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Rasumohan

Joined 23 July 2007







Below is a paper work I did during my University life.

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Introduction

Impact assessments are the pre-prepared documents that discuss the expectable impacts and outcomes of a development project. This impact assessment report attempts to identify the possible impacts on the university, as the result of ‘turning arts faculty courses into compulsory English medium courses’. It will also discuss the achievable measures to rectify dreadful impacts or negative impacts of the proposed project. Contains of this report are divided into three chapters as, 01) before implementation, 02) during implementation and 03) after implementation. As anyone can expect there would be oppositions to any proposes. The better way of implementing the proposal is implementing it after taking achievable measurements to satisfy all parties. In the forthcoming chapter we will discuss who will be the opposing parties and how can we make them agree on the project.

 


01. Chapter Before the implementation

Expected oppositions from, I – Lecturers who are mastered in Tamil or and Sinhala would refuse the plan. II – Students who are weak in English. III - Language related associations.

Lecturers who are very much tied with their mother language and have a commitment to improve and protect them will obviously oppose the plan saying the plan undermines the value of mother tongue, and there are possibilities to the lecturers to talk about the uniqueness of mother tongue, namely, Sinhalese and Tamil. As all of us know, Sinhalese and Tamil languages are spoken only in a few countries. When we take Sinhalese it is almost only one country in the world to have Sinhalese as a national language and to have majority people to protect it. Tamil, spoken in some of the Asian (Namely, India-Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia etc) and other continental countries. (Such as, some of the European Countries, North American Countries, and Australia etc). Though these two languages are spoken in many countries, Sri Lanka is the paramount country to have both languages at their best.


It is said that allowing English medium courses to Arts faculty will result in poor mother tongue experiences, and it’ll lead to the disappearance of native languages. To make these lectures agree on the plan, planners may have to leave the language related departments unchanged and assure that there will be a considerable amount of students to study languages. The departments may be asked to conduct specially designed courses to the students who study through English medium. These activities will to a great extent satisfy the lecturers. The other reason that can arise from the lecturers is that after the plan there would not be an enough amount of students coming to language related courses. This reason has no base. Because, already there are few departments and subjects called ‘dead subjects’, it means that some subjects are disappearing from existence as a result of the need of the time. So it is argued the danger is not real. Students who are weak in English will refuse the plan. It is apparent they would not be able to go with the English medium lectures. It is expected that these students will at the beginning would not understand lectures, suffer to get class notes, refer books and write assignments. It’ll cost some times to the students to adopt themselves to English medium lectures. It is the students who have to firstly do some hard work and go with the plan. But, this can not be expected to happen so easily, students used to refuse at first whatever the management does. It is there with the students just like a ‘protest syndrome’. Students who are weak and against this plan will organize other students and begin to protest against the management. To avoid these students’ activities, planners may have to work with students before the implementation. That is, there should be some ways of converting students. Planners may use strategic ways to quell students before they rise against the plan. If the students are aware of the profits they can get by studying through English medium, they will think about it. Students who are ready to the plan can be used to convert other students towards them. Planners may have to discuss with the student unions to get their contribution and to prevent protests and boycotts. The department of English can organize a special English course to those who are weak in English, in association with the English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) department. This course should be credit based and all students should pass the exam conducted by the ELTU to continue their next semester or year. This credit based English course will increase students’ involvement in English at least compulsively. The courses should be expanded to those who are waiting to enter Universities. Those waiting students can be collected to a centre in each districts and conducted courses. These activities will cost a great amount of money. But, the cost is temporary, because the students will have to go to special courses until they improve their language skills. After that they will start work themselves and be ready to continue studies through English. The resistance of students can be changed by the time pass. For instance, all students in other faculties continue their studies through English medium. It is true that there also students who are weak in English. But, they do not resist continuing, because it is compulsory. It can be applied to arts faculty as well, and the students will gradually adapt to English.

