Andhra DSC – SA English Methodology Study Material

Objectives of Teaching English: According to the dictionary of Education Objective is “The end towards which a school sponsored activity is directed”. Effecting tangible changes in pupils behaviour at the end of schooling is known as objective.

Dr. B.S. Bloom has defined educational objective as “the desired goal or outcome at which instruction is aimed”. With regard to the teaching of English is concerned Thompson and Wytt rightly remarked that it is necessary that the Indian pupil should not only understand English when it is spoken or written, but also he should himself be able to speak and write it.

Objectives of teaching English are framed keeping in mind questions like what we teach, whom we teach, why we teach and how we teach. If the objective of teaching English is to help students pass examinations it becomes a short term and immediate objective. This does not help the learners achieve proficiency in English. If the students are to be trained to acquire proficiency in English and mastery in language skills then the objective is to teach language as a medium not as a subject. This is a long-term objective and in the long run helps the students to become autonomous learners. So the focus of English language teaching has
shifted from vocabulary and grammar to skill development and functional use of language.

Some of the objectives of teaching English at the primary and upper primary level are :
– To familiarise pupils with the spoken and written forms of English.
– To make learning an enjoyable activity.
– To help the learners understand the language spoken by the teacher and the classmates.
– To help the learners to speak English words and short sentences with the help of the teacher.
– To help learners read and understand simple words, sentences and passages.
– To help the learners to write words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs.
– To help the learners recite, rhymes, poems.

Once the aims and objectives are determined then it would be easy to frame the curriculum write text books, design methods and techniques of teaching and prepare an evaluation system. The objectives can be materialised if the text books, materials and methods of teaching are learner friendly and chosen with care to suit the age and ability of the learners. Input rich communicational environment becomes a pre-requisite for language learning. Inputs include text books, class libraries, news papers, magazines, language games, media, story books, cassettes etc. If all these are included in the regular class room activity it can promote the child’s engagement with English language and its performance. Listening and speaking skills should be strengthened first before the child gets ample practice in regarding and writing skills.