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Current Zone
( current & Archive : News , events, Information dissemination from the DPS Society. ) |
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Principals/Heads, Delhi Public schools,
The DPS Society is committed to keep pace with the changing educational needs of the students under its care. It also owns the responsibility of making available opportunities for continuous up -gradation of contemporary employability skills required of DPS Students.
Along with teaching of Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu and regional languages like Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Bangla, Oriya, Kannada etc. a number of foreign languages are also taught in Delhi Public Schools.
English, being the medium of instruction, is uniquely positioned in our system. Various other languages being taught in DPS schools are French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Bhasha Malay, Arabic and Persian.
A note on the opportunities and challenges in introducing foreign language teaching in schools is enclosed. The DPS Society in association with concerned Cultural Centres of various Embassies in India, language teaching institutes and universities conducts teacher development programmes as also language learning programmes for DPS teachers .Three new batches of DPS teachers are being trained to introduce German , Japanese and Spanish languages in schools.
If you propose to extend the existing reach of language learning in your school and need any information/help, you may contact Ms Renu Mital,Director,DPS Society .
Ashok Chandra
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Foreign Language Teaching : Some Random Thoughts
Knowledge of a foreign language opens doors to unlimited opportunities. Foreign language teaching in Delhi Public Schools is encouraged with an objective of promoting increased employability as also strengthening global partnerships.
Proficiency in a foreign language is required to become a foreign language specialist for translation, interpretation, teaching and research. It is also a decided asset in other professions specially in the service sectors like hospitality, aviation, medicine, engineering ,entertainment . Competency in a foreign language is considered an added skill the world over, more so in international business circles.
However, creating a demand for language learning and availability and continuity of foreign language teachers are the two major challenges being faced by schools.
Creating a demand for learning a Foreign Language………………..
- Information could be disseminated to parents and students about the need for learning a particular language. The benefits of learning a foreign language could be impressed upon through school website, school circulars, interaction during parent teacher meetings, open houses etc.
- Information communication technology (ICT ) could be extensively used to make foreign language teaching more interesting and effective. On line support will give an additional boost to Foreign Language learning.
- Students could also be given updated information about various career opportunities available to them.
- Language learning could follow a twin track approach. The CBSE route as a 3rd or 2nd language structured into the class syllabi and the other route of hobby or activity classes. The second option is more flexible and prepares students for international certification examinations. Hobby/ activities classes could be held as per local needs during or after school hours, over weekends or as language camps during school holidays.
- Foreign languages should preferably be introduced at class IV level. However, the objective should be to introduce a foreign language to the children through a country’s geo-cultural profile and the learning should be activity based. Emphasis should be on spoken aspect of the language and assessment should be informal. Students could work on projects but formal examination should not be used as an assessment tool. This would go a long way in addressing the parents’ anxiety at not getting ‘Good marks’ in foreign language tests/examinations and related concern of ‘no help at home, syndrome’ and ‘no tutor available for home tuitions’. This will also address the teachers’ perennial grievance of lack of enough teaching periods per week.
- Various Intra and Inter school cultural and literary programmes could be organized.
- Educational Exchange Programmes and on-line international school partnerships’ should be promoted. Scores of such programmes have been organized by the DPS Society in association with International organizations.
Availability and continuity of Foreign Language teachers.………………….
- It is indeed a challenging task to get Foreign Language teachers on regular /part time basis as school salaries are no comparisons to what MNCs pay and secondly foreign language specialists’ first preference is usually a university teaching job.
- It is a fact that it is extremely difficult to get foreign language teachers even in metropolitan cities and language learning facilities are not easily accessible.
- It is advisable that wherever possible, schools should get regular foreign language teachers employed in schools.
- DPS teachers desirous of learning a foreign language or those who would like a change of their job profile could be helped to be trained as foreign language teachers.
- Schools should aim to create a pool of foreign language teachers .Different models of teachers’ training could be adopted and programmes could easily be customized as per the needs of schools, teachers and the language to be learnt .
- Trained/ qualified teachers should be given an opportunity to teach the language learnt .
- Foreign language teachers should be encouraged to upgrade their skills.
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