Ded -

Semester 2

Profiency in
English
8 Proficiency in English

Content

Unit Name Page No.

Unit 1 Need and Importance of 9 - 19

English Language

Unit 2 Developing Oral Skills: 20 - 37

Listening and Speaking

Unit 3 Developing Reading and 38 - 65

Writing Skills

Unit 4 Vocabulary Enrichment and 66 - 100

Grammar in Context

References 101
 Proficiency in English 9

Unit-1
Need & Importance of English Language

Need & Importance of English Language

Today, English occupies an enviable position as Official language in all world
forums. Even in India, we are greatly dependent on English for official, social and
commercial purposes. The globalization of the modern world has further
strengthened the requirement of learning and using English for everyday
activities.
In everyday life we use different languages to talk or to present our views or ideas
in different situations. If we stop for a moment to reflect how many languages we
know or use, we shall be surprised to know the number of languages we use in
everyday affairs. We shall also realise that despite using different languages in
different situations it is our mother tongue that we feel more comfortable with.
However, when it comes to effectiveness, we may say that in most cases it is
English. When we use our mother tongue or speak in a local language, people
may not pay much attention to us, but if we speak in English those very people
listen to us with attention. One of the reasons for this strange behaviour is that
English is the language of the elite or the educated class in India. Not only this, it
has wider acceptability across the world. In other words, it is recognised as a
global language. More than 50% of the world media - newspapers, periodicals,
journals, radio news or television news - uses it as the medium of communication.
For this reason it occupies an important position in education in India and is
introduced as a compulsory subject from class 1 in most states of India including
Bihar. This explains why we are expected to prepare ourselves to teach English
effectively.
Read the following conversation to understand the importance and status of
English in today‟s world:
Pragya: Ankita, could you tell me why
there is such a craze about
learning English these days?
Ankita: Pragya, I think that a very
important reason for this craze
is perhaps that it connects
people speaking different
10 Proficiency in English

languages across India and the world. Another reason could be that it
very often helps us to get a job.
Pragya: Very right. These perhaps are some of the reasons why demand for
English gets greater and greater. There could be many more.
Ankita: Ya, with the coming of multinational companies to India, more and more
educated youth who are good at English are getting lucrative jobs there.
In fact, you may have noticed that many talented young people, who are
not so good in English, are deprived of these high positions. That‘s one
of the reasons why several coaching institutes have mushroomed over the
years and they all claim to develop competency in English, especially in
the oral skills.
Pragya: Yes. You‘re right.
Ankita: Not only this, there‘s a growing feeling among the youth of today that
English will provide them with not only a window to the world, but also
access to all kinds of knowledge. You may perhaps know that the latest
books on any subject are mostly available in English.
Pragya: I beg to differ here. Now-a-days we have good books in Hindi as well.
Ankita: You‘re right. But a large number of books from other languages have
been translated into English. In addition to this, a large number of
publications of standard books are available only in English.
Pragya: Perhaps this is because of the fact that English has emerged both as one
of the languages of power and major academic activities around the
world.
On the basis of the conversation given above we can safely conclude that in the
Age of Globalisation:

 Knowledge of English is important for pursuing higher studies.

 Adequate proficiency and competency in English is required for getting a
lucrative job, especially in multinational companies.
 As the importance of International trade has increased rapidly,
governments and companies are concerned about employees‘ English
skills. Therefore, having English skills has become a standard which
dictates promotions and salaries.
 Skills in English are considered important for entering in better schools
and universities. Many elite schools and prestigious universities require
students to have good English skills. For example, some universities give
additional marks to people who have high grades on global English
proficiency tests such as TOEFL, IELTS, etc.
 Proficiency in English 11

English as a Global Language

English is a global language, as it is the most widely used language. It has become
the language that is spoken by millions of people all over the world: as the mother
tongue, as the language used for International communication and as the language
learnt in the millions of schools. More than 350 million people around the world
are speaking English as a first language and more than 430 million are speaking it
as a second language. English is spoken in most parts of the world like Great
Britain, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and in many more Countries.
Even in African states, English serves as the medium of communication. In India
also, English is considered as the second language and is used as a chief link
language.
In the Age of Globalisation when the boundaries between Nations have gradually
begun to disappear and the world is becoming like one big city, English is a great
binding force. We may say that with the development of technology in various
fields such as telecommunication (cell phones, internet) and transportation,
English has emerged as a powerful tool of knowledge, communication, and
business transaction and is the language of power. Since the twentieth century the
United States‘ role as the global economic and cultural power has helped to
maintain the global influence of the English language. English is the language of
global power.
The conversation between Pragya and Ankita given above very emphatically
underlines the importance and global status of English.
It is important to note that the language that we use today has evolved from a
dialect known as the East Midland Dialect in the Anglo-Saxon times (AD 449).
The term ―New Englishes‖ which is used for the contemporary phase of English is
enough to indicate how the language manifests itself and moulds to serve the
basic purpose of human
communication. The story of the
growth and development of English
language is like a flowing river,
meandering across continents,
absorbing the native soil and entering
the hearts of the people. No surprise,
therefore, if the people all over the
world have accorded the status of an
International Language to English. It
has met the needs of man for the past
1500 years and it has the capacity to
cater to our physical, mental,
emotional and creative requirements
and serve the function of the new cyber age.
12 Proficiency in English

English Around Us
English is no longer a foreign language; it has become an integral part of our life.
We use English words, in our day to day affairs, quite unconsciously. Words such
as station, bus stand, office, clerk, ticket, market, bag, paper are used very
naturally and effortlessly even by the illiterates. This is because we listen to
English words everywhere. Not only this the posters, hoardings, even
advertisements, radio and TV also use English extensively and thus English words
become part of daily discourses.

Activity Time

List English words which you come across daily in different situations. Also
try to place these words under different columns suggesting possible
sources:

TV Radio Newspaper Wrapper Poster Hoarding

The activity gives us the idea of the extensive use of English around us. The
global use of English has no doubt added to its popularity. Even in our own state,
Bihar, it has been introduced as a compulsory subject from class I. However, how
effective this introduction of English from class 1 that can be checked through the
activity given below. Your response to the following questions will help you
understand the status of English in Bihar:

 At what age did you start learning English?

 In which class did you learn English?
 Did you like your English classes?
 If yes, what did you like about your English class?
 If no, what did you not like about your English class?
 Did you ever feel scared learning English?
 Did you ever use English outside the class?
 If yes, what was the response of the people?
 Proficiency in English 13

Tick () the places where you use English nowadays

Yes ( ) No (X)
Places - -
Classroom
School premises
Family
Community
Public offices
Local market
Any city that you visit

An analysis of the honest responses to the questions given above gives a true
picture of the status of English in Bihar. However, irrespective of the status of
English in Bihar we need to develop proficiency in English to compete in the
global world. There is no denying the fact that on many occasions our children
14 Proficiency in English

fail to be selected only because they have poor communication skills in English.
So, if we want to improve the situation, we need to work hard to improve the
English of our children.

Constitutional Provision: English as an associate official language

The Constitution of India mentions that ―The official language of the Union shall
be Hindi in Devanagari script‖ (Article 343). But it also mentions that English
shall be used for all official purposes for a period of 15 years. It was planned
initially that English would gradually be phased out as the language of
administration and would be replaced by Hindi. However, some of the states
were not in favour of Hindi and the language conflicts that ensued led to the
Official Language Amendment Act of 1967. This Act states that ―Not
withstanding the expiration of the period of fifteen years from the commencement
of the Constitution, the English language may, as from the appointed day,
continue to be used, in addition to Hindi for all the purposes of the Union for
which it was being used immediately before that day, and for the transaction of
business in Parliament.‖ The continued use of English was hence reaffirmed by
this constitutional provision. Hereafter various language equations have emerged
in the complex multilingual, multicultural set-up of India and English is an
integral part of a majority of them.
In the post-independence period a series of commissions were set up by the
Government for meeting the above objectives and a number of recommendations
were put forth. The University Education Commission of 1948 and the Secondary
Education Commission or the Mudaliar Commission of 1952 emphasized the
study of three languages from grade five onwards and at the secondary and
university levels.
English has been there in India for more than a century. But even now, not more
than one percent of the total population of India uses it as a second language
(National Knowledge Commission). The Official Language Commission (1957)
under the Chairmanship of B. G. Kher recommended seven years of English
teaching in school. The report of the Education Commission (1964-66)
recommended teaching of English after the primary level. The Conference on
Teaching of English (1963) in primary schools suggested changes in the thinking
about the proper age and level for teaching of English in schools.
English is, now, used for all official purposes of the Indian Union and is second
only to Hindi. In addition, it is the official language for inter-state communication
or for official communication within the states. Along with other regional
languages and Hindi in most cases, English is the auxiliary official language of
other states and the sole official language for specific state government and
legislative purposes and those related to intra-state law and administration.
 Proficiency in English 15

Role of Mother Tongue in Learning a Second/Foreign Language

Has it ever crossed your mind how a child acquires his/ her mother tongue?
You will agree that a child acquires his/her mother tongue at a very early age
simply by listening to the persons around his/her. By the age of three or four
she has the basic structures of the language and becomes capable of producing
an infinite number of sentences that she may not have heard before. Isn‘t a
marvel? How does it happen? Can our understanding of this process help us in
deciding strategies for teaching a second language? Can we exploit his/her prior
knowledge of the mother tongue(s) in learning a second language? As a teacher,
we very often do not give importance to this knowledge as a tool in developing
the learners‘ competence in the second language. Very rarely we realise that
the child‘s experience in
his/her mother tongue (s) may
prove to be a blessing and can
be exploited judiciously by
the teacher to help the learner
feel confident and comfortable
in learning the second
language. If the child‘s
experiences are ignored or
discredited, she will feel cut off from what she already knows and may feel
frustrated and lose motivation to learn the new language.
It is important to note that the mother tongue and the second language can
coexist.
People use both the languages differently in different domains and with
different people. It is not necessary to put a complete ban on the use of the
mother tongue in acquiring English or any other second language. In the initial
stages one could use it more but as one gains control of the second language
one could reduce the use of the mother tongue and use the second language
more fluently and accurately.

Proficiency Vs Achievement
(Proficiency is the ability to do something very well. In other words, it is the
advancement in knowledge or skill.) In language teaching we can say that
proficiency is the ability to use language effectively in a real-life situation. Its four
aspects are listening, speaking, reading and writing. Proficiency includes ability to
listen to any conversation, talk, lecture, news, story, poem, etc. with
understanding and communicate effectively in any context or situation. It is also
the ability to decode the words, phrases and sentences to comprehend and to
arrive at the main idea of the text. Thus, proficiency is the ability of students to
16 Proficiency in English

apply their knowledge to real life situations after learning. Here it is important to
clarify that proficiency is little bit distinct from fluency. Fluency in language
refers to the ability to convey the message uninterrupted but when it comes to
second language learning a few major aspects of fluency lay in the prosody of
language. Children may be fluent in a language but not highly proficient as they
lack a certain level of vocabulary that comes with understanding the depth of the
language. Its various aspects are:
 appropriateness
 pronunciation
 modulation of sound
 fluency
 body language
 contextual expression, etc.

Achievement, on the other hand, is defined as how well students have learnt or
what they are expected to know. It is related to the growth and development of
students in school, where teaching and learning go hand in hand. This is an
important tool in evaluation programme of an educational institution in the form
of unit tests and final exams. Its aim is to find out how much has been learnt. To
understand the point more clearly let‘s take an example:

Sunita is very foody. She has taken Home Science as her subject. She
watches food programmes on YouTube, reads and collects pictures of
recipes from the magazines. She also explains the process of cooking and
the ingredients to her friends very well but she never cooks or practises
cooking at home. In the pen and paper test she answers all the questions
related to cooking very well which represent her achievement but since she
never cooks she is not skilled in it and hence she is not proficient in it.

Thus, proficiency is the practical application of what is learnt. There is always a

chance of improvement in it whereas achievement reflects the theoretical side of
it. It measures the knowledge of specific information that is what a person knows
while proficiency measures what an individual can do with what he or she knows.
In the context of language learning, it is the ability to use English in a limited and
controlled situations such as in a classroom and achievement is the ability to
repeat language elements that have been taught and mastered at some level. Each
has a role in language learning but only proficiency is what people use to
communicate in the real world. In the example given above we can see that
Sunita knows about how to cook very well but since she is not practising it in her
real-life situation she is not doing it well and thus she is not proficient.
 Proficiency in English 17

Summing up/ Summary

 In the Age of Globalisation, English has gained much more importance.
 English is useful also for higher studies, computers and in almost all spheres
of life.
 English is called a global language because of its international importance.
 English is all around us. Each one of us uses English words consciously or
unconsciously.
 However, using proper English sentences is not so common.
 India is a multilingual country and English occupies a very important status
in our lives.
 Constitutionally, English in India is ―Associate official language‖; however,
it also serves as a link language: it unifies different speech communities
within the country.
 Proficiency is the ability to use language effectively in a real- life situation.
It includes - appropriateness, pronunciation, modulation of sound, fluency,
body language, contextual expression, etc.
 Achievement is defined as how well students have learnt what they are
expected to. It is the ability to repeat language elements that have been
taught and mastered at some level.

Assessment

A. Answer the following questions in about 200 words:

1. ―English language has occupied an important place in the age of
globalization.‖ Elucidate.
2. In our day to day life we see, listen and use plenty of English words,
chunks, phrases or sentences. Discuss with examples.
3. What is proficiency? How does it differ from fluency?
4. Differentiate achievement and proficiency with suitable examples.
5. How can you say that English is a global language? Explain with suitable
examples.
6. What are the constitutional provisions regarding the use of English as an
associate official language?
B. Answer the following questions in about 100 words:
1. Can we converse without using a single word of English language? Give
reasons.
18 Proficiency in English

2. Write a brief note on English as a global language.

3. Write a brief note on the constitutional provisions regarding the use of
English as an associate official language.
4. ―Proficiency is the ability to use language effectively in real life
situation‖. Explain briefly.

Corner
Click the following links to try out some basic quizzes on English Language:
1. https://www.thoughtco.com/quirky-quiz-on-the-english-language-
1692393
2. http://www.world-english.org/ELquiz.htm
 Proficiency in English 19

Unit 2
Developing Oral Skills (Listening and Speaking)

Oral communication is the distinctive trait of mankind. We all communicate at

least in our mother tongue which we acquire by listening to in our surroundings.
We learn to communicate in other language in formal situation. As a child we
listen to the language spoken in our family and surroundings and gradually speak
out. The more we listen to, the more fluent we become in speech. A child speaks
imitating the tone, pronunciation and stress that he/she listens around him/her.
This is a clear indication that for speaking well it is necessary to be involved in
listening activities. In other words, we can say that the more attentively we listen
to the more effectively and proficiently we speak. In language teaching, listening
and speaking are looked upon as the basic skills.

