Englisgh medium classes: First-time learners shine early

MYSURU: A government school in Yelewala, about 14 km from Mysuru city, has been renamed Karnataka Public School (KPS) after addition of English medium sections.
Hemalatha S, the class teacher for new English medium first grade, engages her 18 students in drawing and various activities by using English words and sentences to familiarise them with basic elements of the language.
The students hail from poor families and this is their first exposure to the language. None of them attended nursery or pre-nursery where kids gain a very basic understanding of English.
But the 18 students are quick learners and have been able to follow simple sentences after a week of classes. They answer questions and identify numbers, common objects and colours. Hemalatha recently underwent a 15-day training for the classes. Until now, she had been teaching English to students in higher grades.
She is impressed by her new students and believes they will learn even faster in the coming weeks. “They found things difficult in the first few days, but they picked up quickly later. I speak in English most of the times in the classroom,” she said.
RH Siddannaiah, a cluster resource official, observed that many parents applied for their children’s admission at the school even though it was surrounded by private schools. Principal Siddegowda and vice-principal Prabha M expect more students to join from next year. “If transport facilities are provided, children from neighbouring villages may also come here,” Siddegowda said.
How they are being taught in school
Teacher: What is this?
Students: Paper
Teacher: Indu, look here. Does the paper roll or slide?
Students: Slide
Teacher: Give me a water bottle...This bottle... does it roll or slide?
Students: Roll
Teacher: What is this?
Students: Pen Teacher: Does it roll or slide?
Students: Roll.
Teacher: It rolls. Sometimes it also slides. The pen rolls as well as slides. Very good.