Opinion

Maximising TESL resources: Gaining speech skills natural way

Published

2 years ago

2023/04/19

Prof. W. A. J. M. De Costa’s article on the “Need for rethink on Sri Lankan education” which appeared in The Island of April 12 is insightful and all-encompassing. Although it hasn’t made references to Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), its content urges one to rethink the way English is taught, specially, in schools.

All these decades, English teaching has been pretty much a classroom affair with more focus on reading and writing. Among the numerous reasons which, both wittingly and unwittingly, have contributed to this anomaly are inadequate proficiency of teachers of English, overemphasis on writing at the cost of spoken fluency, focus on grammar from early grades, lack of resources in schools to implement more productive and efficient methods, tendency to treat English as just another subject in terms of methodology, time constraints, popular and convenient method of translation used by private tutors, lack of motivation, etc. More than any of the foregoing is the students’ lack of exposure to a language-acquisitive environment in the school, and all the above-mentioned factors have been contributing to it.

Exposing Grade1 students to English language will be taking a significant step towards improving their overall proficiency in English. The step taken by the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the NIE, to train Grade 1 class teachers and those assigned to teach English for Grade1 in using English in their classes is sure to have a far-reaching significance in TESL in Sri Lanka. Although some may look at it pessimistically as too idealistic, specially, considering the lack of exposure of primary grade teachers in remote areas to English, the initiative will surely gather steam in the succeeding years.

This is surely the first instance of employing the primary level class teachers to improve the English language skills of the first graders, which shows an attitudinal shift in our approach to the teaching of English as a Second Language (L2). Firstly, it shows a more mature view with regard to teaching as an L2 in that the method presumes the need to providing a language acquisitive environment as early as possible. Secondly, it engages the class teachers, with whom the students spend most of their time, to play the leading role in the project. All these years, class teachers have not been considered as potential resource persons in making the students feel that English is more a medium of communication and not just another subject to be learned in the traditional way, only with the “English Teacher” presiding over the class. Thirdly, perhaps most importantly, it will create a healthy environment at the school conducive for obviating any resentment felt by the teaching staff towards the ‘teachers of English’ who may speak to their students in English outside the classroom. In other words, brief exchanges in English between teachers and students as well as among students will naturally be accepted as the order of the day by all leaving little room for undue animosity towards English becoming normalized.

Of course, there will be the usual teething problems. The principal can play a big role in promoting a positive attitude towards such a change. It would prove to be a turbo boost to the programme if the principals, specially those who lack fluency in English, are also made to participate in the subsequent training sessions or, alternatively, in a separate programme where they would be motivated to promote the use of English within the school. Surely, the principals with such a training and orientation, will be able to significantly boost the level of enthusiasm of both teachers and students. Conversely, only a lukewarm interest on the part of a principal would tend to have a disenchanting influence on the whole programme in a school. In fact, extending the programme to all the primary grade teachers starting from Grade 2 teachers, specially, to those who have no fluency in English will certainly give an impetus to the programme and the results will be quite exciting in the years to come. It is only through such a holistic approach that the government schools will be able to produce students who may be on par with those of the international schools with respect to their English language proficiency.

Such steps as the above will have a crucial influence on building a healthy environment in the school towards improving the English education of the whole school community. It will create a feeling among the teachers and the principal that enhancing English competency of the students is not only a responsibility of the English Teachers, so to speak, who are resource-strapped, but a collective effort and also a national responsibility.

What has to be done is to make the student feel at home with English without relegating it to the ‘English’ classroom. When the primary grade teachers start using English to give simple instructions and commands such as, for example- stand up, close/open your books, look at the board, who can answer the question etc. the students will naturally be at home with listening to instructions in English. This is especially effective since it is the class teacher of primary level students that constantly interact with her students most of the time and get them to do various outdoor activities. It will immensely help the task of the English teacher who has only 40 minutes with the students.

In other words, the new approach will connect all the primary teachers in a network of facilitators for teaching communication skills of the student. What’s more it will motivate all those teachers who have been cut off from learning English due to various reasons to take heart and increase their own proficiency. In other words, the new approach will be far-reaching and have multiple benefits on the TESL in Sri Lanka. One can only hope that the programme will continue despite potential resistance from various groups who would feel unduly pessimistic.

Susantha Hewa

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Opinion

LG polls, what a waste of money!