Importance of Listening and Speaking in Acquiring Proficiency in

English
Listening skill lays the foundation for the development of other three skills –
speaking, reading and writing. There is a very high correlation between oral
language development and reading comprehension. As the oral language abilities
increase, learners become more familiar with the components of language learning
i.e., phonological, morphological, semantic, syntactic and pragmatics:

SCERT, Bihar
20 Proficiency in English

An awareness of sounds, syllables,

Phonological stress, intonation, etc.
Skill
Morphological Understanding the parts and forms of
Skill words

Semantic Understanding the meaning of words

and phrases

Understanding the word order in a

Syntactic/Syntax
sentence and grammar rules

Understanding the use of linguistics

Pragmatics signs, words and sentences in different
contexts and social rules of
communication

It should be obvious from the diagrammatic presentation of the chief components

of language that all the language skills are interlinked. However, oral language
skills - listening and speaking - play a pivotal role in building the foundation of
language development and thereby communicative competence.
It is important to note that communicative competence includes complex
cognitive processes such as understanding and interpreting messages, affective
processes such as being motivated to pay attention and behavioural processes
such as responding with both verbal and non-verbal feedback. In other words, for
effective listening:

 the listener has to take into consideration what she/he is thinking about
communication being received
 what she/he is feeling about the communication and also of the context of
the conversation, and
 what she/he will do in this process and as a result of the communication.
 Proficiency in English 21

Communicative competence
Cognitive Process Affective Process Behavioural Process
 Probing/Questioning  Focussing of Non-verbal behaviour: eye
for clarification attention contact, nodding, posture,
 Paraphrasing  Acceptance body language
 Summarising  Empathy  Advice/Suggestion
alternative to the topic or
conclusions at hand.
Listening is an activity that demands attention and help in getting meaning from
something we hear from a speaker. It involves understanding the speaker‘s accent
and pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary and finding meanings. For effective
communication listening skill is essential. So, it is important for a learner to
develop this skill properly.
As a listener, we pay attention to grasp the meaning of what the speaker wants to
communicate. Similarly, it is equally important for us to speak in a proper way so
that the listener could understand what we actually want to convey.
A beginner of the target language is given much exposure in listening so that s/he
can internalize the syntactic patterns, rhythm, intonation, etc. This, in the long run,
helps in producing meaningful sounds, conveying information and formulating
appropriate responses. Both the skills, listening and speaking, are interlinked.
There is an urgent need for learners to take opportunity to listen attentively to the
teacher or the audio-video tape.
The following activities will help in developing listening and speaking skills:

 Listening to rhymes/poems/songs and reciting them

 Listening to stories and retelling them
 Following simple instructions and commanding others
 Simulation of telephonic conversation
 Listening to radio, T.V. news
 Listening to sports commentary
 Group discussions
 Taking interviews
 Debates
 Speech
 Anchoring
 Drama/role play/dialogue delivery
 Describing picture/picture story
 Riddles

Such activities are important, as they provide the learners with more and more
opportunities to listen to English and interact in it.
22 Proficiency in English

Needless to say that Oral language skill (listening and speaking) is the foundation
for language development. Learners who develop strong oral skills during early
childhood create an important foundation for their later achievements in reading
comprehension and writing as well.

Identification and Production of Distinctive Sounds in English

The English alphabet has 26 letters comprising 21 consonants and 05
vowels. These letters represent different distinctive sounds which we use in
speech. There are 44 sounds or phonemes in English – 24 consonant sounds and
20 vowel sounds. The sounds of spoken language are known as phonemes. For
example, the word /water/ has four phonemes: w/a/t/er whereas the word /tough/
has two phonemes: t/ough.
In order to study the sounds of English, the linguists devised an alphabet which
contains symbols to capture all possible sounds in English, called
the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) which is given below in tables 1
and 2.
Table 1
Consonant Sounds
Consonant IPA Representative Consonant IPA Representative
grapheme Phoneme words grapheme Phoneme words
/b/ B Baby /r/ R rabbit, wrong

/d/ D Dog /s/ S sun,

mouse, city,
science
/f/ F field, photo /t/ T tap
/g/ G Game /v/ V van
/h/ H Hat /w/ W was
/j/ ʤ judge, giant, /y/ J yes
barge
/k/ K cook, quick, /z/ Z zebra, please,
mix, Kid is
/l/ L Lamb /th/ Ð then
/m/ M monkey, comb /th/ Θ thin
/n/ N nut, knife, gna /ch/ ʧ chip, watch
t
/ng/ Ŋ ring, sink /sh/ ʃ ship,
mission, chef
 Proficiency in English 23

/p/ P Paper zh/ ʒ treasure

Table 2

Vowel Sounds

vowel IPA representative vowel IPA representative

grapheme words grapheme words
Phoneme Phoneme

/a/ æ Cat /oo/ ʊ look, would,

put
/e/ e peg, bread /ar/ ɑ: cart,
fast (regional)
/i/ ɪ pig, give /ur/ ɜ: burn, first,
term, heard,
work
/o/ ɒ log, want /au/ ɔ: torn, door,
warn, haul,
law, call
/u/ ʌ plug, love /er/ ə wooden, circus,
sister
/ae/ eɪ pain, day, gate, /ow/ aʊ down, shout
station
/ee/ i: sweet, heat, /oi/ ɔɪ coin, boy
thief, these
/ie/ aɪ tried, light, my, /air/ eə stairs, bear,
shine, mind hare
/oe/ oʊ road, blow, /ear/ ɪə fear, beer, here
bone, cold
/ue/ u: moon, blue, /ure/ ʊə pure, cure
grew, tune

A consonant sound may be defined as a sound in which the movement of air

from the lungs is obstructed or temporarily blocked whereas the vowel sound is a
continuous sound produced without obstruction or restriction in the air flow
through any part of the mouth. Most words we speak have at least one vowel
sound.
Vowel sounds are of two kinds:
24 Proficiency in English

Monophthongs (12): When a sound consists of a single vowel sound, it is called

Monophthong or pure vowel as in cat, hot, hit, put, sit, seat, sat, short, full, fool,
shirt, cut, etc.

Video Link :- https://youtu.be/aPzBknzZnik.

Dipthongs (8): Diphthong is a combination of two vowel sounds together as in

chair, light, tear, share, sky, how, etc.

Video Link :- https://youtu.be/AAVGOpzqm8M.

Arrangement of sounds in a word: A word consists of vowel (V) and

consonant (C). The arrangement can follow different patterns:
V: a, I
CV: we, be
VC: an, at, in, is
CVC: cat, dog, rat
CVCC: cost, next, limb
CCVCC: class, grass, gloss and so on.
o Syllable - In English, words are made of syllables. A syllable is a unit of
pronunciation which has one vowel sound, with or without surrounding
consonants, forming the whole or a part of a word. Sometimes syllables are
referred to as the ‗beats‘ of spoken language. The number of times we hear a
vowel in a word is equal to the number of syllables a word has. In other
words, the number of vowel sounds decides the number of syllables in a word.
A word might have one, two or more syllables. The words with one syllable are
called ‗monosyllabic‘ words whereas words having more than one syllable are
known as ‗poly-syllabic‘ words. For example:
Words having one syllable -
dog, arm, such, go

Words having two syllables –

under (un-der),
Super (su-per),
lesson (le-sson),
teaching (tea-ching),
homework (home-work)
 Proficiency in English 25

Words having three syllables –

potato (po-ta-to) ,
exercise (ex-er-cise),
instruction (ins-truc-tion),
programming (pro-gram-ming)

Words having four syllables –

education (ed-u-ca-tion),
development (de-ve-lop-ment),
preparation (pre-pa-ra-tion)

Words having five syllables –

Habituation (ha-bit-u-a-tion),
Unfamiliar (un-fa-mi-li-ar),

Activity Time

i. Make small groups of five participants.

ii. Choose 50 words from the textbook in each group.
iii. Break the words into syllables and write them on a chart paper.
iv. Display the chart paper in the classroom.
v. Each participant of the group will read aloud 10 words on the basis of
syllable.

o Stress – Stress is an extra force which a speaker puts on a word or a syllable

in the word. Let us pronounce the following words aloud – finger, wisdom,
report, dictionary, worship, answer; and think which part or syllable of each
word is emphasized more. We shall notice that emphasis is laid on the first
part or syllable of finger, dictionary and answer whereas the second part or
syllable of wisdom, report and worship is emphasized. This emphasis on the
syllable is called stress. If we make a sound with more energy, the sound
comes out with force. Similarly, when we make a sound with less energy, the
sound comes with less force. Now it can be said that stress is the degree of
force with which a sound or a syllable or a word is produced.
o Intonation - We talk to different persons in different situations. Do we use the
same pitch/tone while speaking? Obviously not. The pitch varies in different
situations and contexts. This variation of pitch, used when speaking, is called
intonation. It indicates the attitudes and emotions of the speakers. It also
26 Proficiency in English

signals the difference between statement and question, and between different
types of questions. Intonation focuses attention on important elements of
spoken message and helps to regulate conversational interaction.
The pitch, while speaking, sometimes falls and at times rises and so we have
falling or rising intonation. When we make a request, we are polite and there
is change in intonation from low to high. This is rising intonation. For
example:
May I come in, Sir?
When does the meeting start?
Would you like a cup of tea?
In the above sentences the pitch of the voice rises up when we utter ‗Sir?‘,
‗start?‘ and ‗tea?‘
A falling intonation or downward intonation pattern simply means that the pitch
of the voice drops down. If we make a statement or exclamation –
That‘s wonderful !
Put that down.
Go over there.
Stand against the wall.
Put that over there.
All of these have falling intonation. Statements, commands and
exclamations are the instances in which we use falling intonation.

o Rhythm – Rhythm is a strong, regular repeated pattern of sound. It is the

pattern of stressed and unstressed beats and commonly found in poetry,
though it is also present in some works of drama and prose. The rhythm of
poem is analysed through the number of lines in a verse, the number of
syllables in a line and arrangement of syllables based on whether they are long
or short, accented or unaccented. It is also closely associated with metre,
which identifies units of stressed and unstressed syllables. When the writer
combines metrical units into a pattern, s/he creates rhythm. Rhythm is based
on rhyming patterns or rhyming schemes.

We can see the following rhyme having the rhyming scheme aabb:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, a
How I wonder what you are. a
 Proficiency in English 27

Up above the world so high, b

Like a diamond in the sky. b

Here, the first line ends in the word ‘star’ which rhymes with the final word of
the second line ‘are’. Similarly in the third and fourth line, ‘high’ rhymes with
‘sky’.

This stanza has the rhyming scheme abab

And, sometimes on a summer‘s day a
To self and every mortal ill b
We give the slip, we steal away a
To walk beside the sedgy rill: b

In the above stanza the last words of the first and third lines ‗day‘ and ‗away‘ are
rhyming; the last word of the second line ‗ill‘ rhymes with the last word of the
fourth line ‗rill‘.

Activity Time

 Take any five rhymes/ poems from the text book and recite them aloud.
 Ask other participants to find out the rhyming scheme.

Recognising Words in Various Contexts

For effective communication, stock of words and its use in proper context is
necessary. But even more necessary is to understand the meaning of words in
different contexts. A speaker can utter any word but the listener has to be very
careful in listening to a word in discourse and infer its proper meaning by paying
heed to the context. A word in isolation has no meaning. A word has various
meanings that vary according to situations and contexts. Now the question arises
what context means. Context means the surrounding, circumstances, ideas and
words woven together to form the setting or background for an event, statement,
or idea. We can take this extract of a story for an example.
„Wise people, my brother Bhonu and I (Gonu) want the division of our property.
We have already divided the land and other things. We have a dispute over the
buffalo and the blanket.‟
Can you guess the meaning of ‗dispute‘? There are many meanings of the word
‗dispute‘-- Debate, discussion, discourse, controversy, disagreement, quarrelling,
conflict, etc. Which meaning of ‗dispute‘ is appropriate? To find the accurate
28 Proficiency in English

meaning of the word ‗dispute‘, we have to understand the context in which the
word has been used. The context is related to division of paternal property
between the two brothers- Bhonu and Gonu. Most of the matters have been settled
but still there is a dispute over two things - buffalo and blanket. Both ‗buffalo‘ and
‗blanket‘ are not of the same value. So they did not agree to take blanket in lieu of
buffalo. There is great disagreement over the division of these two items. So the
word ‗disagreement‘ seems more appropriate here for the meaning of ‗dispute‘.
So, by reading over the context we can guess the appropriate meaning of even an
unknown or unfamiliar word. In fact, words do not have any meaning in isolation.
Meaning of a word depends upon the situation or the context in which it is used.
The meaning of the same word changes if the context is changed.

Activity Time

1. Go through these two sentences carefully

A. Crickets are flying in the garden where children are playing cricket.
B. The doctor has finalised the date of operation of the criminal
wounded in the police operation.

Points for discussion:

i. Is there any difference in the meaning of the words ‗crickets‘ and
‗cricket‘ in sentence 1 and ‗operation‘ in sentence 2 at both places?
ii. Can you guess the context of the words used in the sentences and
their meaning?
iii. Discuss it in small groups and share your opinion in a large group.
2. Choose 10 words from your textbooks which have been used in
different places/contexts possessing different meanings. Use them in
your own sentences and share with your co-learners.
3. Identifying Meaning/Gist
In our daily lives, we have to use our listening and speaking skills in different
situations, each situation requiring different levels of attentiveness, focusedness
and responsiveness. Sometime we listen to find details what the speaker is saying
and sometime we listen only for knowing the gist or main theme or the purpose of
the speaker. At times, the purpose of listening is to improve a relationship or
engage in critical evaluation. Though we encounter different types of listening
situations, we cannot categorise them. One thing is sure that whatever situations
 Proficiency in English 29

of listening we face in the actual life, they all hone up communication and mould
our behaviour.

What is Gist?
Gist can be defined as the most important pieces of information about
something, or general information without details or the substance. In the
context of teaching and learning, gist can be defined as the general meaning
or purpose of a text, either written or spoken.

For identifying meaning or gist, a listener tries to understand what is happening

even if he/she does not understand every phrase or sentence. So the listener tries
to pick up key words, intonation and other clues such as mood, body language,
facial expression, etc. to make a guess at the meaning. For example, words such as
question paper, syllabus, rusticate, cheating, principal have their own
independent meaning but when we hear these words in a listening passage, they
help us understand that the context in which they are used is the context of an
examination.
It is quite possible that a listener may not be able to understand the speaker‘s
pronunciation or in a different situation all words, phrases and sentences may not
be clear to the listener. The following tips can be helpful in understanding the gist.

 Topic of the speaker

 Purpose of his talk or lecture
 Key words
 Problems and main points being discussed
 Main idea of the passage
 Tone and intonation
 Body language
30 Proficiency in English

Activity Time

Divide the class into two groups.

