Language Listening Labs in 330 government primary schools

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

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Tribune News Service

Chandiagrh, December 1 3

In a new attempt at helping students in grasping the nuances of spoken language, especially English, the Education Department has introduced Language Listening Laboratories in as many as 330 government schools. With a clear aim of ‘catching them young’ to tutor the students to handle communication in English language, the programme has been introduced only in the Primary Schools.

Primary schools in Ludhiana district have got the biggest share of 25 schools followed by Patiala (23) and Hoshiarpur (22). Barnala, Faridkot, Moga and Pathankot and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts are on the lowest step of the ladder with 10 schools each.

Teacher at Government Primary School, Behrampur Road (Gurdaspur district), Guriqbal Singh, said, “We have received a portion of the equipment for the special Language Learning lab. The programme is designed to help students in better listening skills to improve their pronunciation of the students”.

Secretary (School Education) Krishan Kumar said “We know the special place that English language has in academic standing of students when they go in for higher education and profession. We are also giving lessons in Punjabi, however, special efforts are being made to help students improve their English comprehension and speaking skills”.

The schools are being supplied the required pen drives, head phones and amplifiers. Schools can make use of the voice of their own teachers or even use recorded lessons, they have been informed.

Being introduced as a ‘Padho Punjab Padhao Punjab’, the programme aims at improving the basic conversational skills. “We are attempting to go beyond the theory classes because no foreign language comes without practice.

It is also felt that Language labs encourage communication between students and teachers as well as among students. The labs have been designed at creating groups and promoting messages to increase interactive sessions.