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Teaching In Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
August 2009 was an exciting time for me. I’d taken the decision to combine two of my favourite activities, travelling and teaching, several months before.
Now I was about to embark on a three month assignment in Ludhiana, an industrial city in the Punjab, Northern India. Whilst applying for a variety of positions around the world I’d discovered that, although I was more than adequately qualified, I had none of the vital experience required by even the remotest of places. So after trawling the internet I came across a charitable trust seeking native English speaking teachers prepared to work for up to twelve weeks in India. After speaking, texting and e-mailing Taruna, a delightful young lady based in London, the arrangements were made.
After an all too brief six day stopover in Istanbul, an eye-popping taxi ride from Delhi airport to Delhi train station and a frightening taxi ride from Ludhiana train station to my final destination, I found myself staring at the lobby of the 5* Majestic Park Plaza hotel (MPP).
What a sight it was: a huge domed ceiling, marble covered floors, dark wood panelling with a definite aura of C19th sophistication. Nothing had prepared me for this!!
The city of Ludhiana is at the heart of the Punjab’s industrialisation and seems to embrace it with an unashamed nonchalance. The hotel, however, is an island of elegance within a sea of uninspiring concrete. It can boast both an Indian and a Chinese restaurant to rival anything the rest of the world has to offer. Alternatively if it’s French style pastries with specialist tea’s or coffees you desire then the Tea Lounge and its gentleman’s club decor is perfect. Or if its beer, a bar snack and an all-girl dance band you want then the Champs bar is the place to be – complete with multiple TV screens showing an eclectic mix of international sport. For a more basic dining experience the ever-improving Break for the Border restaurant serves a vast array of dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In all areas staff are attentive, pleasant and more than willing to satisfy the most discerning or difficult of guests. If one adds to this access to the extensive gym facilities, small swimming pool, beauty salon and business centre it’s easy to reconcile the appeal that the MPP has to its numerous clients.
As magnificent as the hotel undoubtedly is, nothing compares to the hospitality and the unabashed friendliness of its people. This was no more evident than in the depths of the hotel which houses the impressively entitled Corporate Office. It is home to the equally impressive Mandeep Dhaliwal.
Mandeep works for the somewhat enigmatic Jassi Khangura, the owner of MPP and the driving force behind the Trust, one of several projects he leads. You’ll find Mandeep very informative, extremely helpful and fiercely loyal to both her boss, and his noble plans.
The original plan for me was to teach in Narangwal College but due to problems locating the Principal, this had not materialised. In its place Mandeep had arranged a programme at another business project headed by Mr. Khangura – Macro Dairy Ventures Limited. These sessions eventually formed into to 75 minute lessons so arranged as to fall in with the time table of the company mini-bus schedule.
The afternoons would then be taken up with a further two classes based in the hotel. The first of these lessons included captains and stewards from the Food and Beverage department with the second group consisting of Mandeep’s corporate team.
Designing and delivering presentations had once constituted 75% of my work so that proved no problem. We organised them into two formal English grammar lessons with a more culture-based one to follow. I hoped the cultural discussions would help them to put the words/phrases and rules they’d learned in the first two lessons into context – when and how to use them.
This approach became very successful with the students providing the list of subjects to discuss. I would produce a short list of items within that topic to use and off we’d go. Sometimes we’d stick to the planned themes and sometimes the discussions would follow no logical path whatsoever. It did not matter. They were practicing the language, talking in public, conceptualising and, just as importantly, having fun whilst they learned.
Their enthusiasm, attitude and disciplined approach was amazing, especially when one considers the fact that they all work six days per week with their shifts sometimes extending to twelve or fourteen hours. The only problem was the business needs of the hotel/dairy impeding their attendance. In some cases to such an extent that it rendered their sporadic attendance pointless – they’d simply missed too much!!
Eventually the Principal of the college was tracked down and persuaded to allow a native English speaker on site. So for the final six weeks the schedule went a bit mad – one lesson at the dairy, a twelve km drive to the college, three forty minute lessons their, a forty-five minute mini-bus trip back to the hotel then two more lessons with the hotel staff etc.
I decided to try and combine these last two groups but this proved unsuccessful as one student just could not perform to her usual level in such a big group – so she had individual tuition.
Anyone who accepts an offer to teach in this environment will find the experience richly rewarding on many levels. One has to be aware that there will be differences, major differences. Some of these are cultural, some are religious, some financial and some will be dictated by the business needs of the hotel and the dairy.