Group -1 will recite a poem and the members of group-2 will find out the
gist/main idea/theme of the poem and tell in the class.
Group-2 will tell or read out a story and the members of the group-1 will
find out the gist/main theme/value of the story and tell in the
class.
After the activity discuss how we find gist/main idea or theme/value from
what we listen.

Identifying emotions/ feelings in an utterance

Since very early times, human beings are communicating with one another using
expressions, gestures, emotions and feelings which are identified by experiences
and knowledge. The expressions may be conveyed in speech form or through
body language. Emotion is a part and parcel of human life. It is a mental state
associated with the nervous system brought on chemical changes variously
associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioural responses and a degree of pleasure
or displeasure. In our daily life, we come across with various situations and draw
judgement about the feelings of the speaker. The gesture, posture, tone, voice and
language keep changing in the situations of fear, happiness, anger, pain, sorrow,
accident, depression, demand, quarrel, commands and orders.
The listener remains attentive towards what the speaker says. It helps in
understanding emotions and feelings and responding accordingly.
The following factors help the listener in finding emotions and feelings:

 Modulation of voice
 Stress and intonation
 Body language
 Facial expression
 Contextual words
 Phrases and slangs
 Mood of the speaker

Producing Language in Acceptable Forms

 Proficiency in English 31

o Conveying information
Conveying a message or information means that the speaker communicates
it to someone directly or indirectly through words or actions. In
communicating information the speaker remains careful towards main
objectives and keeping the message simple but clear in meaning.
Information is transferred in a systematic way without missing any point.
Messages or information should be valid and authentic. Appropriate and
relevant words are selected relating to that context. For more clarity, help of
body language is taken.
Communication is successful only when both the persons – the one who
sends the message and the other who receives it - understand the key
messages being put across.
To be an effective communicator, we need to make sure that our messages
are clear, concise, accurate and well planned. We need to be clear about
what message we want to communicate and why it is important – what its
main purpose is.
We can convey information through:
 Personal talk
 Story telling
 Speech
 Role-play/drama
 Announcements
 Poem/song
 Slogans
 Debate/group discussion
All the above activities need to be clear in objective and fit to the level of the
target audience.
Tips for conveying information/message effectively:
 Purpose and objective should be very clear
 Use plain and simple language
 Use positive and tactful tone
 Present one idea at a time
 Present strong evidence in support of idea/information
 Make a logical and authentic argument
 Use picture/video/short movie/ICT materials
32 Proficiency in English

Activity time

1. Divide the participants into four groups. Ask each group to convey
message in favour of ‘save water’ through speech (group 1), role play
(group 2), and singing in chorus (group 3) and storytelling (group 4).
2. Divide the participants into five groups and ask them to prepare
announcement on the given topics and announce in the class.
Group-1. Organising school mela. Group-2. Organising sports event.
Group-3. Summer vacation Group-4. Going on a picnic.
Group-5. Annual examination.

o Formulating an appropriate response

Active response from the listener is must for effective, persuasive and
smooth communication. During discourse the listener should keep her/his
mind open and avoid being judgemental towards the speaker. S/he should
concentrate on the main direction of the speaker‘s message and avoid
distraction.
In oral communication both verbal and non-verbal reaction or response is of
immense importance. Non-verbal communication includes gesture such as
nodding, making eye-contact, tapping pen, fidgeting, scratching or cocking
head, smiling, rolling eyes, grimacing or any other body language. Such
responses may be purposeful or involuntary. Verbal responses might include
asking a question, requesting additional information, redirecting or changing
the focus of a conversation, interrupting the speaker or repeating what a
speaker has said back to her/him in order to ensure whether the received
message matches the intended message.
The speaker often looks for verbal and non-verbal responses from the
listeners to determine if and how her/his message is being understood and/or
considered. Based on the listeners‘ responses the speaker can choose to
either adjust or continue with the delivery of her/his message. For example,
if a listener‘s brow is furrowed and her/his arms are crossed the speaker may
determine that she/he needs to lighten her/his tone to better communicate
her/his point. If a listener is smiling and nodding or asking questions, the
speaker may feel that the listener is engaged and her/his message is being
communicated effectively.
 Proficiency in English 33

Presentation Skill
Presentation in oral communication is a speech that is usually given in a formal
set up. It is an important way of communicating idea and information to a target
group. It carries the speaker‘s personality better and allows immediate interaction
among all participants. A good presentation helps in building a good rapport with
the audience. An effective presentation moves the audience and the gist is
wonderfully communicated to them. Hence, they become more informed or gain a
better understanding of a particular subject.

The purpose of presentation

 To pass an information
 To gather opinion
 To publicise an idea
 To highlight a problem/to seek solution
 To teach/ train
 To share findings of research
 To entertain
 To motivate
In order to communicate with audience, the following points need to be
considered:

1. Content: It contains information that people need. The presenter should

assess how much information the audience need. Necessary data, graphs
and images should be supplemented in order to make the information rich
and comprehensive.
2. Structure: It has a logical beginning, middle and end. It must be in a
sequence and systematic way so that the audience can understand it. The
presenter should be very careful and remain adhere to the main points.
3. Language: The language should be simple, straightforward and
conversational. Regular eye contact, relaxed gesture and expressive body
language are key factors for effective and impressive presentation.
4. Clarity: Clarity of voice and sound modulation are basic needs for
meaningful and goal-oriented presentation. The presenter should speak
clearly and deliberately pause at key points to have the effect of
emphasising the importance of a particular point.
34 Proficiency in English

An Outline for Presentations

Introduction
 What? Overview of the presentation
 Why? Purpose of the presentation (why the subject is important)
 How? How the presentation will be delivered. What are the expectations of
the audience from it?
 Who? If more than one person is presenting, provide introductions and
indicate roles (audience should not be expected to memorize it)

Body
The following list suggests alternative formats for presenting information:
Multiple formats can be used within the presentation:
 Rhetorical – questions and answers
 Logical progression – indicate steps, e.g., A, then B, then C
 Time series – order information from beginning to end, earlier to later etc.
 Compare and contrast – use the same structure to compare different events,
individuals or situations
 Problems and solutions – problems should be raised keeping some
recommended solutions in mind
 Simple to complex – The presenter should proceed from simple concept to
complex one step by step so that the audience may feel easy to grasp each
and every point comfortably.

Conclusion
Key points, benefits and recommendations should be reviewed, highlighted and
emphasised and a conclusion should be drawn.
Thus we find that presentation before a group is a very important communication
skill which can be mastered with little time and sincere efforts. Its success
depends on clear cut objective, rich content and the style of presentation.
 Proficiency in English 35

Activity Time

1. Prepare a presentation on good practices adopted by you in teaching

learning process of English which have elicited encouraging results.
Present it before your colleagues.
2. Prepare a presentation on the ‗Need and Importance of English
Language in this Age of Globalization‘. Present it in your class.

Summary
 Oral skills (listening and speaking) are very important to enhance
learning process. They lay the foundation of literacy development.
 The contribution of listening skill in developing the learners‘ other
language skills can be viewed in terms of expressions, developing
reading and writing skills and ultimately developing interest in language.
 A teacher should be careful and provide her/his learners more and more
space of practising oral skills so that they can internalise the vocabulary,
syntactic patterns, rhythm, intonation, etc.
 Oral skills help learners produce meaningful sounds, convey information
and formulate appropriate responses.
 English alphabet has 26 letters comprising 21 consonants and 5 vowels.
The number of sounds is 44:24 consonant sounds and 20 vowel sounds.
 A consonant sound is defined as a sound in which the movement of air
from the lungs is obstructed or temporarily blocked whereas a vowel
sound is produced without obstruction or restriction in the air flow
through any part of the mouth.
 A syllable is a unit of pronunciation which has at least one vowel sound
with or without surrounding consonants, forming the whole or a part of a
word.
 Stress is the emphasis given to a particular word or syllable which can be
lexical or syntactic. It is the degree of force with which a sound or a
syllable or a word is produced.
 Intonation is the variation of pitch which indicates the attitude and
emotion of the speaker. It signals the difference between statement and
question and between different types of questions. The rising and falling
intonations focus on important elements of spoken message and help to
regulate conversational interaction.
 Rhythm is a regular repeated pattern of sound. It is the pattern of stressed
and unstressed beats and commonly found in poetry, though it is also
present in some works of drama and prose.

SCERT, Bihar
36 Proficiency in English

 A word has various meanings that vary according to situations and

contexts. A speaker can utter any word but the listener should be very
careful in listening to a word in discourse and infer its appropriate
meaning in relation to context. The listener should be attentive towards
what the speaker says. It helps in understanding emotions and feelings
and responding and producing language in acceptable forms.
 Presentation skill is an important way of communicating ideas and
information to a target audience. It covers a variety of areas, such as
objective and specific purpose, structure of presentation, the tone of
voice and the body language. The clarity of thoughts and verbal
expression with appropriate example and authentic data make the
presentation effective and impressive.

Assessment

A. Answer the following questions in about 200 words:

1. How can you formulate appropriate response during a discourse?
Illustrate your arguments.
2. ―Listening skill lays the foundation for the development of other
skills – speaking, reading and writing‖. Elucidate.
3. How can you say that oral language skills pave the way of language
learning? What measures would you take up to develop learners‘
language skills? Elaborate.
4. ―The meaning of a word depends on situation and contexts.‖ Do
you agree or not? Give reasons.
5. What do you mean by presentation skill? How can you make a
presentation effective and impressive? Illustrate with suitable
examples.
B. Answer the following questions in about 100 words:
1. Write short notes on:
a. Syllable
b. Stress
c. Intonation
d. Rhythm
2. How can you identify meaning/gist of a speech? Explain briefly.
3. What is presentation skill? Name the key components of an
effective presentation?
Proficiency in English 37
38 Proficiency in English

Unit 3
Developing Reading and Writing Skills

Reading and writing are the two parts of a greater skill called communication.
Unlike listening and speaking, reading and writing are not natural skills as they
have to be learnt in a formal setting. Children learn to communicate in mother
tongue naturally. But reading and writing are not developed in the way as
speaking and listening are done. Reading and writing need much more conscious
efforts to gain mastery over them. Learning to read is about listening and
understanding as well as working out what is printed in printed form. Basically,
reading affects writing and vice versa. When children read extensively, they
become better writers. Reading a variety of genres helps children learn text
structures and language that they can then transfer to their own writing. A child‘s
literary development is dependent on this interconnection between reading and
writing.
 Proficiency in English 39

Unit-3 A
Reading Skill

Study Skill
Study skills are the set of strategies that can be learnt and applied to almost all
fields of study to gain knowledge. These are the approaches applied to learning
and are considered essential for acquiring success in one‘s life. When one
possesses these skills and techniques, one is able to increase the efficiency of
learning. In other words, we can say that any skill that boasts a person‘s ability to
study, comprehend and analyse the information and thought critically can be
termed as study skill. Moreover, time management, motivational techniques and
good study habits are the various other factors that are included in study skills.
Thus we can say that study skills are a large collection of skills related to the
process of organising and taking in new information, its retention and dealing
with assessment. It also includes effective reading, concentration techniques and
stress management.
Study skills thus enable learners in
 managing time and developing learning strategies
 active listening
 reading texts critically and effectively
 taking notes
 planning and writing essays and reports
 developing impressive writing style
 preparing and delivering presentations
 revising and taking in tests
 stress management
40 Proficiency in English

Reading Skill
Reading is a means for language acquisition, communication and sharing ideas. It
is a basic indicator towards knowing of a language. We have so far thought of
reading as a process of decoding words. But it is more than that. Reading is
comprehending words in print. Recognizing every word does not mean that
reading has taken place rather it involves meaning making. One has to understand
all the words in a context and thus comprehend each sentence in order to get its
meaning.

Connecting
with
previous
knowledge
Making
Understanding decisions,
the text hypotheses
and
judgement
Compre-
hension

Reflecting
Enjoying the upon
text responses

Forming
expectation

In other words, we can say that reading is an ability to interact with the text which
includes letters, words, sentences and paragraphs that encode meaning. It is this
interaction that enables a reader to connect the events in the text to prior
knowledge or experience and s/he draws information from the text based on:
 her/his knowledge
 purpose of reading
 nature of text and
 the context in which it is read

It helps the reader understand the sequence, context, or characters along with
creating questions about the main idea, message, or plot of the text. It also enables
a reader to predict what will happen next in a story using clues in the text. You
must have realized that knowing the meaning of each word is not as necessary as
the ability to associate different words and then predict the meaning. You can say
that intelligent guessing is the key to effective reading and it is this ability that
makes a reader an active constructor of meaning.
 Proficiency in English 41

Most of the reading that we do in real life is reading for comprehension. It may be
silent reading or loud reading. For example, when we read newspapers, books,
messages, posters etc we read silently and with high speed. However, in the class
room, reading aloud becomes important when teacher aims at students‘
pronunciation and in developing their fluency. The reading process requires
continuous practice, development and refinement. It also requires creativity and
critical analysis. Thus, reading helps the learner to:
 understand text and sentence structure
 pronounce word correctly
 develop phonics
 learn vocabulary and grammar
 develop cognitive academic language proficiency
 understand context and meaning of words
 develop reading fluency
 recognize literary devices
 draw inference

Now it is clear that the process of reading involves the reader both at the word and
discourse level. The former includes reading by breaking up a word into syllables
or even letters, whereas the latter involves meaning making at the discourse level.
However, a self-motivated reader reads with moderate speed and understands the
text better. He reads with accuracy of pronunciation, intelligence, expression,
ease, smoothness and fluency.

Reading skills will be developed by making learner read the following text types:

Sign posts Jokes Messages Magazines SMS

Slogans Riddles Posters Websites Descriptions
Wrappers Notices Newspapers Poems Dictionaries
Stories Diaries Letters e-mails Brochures

Reading for Local and Global Comprehension

Reading is a receptive skill in written form. It is the ability to process the text,
interpret the meanings, distinguish between facts and opinions and employ other
high order skills. Ability to comprehend text is influenced by reader‘s skill and
their ability to process the information.
In this section, we move on to two other reading skills or techniques that are
termed as local comprehension and global comprehension. Local comprehension
42 Proficiency in English

is associated with intensive reading whereas global comprehension is associated

with extensive reading

Local Comprehension
Local comprehension is the skill of reading a piece of text closely or intensely for
the purpose of extracting specific information from the text. This skill is referred
to as intensive reading skill. For example, a learner reads a story to get some
specific information of an individual character regarding his birth place and
education. This information is quite specific in nature and related to local
comprehension.
For example, in ―Mother Teresa‖ (Radiance part II Class VII), the learner reads
the text to get some specific information about the character regarding her
birthplace and social service. Let us explain local comprehension through this
example. As you read the first paragraph you may like to ask yourself a series of
specific questions such as
 When and where was Mother Teresa born?
 What was Mother Teresa‘s early name?
 What inspired Mother Teresa to work for the poor in the slums of Kolkata?
 When did she start the Missionaries of Charity?

