ELT for prisoners: A case study of an innovative
six-week Spoken English and Personality Development Programme for the inmates of
Burail Jail,
1.0 Introduction
This paper explores a unique six-week long English
Language Teaching (ELT) Programme custom-made for some 20 inmates of Burail Jail
at
The course was taught and devised by the author,
who teaches Linguistics to MA II year students at the DAV College, Chandigarh; and
two of his students, who had training in English Language Teaching, and had
been introduced to the principles of the Developmental Approach to Language Teaching
(DLT).
The DLT approach was founded by the author in 2004
while teaching a similar course at the
2.0 Developmental Approach to Language Teaching
The Developmental Approach to Language Teaching (DLT)
consists of a new framework to teach ‘Global English’ (conceptually for us, an evolving,
non-imperialistic, and non-cultural variety that contains inputs from various cultures,
nations and people) as a universal auxiliary language to the children across the
globe. It sets out the parameters required
to teach a global language since most language teaching is still largely rooted
in the cultural aspects of the target language. In the case of English, the
texts used to teach the language have been mostly those of British or American origin.
Also, most of the methodologies used have been those discovered in the West in the
process of teaching English to non-native speakers of the language in native contexts.
However, English is now taught on a vast scale at the international level and, according
to estimates, its speakers, numbering almost one-third of the world’s population,
use the language for a wide range of activities. This phenomenon gave us the main
impetus for developing this new approach to teaching.
The philosophical foundations of the Developmental
Approach are based on the application of a global language as a tool of empowerment,
rather than its use merely as a language of the process of globalization, whose
interests, by all accounts, seem to be the fulfillment of immediate material needs,
however important they may be. The Developmental Approach instead focuses on the
holistic development of the learner in tune with the true objectives of education
in its broadest sense.
In addition, the use of new technologies such as
computers and the Internet creates a meeting point between the successful teaching
methodologies practised in the East and the latest innovations in the field of English
Language Teaching in the West. Thus, in the Developmental Approach, the teacher
is seen as a Role Model and a Facilitator, as well as a participant in the overall
learning process.
The idea is to produce well-trained world citizens
capable of dealing with the many challenges that face them—including the emerging
new world order; environmental challenges; the empowerment of women; and more broadly
the establishment of a more equitable and just society ushering in an era of unity,
peace and harmony. Such motivated and transformed individuals would be capable of
making a definite impact on the direction of the socio-economic and spiritual development
of our strife ridden world.
The global texts used in the Developmental Approach
are those that reflect the human values that need to be induced in the learners
as well as the goals of sustainable development—a process that focuses on maintaining
a delicate balance between the human need to improve lifestyles and a feeling of
well-being on the one hand, while preserving the natural resources and ecosystems
on which we and future generations will depend.
The necessary linguistic structures and vocabulary
are provided at all times and remedial work is undertaken when the lessons proceed
in a state of contemplation and analysis, and the linguistic output is substantial
and natural. The urge of the highly motivated learners to express their innermost
feelings and to share their experiences and views, helps them to use the target
language as a means of communication from the very few first lessons, however limited
their abilities might initially be. The language work is further extended through
one-minute talks, role play, drama, art work, group discussions, leadership roles
and learning to do tasks related to home, work, neighbourhood, country and the world
at large. The conscious use of non-violent communication, coupled with the ideals
of co-operative learning, enhances the teaching-learning experience and provides
avenues for the participants for creative interaction.
3.0 Selection of students
After some discussion,
it was decided to start the course with the inmates who had some knowledge of English.
Those inmates who were willing to participate in the course were required to
attend the Indira Gandhi National Open University Centre within the prison premises.
There were 19 students in the first class, but the numbers in subsequent classes
varied between 15 and 23 for various reasons—visits to the courts, meetings with
visitors, release from prison, etc. However, ten students showed great interest
in the course and were able to attend all the classes.
4.0 Teachers’ Perceptions
The teachers initially
had a tough time communicating with the inmates who were unable to understand even
simple English speech. Most of the inmates had completed their secondary or higher
education a long time ago, they came from very different educational
backgrounds and there was a wide range of abilities. Initially, they requested the
teachers to use Hindi or Punjabi because they could not understand simple English
instructions. Though the teachers obliged at times, it was made clear to them that
the teachers would use English language for all instruction in the class.