The latter can have adverse effects on the attendance levels of some students which can be extremely frustrating on behalf of those trying to learn. Planning group or team activities over several sessions can be disrupted by this situation and the only positive aspect is that it does test ones flexibility and preparation. Always have a plan B + C!!
Do not be surprised if students are pulled out of class at the last minute, vitally important work suddenly appearing, or no cover being available during lesson times. This is compounded by the fact that the hotel staff are expected to attend classes even on their day off. If one remembers that India operates a six day week this expectation is more than harsh. Also expect a number of students to go ‘missing’ for several weeks at a time – many of them work hundreds of kms from their families and accumulate holidays to make a visit home worth while.
As we all know teaching is not a route to fabulous riches – it is, however, a way of enriching ones life experiences. India, with its extremes of poverty and wealth, its fantastically long and complex history, its attitude to family life, marriage and women can delight and horrify in equal measures.
One needs to come here with a totally open mind, a willingness to embrace the differences and an attitude of ‘can do’! You’ll be asked very personal questions ranging from how much you earn to how many times you visit the loo!! You’ll be treated like royalty but you’ll notice how rude they can be to each other.
Your students can sometimes be reluctant to question you so the onus is on you to deliver an accurate set of lessons. The facilities can be basic, the travelling between venues tiring and the six day week never-ending!!
Yet it is an experience never to be forgotten and when I was asked to extend my stay by another month and to come back again in 2010 it took me all of 5 seconds to decide.
The plan the trust has regarding providing an educational programme in the villages is a very noble one and, if organised properly, will be an over-whelming success.
All in all the time I spent in Ludhiana has been the most interesting, enlightening and enjoyable time I have had in a different country. It’s the people that leave their impression on you, right from the minute you land in Delhi to the first time you stand up in front of a class. India has bright future, one that is in very safe hands.
Stephen Vincent, (PGDE, MA & TEFL)
Diary of teaching - Matthew Emmott (2009)
My name is Matthew Emmott and my qualifications include a BSc in Mathematics, HND in Special Educational Needs, PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) and an M.A in Education. I am an Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) of mathematics in London, England where I have been teaching for 3 years. I have travelled extensively and have taught English in China, Finland and India on 2 occasions. In 2007 I visited India for 3 months and spent some time in Ludhiana teaching English to hotel staff and at Narangwal College.
In July/Aug 2009, during the summer holidays of my teaching job in London I successfully spent 3 weeks in Ludhiana where I taught English to hotel staff and trainees at the Park Plaza Hotel. I also taught English at the Macro Diary offices in Latala and Narangwal College which I thoroughly enjoyed.
A typical session would last 1 hour and I would normally do 4 in a day. The sessions would be made up of between 4 – 15 students and included various activities such as improving speaking and listening skills through question and answering sessions on topics such as hobbies, family, favourite films, travelling, jobs, the hotel, aspirations etc. I also included tasks aimed at expanding students vocabulary around the hotel sector through identifying different meanings of typical words or phrases used in the tourism sector and undertook role play situations which they may find themselves in their line of work.
The students were very keen and eager to learn. They had many questions and we had many interesting conversations where both parties learnt a lot from one another. I tried to make the sessions fun and was very active in my delivery which the students enjoyed and responded well to. Each group were assigned a week of lessons but many pupils chose to attend the sessions in the following weeks as well as they felt they had learnt a lot from them and were eager for more lessons. Most of the lessons were voluntary and took place during the staff’s free time, which in the hotel industry is not a lot. This showed a great dedication to their willingness to improve their skills in English.
I was very pleased with the improvement of the students spoken English compared to the beginning and the end of my time with them. I felt the students gained a lot from me and I hope they can take these training sessions and use them in their day to day living and conversations with English speaking guests and other English speakers they may come across. As I am from England this gave the students a brilliant opportunity to improve their speaking skills which many lacked due to in experience in interacting with non-Indian English speakers and from a lack of confidence. My approach to the sessions meant that the students were much more open to learning and discovering new aspects of their spoken English and their confidence improved dramatically.
The facilities at the hotel were fantastic and were well equipped with appropriate up to date resources to help me prepare for the sessions. I would also like to say a big thank you to Jassi Khangura for allowing this voluntary programme to take place and to all the staff at the hotel, in the cooperate offices and at Macro Diary and the college who made me feel very welcome and happy throughout my stay.. I hope to come back to Ludhiana to teach English in the future as I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would defiantly recommend it to anybody who is interested in learning about other cultures, meeting new friends and of course teaching English.