These are some of the questions raised in your mind and add to the comprehension of the
text. You may have to go back to the passage to locate the specific information. The
information is very easy to locate in the passage. It is a reading activity which focuses on
‗reading for accuracy‘.

Global Comprehension
Global comprehension is the understanding of a longer text in its totality. We
often read a longer text, a story or a novel for pleasure and not necessarily for
minute details. It is a fluency activity, mainly involving the reader to be able to
respond to a piece of text in a general sense. For example, the learners have read a
short story. After that they can be asked to reproduce summary, answer
comprehension questions that test general understanding, complete true or false
exercises and suggest alternative title of the story. These are the examples of
global comprehension. In the poetry also, for example, ―I had a Dove‖ (Radiance
part II Class VII), what exactly does the poet intend to say in this poem? We
actually invite the reader, listener to look at the poem globally. We find that the
‗dove‘ is the symbol of a creature which is deprived of freedom. Every creature in
the world wants to enjoy natural freedom for existence. In this world one who
does not have freedom is tantamount to a dead. Here, we are not concerned about
that particular ‗dove‘ only but we take a global view of the poem and comprehend
it globally.
 Proficiency in English 43

Making Inferences and Extrapolation

An inference is the ability to take clues from a text plus what we already know
from our own experiences to decide what the author means. It is an important
reading strategy, for the simple reason that the author will not always tell us
everything. So we need to use inferences to understand and visualize the text. This
requires the skill of understanding the type of information the author is giving.
Think about how the text relates to our own life or the experiences we have had
and then use the author‘s words or phrases and our own thoughts to figure out
what the author is trying to tell us.
In other words, we can say that inference is drawing conclusions based on
information that has been implied rather than directly stated and is an essential
skill in reading comprehension. It involves developing insight about the text.
Inferring involves many skills:
 Asking questions
 Collecting and analysing evidence
 Making connections between prior knowledge and new information
 Making predictions
 Making informal decisions
 Drawing conclusions

Example
Read the following sentences and make inferences:
My wife and I tried to pack light but we made sure not to forget our bathing suits
and sun block. I wasn't sure if I would get sea sick again so I made sure to pack
some medicine for upset stomachs.
We can deduce a great deal of information from these sentences. Some of the
inferences include:
 The author is married.
 He and his wife are going on a trip.
 They are going to be on a boat.
 They will be around water.
 They will be going swimming.
 They have gone swimming before.
 The author has gotten seasick on a boat in the past.
44 Proficiency in English

It is obvious that all the pieces of information were not clearly stated in the
sentences. Most of the information we get from reading comes from what is
implied rather than direct statements. It is through inferences that words take on
meaning.

Extrapolation
Extrapolation is used when one forms an opinion based on information available
with oneself. Extrapolation enables us to use facts already known from a piece of
text for another situation. This situation may be outside the text but the text will
provide us the way to make use of that information. It also helps the learners to
match the pattern of information from one area to that found in another area. This
strategy assists the thinking process by making it unnecessary to start from
beginning when learners encounter new information. Instead, the learner takes
information that already exists for a different purpose and adapts it to a new
situation. Any time we take previous information and incorporate it into an
understanding of a new topic, we are extrapolating. For example, if we know the
basic rules of soccer but know nothing about rugby, we could extrapolate a great
deal of your knowledge of soccer to help us understand rugby. In reading also, we
extrapolate.
For example, after reading the text ―Sikkim‖ (Radiance part III class VIII), the
reader may be asked to write her/his experiences of visiting a tourist place. The
reader reflects upon the experiences and tries to reconstruct his own experiences.
In other words, her/his comprehension can be extrapolative.
Extensive and Intensive Reading
Extensive and intensive readings are two approaches to language learning. In
language learning, extensive reading is contrasted with intensive reading, which is
slow and careful reading of a difficult text, while other focuses on reading for
enjoyment rather than deep understanding. Let us discuss it one by one.

Extensive Reading
Extensive reading, free reading, rapid reading, book flood or reading for pleasure
is a way of language learning through large amount of reading. It is also known as
independent silent reading as the reading is done silently by the students without
the help of a teacher. Extensive reading is done mainly to get information
regarding the subject. We sometimes read a text not for depth but only for
pleasure or for general purpose. There is no detailed study of words and phrases.
This way of reading is called ‘Extensive Reading‘.
 Proficiency in English 45

Extensive reading exercises may involve the following:

 Extensive reading is always done for the comprehension of main ideas,

not for specific details
 The aims of extensive reading are to build reader‘s confidence and
enjoyment.
 Extensive reading is carried out "to achieve a general understanding of a
text."
 Extensive reading as "occurring when students read large amounts of
high interest material, usually supplementary books, concentrating on
meaning, ‗reading for gist‘ and skipping unknown words."

Intensive Reading
Intensive reading means reading in detail with specific learning aims and tasks.
As the name suggests intensive reading refers to reading short texts thoroughly
and with clear goals. This skill is used to answer comprehension questions or to
identify different sentence structures. Intensive reading or detailed study is the
minute study of the prescribed text. In this, reading is done for detailed meaning,
developing reading skills, enriching vocabulary and grammar. Thus the goal of
the intensive reading includes learning subject matter, learning new words and
phrases and studying the author‘s intention. It lays emphasis on language
formation and grasping the material being read.

Example:
Read the text ―The House Sparrow‖ (Blossom part V, Lesson, 3)
Sparrows are brown in colour, with what and black mingled together on the back
and sides; they also have a whitish front. The male sparrow has a black patch on
his throat.
Now answer two sets of questions given below:
Set I : (a) Did you like ‗The House Sparrow‘?
(b) Why do you like it?
Set II: (a) List some of the qualities of sparrow mentioned in the lesson.
(b) How is male sparrow different from female sparrow?
In order to answer the questions in set I, we usually read the text silently and
quickly. This way of reading, as explained above, is called Extensive Reading,
This is simply because the purpose of Extensive Reading is not to go into the
depth of the text. It is just to get general understanding.
On the other hand, the way of reading that we need do to answer the questions in
set II is called Intensive Reading. The purpose of Intensive Reading is to get
46 Proficiency in English

details of the text, develop understanding of the text and find out conclusion on
the basis of logic and reasoning.
Comparison between Intensive and Extensive Reading

Intensive Reading Extensive Reading

1. It is language centred. 1. It is subject matter or content
2. It involves a minute and careful centred.
study of the passage or the given 2. It focuses on grasping the meaning
text. of the lesson or the text.
3. It focuses on the detailed study of 3. It focuses on the subject matter.
words, phrases and idioms. 4. No detailed study of vocabulary or
4. It concentrates upon sentence grammar is made.
structure including grammar and 5. It covers the larger area.
word order. 6. New words and phrases are
5. It covers the narrower area. student‘s passive vocabulary.
6. The new words and phrases
become part of the student‘s active
vocabulary.

Skimming and Scanning

Skimming
Skimming is a specific reading technique necessary for quick efficient reading.
Skimming differs from general rapid reading in that the reader goes through the
text extremely quickly, merely dipping into it and sampling it at various points to
get a gist of it, to know how it is organized or to get an idea of the tone and
intention of the writer. The process of skimming involves:

 Skimming is done when a lot of material is to be read in a short time

 Skimming is done at a speed three to four times faster than normal
reading
 In skimming, we read the title, subtitle, subheading, illustrations to get
the main idea
 Preview, overview and review are the strategies used while skimming

Example:
Read quickly the story ―An Act of Bravery‖ ( Blossom, part V lesson 5) and
answer the questions after reading the text.
(a) Suggest some other title for the story.
 Proficiency in English 47

(b) Pick out the paragraph which you think give the main idea(s) of the story.
For answering such questions, we have to read the whole text quickly and
thoroughly. We need not find the meaning of each word, phrase or sentence. We
just get a general idea or the gist of the text. This we do in our day to day life as
well when we read very quickly through the newspaper, before we decide to read
an article in more detail. We look through fast to decide what is interesting for us.

Scanning
Scanning occurs when a reader goes through a text very quickly in order to find a
particular point of information. A person picks up the morning paper and passes
her/his eyes through the pages and gives a quick glance at the headlines and
passes on to the next page. S/he is actually scanning the pages of the newspaper.
When a person wants some information about a train, he would not read the whole
railway time-table, but look for a particular train time. Looking through a text for
particular pieces of information is termed scanning. The process of scanning
involves:

 The reader moves his/her eyes quickly down the page searching specific
words and phrases
 Words with bold size, italics or in different size, style, colour help in
scanning
 It works well to find date, name, places, etc.

Example:
Read quickly the text of the. ―The House sparrow‖ (Blossom, part V, lesson 3)
and answer the questions.
(a) Which sparrow has black patch on its throat?
(b) Where do sparrows make their nests?

For answering such questions, we have to read the text very quickly to get specific
information. We just need to look for only the third paragraph of the text and in
that paragraph the last sentence only. This type of reading is called ―Scanning‖
because here our purpose of reading is to find some particular or specific
information. The examples from our daily life include telephone diary, railway
time table, etc.
Now we move on to another important skill i.e. writing skill.
48 Proficiency in English

Unit – 3B
Writing Skills

Writing is one of the basic skills of language learning. It is a tool to express our
ideas, emotions, feelings in printed mode that remains reserved for a long time. It
is an exact activity that demands precision and correctness. It is an appropriate
means of preserving the knowledge and experiences. Writing is perhaps the most
important linguistic skill that helps to preserve the culture, philosophy, literature,
historical events in written forms. Both writing and speaking are productive skills
but writing is more time consuming than speaking. For example, it is much easier
to invite someone on telephone than to write an invitation or message.

Mechanics of Writing
Writing is a rather difficult skill. It requires a complete control of the muscles of
the wrist and hand. The child does not possess this control in the beginning. S/he
is to be properly trained and involved in pre-writing activities such as making
strokes, curves, proper shape, size and spacing. S/he should be asked to write
alphabet when s/he has learnt the various movements in writing.

 Strokes – Strokes are the basic units for writing letters. They are straight,
slant, horizontal or vertical lines, either written from top to bottom or
from left to right and right to left. Each letter is written by combining two
or more strokes in succession. Each letter/stroke has specific direction,
length and curvature related to other strokes in a letter.
 Curves – A line that is not straight is a curved line. The letters of English
alphabet are simply vertical, horizontal, diagonal and curved lines
connected or joined with each other.
 Proper shape and size – Whatever style the learner adopts, it should be
uniform in size and shape. The size of the letter should be neither too big
nor too small. There should also be right proportion between the letters
and their size.
 Proper spacing – There must be proper spacing between letters, words
and between the lines.

Mechanics of writing includes:

 Controlling the small muscles of fingers and wrist
 Securing co-ordination of the hand and the eye to write letters of correct
shape and size
 Proficiency in English 49

 Giving proper spacing between letters, words and lines

 Using capital letters and putting appropriate punctuation marks where
necessary
There are three main stages in teaching mechanics of writing.

1. Preparation for writing

i. Free-hand drawing – In this stage the children should be asked to
freely make drawing of different sizes and shapes using straight line,
curves, circles, semi circles etc.
ii. Controlled drawing – Various objects of art should be drawn within
lines on a sheet of paper in order to make practice of drawing in a
controlled situation.
iii. Acquaintance with written forms – In this stage the students should
become well acquainted with written forms before beginning the
practice in writing. For this, the students should be given to write the
names of friends on their exercise book, blackboards and other
belongings.

2. Learning to write
i. Script writing – After a good practice on drawing different types of
strokes, curves, circles, semi-circles the child should be given task to
write letters using different strokes.
ii. Learning the Alphabetical order - In this stage the students should
make learn to write the alphabet in proper order.
iii. Mastering a mature style of handwriting – In this stage the students
acquire the mature style of handwriting. They are trained in writing
letters fluently in a way which is legible.

Different Writing Activities:

Messages
A message is an important means of conveying information in brief. In our day to
day life we come across with some such situations when we receive telephonic or
face to face message and have to convey the same to some other persons in a
written or oral form. So it is an important skill to transform the gist of oral
information into written form in a proper way.
Message is written in a proper format that includes:
1. Box
50 Proficiency in English

2. Salutation, date and time

3. Body
4. Use the language in indirect speech
5. Sender‘s name/signature
Only the most important points or gist of the message should be written in short
and simple sentences not exceeding 50 words.
Here is a telephonic conversation between Amit and Ranjan. Ranjan works in an
office with Sheela, mother of Amit. He wants to talk to Sheela who is on leave.
Amit: Hello!
Ranjan: Hello! May I speak to Mrs. Sheela, please? I‘m Ranjan from her office.
Amit: Mom isn‘t at home now.
Ranjan: Please give her a message that tomorrow there is an urgent meeting at
office at 11.00 a.m. and she must come with her laptop.
Amit: Don‘t worry. I‘ll give her your message.
Now see the message that Amit left for her mother.

MESSAGE
23rd September 2019
11 a.m.
Dear Mom,
Mr. Ranjan from your office called up to say that an urgent meeting is fixed at
11.00 a.m. tomorrow in your office. It is instructed to bring a laptop with you.

Amit

Activity Time

You are Neha, Secretary of the literary association in your school. A

Seminar on ‗The Wings of Fire‘ by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is going to be
organised on his birthday. Write a message to the members of the literary
association to participate in the programme.
 Proficiency in English 51

Descriptions
Description is the pattern of narrative development that aims to depict a place,
object, character or incident in such a way that a vivid picture is formed in the
reader‘s mind. In descriptive writing, the author does not tell the reader what was
seen, felt, tested, smelled or heard. Rather, the author describes something from
their own experiences and through careful choice of words and phrasing that
makes it seem real. A good descriptive writing should be concrete, evocative,
creative and plausible.