It had been decided
among the teachers from the very beginning that classes would be interactive and
there would be no lectures. Initially, the inmates were at loss for words and frequently
reverted to their mother-tongue.
As a result of
being in a prison atmosphere for a long time, they tended not to be serious at times
and often tried to twist the language to crack jokes. The students even tried to
test the teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the language by asking them to
explain sentences like:
‘We saw a saw which couldn’t saw’
With patience and
diligence the teachers re-assured them, and slowly but steadily the learners started
to actively participate without hesitation in the classes. The teachers then had
the satisfaction of noticing improvements in their learning and acquisition of linguistic
skills by the end of the course.
An additional problem
initially faced by the two women teachers was a gender bias since all the learners
were men. Strict segregation between the sexes in the prison had resulted in
abnormal attitudes that took some time to normalize.
The teachers initially
faced some resistance from their own families and friends who were scared at the
thought of what the inmates may do to the teachers. These fears were gradually overcome
and were replaced by an appreciation for the work being achieved since the course
was run on an honorary basis without any financial gain as a service project undertaken
by the DAV College Teachers’ Union.
The teachers themselves
were MA II course students undertaking the prison classes as a component of
their Methods of Teaching English and the teaching of various language skills
course. This gave them an opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge and to
gain additional insights for their studies.
One of the results
of this thought provoking and immensely intense teaching experience undertaken through
collaboration of the teacher trainers, teachers, administrative staff of the prison
and the inmates is this research paper that we hope will generate further comments
from the readers as this is one of the first experiments of teaching communication
skills to prisoners in the field of ELT.
5.0 Course materials and methodology
At a meeting of the
teachers held before the course began, some thought was given to the kind of lessons
that would be given to the learners and a rough outline of the course contents was
evolved. It was decided to make use of the learning materials on an experimental
basis from the book A Course in Spoken English and Personality Development under preparation
by Prof. Anil Sarwal and Ms. Robin Diallo, former First Secretary at the American
Centre at
The learners were
given various assignments based on the following chapters of the book:
I You and I
II Responsibilities
at Home and Work
III Our
Global World
IV Crossing
Culture
V Succeeding
in a Global World
VI Contributing
to Global Civilization
The course was designed on psychological and pedagogic
principles, while keeping in mind the learner’s previous experiences and linguistic
abilities. The contents were chosen to enable the learner to function with ease
in a fast shrinking world. The language exercises were simple and based on the author’s
previous experience in conducting such courses.
The most commonly used grammatical structures and
some keywords and phrases were included. Some important grammatical points would
be explained at length for ease in understanding and applying the concepts while
using the language.
We fine-tuned the materials so that most of the current
issues facing the world were touched upon so that, while going through the
natural process of learning the target language, the learners in would also have
the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the challenges facing humanity, be
it health, use of money, environmental protection or the status of women.
The methodology used
was to motivate the learners by asking them questions, and getting them to share
their experiences on the topic right in the beginning and working with the vocabulary
and the necessary structures to produce the desired language needed for meaningful
communication. The emphasis was on fluency,
though the need for accuracy was always highlighted by explaining the finer grammatical
rules.
The overall reactions
from the learners were very encouraging, and at times touching.
We would like to
cite an interesting account of what Kulwinder Singh, a 23 year old young man convicted
of murder, wrote when asked about his ‘Aim in life’ during the first lesson on making
introductions. The learners were made to stand in front of the class and helped
to ask common questions, regarding name, age, training, experience, special interests,
hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc. by their mates.
Afterwards, they were asked to introduce their partner to the class.
An exercise was given
later to write a paragraph on ‘Aim in life’.
Kulwinder wrote,
(Edited): “My aim in life is to get very-very
rich, never come back to jail, get married to a beautiful girl and have two children—hopefully
one boy and one girl, and live happily ever after.”
Ordinary bliss of
life is what this man wished for. It was very touching for us to relate to this
simple desire in the given context. Many such experiences were shared that it would
be perhaps out of place to share in greater detail here.
