for which data is available online, it has not reached 50%. In short, out of every two students who sat for the GCE (Ordinary Level) exam, one fails English. Mind you, we are talking only about basic language skills here. The questions we have been asking: Why, even after learning English for more than 10 years, can students not use it for any practical purposes either verbal or written? (Yes, the same students seem to learn Russian within a year and Korean in a few weeks.) Why can’t they pass a simple written paper that examines basic grammar rules and usage? Why do students still see English as a shining ‘kaduwa’ (a sword) that they avoid touching rather than a familiar ‘porowa’ (an axe)? What can we do about it?
Let me highlight a few reasons. This is largely based on my own experience as an English medium teacher at undergraduate and postgraduate levels – although I confess to not having experience as an English language teacher. For some of the above, we can’t do much. We cannot squeeze the vocabulary. We cannot rewrite our own grammar rules. Neither can we make a flavor of our own. (There have been multiple unsuccessful attempts to create a “Singlish” version.) We must admit that English is special. We have to pay the price for its superiority. To paraphrase Euclid, ‘No, sire, there is no royal way to learn English.’ Some can be resolved with the joint attempt of teachers and students. Both parties should understand that learning happens more outside the classroom. Students must invest extra time and effort, while teachers must provide guidance. Sadly, many English teachers today are not aware of the precise resources. They would not even have heard about great TV series that can be used to improve language abilities.
Finally, some require attention at a higher level of decision making. For instance, can teachers themselves put more focus on primary level teaching? Till these happen, pointing fingers at students, teachers or even the system will not work. This is an extraordinary problem that requires an extraordinary solution.
01
ENGLISH IS NOT A NATURALLY EVOLVED MONOLITHIC LANGUAGE (BUT MORE A COMBINATION OF MANY EUROPEAN LANGUAGES)
English has developed over one and a half millennia. The earliest form of English brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the fifth century is called Old English. Middle English began in the late eleventh century with the Norman conquest of England, a period in which the language was influenced by French. Early Modern English began in the late fifteenth century with the introduction of the printing press to London. Interactivity with other languages and cultures allowed English to borrow from them. So, English has no standard spelling or pronunciation rules. Every rule has multiple exceptions. Many borrowed words are spelt and pronounced the same way as they appear in the original language (eg. choir, protégé, ballet, bouquet, boutique, silhouette, bourgeois, rendezvous). English perhaps has more homophones and homographs than any other language, too. These barriers pose serious difficulties with first-time, non-native learners. Had they learned another European language, such as French or Spanish, they would be far more successful with English.
02
ENGLISH VOCABULARY IS TITANIC
English is an enormously rich language in terms of vocabulary; it may even contain more synonyms than in any other language. They appear to mean the same but subtle differences matter in precisely conveying the intended message. Estimates based on the latest complete edition of the Oxford English Dictionary put the size of English vocabulary at 170,000 words (220,000 if obsolete words are counted). If Latin species names, scientific terminology, prefixed and suffixed words, jargon, and foreign words of extremely limited English use too are counted, the English vocabulary grows to about one million words. No other language even comes close. For example, French still practically manages with just 35,000 words. Naturally, non-native learners find this a crucial barrier to mastering the language. The American-British spelling variations, although minor, compound problems.
03
STUDENTS VIEW IT AS ALIEN
Students typically have an impassable mental barrier between them and learning English. This is apparent even at undergraduate level. For them, it is the language for learning and exams, not for any practical use like conversations. They speak even to English teachers in vernacular. This happens frequently in non-state universities, so why even talk about state universities and schools?
04
THEY ATTEMPT LEARNING THE LANGUAGE WITHOUT USING IT
Current Sri Lankan society offers surprisingly little opportunities for practical English usage. Evading is easier. Sadly, neither students nor teachers seem to appreciate the critical fact that one cannot learn swimming without getting into a pool. Students treat English the same way they treat any other subject – something to learn by heart to be reproduced at examinations, and then forget. They may be waiting for a day they will automatically learn to speak and write – without ever attempting.
05
ENGLISH IS BEST LEARNT AS A CHILD
The heterogenic and irrational nature of English makes it naturally unreceptive for first-time adult learners. Children have few such issues. In fact, most local good English speakers learnt it as children, mostly at home. Those who have commenced learning as adults rarely end as good English speakers. Sadly, our education authorities largely ignore this fact. Instead of training young students, they place pressure on adolescents. No state school in Sri Lanka has English medium primary classes. English medium subjects (only a select few) start at secondary level. Even most private schools do the same. This formula won’t work.