Characteristics of description
 Plain and simple language
 Dominant impression
 Precise language
 Careful and natural sequence of sentences

The topics for description may be classified as under:

Description of given pictures – Description of picture includes types of picture,

scene, objects, characters and actions present in the picture. The impression of
picture and the intention of artist should also be mentioned. The picture describer
can add his/her own emotions and feelings.
Description of objects - While describing an object we should explain what it is,
what is its shape size and colour. A writer should also focus on its utility,
availability, function and uniqueness. Then, the description on the basis of its
merits and demerits should also be incorporated.
Description of places - The description of a place includes location, situation,
importance and its association with history, events and reasons behind its
popularity.
Description of process - Process writing is a series of consecutive actions taken
one after the other till completion. Process should be described step by step. The
description should be logical and ordered. The language used in process writing
should be simple and preferably in passive voice.
Description of events - Description of events should be such that the readers can
see and feel reality of the event. It includes what, when, where, how and why of
the occurrence of event. Its positive and negative impact should also be
mentioned.
Description of persons – While giving description of a person we should
describe his/her personality in such a way that focuses on every aspect of his/her
personality closely and carefully. It includes person‘s introduction, physical
appearance, behaviour, qualities, achievements, etc.
52 Proficiency in English

Activity Time

1. Take a picture from your English textbook and describe it.

2. You have bought a new lap top. Describe its features to your friends.

Reports
A report is a factual description of an issue, event, travelling, meeting etc. It
includes objective, analysis and impact of an event. A report should be structured
with small paragraphs containing suitable heading, date and place. It should
answer about what, when, where, how and why of the event. It should also include
an appropriate conclusion, recommendation and suggestion.
The main steps of report writing are:
1. Title
2. Summary
3. Introduction
4. Body/details
5. Conclusion
6. Recommendations
7. Appendices

Essentials to report writing

 Write in paragraphs
 Language should be simple containing short and straight forward
sentences
 Be as clear and specific as possible
 Furnish observable facts
 A chain of happenings should be linked together from the beginning to
the end
 Points should be in bullet style
 Photographs, tables, charts, graphs, etc. should be incorporated
wherever necessary
 Proficiency in English 53

Activity Time

1. You are secretary of your school. Prepare a report on co-curricular

activities organised on your school on the occasion of Earth Day.
2. Write a report for the newspaper describing a traffic jam in which you,
along with many, were trapped for many hours

Notices
A notice is a very short form of writing to convey important information to a
group of people or general public. It is used by individuals and organisations to
announce events and celebrations, deaths, occasions like inauguration and sales,
to issue public instructions to make appeals and to extend invitations, etc.

Points to be kept in mind while writing a notice:

 A notice is written in a box.

 The name of the organisation or issuing authority is written on the top.
 The word NOTICE should be mentioned in capital letter.
 A precise and attractive title should be given to indicate what the notice
is about.
 It must contain all relevant information related to the purpose including
date, time, place/venue and any other details required.
54 Proficiency in English

Name of the institution/organisation (in capital letters)

Date …………………

NOTICE
Title
Details …………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………….………
………………………………………………….………………………………
………………………………………………….………………………………
………………………………………………….………………………………

Signature

Designation
 Proficiency in English 55

GOVT. MIDDLE SCHOOL, SAIDPUR

NOTICE
Lost! Lost! Lost!

Date : 21st December 2019

I lost my folder bag on 20.12.2019. The bag is new and blue in colour. My
name and address is written in the specified space. I left it in the Library room.
It contains my certificates and testimonials. If anyone finds it, please inform
the school office.
Shiva
Class 6

Activity Time

1. You are Anita, secretary of Eco club of Govt. Middle School, Patna
Bihar. Write a notice of about 50 words launching tree plantation in
your school.
2. Aisha is the head girl of Middle School Mithapur. Her principal asks
her to put a notice asking all house captains to assemble to discuss ways
to improve discipline in the school. Write a notice in about 50 words.
3. You are Prince. You found a wrist watch in the school playground.
Write a notice in order to restore this wrist watch to its owner.

Applications and Letters:

A letter is a written communication. The purpose of the letter writing determines
the type of the letter whether it is a formal or informal. A letter written to our
relatives or friends is called informal. Letters written to persons other than friends
or relatives come under the category of the formal letter. While writing a letter,
these are some important components:
56 Proficiency in English

Sender‘s address
Date
Receiver‘s address
Subject
Salutation
Body of the letter
Complimentary closing
Sender‘s name

The Informal Letter: A letter to a friend

See how Saniya writes a letter to Mariya, one of her friends, describing how she
enjoyed the summer vacation

Nalanda
21-5-2019

Dear Mariya
I hope you‘re keeping well. Recently, during the summer vacation I went to
Patna with my family.
There I saw the Gol Ghar, Planetarium, Sanjay Gandhi Botanical and
Zoological Garden and Science Centre. All of us enjoyed seeing the animals in
their natural habitat in the Sanjay Gandhi Botanical and Zoological Garden. We
also felt excited on seeing stars and planets very closely in the planetarium. We
had a very good view of Patna from the top of Gol Ghar. It was a great experience
going through different activities at the Science Centre.
I enjoyed cold-drinks and eatables with Mom and Dad. I wish you too were
with us.
Please convey my regards to uncle and aunt and love to Neha.

Your loving friend,

Saniya
 Proficiency in English 57

The Formal /Official letter: An application to the Head-Master for grant of leave

May 21, 2019

To
The Head-Master
Middle School Rajgir
Nalanda.

Through: The Class Teacher

Subject: Leave for four days
Sir,
I would like to inform you that I shall not be able to come to school for the
next four days due to the marriage ceremony of my sister.
I request you to grant me leave for this period. I shall be thankful to you for
this favour.

Yours obediently,
Alok

Activity Time

1. Write a letter to your friend describing a literary event you attended

recently

Invitations
An invitation is a request, a solicitation or an attempt to get another person to join
you at a specific event. Extending invitations to near and dear on the occasions
such as marriage, birth, engagement, death, public function, etc. is part of social
etiquettes. The invitation answers five Ws, i.e., For example, who, whom, what,
when, why and where, i.e., name of the host, name(s) of invitees, the occasion,
date, time and venue. Invitations can be both formal and informal. They can be
printed on cards or can be drafted in the form of social letters.
Formal invitation - is an invitation which follows a dignified form, tone, or style
in agreement with the established norms, customs or values.
58 Proficiency in English

Format of a formal invitation includes:

1. Name of the host
2. Standard expression (e.g., request the pleasure of your company, solicit your
gracious presence)
3. Purpose of the invitation
4. Name of the honouree
5. Day, date and time of the event - date must be written in letters and you
should not use abbreviations.

Informal invitations
Informal invitations generally take the shape and form of personal letters. We use
this to invite our friends, relatives and dear ones with whom we have intimate
personal and friendly relations. In informal invitations the tone and treatment is
relaxed, informal and friendly.
Format of a formal invitation includes
1. Name of the host
2. Standard expression
3. The occasion
4. Name (s) of the invitee
5. Name(s) of the host
6. Date, time and venue

Mrs. & Mr. X Y Z,

Cordially request the pleasure of your gracious company on the occasion of the
birthday party of their daughter …………………………….
On………………....as per programme

Cake ceremony: 7.00 p.m.

Dinner: 8.00 p.m.
at
their residence (address)

R.S.V.P.
X Y Z (Name)
(Address)
Contact No. ……………
 Proficiency in English 59

Replies
A reply to an invitation is as much formal as the invitation itself. A reply to an
invitation is essential to appreciate the host‘s feelings and letting the host know
whether you are attending the function or not which will help him /her to make
the arrangements accordingly. The replies should be brief and specific.

Mrs. & Mr. X Y Z

Thank you so much for your kind invitation. I look forward to joining you over
your daughter‘s birthday celebration.

With regards
Lucy

Activity Time

1. You are Naveen. You have been successful in IIT entrance examination.
Write a suitable invitation to your friends inviting them to get together to
celebrate the occasion at your house.
2. You are Ankita. You have been invited to participate in a seminar on the
fundamental rights of children organised by the Lions Club of your
district. Respond to the invitation by writing a letter to the secretary of
the club.

Posters
A poster is a promotion of an idea, product or event put up in public space for
mass communication. It includes both textual and graphic elements. A poster
should be eye catching and informative giving full meaning at a glance.
Tips for making a poster:
 Get a large piece of paper, poster board, or another material
 Make a list of the elements you want to include in the poster
 Sketch out your design on a piece of paper
 Have your main slogan or head line in the centre of the poster
 Use the top, bottom, and sides for providing important details
 Include a call to action if you want people to act further
60 Proficiency in English

 Sketch your design on to the poster board with pencil

 Colour your poster with colour pencils, crayons, markers or paint
 Decorate your poster with symbols and graphics

Activity Time

1. Prepare a poster to create awareness among voters to ensure participation

in election
2. Design a poster to disseminate message to save underground water
 Proficiency in English 61

Slogans
Slogan is a catchy phrase or a few words arranged in a specific way to describe
the purpose. Slogan may be on different issues – social, political, religious, health,
business, etc.; it is used for public attraction and awareness. In business, slogans
are supposed to highlight the brand image and be memorable. In business a slogan
is often called tagline. To write good slogans, one requires time, effort, ideas and
a lot of creativity.
Tips of writing an effective slogan:
 Focus on main motto
 Highlight the key benefits
 Keep it short
 Give them rhythm and rhyme
 Stay honest
Some examples of slogan:
1. Green city, clean city, My dream city
2. Swachh Bharat
3. Education for All
4. Just 2 drops
5. Now more than ever: Stop Polio forever

Activity Time

Collect atleast ten slogans on conserving the environment.

Writing a paragraph having coherence, cohesion and unity

Paragraph writing is an art. A paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized
and coherent, and are all related to a single topic or one central idea containing
various kinds of information.
Paragraph coherence and cohesion result in paragraph unity. Coherence means the
connection of at the idea level and cohesion means the connection of ideas at the
sentence level. The cohesion of writing focuses on grammatical aspects of
writing. One of the practical tools that can help improve the coherence of writing
is to use a concept map.
62 Proficiency in English

Points to be kept in mind, while writing a paragraph:

(a) Unity of thought: There should be only one central idea in a paragraph so
that the gist of the paragraph may be summarized in one sentence only.
(b) Order: There should be sequence of thoughts and incidences. The first
sentence is a topic sentence or main idea of the paragraph, and then some
sentences in support of the main idea should be written. Finally, a simple
concluding sentence that can tie everything together and reinforce the main
idea is needed.
(c) Coherence: To maintain continuity of thought the use of cohesive words like
hence, so, therefore, or, and then are needed. Similarly, to explain an idea of
contradiction, word and phrases like — on the other hand, on the contrary,
nevertheless, but, yet, still are used.
(d) Length: There is no fixed rule regarding the length of a paragraph. However
a balanced paragraph may be expanded between 50 to 70 words.
These are the few steps followed in paragraph writing:
1. Decide the Topic of Your Paragraph. ...
2. Develop a Topic Sentence. ...
3. Demonstrate Your Point. ...
4. Give Your Paragraph Meaning. ...
5. Conclude. ...
6. Look Over and Proofread.

Health is wealth

Health is very valuable for human being. All wealth without health is useless. A
rich man with poor health does not enjoy life. He likes nothing. He always
remains in distress and anxiety. On the other hand, a healthy man remains in
comfort and tension-free even if he is poor. He enjoys life in a real sense. So
health is wealth.

Activity time

Write a short paragraph on the following subjects.

a. Importance of trees
b. Environmental pollution
c. Discipline
 Proficiency in English 63

Summary
 Reading is a good source of self-education.
 Reading is an ability to interact with the text. It includes comprehension
and meaning making.
 Study skill is a large collection of skills related to the process of
organizing and taking in new information, its retention or dealing with
assessment. It also includes effective reading, concentration techniques,
efficient note taking and time management.
 Global comprehension is the understanding of a longer text in its totality
for general understanding.
 Local comprehension is the skill of reading a piece of text closely or
intensely for the purpose of extracting specific information from the text.
 Inference is a guess that we make or an opinion that we form based on
the information that we have.
 Extrapolation is an estimation of the value based on extending a known
sequence of values or facts beyond the area that is certainly known. It is
to infer something that is not explicitly stated from the existing
information.
 Extensive reading involves reading texts for enjoyment and to develop
general understanding of the text.
 Intensive reading aims at reading in detail with specific learning aims and
tasks.
 Skimming is going through a piece of writing quickly to see what it is
about.
 Scanning is going through a text for a specific piece of information.
 Writing requires a complete control of the muscles of the wrist and hand.
The child needs to be properly trained and involved in pre-writing
activities such as making strokes, curves, proper shape, size and
spacing.
 A message is an important means of conveying information in brief.
Only the most important points or gist of the message should be written
in short and simple sentences not exceeding 50 words.
 Description is the pattern of narrative development that aims to depict a
place, object, character or incident in such a way that a vivid picture is
formed in the reader‘s mind. A good descriptive writing should be
concrete, evocative, creative and plausible.
64 Proficiency in English

 A report is a factual description of an issue, event, travelling, meeting,

etc. It includes objective, analysis and impact of an event.
 A notice is a very short form of writing to convey important information
to a group of people or general public.
 A letter written to our relatives or friends is called informal. Letters
written to persons other than friends or relatives come under the category
of the formal letter.
 A poster is a promotion of an idea, product or event put up in public
space for mass communication. It includes both textual and graphic
elements. A poster should be eye catching and informative giving full
meaning at a glance.
 Slogan is a catchy phrase or a few words arranged in a specific way to
describe the purpose. Slogan may be on different issues – social,
political, religious, health, business, etc.
 Paragraph writing is an art. A paragraph is a series of sentences that are
organized and coherent, and are all related to a single topic or one central
idea containing various kinds of information.

Assessment
A. Answer the following questions in about 200 words:
1. What do you mean by study skill? What does it include?
2. What is reading skill? Suggest some ways to motivate the learner to
develop reading habits.
3. What is meant by intensive reading? How is it different from
extensive reading?
4. Differentiate global comprehension and local comprehension with
suitable examples.
5. Write a note on the characteristics of a Description.
6. Write a letter to your friend describing a literary event you attended
recently.
7. You visited a zoo on last Sunday. Describe your experiences in
about 200 words. Describe the main features of the Republic Day
celebration in your institution.
8. Describe process of opening a savings account in a bank.
9. Write a description about your favourite teacher.
 Proficiency in English 65

B. Answer the following questions in about 100 words:

1. Write a brief note on
(a) Skimming
(b) Scanning
2. Write a brief note on the features of inference and extrapolation.
3. Write a brief note on Mechanics of Writing.
4. Write a brief note on the art of writing a report.
5. Mention some important points of writing a Notice.
6. You are Fiza, head girl of your school, i.e., Bankipore Girl‘s School,
Patna. Your school is organising its annual sports day. Draft an
invitation to be sent to the parents.
66 Proficiency in English

Unit 4
Vocabulary Enrichment & Grammar in Context

Vocabulary and grammar are the core elements of a language, It is very important
as a teacher to understand how we learn many words and their meaning
arrangements (grammar). This Unit is an attempt to suggest ways to enriching
vocabulary and ensuring competency in grammar. This unit also deals with
different categories of words, their usage and contexts in which they are used,
formation of new words and how to make use of students‘ experiences in the
enrichment of their vocabulary.

Objective of the unit is to:

 understand how to use various contexts of words to improve the
vocabulary of students.
 understand the importance of words and skill to form words using
prefixes and suffixes
 understand the need and importance of grammar in English
language teaching and learning
 understand the notion of correctness and notion of appropriateness.
 know the differences between traditional grammar and grammar in
context.
 understand and use the grammatical items in learning and teaching
English language.

