Learning English and Teaching English >> Teaching in Multilingual Contexts >> Multilingual Resources Using Multilingual ResourcesIt should be possible for innovative and conscientious teachers to find ways of overcoming the limitations of the class time being divided between two languages and exploiting the resources of multilingual teachers and learners for the learners' benefit. They can carefully plan such activities where the learners are provided opportunities to use more than one language meaningfully and creatively. This would enrich the learning experience and learners would be able to become real users of two or more languages. There is also the possibility of positive transfer of linguistic and communicative skills from one language to another. The first thumb rule both the teachers and the learners should keep in mind for such activities is to avoid literal word by word translation. The focus should be on the general theme, the overall meaning, and that should be expressed in such a way that each learner has to put in a personal contribution. The activities should provide a scope for integrated use of the four skills as well as the different languages. Resourceful teachers can plan innumerable activities based on the unique quality of the learners' mother tongue and its similarities and differences with English.
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© 2005 Ranganayaki Srinivas
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