Diary of teaching - Matthew Emmott (2007)
College students
The class teacher introduced me to the group and I told the students about my background and family. I then went around the
class and asked a few simple questions to each pupil. The group was then split into groups of 5 and I took each group in
30-minute sessions.
These sessions involved me having basic conversations with the students about their family, hobbies and where they would like
to travel. Many of the students were shy and would often refer to their peers for reassurance of the pronunciations. The
students also struggled when I asked questions of their answers e.g. why would you like to go to Canada?
I think these sessions were good for the students as they got the opportunity to meet and talk to a ‘westerner’. Before I
arrived the students were scared that they wouldn’t understand my accent and that communicating with me would be difficult.
Some pupils were obviously a lot better than others in their English skills so I asked for the groups to be split up according
to their level of spoken English. This was good as I could change the depth of the conversations in each group.
Hotel students
At the beginning of the week I addressed the students of the hotel, where I introduced myself and briefed them about myself and
countries I have visited. They were very attentive and seemed happy to see me. This session lasted about 45 minutes and was a
good way for the students to be introduced to me. After this the group was split into groups of 5 and it was arranged that each
group would have two 45-minute sessions with me.
I used the first session to get the students to tell me about themselves, their family, hobbies, which country they would like
to visit/why, favorite foods etc. I went around each student and asked the same general question. From the students answers I
encouraged them to explain further their reasons for their answers and to further describe events. This acted well to help
develop the thinking process needed for student’s questions and kept the class on their toes as all the questions were
different and students would have to think. I found the students answers on India particularly appealing; as this is an area I
am interested in, and learned about the culture and traditions of the country. While students answered questions the other
students were very attentive and listened to the conversation.
I used the second session as a general chitchat scenario and invited students to ask questions and begin discussing topics of
their own. This was very enjoyable and both the students and myself were involved in some interesting conversations, ranging
from discussions on religion and Indian traditions through to disagreements of the outcome of the India-England test matches.
I think the students gained a lot from the two sessions and through getting the opportunity to meet and speak to a non-Indian.
English speaker built their confidence and ability in communication. I tried to encourage the pupils wherever possible to ask
questions and explain their answers further, which also helped develop their confidence. I used a very approachable, friendly
and relaxed manner to my teaching, which encouraged the students to speak more and not be afraid of mispronunciations. When
students did not understand a question I rephrased the question or if they still could not understand then I asked one of their
peers to help with the translation.
I ended the week by addressing the group for 20 minutes, where I wished them all good luck for the future and thanked them for
being very welcoming and for teaching me one or two things about India, including my next destination 'The golden
temple'.
After thoughts
I was briefed before entering the scheme on what I would be doing through emails received by Taruna. If I had any queries prior
to me entering the scheme these were all dealt with well e.g. traveling arrangements in India. I did not get any training as I
felt I was confident I would be able to lead the session myself as I have had experience in China prior to this. I think other
volunteers may need training and advice on how to take the sessions, especially if the volunteers are young or inexperienced.
I think the structure of the week was very good in terms of the timetable, where I taught three 30-45 minute sessions in the
morning at the college and four 45-minute sessions in the afternoon. The day began at around 930am and finished at 6pm.
Although I only taught for a week I had a very enjoyable experience, however I would have liked some other volunteers to be
present, to keep me company in the evenings after classes. I think one week was ok as I kept myself busy with my classes and
using the hotel facilities. I think for durations of longer than a week though more volunteers need to be involved.
I think when the scheme is up and running and volunteers are staying for 4,8 and 12 weeks periods that the classes should be
more structured and pupils should have some tasks to do outside of the classroom. For example each session can be used to talk
about a certain topic, i.e. festivals, holidays. There should also be ‘free’ sessions, where pupils are invited to talk about
their own interests and choice of topics. Pupils could also be taught how to address people and how to develop their
conversations.
The students at the college were very shy and their levels of English were not as good as the hotel staffs. Through having
conversations with the pupils this can be improved and I think they need to concentrate on the thinking process behind their
answers as many of the students ambitions were to go to Canada to be a taxi driver, which I tried to tell them was a very low
ambition to have.
The hotel students spoke very good English and many topics were discussed where pupils asked and answered questions on a number
of subjects. When speaking to pupils, occasionally they did not understand my accent, most of the time this occurred when I was
attempting to say the names of different cities in India or movie titles so was not a concern. When this happened I spelt the
word out for the pupils and they understood. I think the students understood all of the conversations we had, and if they did
not understand a question or a comment made by me I encouraged them to query it. I spoke quite slowly and used a very clear
tone of voice, which allowed the pupils to follow the conversation.
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