SCERT, Bihar
 Proficiency in English 67

 know the concept and make use of grammar through various types
of tasks and activities

Unit 4 A

Vocabulary

Words Around Us
We hear and speak many words of English in the world around us. Some of these
words include ball, cycle, cup, bus, table, pen, train, bag, etc. Several other
words can be added to this list. In fact, our whole discourse depends chiefly on
words and their meaningful arrangements (Sentence). So, vocabulary (words) and
sentences are the two important components of our discourses – whether it is
formal or informal, written or spoken. This naturally leads to a series of questions:
How do we acquire these words? How many words of English can a person
acquire from the daily life situations other than the school? How many words do
you or your friend know, and how many of these words are you able to use
actively? How many of these words do you use only for the purposes of
understanding a speech, or reading a poster or a story written in English?
Needless to say, we learn a lot of words from the world around us including
formal schooling. Thus, it is very important for us as teachers to understand how
we should build children‘s vocabulary which is central to their ability to
communicate in the target language i.e. English. It is an ongoing process because
one can never learn all the words in any language.
A good example of words around us is what we often hear when we try to connect
to a person on mobile: 'The number you are trying to reach is currently busy;
please hold on the line or call again later'. Now, how can a person who has little
exposure to English understand this? Were you yourself able to understand the
announcement? If not, did you try to understand the announcement on the basis of
some words which you are familiar with, such as 'number', 'trying', 'busy', 'hold',
'line', 'call', 'again', etc. We know the meaning of these words and therefore are
able to construct some meaning.
If the same message is heard in Hindi, that 'jis number pe aap baat karna chahte
hain veh is samay vyast hai, kripya line pe banne rahe ya thodi der baad dial
karen' we notice that it is a bilingual sentence and has words like 'number', 'line',
68 Proficiency in English

'dial' that we already know. We understand the meaning of the sentence because
we know the meaning of these words.
Although we don‘t know the meaning of the full sentence yet we understand its
meaning through some words which are known to us. It suggests that words help
us understand the meaning of a full sentence, and without knowing words we may
feel helpless in comprehending the sentence. We notice similar kind of situation at
the railway station where we manage to understand every announcement simply
because we know the meaning of some of the crucial words.

Activity Time

 List some sentences used in real life situation where you are able to
comprehend their meaning without understanding the whole sentence.

Many people assume that learning vocabulary means acquiring a long list of
words with their meanings, whether through some direct link or by using the
translation from the first language. However, a word in the mind is more than its
meaning. Take for example, the word ‗cup‘. Try to think what a person who uses
the word 'cup' knows about it. Someone can use that word when he knows the
concept of a cup for which the word is used here. Cups are made of plastic, etc.
They are of different sizes, colours, shapes and also for different purposes. A
baby‘s sipping cup and cup for tea do not resemble each other at all, but any user
of the word ‗cup‘ will be able to associate the word with the item presented. So
you can imagine, the complex concept of cup you have in your mind.
Here, we have to keep in mind that a word, initially, has two important aspects:
pronunciation and spelling. Each word is stored in our memory with a specific
pronunciation and it is tied to the pronunciation rules of the language and same is
true of spellings. So we need to consider these two aspects for better vocabulary.
When we face the written form of the language we are bound to the spellings. And
when we speak and hear the language we are dependent on the pronunciation.

Active and Passive Vocabulary

Is it possible for us to use appropriately and frequently all the English words
which we are familiar with? The list of words that a person knows is much bigger
than the words that are often used by him/her. Thus, a person's vocabulary is
divided into two parts:
 The set of words which the person uses often is called active vocabulary,
e.g., eat, go, come, I, you.
 Proficiency in English 69

 The other set of words which the person knows but does not use often is
called passive vocabulary, e.g., bewilderment, contentious, puzzlement, etc
Many English words are a part of the child's active vocabulary. These form the
basis of learning the language. It is important to remember that there is no
watertight distinction between active and passive vocabulary; it all depends on the
usage by a particular person or a particular set of people. Hence, for the
enrichment of our vocabulary, we should always make efforts to convert our
passive words into active ones by using them frequently in our speech and
writing.
For teaching learning purposes, there is a need to enhance the vocabulary of the
child and for this we must know the words which our students already know and
use so that we can use this resource to improve their language skills.

Activity Time

 Let‘s have an activity to know the existing English vocabulary of the

students.
 Ask each student to recall one English word.
 Ask them not to repeat the words that have been told by others.
 Write all these words on the board.
 Keep moving from one student to another, till you nearly stop getting
new words.
 Then ask the students to classify them into three categories as follows:

Words used at home Words used in the Words used in the

school market
1. Lunch Sir Rate
2. Ma Office Shopping
3. Chair Chair Stall
4. ...........
5. ..........
6. ............ ........... .......

Some words may find place in all these categories. Hence, it is advisable for the
students to read these words carefully and use them in a paragraph. This attempt
enables us to be aware of the familiar words which we already use orally.
70 Proficiency in English

Let‘s take an example from ‗MY MIRACLE MOTHER‘ (‗BLOSSOM‘ Class – V):
Sometime I took you for granted, Mom
But I don‘t know, and I never will again.
In the above lines, ‗sometimes‘, ‗I‘, ‗but‘, ‗know‘, ‗never‘, ‗again‘ are more likely
the active words whereas ‗took you for granted‘ is an idiom which we understand
but does not use actively; hence, it is an example of passive word.
Some words have been given in the left-hand side column. You have to enlist
these words in columns meant for ‗Active words‘ and ‗Passive words‘:

Words Active words Passive words

Colour, Steel,
Hold, Hue,
Announcement
Man of letters
Nod, Busy
Suddenly, house, Sigh,
pouncing decide,
neighbour know,
enough, spoil, Milk,
expect, run, read,
High, low, poor,
Rich, bread, rice,
Hand, mouth, rice,
Tit for tat, give up,

Activity Time

Choose one simple story from the textbook and categorise the main words
into the words which we frequently use in our speech and writing (active
words) and the words which are rarely used or less used (passive words).
Now use your passive words in your expression (oral and written).
 Proficiency in English 71

Content Words and Function Words

Let‘s consider some sentences given below:

1. The book is on the table.
2. The boy is sitting under the tree.
3. The children are playing in the playground.
4. My daughter wants to wear blue jeans all the time and doesn‘t wear the
frock.

In these sentences the underlined words such as book, table, boy, tree, children,
playing and playground have a meaning even when seen without any context.
These words if you observe carefully are nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs.
These are called the content words which have meaning even in isolation. But the
words like, ‗on‘, ‗in‘, ‗the‘, 'is‘, etc. need some context to understand their
meaning. These words are called structural/ functional words. These words are
more frequently used and carry some grammatical meaning. These words, also
known as structural words, are modals and verbs, determiners, prepositions and
conjunctions. It is also important to work on these words which help to understand
the meaning of the whole sentence.
Let us consider a passage from ‗THE HOUSE SPARROW‘ (BLOSSOM, CLASS
– V):
There are several birds which (are) very common (in) our locality. The house
sparrow (is) one of them. Sparrows are found (in) plenty in our locality. They like
(to) live with people. So they make themselves quite (at) home in houses. Their
nests (can) be found in holes and niches in wall and (on) roofs.
In this paragraph, the underlined words such as ‗several‘, ‗birds‘, ‗common‘,
‗locality‘, ‗house‘, ‗sparrow‘, ‗line‘, ‗quite‘, ‗nests‘, ‗wall‘, ‗roofs‘, are ‘content
words’, as they have a meaning even when seen without any context. But the
words within brackets such as ‗are‘, ‗in‘, ‗is‘, ‗to‘, ‗at‘, ‗can‘, ‗on‘ etc. can be
understood only when there is a context. These are functional or structural
words which are used more frequently and carry some grammatical meaning.

Activity Time

Now underline the content words and encircle the structural words in the
given passage.
72 Proficiency in English

It was summer. A crow was very thirsty. He was flying in search of water. He saw
a pitcher. He peeped into it. There was some water at the bottom. He was unable
to drink it. He dropped some pebbles into the pitcher one by one. The water came
up. The crow drank the water. He flew away.
‗The Thirsty Crow‘, BLOSSOM, Class – II

Antonyms, Synonyms, Homophones and Homonyms

Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms are a group of words that are similar in meaning but not identical. They
often have different implications and associations. For example, the words ‗steal‘
and ‗rob‘‘. Similarly, ‗angry‘, ‗annoyed‘, ‗upset‘ and ‗irritated‘ may be synonyms
but each word differs slightly from every other synonym.
Some Exercises:
Let us match the following words with their meaning:

Words Meaning
Flap used flash crest of cocks
Wings a place where birds live and lay their eggs
Strut Walk proudly
Nest The end/last part of an animal
Tail The part with which a bird flies
Comb Move up and down or from side to side

(‗He leaves the nest‘, BLOSSOM, class –IV, p 100)

Match the words which are close in meaning

Region total
Creature area
Tired idle
Collect gather
Entire sufficient
Enough exhausted
Lazy living beings

(‗The Ant and the Grasshopper‘, Blossom, Class – V, p 73)

 Proficiency in English 73

Antonyms
Antonyms are those words which are opposite in meaning. For example, ‗hot‘ is
the opposite of ‗cold‘. The real objects, pictures, charts, etc. can be used for
discussing and explaining the concept of antonyms; e.g., a tall statue and a short
statue, the picture of a boy and of a girl, the picture of a king and of a queen, etc.
Look at the following words:
increase - decrease
tall - short
fat - thin
in - out
front - back
day - night
up - down
above - below
blunt - sharp
artificial - natural
ability - inability
direct - indirect
human - inhuman
balance - unbalance/imbalance
mobile - immobile
moderate - immoderate
advantage - disadvantage
qualify - disqualify
able - unable
common - uncommon
responsible - irresponsible
regular - irregular
violence - non-violence
sense - non-sense
vegetarian - non-vegetarian

If we look at these words carefully, we shall find that each pair of these words is
opposite in meaning to each other and there is some pattern in them. For example,
‗decrease‘ is the opposite of ‗increase‘, ‗tall‘ is the opposite of ‗short‘ and ‗fat‘ is
the opposite of ‗thin‘. These antonyms are different from those which are formed
by adding prefixes like 'in-', 'im-', 'un-', 'dis-' and 'non-'.
Sometimes antonyms can be made by using prefixes such as – ‗dis-‗, ‗im-‘, ‗in-‘,
‗ir-‘, ‗un-‘, ‗dis-‘, ‗non-‘
74 Proficiency in English

Examples:
Ability – Inability
Advantage – Disadvantage
Violence – Nonviolence
Able – Unable
Mobile – Immobile

Antonyms can be made also by interchanging suffixes such as ‗–ful‘ ‗-less‘.

Helpful – helpless
Soulful – soulless
It is useful to remember that opposites of many words will not be formed by
following rules.

Activity Time

 Tell the learners to form a circle

 Give them a ball
 Tell them that they have to speak the word and throw the ball to any
other learner standing in that circle
 The boy who will catch the ball has to tell the opposite of that word
 The game will proceed like this
List some opposite words which you want to discuss with your fellow-
learners. Ask them to read out the words and their antonyms in the list and
to find out the way in which the antonyms have been made. Don‘t forget to
mention that there are some words which don‘t follow these rules.

Homophones
Once, a teacher was dictating some paragraphs to the class and students were
noting it down. When s/he tried to see what students had written, s/he found that
students had made some errors. S/he observed that some students had written
‗there‘ instead of ‗their‘, 'no‘ instead of ‗know‘, 'write' instead of 'right' and 'one'
instead of 'won'.
Why do you think the students made this kind of errors?
 Proficiency in English 75

Consider the following list of words

A B
1. great grate
2. break brake
3. there their
4. stationary stationery
Let‘s consider what is common in the different sets of words given above:
When we read these words, we notice that the pronunciation of these pairs of
words is the same but if we go by the spellings, we can see that they are different.
These kinds of words are called homophones. Homophones are pairs of words
with identical sound but different spellings and different meanings. We can
understand the syllable of words as ‗Homo‘ meaning ‗same‘ and ‗Phones‘
meaning ‗sound‘. If we examine the above examples, we can conclude that the
students have committed the error because the two words sound the same and they
use the one, by replacing the other. Here the students were not able to understand
the context of the text, and that is why they were unable to choose the appropriate
word.
Students often feel confused about homophones. It is important and useful to
make students acquainted with homophones so that they can use the words
appropriately.
Here is a list of some more homophones:
1. new / knew 2. accept / except
3. sale/ sail 4. fair / fare
5. dear / deer 6. here / hair
There is no relation in the meanings of the words in each pair and the best way to
clarify the meaning would be to use the words meaningfully.
76 Proficiency in English

Activity Time

 Make a list of homophones and write them on the chits.

 Shuffle the chits and distribute them among the students.
 Instruct your students to pronounce the word written on the chit loudly
and find the student who is uttering the word which sounds the same and
make a pair with him/her.
 Now the pair will sit together. Discuss the homophones (their
pronunciation, spelling and meaning) of each pair and ask them to make
some sentences by using the homophones.

It is very important to discuss the different meanings of the pair of homophones

and identify the context in which they are used appropriately.

Homonyms
Homonyms are words that Spell the same and sound the same but they differ in
meaning at the different places.

There are certain words which have the same ‗form‘ but different meaning at
different places.

Examples:
Bat: A bat becomes blind during day. (creature)
I hit the ball with my bat. (an equipment)
Hang: He hangs criminals. (executing capital punishment)
She hangs a painting. (tying with a nail on the wall)
Present: He is present here. (not absent)
I gave him several presents. (gifts)

Make a list of words which have different meaning at different places.

Some more examples are - sentence, object, mean, matter, lie, light, long, low,
hand.
 Proficiency in English 77

Activity Time
 Write words on the chits and shuffle it
 Distribute the chits among the students
 Instruct to sit in pair
 Tell them to frame the sentences to clarify its usage and meaning at
different places.

Word Formation
Read the following words:
suit - suitable - unsuitable
time - timely- timed - untimely
use - useful - usable - unused - unusable
man - mannish - manlike - unmanly.

As is clear from these examples, words in each group are associated with a
common root word given in bold above and that each root word has certain group
of letters either before or after it. In fact, in English there are two major ways to
make new words namely, to add prefixes (before the root word) or suffixes (after
the root word).

Prefixes
Prefixes are the letters which we add to the beginning of the word to make new
words with different meaning. For example, if we prefix ‗un‘ to the word ‗able‘
we can form a new word ‗unable‘. Prefixes can make a new word which is
opposite in meaning to the root/base word. It can also express the relation of time,
place and manner.

Base /root Word Prefixed Word Type of meaning

Possible Impossible Opposite
Payment Non-Payment Negation
War Pre-war Time
Cook Overcook Manner
Terrestrial Extraterrestrial Place

Suffixes
78 Proficiency in English

A suffix is a letter or a group of letters added at the end of a word to make a new
word. The new word form is often a different word class from the original word.
For example –

Word Suffixed Word Changed Class

Forget; Use Forgetful; Useful Verbs to Adjectives
State Statement Verbs to Nouns
Govern Government
Complicate Complication Verbs to Nouns
Create Creation

The suffixes often change the spellings of the base word. For example,
1. Beauty + ful; Duty + ful = Beautiful; Dutiful (y changed to i)
2. Able + ity; Possible + ity = Ability; Possibility (le is changed to il)
3. Permit + ion; Omit + ion = Permission; Omission (t is changed to ss)

Activity Time
Select some words keeping in mind the intended level of the learners.
Examples:
 circle - circular, table - tabular,
 situation - situational, condition - conditional
 appear - appearance, ignore - ignorance etc.

