Jalandhar: Teacher helps students break the hesitation to speak English

From struggling to frame a sentence in English to speaking with confidence in the classroom, students at the School of Eminence, Ladowali road in Jalandhar have been encouraged to overcome their hesitation through regular speaking exercises and communication-based learning. Behind the effort is English teacher Chander Shekhar, whose efforts to strengthen students’ spoken English and communication skills has now earned him the Sant Bhagwant Singh Teacher Award.

Rather than confining English learning to textbooks and grammar, Shekhar has focused on giving students opportunities to actually use the language. Regular speaking activities, interactive exercises and student-centric teaching methods form a prominent part of his classroom approach.

He has also been conducting additional classes and providing individual guidance to students who struggle with English or lack confidence while speaking. The objective, he says, is not merely to improve language skills but to help students become more confident communicators.

His contribution extends beyond the classroom. Shekhar has served as a State Resource Person (English) with the Punjab Education Department where he has worked on innovative Teaching Learning Material (TLM) for teachers and students. His initiatives have been aimed at making English lessons more engaging, encouraging classroom participation and improving learning outcomes.

The Sant Bhagwant Singh Teacher Award was presented to Shekhar by Dr Sushma Chawla, president of the Jalandhar Welfare Society and Surinder Saini, secretary of the society, on Teachers Day. The programme was presided over by SOE Principal Dr Yogesh Kumar.

Speaking on the occasion, Shekhar said a teacher’s responsibility went beyond imparting academic knowledge and included building students confidence, personality, values and positive attitude. Dr Yogesh Kumar congratulated Shekhar and urged students to work hard and use education to prepare themselves for higher studies and future opportunities.