5.1 Sample lessons
We will list three
sample lessons that we feel are compatible with the goals of the Developmental Approach
to Language Teaching. Some of these lessons were invented while teaching at the
Before we describe
the lessons, we would like to state that computers, the Internet and the use of
multimedia play an important role as teacher aids in the DLT. However, in the
prison we only had access to a while board and markerpens. Also, there were other
restrictions on what materials (pens, pencils and notebooks) that could gradually
be made available to the learners.
The overall prison
atmosphere seemed to create feelings of depression and apprehension among the learners
with regard to their future. These factors hindered some learners to achieve their
very best.
There were some
particular aspects relating to working within a prison environment. We were fortunate in that the seats were not fixed
and this gave us the flexibility of dividing the learners in groups of two, three
or more whenever this was needed. Additionally, some of the inmates were
accomplished artists, and this meant role playing was a particularly effective
means of teaching. The availability of a lot of free time also helped the eager
learners to speed up their learning.
During the course, there was a lot of scope in the
lessons for self introspection, the application of spiritual principles, the raising
of personal awareness as well as awareness of the feelings of others, and of taking
the first steps towards a journey of personal and social transformation while practising
the target language and gaining the desired linguistic skills.
5.1.1 CV writing
The importance of
preparing curriculum vitae (CVs/Biodata) in applying for jobs was discussed. Many
of them were able to identify the components of a good CV—these were discussed in
some detail and written on the white board. A discussion then occurred as to what
is required to prepare a good CV.
The discussion regarding
the preparation of a CV demonstrated that self-introspection would play an important
role. What one does not know about oneself cannot be known by others. So, one must
know about ones strengths and weaknesses, ones likes and dislikes and what one would
expect out of ones work situation.
The two important
concepts of “work is worship” and that work must be undertaken in the spirit of
service were discussed. What is important in the work situation is how one can contribute
towards the growth and development of the institution, and not merely what one would
like to obtain from the employer.
In this connection,
the image of a butterfly was successfully used. The working adult was likened to
a fully developed butterfly that can fly anywhere and spread beauty and joy. However, the previous stages of the butterfly
are important–from the caterpillar, a pupa, to a dazzling butterfly full of colour and
beauty. The following chart shows the different
associations with the concept of butterfly.
|
Type |
Stage |
||
|
Physical |
Caterpillar |
Pupa |
Butterfly |
|
Human |
Infant |
Child |
Adult |
|
Intellectual |
Home |
Neighbourhood/ State/Nation |
World |
|
Spiritual |
Animal |
Human |
Divine |
|
Emotions/ Nature |
Lower (Greed, Anger, Jealousy, etc.) |
Higher (Sacrifice, Mercy, Kindness, etc.) |
|
The learners were
then asked to represent their nature and character as a drawing of a butterfly.
Later they were asked to explain to the whole class the reasons for the choice of
colours and associating them with virtues, skills, strengths and weakness, etc.
A résumé was finally prepared
by the learners based on their perception of their nature, educational and professional
training and various other characteristics. The Jail authorities were so inspired
by the whole exercise that they offered to have the résumés composed and typed on a computer.
5.1.2 How to make Chandigarh a Peace
City?
The inmates were
asked to identify problems in
The learners were
divided into groups of three or four and asked to discuss one of the topics at length,
and to make a list of the key points. A group leader was selected by the group to
present the findings to the whole class. The other members of the class could then
add, agree or disagree with the findings of each group. Any one of the learners
was then free to make comments, give additional suggestions or to contradict the
views given.
The appropriate linguistic
structures were discussed and explained as well as the use of modals and auxiliaries.
Use of the appropriate vocabulary was reinforced and the inmates were asked to
practice spelling the words.
Another similar topic
that was discussed was that of ‘democracy’. The learners were highly motivated and
an animated discussion occurred. The learners forgot all their shortcomings and,
overcoming all their inhibitions, debated at length in the target language—agreeing,
disagreeing, supporting the theme or speaking against it.
At the end of all
tasks given to the inmates, the teachers summed up the discussion and gave a related
piece of composition as homework.
5.1.3 Formal and informal letters
An exercise in writing
formal and informal letters was undertaken at the request of the learners and prison
authorities. The uses of formal and informal letters were explained and even the
prison officer on duty got involved in the discussion when the format of the formal
letters was being discussed.