Discuss and analyze the pattern in the formation of these words. This will give an
idea how a new word is created from the root word.
Some common suffixes in English:
‗-al‘ refuse refusal
‗-dom‘ king kingdom
‗-ism‘ manner mannerism
‗-ship‘ friend friendship

Activity Time
 Make a list of words nouns/verbs that can be changed by adding suffixes
to them. Observe and discuss the pattern.
 Proficiency in English 79

 Which stage of the above activities do you like most and why?

Summary
In this sub-unit we have discussed various ways/activities by which the
teacher can enrich his/her students‘ vocabulary. We have focused specifically
on how Activity Based Learning (ABL) can be used to develop vocabulary of
the learners and how the learners‘ analytical skills can be used to enhance
their word-formation ability. We have sought to establish that active
participation of the learners is key to ensuring that they are on the right path
of vocabulary enrichment. Through Activity Based Learning (ABL), they will
easily create a knowledge base. It is an established fact now that if we pick
words from our life and previous experiences, we get encouraged to search
for new words and use them contextually.

Unit 4 B
Grammar in Context

In the vocabulary section, we have discussed that a child coming to school has
already acquired her native language and is in a position to use it with adult like
mastery. This implies that the child in a short span of time could master both
vocabulary and grammar of the language, as much was needed for her everyday
communication. The process of learning English in school is an absolute opposite
of this. For a very long time teaching or learning grammar has been considered to
be a boring job both for the teachers as well as for the learners. Studies have also
shown this approach to be ineffective in the learning of a new language; (The
teaching of grammar in English classroom is important because English for most
learners coming from poor background in the rural, semi-urban and urban areas is
almost a foreign language, and not a second language.) The exposure to English in
the English classroom is highly limited and poor; it is not enough to help the
learners to infer the rules on their own. Unless the learners get a rich and
extensive exposure to the target language, they won‘t be able to infer the rules of
the language. In such circumstances it becomes imperative for the teacher to help
the learners know the rules of the language being learnt.
80 Proficiency in English

Need and Importance of Grammar in Language Learning

According to a linguist, grammar is a description of the rules that govern how
sentences are formed in a language. It includes set of rules that underlie a
language. Linguists define grammar as a set of components - phonetics (the
production and perception of sound), phonology (how sounds are combined),
morphology (the study of forms or how elements are combined to create words),
syntax (how words are strung together into sentences) and semantics (meaning).
Because all languages are characterised by these components, by definition,
language does not exist without grammar.
A fluent speaker of a language in a way knows the grammar of that language, as
s/he is able to make meaningful sentences. And yet, when asked to describe the
rules s/he may not be able to do so. That's where grammar teaching becomes
important. Grammar teaching in a way is a process of making the implicitly
known rules of a language explicit to the learner. It then empowers the learner to
constantly check herself whether what she says is exactly what she means. For
example,

1. At eight years old, my father gave me a book of poems on my birthday.

2. When I was eight years old, my father gave me a book of poems on my
birthday.
The first sentence is not clear as to who was eight years old when the poetry book
was gifted. However, in the second sentence there is no such confusion. It is
important for the learner to discover the rules of grammar, as this allows her/him
to make newer sentences, and to express better what s/he wants to say. For
example, the following sentences in a way imply the same thing and, in a way,
bring out major differences:
 Tickets!
 Tickets, please.
 Can you show me your tickets?
 May I see your tickets?
 Would you mind if I had a look at your tickets?

Till a few decades ago, the language teaching classrooms were dominated by
grammar teaching. With the coming of the notion of communicative competence,
it was believed that knowledge of grammar is only one of the many components
of ability to communicate meaningfully. Knowledge of appropriate application of
grammatical rules will be acquired only through actual usage in meaningful and
authentic situations.

Notion of correctness vs Notion of appropriateness

 Proficiency in English 81

During a conversation we use a lot of sentences. A beginner is always worried

about the correctness of her language. Here are two examples. Look at them
carefully.

Example 1:
Ram and Radha are talking on phone.
Ram: Hello Radha, how‘re you?
Radha: I am fine. Thank you
Ram: Radha, can we see a film today?
Radha: Yes, we can see a film today.
Ram: What time are you free?
Radha: I am free anytime in the afternoon.
Ram: Shall we see Amrapali in Mona theatre today matinee show?
Radha: That will be great.

Example 2
Ram and Radha are talking on the phone.
Ram: Hello Radha, how are you?
Radha: I‘m fine.
Ram: Radha, can we see a film today.
Radha: Yes, we can.
Ram: What time are you free?
Radha: Anytime in the afternoon
Ram: Shall we see Amrapali in Mona theatre today matinee show.
Radha: Great.

In example 1 and 2, Ram and Radha are talking on the phone about their plan to
watch a movie. In conversation 1, the replies of Radha are absolutely correct and
fine examples of notion of grammatically correct sentences. On the other hand in
conversation 2, the replies of Radha are not only correct but also appropriate.
For the learner the notion of 'appropriateness'(suitable or acceptable for a
particular situation or person) is far more necessary than the notion of
'correctness'. 'Appropriateness' depends on the context, as well as the
relationship between the speaker and the listener. Thus, a sentence which is
'grammatical' may not be 'appropriate', but an appropriate sentence, in most cases
will be both grammatical and appropriate.
82 Proficiency in English

Traditional Grammar Vs Grammar in Context

According to Chomsky, the grammar of a language is acquired through
abstracting a set of grammatical rules from language data, rather than through
imitation. This sentence in a way points out to the existence of at least two
approaches to grammar teaching: first, the learner is forced to learn the rules as
told to her by the teacher and second the learner derives the grammatical rules
from authentic language use. These approaches are also known as:
 Deductive approach
 Inductive approach

The deductive or rule driven approach to language teaching is thought to be

traditional. Usually the lesson starts with an explanation of a grammar point
followed by practice activities. Hence, Traditional Grammar has two
advantages: (a) It gets straight to the point and can therefore be time saving and
(b) Many rules can be quickly explained with the help of examples. The following
example will help us understand these points more clearly:
Mr. Shashi Bhushan Pandey is an English teacher in Middle School, Saidpur,
Nalanda. He wanted to teach the rule for making the past perfect tense in English.
This is how the classroom interaction proceeded:
T: The past perfect tense in English is formed from the present perfect tense by
first changing ‗have‘ to ‗had‘ and then adding the past participle form of the verb
(i.e. 3rd form of the verb). For instance, 'everyone had left' and 'the film had
started' are examples of the past perfect tense. So, what is the past perfect of 'they
have gone'?
S: They had gone.
T: Good. The past perfect tense is used to talk about an event in the past that
may have happened before another event in the past. For example, 'We
were late. When we reached the theatre, the film had already started.'
T: Did the film start after we arrived at the cinema, or at the same time as we
arrived, or before we arrived?
S: Before
T: Right
Obviously, Traditional Grammar is the rule-driven approach. Here the learners
are presented with a grammatical rule and then are given exercises to practice the
rule. This grammar has certain drawbacks as well. Some of the drawbacks are
listed below:

 It encourages the belief that learning a language is a matter of learning

rules.
 Encourages a teacher to point out all aspects of grammar.
 Long explanations of grammatical terms may confuse the beginners.
 Proficiency in English 83

 It has no scope for including the knowledge of the language that the
learner brings with her to the class.

Activity Time
Pick out some activities/exercises from your textbook that reflect this approach of
teaching English.

Grammar in Context
Grammar in context is based on Inductive approach in which the rules of grammar
are not told by the teacher in the beginning itself. These rules are inferred by the
learners from exposure to a massive amount of authentic input. The input can be
given by the teacher or generated in the class through student-teacher interaction.
This discovery involves trial and error, with guidance and feedback from the
teacher.
The basic aim of Grammar in context is to ensure meaningful learning of
language and for this it is necessary that teaching should go beyond offering only
‗factual knowledge‘ and engage the learners in creative thinking and doing.
Approaching grammar through context would create a meaningful environment
for learners, which would help to make grammar teaching both effective and
beneficial. Presenting and practising grammar points in context facilitates the
acquisition of the target language. Krashen (1982) states that grammatical
structures can be internalized if learners are situated in a particular context in
which they use the structures for communication. A teacher, therefore, should
provide such a beneficial learning context to show the learners how language
functions in authentic situations and help them learn to use language for purposes.
Contextualizing grammar instruction provides many advantages and has important
pedagogical implications.
1. Presenting grammatical structures through authentic text rather than isolated
sentences enables learners to see how a particular structure functions in
authentic situations. These meaningful texts selected also serve to help
learners better understand the meaning of the structure. In this way, learners
learn not only the form of the structure, but also its use and meaning.
2. The authentic texts adopted are also a good source of practice materials.
They offer learners an ideal context for practising the grammar item and
help to maintain a meaningful environment for learning. Therefore, it brings
the practice closer to real life communication. Besides, the training of
learners‘ four skills is also integrated into the practice activities. In learning
to recognize and use the grammar item, learners are, meanwhile, practising
84 Proficiency in English

listening, speaking, reading and writing. The grammar point is thus

extensively practised and well internalized.
3. Approaching grammar from context can effectively arouse learners‘ interest.
Meaningful texts instead of artificial sentences are used to present the
grammar points. Besides, learners are also required to actively use the
particular grammar knowledge to express their personal experience, to
socialize and to communicate.
4. Teaching and practising grammar in context is also conducive to developing
learners‘ habit of learning English in an active way. Learners‘ participation
and involvement is emphasized. Before presenting a particular grammar
item, learners are directed to take part in some discovery activities first,
which are often exploratory and analytical in nature. After the presentation,
learners are often directed to engage in a series of meaningful activities in
given contexts, which provide them with valuable opportunities to actively
use the grammar item and at the same time practise thinking independently
and creatively. These activities are all learner-centred and they help to bring
learners‘ initiative into full play.
A good example of teaching grammar in context would be: narrating the story in
the first half of the period and then spending the other half of the period in
discussing the characters and events. Here, asking questions aims at provoking
responses from the students and thus helping them internalise the uses of
language. Context for teaching grammar can be created also by showing pictures
to the learners and eliciting responses from them. If we have a particular structure
or grammar item in mind our questions need to be designed as such the students
in their response unconsciously use it.
The drawings given below (Sample Grammar Lesson 1) can be used to speak or
write about the changes that have come over time. In the process of talking about
the changes, the students would with the help of the context develop a sense of the
present perfect tense both in active and passive voice. A sample of teaching
grammar in context is shown below:

Sample Grammar Lesson 1: ‘Passive Voice’

Picture A Picture B
 Proficiency in English 85

1. Pre-grammar
a) The teacher discusses the topic "Changes in People and Places Over the
Years"
b) The teacher shows two pictures of a room in a house owned by Arshad
Reza. One picture was taken 20 years ago when he was not
employed and the new one is after he is well settled in life. The old
picture (Picture A) shows a very simple decoration while the new one
(Picture B) displays a lavish interior. The teacher then asks them to
compare the two pictures.
 Do you find clock in the pictures?
 Do they look exactly alike?
 Are they hanging on the same wall?
 Do you find chairs in any of the pictures?
 What other changes do you notice in the given pictures?
(The teacher tries to elicit responses for letting the learners perceive the changes
and express it using the structures they already know)

2. While-grammar
a) This stage provides a context for input generation and an opportunity
to notice the new grammatical structure The teacher tells them they are
going to learn a new structure (for the purpose of noticing) but does not
mention the name of the structure (for motivational purposes).
The teacher makes a transition from the context created in 1.b in the pre-
grammar stage to the grammatical point by showing the same pictures and
telling the picture differences with "have/ has +V3" and "have/ has been +
V3" :
o What has Arshad done to the chairs?
o Have the chairs been kept in the new setting?
o What has Arshad done to the clock?
o Has the position of the clock been changed?
o What changes have been made with the window?
o Who has put the curtain on the window?
o Has the condition of the owner improved?
o Has there been a change in his fortune?

b) The teacher, for clarification, asks some questions to ensure that the
86 Proficiency in English

meaning is clear.
Some examples:
 Was the sofa there in the room from the beginning?
 Is there a sofa now?
 Was the painting of the horse there 20 years ago?
 Is the painting there now?
 Did the room look royal earlier?
 Is the room royal now?

c) The teacher then asks them to respond to the following questions to

elicit the passive voice structure:
 By whom have the chairs been removed?
 By what have the chairs been replaced?
 What renovations have been made to the window?
 By whom have the curtains been put on the window?
 Where have the curtains been put?

To ensure and cross c heck the learners‘ understanding of the structure (active
passive of Present Perfect) as:
 What is the difference between;
 "Arshad has renovated the room‖ and "The room has been renovated
by Arshad.‖
 ―The sofa set has replaced the chairs‖ and ―The chairs have been replaced
by the sofa set‖.

Then the teacher asks, ―When do you think we need the second structure? S/he also
asks the learners to go through any text they have just studied and underline the
sentences in the passive voice.
d) The teacher asks the learners to formulate the rule on the board for the
given sentence providing help if needed.
The window has been renovated.
The chairs have been removed by Arshad.
A sofa set has been put in the room.
S + has + been + V 3 …
(Note: The while-stage may involve production of the new structure through
some questions about the pictures. In this case, however, the purpose is to
confirm whether the meaning has been clarified.)
 Proficiency in English 87

3) Post Grammar Stage

The teacher asks learners to walk around and ask questions to the classmates.
Find someone ____________________ (Classmates name)

 Who has been given a new shirt?

 Who has been given a compliment?
 Who has been marked very good by the teacher?
 Who has been requested to help someone?
 Who has been given puri sabji in the lunch box?
 Who has not been given any lunchbox today?
 Whose lunchbox has been shared by friends?

