HYDERABAD:The Institute of English Language and Literature organized the first two-day Pak-TESOL Sindh Regional Conference on “Innovation in English Language Teaching and Future Directions” at the University of Sindh Jamshoro here Monday.
The inaugural session was presided over by Pro Vice Chancellor of Sindh University Thatta Campus Prof. Dr. Rafique Ahmed Memon.
In his presidential address, Dr. Rafique Ahmed Memon said that there were different requirements of the twenty-first century, one of them was the modern skills for teaching and learning English. He said that teachers were required to be fully trained to cope with the challenges in this regard, adding that Pak-TESOL was a forum through which English teachers were being informed about the latest art of learning and global development. The teachers should have a set of skills to force the students to come to the classrooms by utilizing the latest methods of teaching, he added.
He said the students will not come to the classroom with enthusiasm and passion to learn, be it university, college or
school unless the English teachers are not trained. He said that there should be student-centered classrooms for English language teaching and learning and the educational environment should also be student-centered, where teaching might be shifted from the teacher to the learners in a pleasant milieu.
He said having a big degree did not mean that a person was ready and fit to teach English language, but he/ she needed
expertise and abilities, which are being provided through the Pakistan- TESOL forum.
`“Pak-TESOL is proving to be helpful in the research regarding the prevalence and pervasiveness of English language in the country”, he said and added that there was a need to involve students more and more in the language learning process in the classrooms.
He said that the students should identify the teaching method of the teachers so that it might be noted and implemented that which techniques were a successful model for their learning.
Addressing the ceremony, former Vice Chancellor of Allama Iqbal Open University and Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences of Art and Design Lahore School of Economics Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui said that the Regional English Language Office (RELO) of the American Embassy introduced and started the Pak-TESOL (Teaching English to speakers of other languages) program for teaching English language.
He informed that the purpose of the conference was to provide information about teaching, preparation of curriculum for
language education and relevant material to the scholars and students of English language education.
He said that English language experts will share their views on English language education, student performance and challenges faced in linguistics, among other important topics.
The Director of Pak-TESOL Project and Professor of Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad, Dr. Muhammad Kamal Khan said that such kind of platforms provided an opportunity to bring together the English language teaching community to discuss the latest trends, problems, practical difficulties and best practices.
He said that there was a need to pay attention to the use of digital content, English language for educational purposes, the
teaching of English language through literature and the teaching of intercultural communication with the help of modern methods of English language teaching (ELT).
The Director Institute of English Language and Literature and Dean of the Faculty of Arts Professor Dr. Muhammad Khan
Sangi said that the conference had brought together many English language teachers and professionals from all over the country to provide knowledge and contemporary modus operandi of teaching in English language environment.
“Under these circumstances, English language teaching and research can be combined as a global language competence
building”, he said and added that innovation should be considered in the English language teaching for the development of lingo communication involving the professionals.
The Pro Rector Professor NUML Islamabad Dr. Safeer Ahmed Awan said that students should play their role to ensure the
clean environment and beauty of Sindh University campus, because improving the environment of their educational institution was a big contribution.
He hoped that the Pak-TESOL conference would prove to be the best source of learning for teachers, scholars and students to teach and learn the English language.