Linguistics Principles for the Selection of English Text at Secondary Level

Linguistics Principles for the Selection of English Text at Secondary Level The English language occupies a prominent place in our educational system. English is taught at least as a subject in all syllabuses, if not as a language. By this the researcher means that planners tend to include English in their syllabuses as a matter of course, but without understanding the implications of teaching it. Yet, that a language is not a subject like geography, for example, should be evident to all. A language is much more than a subject and should be treated as such. It is, in fact, the primary tool of acquisition of knowledge and all social interaction is made possible and sustained by language. The researcher feels that textbook development is of fundamental importance, and that study material should rest on a firm grounding in the theory and practice of language teaching. Applied linguistics supplies a large background of recommendations and approaches for language teaching in general. There are also recommendations and approaches specific to one language, in this case English. ELT (English Language Teaching) has much to offer in this regard, but as far as the researcher can see, there is little to indicate that syllabus planners and study material developers in the country are aware of these matters. Among the many factors responsible for the current situation in English, this is a prominent one. Textbooks as we see them today encourage rote learning for the obvious purpose of passing exams. They do little for the acquisition of usable skills. A major overhauling of attitudes is desirable if whatever little English is left in the country is not lost altogether. In the light of the foregoing, the researcher has tried to identify problems and suggest solutions for students at the secondary level, often considered to be the pivotal point in the totality of the educational experience in Pakistan. Whatever this stage might be for other subjects, it is deplorably weak in English. Language handicaps incurred at this level pull our students down at higher levels. The researcher is aware that many interlocking factors contribute to this unsatisfactory situation. For the purposes of this study he has focused on only one of them.