The learners later
wrote some formal and informal letters—including a letter to the prison authorities
asking for more sports and gymnasium facilities.
6.0 Inmates experiences and
perceptions
The following are
a few edited perceptions/experiences from the inmates regarding the English Speaking
and Personality Development course based on the Developmental Approach.
Mr Narinder Kumar Gupta (45 years)
wrote in his feedback on the course: “I remembered my school time which passed away
… Before I hesitated to speak but now I can speak. I am thankful to the jail officer
who provided us teachers here.”
Ashwani
Mehra (23 years), convicted of murder, said: “When I come to the English class I feel my mind free from all the worries
and tension of my case. This is a very big thing for me. I am sure this course will
be very useful in my future.”
Ajitpal
Singh and Mandeep Singh Kairon (23years), both convicted in a murder case, stated:
“We feel that in jail, such type of English
classes are very helpful for the prisoners because besides spending free time in
a convenient way it also helps us to improve our knowledge…. Interaction with Geeta
and Deepali is very impressive. They improved our level of English speaking and
confidence as well. Also they teach us good things about life and behaviour. But
we think that the time period of classes is very short. If the time period of the
class is increased then we can learn more from our teachers.”
Peter
(39 years old), a Nigerian in a NDPS case, wrote: “Attending classes in English medium in this present stage has given me
the opportunity of refreshing my brain and mind I wish it could continue.”
7.0 Suggestions and recommendations
Undoubtedly, a global language, as visualized earlier,
would serve as the greatest instrument for the development of our civilization by
enabling us to think independently, to understand other cultures, and to equip us
with global perspectives.
We feel that teaching a global language should not
be a blunt business-like activity where commercial success is judged to be the sole
criterion of a successful teacher. Instead, the attempt should be to build character,
impart virtues, and to create a peaceful environment in the classroom rooted in
truth, justice and equality. These ingredients would help create the necessary atmosphere:
• Use
an eclectic method of teaching that aims at the overall development of every individual.
• The
learners should be given tasks such as sending e-mails, SMSes and taught to use
the Internet so that they do not feel isolated from the mainstream of the
population.
• Teaching
must be global-centric rather than ethno-centric.
• Teachers
should be good role-models.
• Texts
are not value free. They do impart values consciously or unconsciously. Therefore,
texts (including the Internet, audio and video material) need to be selected carefully.
• Periods
of physical exercise, yoga, meditation and counseling should be an integral part
of the daily educational schedule.
• The
learners need to become familiar with the different varieties of ‘English’ spoken
around the world.
• Teaching
methodology should focus on problem solving, conflict resolution and personality
development; and to promote the development of human values among the students.
• Co-operative
games, debates, quizzes, talks, discussions, paper-reading, poetry recitation and
creative writing should be incorporated in the lessons.
• Tests
should measure the level of fluency, accuracy and linguistics skills—listening,
reading, writing and speaking acquired by the learners.
• Innovative
assignments should be given to evaluate the learner’s co-operative skills, general
awareness on the issues facing the world, and their own involvement and contribution
in elevating human suffering as a result of their lack of education and training.
• Translation
should be avoided, although the learner’s native language could be used to explain
new words or to check comprehension.
• Appropriate
vocabulary should be taught by displaying objects, pictures and videos, and by
the use of audio materials.
• Correct
pronunciation should be emphasized.
• One
word and its different contextual meanings should be taught (along with collocation):
For
example, the word ‘right’ has various meanings
Opposite of left
Opposite of wrong
Legal privilege
Tips for teachers
|
Never translate |
Demonstrate |
|
Never Explain |
Act |
|
Never make a speech |
Ask questions |
|
Never imitate mistakes |
Correct |
|
Never speak with single words |
Use sentences |
|
Do not use the book all the time |
Use your lesson plans |
|
Never speak too much |
Make students speak |
|
Never speak too fast, too slow or too loud |
Speak naturally |
Conclusion
We are once more at a historic stage of evolution in the field of English language teaching. The big challenge is to teach English as a Global Language (EGL) to millions of people across the world, even in places and situations still undiscovered. From the experimental work already completed, the Developmental Approach to Language Teaching gives us clear guidance on how to accomplish the task, while leaving plenty of room for creativity and innovation to satisfy our needs and those of the teaching/learning environment.
