Communicative English for Undergraduate Students

The University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) made a non-credit course compulsory for all undergraduate students studying at universities. The aim of this course is to enable students to speak, write, listen and read English language. Although non-credit, this course helps students achieve success in the academic arena as well as in jobs. In this communicative English course, the universities put more focus on developing students’ speaking and writing skills. This course also tries to enhance learners’ cognitive (knowledge), affective (emotion), and psychomotor (physical skill-based) domains.  
It is mentionable here that a tutor must ensure several requirements while conducting this course. For example, the approach to teaching this course must be participatory; it means the students should learn the target language, here English, through continuous practice. William Littlewood first claimed in the 1970s that a language is best learnt when the learners themselves take part in the language practice. However, this is a starting point for the learners; they need to practise the language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) continuously for a longer period of time to achieve proficiency. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) says that if someone practises a skill, for example, speaking, for around one thousand hours, they will be able to speak like a native speaker of English. Similarly, if someone practises writing with feedback from friends, teachers, or others for the length of time mentioned, they will also achieve better writing skills. Actually, one thousand hours of practice for a skill is not the final limit; one’s English will be more polished and natural through the continuous use and practice of the language. 

Alongside engaging students in language practice, the tutors continuously assess them and provide corrective feedback. This practice by students and positive feedback by the classmates and the tutors accelerate students’ learning. The learners are assessed during teaching activities, mid-term tests or examinations, quizzes, writing assignments, listening tests, and the course final examinations. As language is a skill-based subject, skills are given more importance than knowledge about the language in assessment. 
In the Communicative English curriculum, the course learning outcomes are stated. The learning outcomes of this course are broadly students’ being able to speak, write and understand English while listening and reading English. So, the tutors set achievable learning targets for each lesson based on that. By achieving the lesson learning outcomes, the curriculum’s broader outcomes are met. However, language learning chiefly depends on the length of practice of the learners, that is, how long and how sincerely the learners practise. Only the tutor’s efforts and the approach to teaching can contribute a little to students’ language learning; the major responsibilities chiefly rest on the learners themselves.
What I, as a tutor of the Communicative English course, personally do at Notre Dame University of Bangladesh for speaking skill development is: I try to engage the learners in practising greetings, introducing themselves and others, introducing a guest, anchoring a programme in English, asking for and giving directions; talking about/describing a person, place, and image; talking about home town/village, debating, negotiations, delivering a speech on a fixed topic, extempore speech, asking for and offering help, shadowing practice, etc. First of all, I provide them with instructions about what and how to practise and then engage them in practising the language in pairs or in groups. If, situation demands, they are engaged in individual practice and drilling. Reading, writing, and listening skills are also practised as per need and pedagogy directs. Usually, strategies used in teaching communication skills are similar to those used in IELTS (International English Language Testing System) practice and tests.
The issues I face as a tutor include: a small number of the students are taciturn; they fight shy to speak out; they do not want to take part in the language practice for fear of committing mistakes. It is difficult for the tutor to motivate and engage them in pair practice. Even though they practise in pairs, they are not willing to speak out when the tutor asks them to demonstrate what they have practised in pairs. I have experienced similar situations in other institutions where I taught the same course. Another thing, the total number of sessions is insufficient; the course is of 45 hours, which is a short time, and the learners cannot sustain their interest and attention as the gap between the sessions is three days. The sessions could be set every other day. 
Lastly, the learners should not be afraid of their mistakes, as mistakes are the sources of learning. They need to remember that, just as no one can learn to swim without stepping into water and practising there, without speaking, even though there are mistakes, no one can become fluent in speaking. Some mistakes at the beginning are natural; if one continues to practise, they will be fluent in the near future. So, start speaking English now, with friends and/ or yourself!
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The writer is an Adjunct Professor of English at Notre Dame University of Bangladesh