National Curriculum Framework: A Review of the chapter- Language

National Curriculum Framework

INTRODUCTION

           National Curriculum Framework (NFC) of 2005 is the product of continuous researches and discussions by eminent scholars from different disciplines, teachers, principals, representatives from different NGOs, NCERT faculty etc. Under the chairmanship of Pro.Yashpaal, the team worked on creating a modern educational framework with many propagandas proposed on developing the traditional education system to a different level.

Some of the questions that arose before them were,

(a) What educational purposes should the schools seek to achieve?

(b) What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to achieve                         these purposes?

(c) How can these educational experiences be meaningfully organised?

(d) How do we ensure that these educational purposes are indeed being       accomplished?

Language

           

             The NCF of 2005 focuses on bi- /multilingualism. It was in NCF the role of second language learning was stressed and forced to bring into action. The NCF itself studies language as a medium for communication. The learner comes to the school with his innate knowledge of his mother tongue in aural-oral level, not accurately but appropriately. Since we live in a country of diversities, students first should be brought to a standardised language system for learning process. Though multilingualism is a common feature of the country, it has to be used for developing classroom activities and subject developing process.

    

          India is not only unique in the diversity or the number of languages, but also in the number of language families represented in them. In the world there is no other country where language from all five language families exist together, interacting continuously for centuries. Hence the three language formula should be accepted universally in Indian education system so that it will help in promoting multilingualism and national harmony. Hence the NCF is marked by its aim to promote multilingualism and national harmony. NCF puts forward  some guidelines for it too.

• Language teaching needs to be multilingual not

only in terms of the number of languages offered

to children but also in terms of evolving strategies

that would use the multilingual classroom as a

resource.

• Home language(s) of children, as defined above

in 3.1, should be the medium of learning in

schools.

• If a school does not have provisions for teaching

in the child's home language(s) at the higherlevels,

primary school education must still be covered

through the home language(s). It is imperative

that we honour the child's home language(s).

According to Article 350A of our Constitution,

‘It shall be the endeavour of every State and of

every local authority within the State to provide

adequate facilities for instruction in the

mother-tongue at the primary stage of education

to children belonging to linguistic minority

groups’.

• Children will receive multilingual education from

the outset. The three-language formula needs to

be implemented in its spirit, promoting

multilingual communicative abilities for a

multilingual country.

• In the non-Hindi-speaking states, children learn

Hindi. In the case of Hindi speaking states,

children learn a language not spoken in their area.

Sanskrit may also be studied as a Modern Indian

Language (MIL) in addition to these languages.

• At later stages, study of classical and foreign

languages may be introduced.

The chapter of languages is mainly focused on two titles,

1. Home/First language(s) or Mother-tongue education

2. Second-language Acquisition

         In the first chapter it is said that a child enters the primary school with a huge bundle of language skills and words from his daily life. In the primary level necessary trainings are given to enhance the usage and style of their language. NCF remarks that a teacher should never try to correct the learner in this stage. By the 4^th standard, the child is supposed to acquire a standard variety of language elements and learn to use them. Here he gets more exposure to the language and he is supposed to use it creatively. Teachers should be aware that errors are inevitable in the process of language learning and they should be levelled without their voluntary involvement without losing their interest in the subject.  Students develop cognitive language learning via peer group activities and interactions in the classroom. Language is not just confined to language classes or labs, educating language must succeed in utilising the cultural heritage through various literary genres to reach its aim. NCF also points out the need for providing specially designed teaching materials for the differently -abled students.

         Under the subtitle Second Language Acquisition, NCF speaks of the politics and need for teaching English in Indian schools. It aims at two things, attainment of basic proficiency and development of language to a medium for abstract thought and knowledge acquisition.  It stresses on using authentic, resourceful materials with the accompaniment of multimedia in classes for the learner. Different psychological principles are mentioned in it for explaining how they influence the learner and the learning process. With the use of these principles once these basic skills are acquired, they are supposed to go for their higher order skills. It also mentions the need for ensuring teacher competencies in classes so that proper assessment of the learner can be done and can be improvised via classroom experiences. The conventionally trained language teacher associates the training of speech with correctness rather than with the expressive  and  participatory functions of  language. This is why talking in class has a negative value in our system, and a great deal of the teacher's energy goes into keeping children quiet, or getting them to pronounce correctly. The session ends with a concluding paragraph of how reading and writing process should go on in classrooms and how they should be delivered to the students.

           Teachers need to be persuaded and trained to place writing in the same domain as artistic expression, and to cease perceiving it as an office skill. During the

primary years, writing abilities should be developed holistically in conjunction with the sensibilities associated with talking, listening, and reading. At middle and senior levels of schooling, note making should receive attention as a skill-development training exercise. This will go a long way in discouraging mechanical copying from the blackboard, textbooks and guides. It is also necessary to break the routinisation of tasks like letter and essay writing, so that imagination and originality are allowed to play a more prominent role in education.

Reference

National Curriculum Framework 2005