TEACHING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN INDIA (A CRITICAL VIEW)

تدريس اللغات الأجنبية في الهند – إطلالة نقدية

Abstract

Languages and capacity to express emotions and feelings are among greatest boons Almighty has bestowed upon human being. Over the period of times it does not remain as a tool to express but gradually transformed into a powerful mean to preserve history and heritage. Early in 19th Century and after World War 1 different nations started connecting to each other on the basis of art, culture, politics and most importantly economy. After globalization a revolution has come in the world of words and languages as whole. Hence different methodologies and means came into existence to learn languages other than mother tongue. Teaching of Arabic language in India started with traditional methodology in religious institutions that could be divided into three major categories i.e. Dars-e-Nizami, Non Dars-e-Nizami and government schools. I have detailed and analyzed the methodologies and means of teaching Arabic in these institutions with positive and negative aspects.

Later on in this paper I have cited details regarding teaching methodology being used in universities to teach Arabic languages and I have given specific examples of some top universities in the country mentioning strength and weak points of teaching methodology. At the end, I have mentioned some prominent methods of teaching foreign languages such as Grammar Translation Method, Direct Method, Audio – Lingual Method, Selective Method and their applications to teach Arabic on various levels. As suggestion I said that teacher can adopt every method according to situations that arises during teaching.