Published

3 days ago

2025/03/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

If the people of this country were asked whether they want elections to the local government, majority of them would say no! How many years have elapsed since the local councils became defunct? And did not the country function without these councils that were labelled as ‘white elephants’?

If the present government’s wish is to do the will of the people, they should reconsider having local government elections. This way the government will not only save a considerable amount of money on holding elections, but also save even a greater amount by not having to maintain these local councils, which have become a bane on the country’s economy.

One would hope that the country will be able to get rid of these local councils and revert back to the days of having competent Government Agents and a team of dedicated government officials been tasked with the responsibility of attending to the needs of the people in those areas.

M. Joseph A. Nihal Perera

Opinion

What not to do

Published

4 days ago

2025/03/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

Trump and Zelensky arguing in the White House

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

It is immaterial whether you like him or not but one thing is crystal clear; Donald Trump has shown, very clearly, who is the boss. Surely, presidents of two countries are equal; perhaps, that is the impression Volodymyr Zelensky had when he went to the White House to meet Trump but the hard reality, otherwise, would have dawned on him with his inglorious exit! True, the behaviour of President Trump and VP Vance were hardly praiseworthy but Zelensky did what exactly he should not do. Afterall, he was on a begging mission and beggars cannot be choosers! He behaved like professional beggars in Colombo who throw money back when you give a small amount!!

Despite the risk of belonging to the minority, perhaps of non-Americans, I must say that I quite like Trump and admire him as a straight-talking politician. He keeps to his words; however atrocious they sound! Unfortunately, most critics overlook the fact that what Trump is doing is exactly what he pledged during his election campaign and that the American voters elected him decisively. When he lost to Biden, all political commentators wrote him off, more so because of his refusal to admit defeat and non-condemnation of his supporters who rioted. When he announced his intention to contest, it only evoked pundits’ laughter as they concluded that the Republican Party would never nominate him. Undaunted, Trump got the party to rally round him and won a non-consecutive second term; a feat achieved only once before, by Grover Cleveland around the end of the nineteenth century. His victory, against all predictions, was more decisive as he got more collegiate votes and, even though it does not matter, won the popular vote too which he did not get when he got elected the first term. Even his bitterest critics should accept this fact.

Zelensky was elected the president of Ukraine after the elected pro-Soviet president was deposed by a ‘peoples revolution’ engineered by the EU with the support of USA. After this, the EU attempted to bring Ukraine to NATO, disregarding the Munich agreement which precipitated the Russian invasion. He should have realised that, if not for the air-defence system which Trump authorised for Ukraine during his first term, Russian invasion would have been complete. It may well be that he was not aware as when this happened Zelensky may still have been the comedian acting the part of the president! Very likely, Trump was referring to this when he accused Zelensky of being ungrateful.

Zelensky also should have remembered that he disregarded requests from Trump, after his defeat by Biden, to implicate Biden’s son in some shady deals in Ukraine and that one of the last acts of Biden was to pardon his son and grant immunity to cover the alleged period. Perhaps, actions of the European leaders who embrace him every time they see him, as a long-lost brother, and invitations to address their parliaments has induced an element of the superiority complex in Zelensky that he behaved so combative.

Trump wanted to be the mediator to stop the war and spoke to Putin first. Instead of waiting for Trump to speak to him, egged on by EU leaders Zelensky started criticising Trump for not involving him in the talks. His remark “He should be on our side” demonstrated clearly that Zelensky had not understood the role of a mediator. His lack of political experience was the major reason for the fiasco in the White House and the subsequent actions of Trump clearly showed Zelensky where he stands! PM Starmer and President Macron seem to have given some sensible advice and he seems to be eating humble pie. In the process Trump has ensured that the European nations pay for their defence than piggy-backing on the US, which I am sure would please the American voter. By the way, though Macron talks big about defence France spends less than 2% of GDP. Trump seems vindicated. Of course, Trump could be blamed for being undiplomatic but he can afford to be as he has the upper hand!

Ranil on Al Jazeera

Zelensky has shown what not to do: instead of being diplomatic being aggressive when you need favours! Meanwhile, Ranil has shown what not to do when it comes to TV interviews. God only knows who advised him, and why, for him to go ‘Head to Head’ with Mehdi Hasan on Al-Jazeera. Perhaps, he wanted to broadcast to the world that he was the saviour of Sri Lanka! The experienced politician he is, one would have expected Ranil to realise that he would be questioned about his role in making Sri Lanka bankrupt as well, in addition to raising other issues.

