How much teaching English in Nepal is a myth and how much is reality? These are the major questions that teachers of the language, at all levels of education, are facing today. We will face this more strongly in the days to come. But one reality about English teaching is that it will grow, especially in terms of the need for this language in a world lashed by the storm of Covid-19.
I discussed some aspects of teaching English in Nepal and challenges at three virtual seminars in the third week of May 2020, at the invitation of the regional bodies, of the Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces and Province 5, of Nepal English Language Teachers Association (NELTA) and the president of its central body Motikala Subba Dewan. Attended by a remarkable cohort of English teachers, from professors to the new entrants, these virtual seminars discussed very important issues—from methods and modes to the problems of English teaching in Nepal.
For Nepali learners, the use of English is related to mobility. They use the language for various domains of communication, direct or virtual. In these times the mobility of English language users shifted to social media and virtual modes of communication. But talking about the teaching of English, a few problems demand answers. They are, as we have discussed already, the accessibility to the internet; consequently, how the disruptions caused by pandemics affect teaching. This calls for discussions about the class system in pedagogy, in particular, and society, in general. One thing is certain, English is losing its hallowed position and entering a period of testing on whether it can prove its validity as a subject of education, communication, and personal relations. But teachers of English as a compulsory subject should work towards making it an effective, helpful medium of education, hope and humanism.
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