EDUCATION AND SOME HURDLES -7

 EDUCATION AND SOME HURDLES -7                 

 [Collective effort-5]

TEACHING INVOLVES AUGMENTATION.-II

A very important component of augmentation relates to “packaging”. By packaging, it is meant that 2 vital components are neatly blended, so as to ‘move together’ as container and content. Obviously, content means ‘subject matter’ while “container” is the carrier of message –viz- language- be it English or any other.

Quite often I find a cavalier disposition among teachers – as if language is a burden for the learner. Undoubtedly, it is the language that ‘facilitates’ grasp of a matter. It would just be an injustice to dismiss the role of language as a burden –unwanted.

Ironically such a trend is vivid among those whose skills of communication stand at a low ebb on fronts of both grammar and vocabulary. Either of them is a vital element for the process of correct communication.

One such person was audacious enough to tell me “Sir, language is not so very important –‘it is just for communication’. I stood my ground telling him “please note ‘it is not just for communication, rather it is for “just communication”.

Obviously, it was far above his abilities of comprehension and he was blissfully silent signaling his inertia to the subtlety between ‘just for communication’ and for ‘just communication’. It is a sad but powerful pointer to the ‘least concern’ by those who are abysmal in communication –leave alone articulation.   Sadly such teachers blissfully ruin the very ethos of learning. In fact such inadequacies in communication dampen the enthusiasm for learning.

Unfailingly such teachers turn butts of ridicule for learners who have good footing in language and right traditions there in .

Whenever someone makes an imperfect statement, [s]he is nervously aware that the utterance was not correct; on such occasions the person chooses to murmur. Indeed it is a sad commentary that despite sensing inadequacy, such persons stay casual instead of feeling guilt for being causal in spreading inadequacy.

Never ever justify “poor communication” on the surmise that language is not more important   than the content. But, remember, bad language outright robs the simplicity of learning; besides with poor lingual prowess, it is outrageous to assume that “I have taught well”. 

Thus the second element of augmentation for every teacher ought to be ‘language’- the first being the subject content itself.

I appeal to all learners to prune their language skills even during formative days to avoid a possible later ignominy for ‘poor communicative ability’.

To  continue…..