LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 12 : 7 July 2012
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Using Literature to Foster Competence in Speaking

Jaspreet Gandhi, M.Phil.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is twofold. The first part focuses on the difficulties and challenges that the students face in communicating efficiently. The second part of the paper emphasises how literature can be an effective tool in developing speaking skills. The use of literature evokes a personal response in the reader or listener. The material used in literature is authentic. It provides exposure to real language; it can relate to the learners’ need more closely with a more creative approach and have a positive effect on the learners’ motivation. Literature also provides interesting language practice materials in the form of drama, poetry and prose. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how these three areas: Poetry, Prose and Drama expand and encourage the learners in acquiring speaking skills. The emphasis has been laid on how these areas assist learners to comprehend the language effortlessly.

When a teacher narrates a story, his aim should be to make the students interact by giving his opinions, feelings and personal experiences. Similarly teaching poetry will also motivate the students to discuss the characters and theme, or debate the moral issues. Furthermore, my focus will also be on drama which is again a very valuable tool to work on the speaking skills, especially pronunciation. Drama bridges the gap between the course book dialogue and its natural usage and when the learners play, move and act at the same time with drama, they become more confident in communicating and it elevates their learning process.

Key words: literature, authentic, prose, poetry, drama, natural usage

Introduction

We generally speak more than we write. So, as teachers, it is our responsibility to practice speaking and listening skills more than the reading and writing skills. Language teaching, especially second language teaching, has always been a matter of debate and discussion. It has constantly compelled teachers to evolve and adopt newer strategies and techniques of teaching. The research reported in this paper has focussed on the premise that the goal of our language course should be truly to enable our students to communicate in English. They should learn how to speak the language efficiently.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Miss Jaspreet Gandhi, M.Phil.
Graphic Era University
Dehradun. 248001
Uttarakhand
India
versatile.jaspreet@gmail.com
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