Teaching of English at the undergraduate level in Kerala: Problems, Perspectives and Possibilities

It goes without saying that English language is a hard nut to crack even at the undergraduate level. In spite of having spent ten to twelve years to learn the language and explore its nuances, the state of English learning in Kerala point to a very dismal state of affairs. It is disappointing that after spending immense time, energy and effort on the language, students end up enrolling in spoken English centres to hone their linguistic skills. Students, and sometimes teachers fumble when it comes to expressing themselves, either in speech or writing. In fact, the words 'teaching' and 'learning' any language are inappropriate because language cannot be taught or learnt, but acquired. This acquisition of language is a gradual, incremental process, which is easy and interesting once the ball is set in motion. Focus must be on setting a strong foundation on which students can grow and develop. This paper tries to explore the blocks and hurdles faced by the academia in imbibing and imparting the language. It explores the function of language in relation to expressing oneself and in relation to human lives and culture. It also touches upon the strategies to be adopted in teaching the language in a multilingual setting. It also tries to relate the learning of language to literature, which has always been a subject of debate.