Expert lecture on English language teaching by Pro. Atanu Bhattacharya

On 25th 26th and 27th January 2020, we had the expert lecture on English language teaching by professor Atanu Bhattacharya.

He discussed about The History of ELT, literature of language teaching: poem & fiction, testing & evolution, validity, realizability & washback.

First, he asked one question, "why you choose literature?" then he discussed about The History of English language teaching. History is divided into 5 parts

1. The classical

2. Middle Age

3. Renaissance

4. 17th & 18th century

5. 19th & Early 20th century

He discussed on long debate on using literature in the language classroom in 1960-70.

Literature is a good medium to teach language in classroom. Literature help to critical thinking. Critical thinking means literature make us critical thinker.

He also said that after LSRW critical thinking is more important.

"Literature provide inter dependent"

He also talks about the role of teacher in present time. He said, "information given by teacher is over. Today, we no need to teacher for information because nowadays students find out all information with help of internet." Now we have so many online sources to provide us more information than teachers.

"Literature also provide literal thinking"

Literature force us to think in a different level.

He discussed about how to teach difficult text/novel and any other things in classroom. We teach difficult text with help of:

- Pre-task

- While task

- Post task

He also talked about "Speech Acts"

Representatives: assertion/conclusion (statement of facts)

Directive: requesting/ordering/questioning

Commissive: promising, offering, threatening, challenging

Expressive: thanking, apologizing, welcoming

Declaration: only use why some people/some place

At last a discussed about testing and evaluation

Testing: It deals with particular objective. Testing also have different kind of pressure. Class test has lesser amount of pressure then board exam.

& also this can be graded.

Evaluation: It has no particular topic but rather it deals with more general things. Also, it may not have source. 

Assessment:It provide a feedback. Based on that feedback student can have changes. At after this student received a score.