There are some associations and institutions that work for the development of native Languages. These institutions might say it is not acceptable to avoid mother language and introduce English medium, further they may argue that only arts faculty is left for language related studies and to continue studies in any language we wish. If English is made compulsory, the option to study through one’s own language will not be available. It is not a desirable situation to those who are only ready to study through their own languages. These institutions may pressure planners to give up the plan indirectly. This opposition, at the same time will not be a hard one to speed. Because, these institutions can be convinced by talking to about the plan in detail and make them aware of the goodness of English language studies. Further, planners will have to explain them that these conversions are only applicable to non-language related courses.

Parties likely to support

I – People who encourage improving the quality of undergraduate studies. II – A part of the students. III – Employers.

There will be some group of people to support the plan. There are volunteer organizations to promote English medium courses. The IRQUE project supported by World Bank is an example of how English medium courses will be treated. The project mainly focuses on Department of Sociology. The department of Sociology is the only department which provides more English medium courses next to English language and literature department. It proves that English medium courses will attract international society.

Not all students would refuse the proposal. There are students who have a considerable knowledge in English and keen in studying through English. This group of students will be a supporting team. It is true until we continue English medium courses; these students’ aspirations will be unfulfilled. They had to study in native languages, though they are good at English.


Employers’ group will also support the plan indirectly. They are the beneficiaries of the plan. Currently, in Sri Lanka, there is a big amount of jobs which require English language skills unoccupied. These jobs require candidates with sound knowledge in English. Thus, the employers wait for a crowd of candidates, if the plan implemented and continued successfully, these places will be filled with right candidates.

02. Chapter During the implementation

Expected oppositions from,

I – Students who are weak in English will face difficulties in understanding and responding English lectures. II – Lecturers, who are very keen in their mother tongue except English, would show a minimum interest in teaching. III - University entrance would be tough and strict. Some of the students cannot enter university unless they have expected level of English literacy, though they are intelligent in other subjects. IV - Students may face hardships in following lectures for particular period, which may lead to poor performances in their examinations.


During the implementation, there will be reports such as, low educational performances of students, students’ hardships in following and responding to lectures etc. These kinds of reports may come from the students and lecturers. To avoid this problem, the students will have to learn English before they come to lectures, that is, outside the campus. As, stated earlier, students should have obtained special courses from the Department of English Language Teaching. It is inevitable in any development step top affect a portion of the population adversely. If we take any kind of development project, it needs to be established at any cost, for the well-being of the society in the future. The first batch of students may have some privileges to sit for exams in their languages, but to follow lectures through English. Such an alteration may work out for this portion of students.

To get Lecturers’ support, the plan should include some kind of incentive system to promote lecturers who are able to conduct lectures in English. These lecturers should receive a bonus payment. Then lecturers would compete among themselves to be eligible to lecture in English. If there is a shortage of lecturers, the currently working lectures can be asked to prove their skills in English, and new lecturers who can conduct lectures in English should be recruited.

University entrance to the future students will be a little difficult and sometimes unfair. The university entrance, when the project is on the way, will require the students to have a minimum level of English knowledge before they come to University. This plan will intake students who are eligible to follow English courses, say, only students with a ‘C’ pass in (O/L) English are in taken, what will happen to those students who are not eligible in English but in other ways? This problem can be solved by introducing English courses to those who are eligible to enter university, before they are in taken but after the A/L’s. This is a matter of providing a big amount of students with eligible English Teachers. This may cost a big amount. This task of teaching English can be privatized to reduce cost and increase effectiveness. If university entrance requires a good result in the A/Ls, the students then will start thinking of it. They then will study English as a subject to enter university.

It is unavoidable that the students undergo a hard time to follow English lectures at first. But, over time, with the support of the lectures they will be able to follow English lectures. It however requires hard working students. If the available courses and the resources are well used by the students, the poor performance will be upgraded.


Parties likely to support I – There will be chances to the private institutions to launch English learning courses in the vicinity of the university. II - Students will be able to improve their language skills in English. III - Students can build up Ethnic Corporation among other ethnic group people and get rid of prejudices. IV - Job providers will greatly appreciate the plan. V - Additional funds can be derived from the international donors, such as, WB. VI - Arts faculty students also can build up a status like the other faculty students who are already following their studies in English medium.