The teacher assigns an incomplete writing task and asks them to complete it
using some cues and the present perfect passive tense as in the following:
The classroom has been rearranged by our class teacher
 The seating arrangements have been changed.
 New groups have been formed.
 ------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------

Conclusion
To ensure effective grammar teaching learning environment teachers should
provide meaningful inputs through context and provide an opportunity to put
grammar to use, and relate grammar teaching learning to real life situations. This
is best achieved if grammar teaching is treated in the same way as the teaching
of the four skills; obviously this involves smooth and organized transitions of pre-,
while- and post grammar stages. It is important to note that pattern practice alone
is not enough. It should exist within comprehensible context by choosing
authentic texts. These meaningful texts selected also serve to help learners better
understand the meaning of the structure. In this way, learners learn not only the
form of the structure, but also its use and meaning. Use of authentic texts for
teaching grammar brings the practice closer to real life communication.
Approaching grammar from context can effectively arouse learners‘ interest. Also,
the learners are required to actively use the particular grammar knowledge to
88 Proficiency in English

express their personal experience, to socialize and to communicate. Teaching and

practicing grammar in context is also conducive to developing learners‘ habit of
learning L2 in an active way.
Grammatical Items:

Here, the focus is on introducing some grammatical items such as types of

sentences, time and tense, parts of speech, subject-verb agreement,
transformation of sentences including voices, direct and indirect speech,
linkers, modals, prepositions and prepositional phrases. These grammatical
items enlisted in the syllabus are not new at this level. All the items are there in
Rainbow English Grammar developed by SCERT and published by Bihar State
Textbook Publishing Corporation Limited which you have already studied at the
senior secondary level. Hence, these items are only given in brief sketches.
Consult a good Grammar book or the book just mentioned. Keeping in mind the
sample presentation of grammar in context, think of strategies to contextualize
these grammar items for the sake of effective teaching. The first item has been
dealt with in some details to give you another view of the topic.

Types of sentences
Read carefully the following conversation between Amrit and Pragya.
Amrit: Pragya, I’m feeling very hungry. (Statement)
Let‘s have our lunch. (Imperative)
Pragya: I too feel very hungry, Amrit. (Statement)
What have you brought in your tiffin? (Interrogative)
Amrit: Maggie.
Pragya: Oh! That is great! I love it. (Exclamation)
I have also brought paratha and bhujiya. (Statement)
Amrit: Aha! That‘s good. (Exclamation)
Let‘s start. (Imperative)
Pragya: Yummi! God bless you! (Optative)
The conversation between Amrit and Pragya provides the context for introducing
the types of sentences. If we draw the attention of the learners to the types of
sentences used in the conversation, they will point out the five types of sentences,
of course not the names of these types. We can ask them to place the sentences in
different groups such as
 Proficiency in English 89

Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E

I‘m feeling Let‘s have our What have Oh! That is God bless
very hungry. lunch. you brought great! you!
in your
tiffin?
I too feel very Let‘s start. Aha! That‘s
hungry, Amrit. good
Maggie. Yummi!
I love it.
I have also
brought
paratha and
bhujiya.

This activity will at least give the learners an idea that there are five types of
sentences. What we, as a teacher, need to do here is to provide names for these
different types of sentences: Statement, Interrogative, Imperative, Optative
and Exclamatory. From here we can take them to the nature and structure of
different types of sentences.
Statements are the most common sentences and they just say something. They
may be assertive or negative with slight changes in structures:
I have informed the students.
I have not informed the students.
An Interrogative sentence asks questions:
Are you alright?
Do you want any help?
What does Pragya like to eat?
What has Amrit brought?
Again, the attention of the learners can be drawn to the two types of questions –
one beginning with a helping or auxiliary verb and another with a ‗wh‘ word
(what, when, why, who, how). It is also important to draw the attention of the
learners to the types of responses they demand: only ‗yes‘/ ‗no‘ or some pieces of
information.
An Imperative sentence gives command, advises, instructs, requests, proposes
and forbids:
Come here.
Please convey my regards to your parents.
90 Proficiency in English

Do not disturb me.

Let‘s start.
An Optative sentence expresses wish, good wishes, blessing, curses etc:
God bless you!
May you succeed in your life!

Exclamatory sentences are used to express strong emotions and feelings, passion,
wonder, fear or grief.
Aha! It‘s so nice.
Bravo! We have won the match.
Alas! He is no more.

Assessment
Write the type of following sentences: -
(i) I want those sweets, Papa. ………………………………….. ......…..
(ii) Do flies make sweets dirty? ………………………………….. ......…
(iii) Alas! I lost my purse. ………………………......……….. …………..
(iv) Sangita doesn‘t like dancing. …………………………….. ...………..
(v) Be kind to the poor. ……………………………………........………..
(vi) We should keep our hands clean. ……………………………………..
(vii) Oh no! You won, said the ―Little red Hen‖. ………………….. ..........

Time and Tense

Time is a concept related to our perception of reality; it is a dimension in which an
event happens. Tense is marked by verb inflection and expresses when an action
happens. The time of action is said to be tense.
Time is measured in hours, minutes and seconds. Tense refers to a period of time
e.g., 3:00 pm yesterday to 10:30 am tomorrow. Time is meaning oriented where
tense is form oriented.
There are three times

Past Present Future

 Proficiency in English 91

Something already taken place Something taking Something will

place live take place later
But in tense only two English tenses are marked by the inflection of verb:-
Past and present tense.
The future time is expressed with the modal (shall/will), the present continuous
tense may refer to either present or future tense.
Eg. ―What are you doing?‖ ―I‘m reading‖ (present reference)
―What are you doing on Wednesday evening? ― I‘m visiting my Grand Ma.‖
(Future reference)
Chart (to be designed as follows)

Assessment
Supply correct form of verb given in brackets:
(i) He (go) to school yesterday.
(ii) She was (write) letter to her mother.
(iii) I had (pass) the examination last year.
(iv) He will (go) home tomorrow.
(v) Sun (shine) in the sky.
(vi) He has (give) me a pen
(vii) I have been (five) in Patna since January.
(viii) You are (watch) T.V
(ix) They will have (hear) this story.
92 Proficiency in English

(x) He will have been( read) a novel for two days

Parts of Speech
The sun shone brightly and all creatures were happy. The grasshopper was
relaxing and playing music happily. He was content to play music and sit in the
sun. (Blossom, Class – v)

Parts of speech Words from above passage

Noun Seen, music, grasshopper, content
Pronoun He
Verb Shone, sit, play, was, playing
Adverb Brightly
Adjective Happy, all
Preposition To, in
Conjunction And
Interjection Ha! ha! Ha! Hurray. I won the game

The above box indicates that there are eight types of ―Parts of Speech‖, some
modern grammar includes ―Determiners‖ also among the parts of speech.

Assessment

Write a paragraph using all parts of speech given above in the box.

Subject and Verb Agreement

We know that, ‗a verb must agree with its subject in number and person.
Look at this extract from the chapter ‗Monu and Bhonu‘ in Blossom (Page 86,
Class III chapter 17)
 Proficiency in English 93

A scene of the Village Panchayat

The scene in the picture
is: There are so many
people some are sitting
and some are standing.
There is a tree also. The
person wearing red
jacket is the Sarpanch.
He looks serious. The
scene is of a village
Panchayat. In a village
Panchayat some
disputes are heard from
both sides of the
petitioner and the Sarpanch takes decision on the basis of proof and witness. Men
and women are listening to both the parties.
Draw the attention of the learners to the underlined phrases such as:

scene ....... is
There are so many people
some are
some are
There is a tree
The person ... is the Sarpanch
He looks serious.
some disputes are heard
the Sarpanch takes decision
Men and women are listening to both the parties.

On the basis of these sentences we can infer that:

 ‗are‘ is used with plural subject and ‗is‘ with the singular subject
 If two subjects are joined by ‗as well as‘, the verb agrees with the
number and person of the subject placed first.
 The verb s/es/ies is used with singular noun and the third person singular
pronoun (he, she, it)
 Base Verb is used with I, we, you, they, and the plural subject.
 Two or more nouns joined by ‗and‘ require ‗are‘, ‗were‘, ‗have,‘ etc.
94 Proficiency in English

 A collective ―noun‖ takes a singular verb when the collection is thought

of as one whole.

Assessment

Rita gives her introduction in English when she comes first time to her
school. However, she makes some errors because she doesn‘t know ―how to
make subject agree with its verb properly‖. Read the paragraph carefully
and correct, keeping in mind the subject verb agreement:
My name am Rita. I reads in class –III. My father‟s name are Ram Prasad. I
is nine years old. My brother and I obeys my parents. My class teacher‟s
name are Sarita Sinha. She are a good teacher.

Transformation of Sentence
When we construct a sentence, we use different grammatical items especially with
active and passive voice and direct to indirect speech. We have already dealt with
voice. Now we shall take up only direct and indirect speech:

Direct and indirect speech

The wolf said “let me in, let I in, little pig or I‟ll huff and I‟ll puff and I will blow
your house in.”
(Lesson 14 class 5)
The sentence is in direct speech because the words of the sentence are exactly as
told by the speaker. If we change it into indirect speech we will have to change
certain words: -
The wolf asked/told/ ordered the pig to allow him to come in or he would puff and
he would huff and he would blow his house in.
Now we can safely infer that
(a) In the first sentence ‗said‘ is changed into ‗asked‘/ ‗told‘/ ‗ordered‘, and
(b) ‗let‘ is removed and ‗to allow‘ is placed there
(c) I – he, me –him, will - -would, your – his are changed also.

Direct speech is changed into indirect speech using certain conventions:

I write home work every day and my teacher said, “Well done! my boy”.
The sentence will be changed as follows –
He said that he wrote home work everyday and his teacher applauded the boy had
done well
 Proficiency in English 95

In the sentence, ― ‖ (inverted comma ) is changed into ‗that‘ and write is used as
wrote in past tense. Again ‗said‘ changed into ‗applause‘ (in the sense of
appreciating) and ‗my boy‘ into ‗the boy‘. The sentence changed into simple
present to simple past.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Present simple Past simple

" I work hard" He said that he worked hard.

Present continuous Past continuous

"I am working hard" He said that he was working hard

Past simple Past perfect

" I work hard " He said that he had worked hard.

Changing of Adverb

Direct speech Indirect speech

Now Then
Here There
This That
These Those
Ago Before
Thus So
Today That day
To night That night
Yesterday The day before, the previous day
Tomorrow The next day
Last week The week before
96 Proficiency in English

Assessment

Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech.

I. The father said, ―Take off your shoes.‖
II. He said, ―I will clean the black board.‖
Linkers
The function of linkers is to join or link two sentences, words or clauses.
E.g., My father is sitting on a sofa and my mother is sitting in a chair.
In this line ‗and‘ joins two sentences.

Some linking words

 I am happy AND excited.
 I am happy FOR your achievement.
 I am happy BUT nervous.
 I am happy WHEN it‘s Sunday.
 I am happy DESPITE the rain.
 I am happy BECAUSE it‘s holiday.
 I am happy EVEN THOUGH I am tired.
 At once Shankar knew THAT they were thieves.
 You can come with us IF you like.
 I know the person WHO met us yesterday.
 The bell rings up WHEN children come in.

Assessment

Combine these sentences with suitable linkers:

(a) Let‘s go home. It is night
(b) Birds can fly. Animal cannot fly
(c) He is poor. He is happy
(d) Wait here. I‘ll return soon.
(e) People say. Honesty is the best policy.
 Proficiency in English 97

Modals
There are 13 modals – can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must,
dare, need, ought to and used to. These modals are followed by verb in the present
form.
(a) May, I come in? (Seeking permission )
(b) The baby can walk now. (ability)
(c) Both of us will catch cold (future time)

Assessment

 Tick the correct modal in below sentences: -

(i) May /might I put my head and neck inside the tent?
(ii) You wouldn‗t/can‘t come in.
(iii) We must/ought to respect our elders.
(iv) Would/may I go out?

Prepositions:
The pen is on the table.
Don‘t forget to bring a dictionary with you.
The dog is under the table.
The books are in the bag
98 Proficiency in English

The fridge is near the table.

The bulb is above the table.
The chair is behind the table.
The dog runs after the cat.
This book is for my friend.
Can you come to me?
The building is in front of a big garden.
In the above sentence words like in, on, at, from, under, above, for, to behind,
near, of with, etc. are prepositions. A preposition is a word that is placed before
noun or a pronoun to link it with some noun or pronoun.

List of Prepositions:

Assessment
Fill in the blank with suitable preposition.
I am Shubham, I live …… Darbhanga., …… summer I like … Travel
Shimla …….., my family. Last summer I took a train ……….. Delhi,…….
Shimla. ………. The station we went to our hotel ………….. bus. We
stopped ………. A small restaurant …….. lunch. The driver parked the bus
…………. The restaurant.

Prepositional phrases
 Proficiency in English 99

Prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends
with a noun or pronoun. The whole phrase functions either as an adjective or an
adverb. All of these prepositional phrases modify the subject of the sentence
E.g., The blue birds in the sky were chirping.
The boy at the door is a football player.
A happy boy runs down the street.
The child climbed up the tree.

Assessment

Conclusion:
 In this unit we have discussed various ways/activities by which the teacher
can enrich her students‘ vocabulary.
 We have focused specifically on how Activity Based Learning (ABL) can
be used to develop vocabulary of the learners and how the learners‘
analytical skills can be used to enhance their word-formation ability.
 There is no doubt that the knowledge of the grammar of a language is very
important for a language learner. In the first language learning situation, it is
mostly acquired unconsciously. But in the case of the second and foreign
language learning and teaching, it is mostly taught explicitly.
 In this unit we have also discussed how we can improve our grammar
through context and able to distinguish notions of correctness vs.
appropriateness.
 Different types of activities, exercises, descriptions and diagrams/charts
helped us to understand our improve concept of grammar in teaching.

Assessment
A. Answer the following questions in about 200 words:
1. What do you understand by Homophones? Explain with examples.
2. Write a note on word formation.
3. Write a note on the need and importance of grammar in language
learning.
4. Explain with examples what you understand by grammar in context.
5. Distinguish between traditional grammar and grammar in context.
100 Proficiency in English

B. Answer the following questions in about 100 words:

1. Make a list of the English words which we usually hear around us.
2. ‗A word in the mind is more than its meaning.‘ Exemplify.
3. Distinguish between active and passive vocabulary.
4. Distinguish between content words and function words
5. Write a brief note on the notion of correctness vs. notion of
appropriateness.
6. Write a brief note on types of sentence.
 Proficiency in English 101

Reference
 Agnihotri R.K. and Khanna, A.L. (1996). Grammar in context. New Delhi:
Ratnasagar.
 Craven, M (2008). Real listening and speaking -4. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
 Driscoll, L.(2008). Real speaking. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
 Flood, James et al (2003). Handbook of Research on teaching the English
Languages arts. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Association.
 Grellet, F (1981). Developing reading skill UK: Cambridge University
Press
 Haines, S (2008). Real writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
 Hedge, T (1988). Writing Oxford: Oxford University Press.
 Radford, A (2014) English Syntax Cambridge University Press.
 Seely, J (1980) The Oxford guide to writing and speaking. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
 Slatterly, M and Willis J. (2001). English for primary teacher: A handbook
of activities & classroom language. Oxford : Oxford University Press.
 Srivastava, A.K. 1990 ―Multilingualism and School Education in India:
Special features, problems and prospects‖. In patterajak 37-53.
 Yashpal, Sunil (2004). Teaching of English. New Delhi: Jagdamba
Publication.

SCERT, Bihar