She also conducts private (one on one and group) training sessions in spoken English, communication skills, interview skills, group discussion, presentation skills, personality development and English language enhancement, IELTS coaching, and teaching writing skills to foreign students at the International Students Centre, University of Pune.
In between she also owned and ran a speciality food restaurant briefly.
Here, she speaks of the satisfaction and joy of teaching the English language to those wanting to learn it as adults, with A.Radhakrishnan.
Tell me a little about yourself.
I have a post graduate degree in Sociology from Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi. I am certified by British Council, Mumbai to teach for the IELTS exams.
My life till now has given me the opportunity to work in different and varied fields and I consider myself very lucky to have had rich experiences.
Starting my career as an English copywriter with an advertising agency in Pune in 1994, for about three years, I landed a job as a feature writer with Mid-day Pune, an afternoon daily in 1997 and enjoyed my stint there for about a year. I quit just before I was expecting my daughter.
I continued to freelance with a few English publications for a couple of years until starting my own speciality restaurant in 1999. That was a wonderful and spectacular leg of my life’s journey of 14 years with enriching encounters, meeting people and making life friendships, professional learning, being interviewed and written about in various modes of media as the ‘first couple to have started a Bengali food restaurant’ and for putting Bengali food in the culinary map of Pune.
However, that had to end due to unavoidable circumstances, but I took the moment as a calling for me to do different things.
That’s when I took up teaching English. I started teaching kids at a village school outside Pune city. It also dawned on me, that I had a love for teaching. A couple of years later, I got an opportunity to teach English communication skills at an institute and ever since I have continued to kindle that passion.
Why did you choose to get into English teaching? Is being an English teacher an incredibly rewarding job?
Teaching at the village school made me realise the need to be able to make this language interesting enough to learn for students from a different background, for whom English is a second or third language. I realised that it could not be taught from text books and creative methods were needed to enter into the educational realm of these students to help them pick up this necessary language.
The satisfaction and joy that teaching English to students, who want to learn it as adults, who struggle to pick it up despite huge efforts, has made me choose this as my final profession which I would like to continue till I can. The fact that I have been able to transform students and helped them to blossom, and also become their friend urges me to continue.
How would you describe an ideal English teacher? Are people who grow up in English speaking environments automatically qualified to teach English?
An English teacher who teaches literature, prose and poetry is different from a teacher who merely teaches students to talk in English. Pedagogically, the teaching methods are different. A person may need to speak in English to be able to progress in career or to nail an interview even though the thirst to understand William Shakespeare or Keats may not be there.
So, an ideal teacher in such different cases need to be different. However, I have had students who have gone forward to enjoy reading English novels even though they had come to learn only how to speak. I have also taught some of them how to write haiku poetry and they have got addicted to it.
An ideal teacher according to me is one who has empathy and patience and encourages the students to shine rather than discourage them by emphasising their shortcomings.
What are the characteristics of effective English teaching? What is the pedagogy you adopt?
For effective language teaching, a teacher has to be patient, creative, positive, encouraging and compassionate. My pedagogy is more collaborative in nature. I play the role of a mentor more than a teacher. My modules are based on individual needs of students, very often tailor-made.
What’s your teaching style or philosophy?
As I teach communication skills in English, I concentrate on speaking skills. I encourage the student to speak as much as possible through various methods that I have created.
Do you teach English reading, writing and speaking skills? What techniques do you use to test students?
I teach all the four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening, for all IELTS students. For others, it’s mostly speaking and some writing skills.
Mock tests on the internet are used for testing IELTS students. I have also developed a test model for my other students.
Why do you think one needs to learn English? How important is the language today?
English is the global language today. In our country, higher education is in the English medium of instruction. Inability to converse in English causes a setback in career goals in most fields. I have also observed lack of self-confidence or low self-image amongst young people if they can’t speak English fluently. This hampers their personal growth to a very large extent.
English is of utmost importance especially in India where there is great amount of technical knowledge and experience, but the lack of English communication skills leads to stagnation.
In what way is your English teaching different from others? You prefer personal, group or online teaching? Why? Your thoughts on team teaching.
My teaching and course, are tailor made, so it varies according to the needs of students. Also, I don’t teach in groups and prefer one-on-one coaching. This may not be economically viable for many, but it definitely yields results. That’s more important to me.
I especially prefer personal teaching as that way I can develop a bonding that has almost always gone beyond that of a teacher to that of a friend and confidante. Also, teaching students, who are in the absolute beginner’s level online is difficult.
Team teaching is interesting sometimes in order to exchange views etc., or to practice group discussions and debates, but I prefer teaching one–to-one on a regular basis.
What language formula would be ideal for India?
A three language formula would be ideal for India. English, Hindi and the language of the state one resides in.
How do you motivate students and how flexible are you?
I motivate my students by encouraging them and not putting them down for inaccuracies. I have seen and heard of many teachers who ridicule students for errors. That tarnishes the self-esteem of a student to a very great extent. That’s not what is expected of a teacher who is looked upon as someone who can inspire. Inspiration comes through joy and not fear.
I am quite flexible with my modules and teaching content, but not to the extent of being taken for granted.
What is the most difficult aspect of teaching English? What’s a challenge you’ve faced in the classroom?
It’s challenging when a student who wants to learn to talk in English does not have the habit of speaking. It’s tough to make them talk, especially in a group.
Correcting the grammar, if it’s already set in a person’s speaking, is difficult to change.
Nowadays there is a shift to American English usage. Is it welcome?
The English introduced to India is by the British, so it’s more towards, that but current employment and business scenario demands usage of American English and also their accent. I don’t see a problem in that.
Has sms and social media lingo destroyed good English? How can we revive good English?
Texting and social media usage has introduced a different kind of lingo which is very common now. If looked at clinically, then it’s definitely not the pure form of English, but that’s a transformation and change according to the requirements of the new generation.
However, if one wants to delve into the problem of diluting the classical purity of the English language then it’s definitely a cause. But, how many common people would like to study and understand Shakespeare or Charles Dickens, unless you really want to go deep into language learning?
What is the biggest thing you take away from your English training experience?
There is a huge need for English language training. My experience of the same has given me the opportunity to give back to society in many ways and I would like to continue this for a long time.
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A. Radhakrishnan
A.Radhakrishnan is a Pune based freelance journalist, poet and short story writer, who when not enjoying is favourite cup of kaapi, loves to make people happy.
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