Teaching English, the Right Way!

London, April 2010 – In Bollywood – India’s version of Hollywood – stars like Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan have the reputation of being talented actors who can single-handedly draw audiences to their films, and ensure that the film recovers its initial investment. The latest actor to don grease-paint as a teacher is the current Bollywood heartthrob Shahid Kapoor, who will play the role of an English teacher in Paathshala in the movie The School.

It’s a welcome change to have such movies in Indian society, which has something of a fascination for professionals like doctors and engineers. Teaching was always considered as an option for those who didn’t manage to secure an admission to other professional courses. “It’s time these notions changed”, remarks blogger and film critic Anita Suri.

The glamorous facelift to the teaching profession in India has seen many postgraduates explore teaching as a career to aspire to. While higher education in India is a rapidly growing area, so far the pressures of securing a lucrative job and earning big bucks had dissuaded youngsters from opting for teaching. But data from international recruiting schools suggests that there is an increasing trend in the subcontinent and even South Asia of students opting to seek an education in English. Some have even opted not to pursue English courses in their home country but use it as an opportunity to see the world and live abroad for the duration of the course. With an English degree secured, many are opting to go back to their countries to become English language teachers. A number of language schools in England and the United States are offering foreign students specialised training to help them qualify as English language teachers.

“I have been teaching English to students in Delhi for over ten years now. Initially when I was contemplating a teaching career, I wasn’t sure whether I should teach pure sciences or go for humanities. My English wasn’t so fluent then. That’s when I decided to learn English UK“, says Radhika Sood, an English graduate from a UK university. But while Radhika pursued an English degree, many others are opting for tailor-made courses for Teacher Training England. These courses not only help students master English, but also train them to be more effective teachers to students back home.

Reputed teacher training institutes are now receiving a lot of foreign applications for admissions. “I have decided to be an English teacher in India, and the prestige of a foreign degree added to my teaching credentials will help me secure a job with one of the better Indian schools that have English as its medium of instruction”, says Anurag Gupta, a student at a renowed language institute in Bristol.