Meeting the English Language Learning Needs of the Indian Learner

8 pages•Published: February 12, 2020

Abstract

In the late 20th century, students learning English in India as a second language had a set of challenges. Classes had mixed ability groups, teaching was carried out in vernacular language and English was taught as a subject and not a skill. Students as well as teachers had few opportunities to learn or practice English.[1] In the 21st century, the challenges from the previous century continued. On the other hand, a new learner has also emerged: the Indian millennial whose access to tech and connectivity has increased along with her expectations from online products and offline services. Millennials of India want collaborative learning experiences and quick feedback, and have low tolerance for boredom. [2]
In this paper we explore two styles of English training for the millennial, online self- paced and blended (online + face-to-face) where the end-goals of both programs were to help students be an English-confident, job-ready graduate. We present quantitative data and qualitative feedback that shows the difference that the two programs had on the students. From this exploration, we list out a set of design principles for creating an effective English Training program for the Indian Millennial.

Keyphrases: design principles, English Language training, Indian millennial learner, Job readiness, Pedagogical Principles

In: Claudia Urrea (editor). Proceedings of the MIT LINC 2019 Conference, vol 3, pages 12--19

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/gVC7
	https://doi.org/10.29007/wb48