03. Chapter After the implementation

Expected negative outcomes,

I - Cultural change II - Loss of traditional arts and crafts.

There will be reports such as cultural change among students after a long time from the English medium introduction. This idea does not have base. Because, already there are number of private colleges and institutes that completely operate with English medium as the main medium. And other faculties of all universities conduct courses in English have never reported such a change in culture. It is nature any dominant culture would attract other minor cultural groups and thus be acculturated by the time to come. It cannot be merely English medium that causes cultural change.

Loss of interest in traditional arts and crafts can be an adverse effect by introducing English medium courses. When English medium courses are available and students are able to access to western or other countries’ arts and crafts, the interests in traditional arts will be decreased. The main reason is that arts faculty has a great number of students who are clever in arts and crafts. It is clear in the annual ‘Sahithya Ulela’s. So, it can be expected a reduction in the number of students who engage in aesthetic things.

There is something that we should look at, that is, the plan is to change the medium of instruction from own languages to English, not to change other aspects of study. For example, the department of fine arts will continue to serve the society as before. So, there would not be any considerable change in the arts and crafts of the future.


Parties likely to support

I - Unemployment rate will go down. (Large number of Arts faculty students still remains unemployed for being unable to handle things in English). II - Graduates will be able to teach in English in the future, this will help us to produce students with thorough knowledge in English. III - Graduates will have more chances to continue their higher studies abroad. IV - Many of the struggles between and among students occur as a result of lack of understanding. Common medium will help us maintain harmony and peace among students. V - University resources can be saved from over consuming. (One lecturer and one classroom will be enough to teach all three-language students at a time, no need to keep separate classrooms and times for different medium students). VI - There are thousands of untouched English books in our library. These books will be used and made maximum use of them if English medium is compulsory. VII - One of the reasons to the grant of IRQUE project to the department of Sociology was that it was the only department which provides more English medium courses next to English language and literature department. It proves that English medium courses will attract international society. VIII - Sri Lanka as developing country cannot survive with the first language education, because it has to depend on other countries for many reasons, so it will be useful if it trains its future leaders with English language skills to communicate with other countries.

This proposal to introduce compulsory English courses to Arts faculty, as described above has many future benefits. It is notable that Sri Lanka as a developing country suffers to survive and develop itself in the world. The main reason to have low level of development is the traditional educational systems. Today, the world requires not educated people but professional ones. It means the world is now becoming more professional. Our education system should be changed to compete with other world countries. Education should aim at making students professionally qualified and competent. Planners should take steps to use our youths with a goal in their minds. Our resourceful students are wasted in the traditional education and they are still not in a place to claim for a specific job according to their education. Because of aimless education, our country becomes futureless. Particularly, arts faculty education has a minimum demand in the job market. Students who are following undergraduate studies are educationally qualified to continue their studies further, but, they are not eligible to get into the labor force. Leaving a great amount of youths live dependently is not a healthy thing for a country like ours. English education can be a very basic step that a person can take to achieve something at present days. Not only English medium can give the things we want to achieve, but is a basic where you get started with and go on studying the world’s other forms of education and technology. We should localize world’s technology to develop ourselves, to achieve that we have to first understand the technology. It is possible only if you have a basic education and English language as required tools. Because, all technologies are now available in English. Some argue that Japan, a country which promotes education through own language, has developed very fast. How it was able to stand alone and succeed? It is true Japanese people learn through their own language, the difference is they learn what is important today through their language. They have all needed technologies in their language. So, they did not need to study English first and technology next. English language and the associated education should be implemented in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Arts stream, in order to produce world class students and professionals. Arts faculty education is not profession oriented like other faculty education. If we take Medical faculty, students are Doctors when they leave university. But, Arts faculty has no such a job orientation. That is why Sri Lanka still has a big number of unemployed graduates. This situation will be changed at least to a minimum extent by introducing compulsory English medium courses to the

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