The interview itself was far from head to head; more likely heads to head! It turned out to be an inquisition by Tiger supporters and the only person who spoke sense being Niraj Deva, who demonstrated his maturity by being involved in British and EU politics. The worst was the compere who seems keen to listen his own voice, reminding me of a Sinhala interviewer on a YouTube channel whose interviews I have stopped watching!

Ranil claims, after the interview was broadcast, that it had been heavily edited reduced from a two-hour recording. Surely, despite whatever reason he agreed to, he should have laid ground rules. He could have insisted on unedited broadcast or his approval before broadcast, if it was edited. It was very naïve of Ranil to have walked in to a trap for no gain. Though his performance was not as bad as widely reported, he should have been more composed at the beginning as he turned out to be later. Overall, he gave another opportunity for the Tiger rump and its supporters to bash Sri Lanka, unfortunately.

Medhi Hasan should watch some of David Frost interviews, especially the one with Richard Nixon, and learn how to elicit crucial information in a gentle exploratory manner than shouting with repeated interruptions. He does not seem to think it is necessary to give time for the interviewee to respond to his questions. I will never watch Al-Jazeera’s “Head to Head” again!

Ranil’s best was his parting shot; when asked by Hasan whether he would contest the next presidential election, he said “No, I will retire and watch Al-Jazeera and hope to see you better mannered”!

Opinion

Ajahn Brahm to visit SL in May 2025

Published

5 days ago

2025/03/11

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Ajahn Brahm Society of Sri Lanka (ABSSL) is pleased to announce that Ajahn Brahm will be visiting Sri Lanka for a short stay in May this year. Many, both Buddhists and non-Buddhists, know him and have listened to his addresses made on earlier visits, including his 2023 public talk at the BMICH, which was attended by over 4,000 people.

Ajahn Brahmavamso, popularly known as Ajahn Brahm, is the Head Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Perth. He was a pupil of the famous Thai forest monk Ajahn Chah, considered the best Theravada meditation teacher in the last century. By his own choice, Ajahn Brahmavamso shortened his name and was extra pleased that the initials represent the major religions of the world. He is renowned world-wide as an outstanding meditation bhikkhu, teacher and instructor, guiding thousands of practitioners.

As in previous visits, Ajahn Brahm’s schedule will be packed with addresses, meetings with senior professionals, business leaders, and researchers. This year, a special session has been included for teenagers and young adults.

The agenda planned for him includes:

Public address at the BMICH to all irrespective of religion and age; then to a younger audience.

· Exclusive Leadership Forum for senior professionals and business leaders.

· Forum with academics engaged in research at the Centre for Meditation Research, University of Colombo.

· A week-long meditation retreat for the Ven Sangha and experienced lay meditators.

Public Addresses

The public addresses will be on Sunday, May 18, 2025, from 7:00 am to 11:00 am, at the BMICH Main Hall and Sirimavo Halls; Ajahn Brahm moving from one hall to another so the entire audience sees him. Each hall will be well equipped with audio and video presentation. The first address: The Art of Meaningful Living, is designed for all, age notwithstanding, offering wisdom and practical insights for a fulfilling life. The second: Coping with Life Transitions and Emotional Challenges, is a special session tailored for teens and young adults, addressing key challenges faced by them in today’s fast-paced, competitive world. Both talks will be in English, with concise translation to Sinhala by Ven Damita Thera.

Exclusive Forums

On Saturday, May 17, 2025, two exclusive forums will be held at the BMICH Committee Room, Jasmine Hall. The first such session will be with eighty invited Sri Lankan academics and scientists engaged in research on meditation at the Centre for Meditation Research of the University of Colombo. This will be followed in the evening by an interactive session for a hundred invited senior professionals and business leaders, featuring a talk on leadership followed by a Q&A session.

Meditation Retreat

The most significant item on Ajahn Brahm’s programme will be a week-long meditation retreat at the Barberyn Waves Ayurveda Resort in Weligama. Focus is intended to be on the fifty members of the Ven Sangha. A limited number of experienced lay meditators will also have the opportunity to participate.

Participation & Registration

Those interested in attending the public talks at the BMICH are kindly advised to register at to secure free passes. For further information, please contact the Ajahn Brahm Society of Sri Lanka at .