Andhra Pradesh - Others   

Touch of English for rural children

Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao

ATTENTION, PLEASE: ELTA founder Bathini Komuraiah taking a class at Narmetta in Warangal district. - Photo: M. Murali

NARMETTA (WARANGAL DT.): English is one language which most rural students dread. A majority of school and college dropouts admit that they cannot succeed in the subject. Compounding their problems, not many can afford special coaching for the subject.

But, English Language Teachers' Association (ELTA) is keen to prove it wrong. Its objective is to help poor students overcome the fear of English. The ELTA has been going from place to place with the slogan `Pallello angla pathalu' (English classes in rural areas). Not just school and college students, even teachers and housewives are turning up in good numbers.

"Classes are useful for me. I am learning ways of teaching English subject," says U. Sridhar, a teacher attending ELTA classes at Narmetta mandal headquarters. Ch. Saidulu, a degree student, says ELTA classes are focused unlike other English speaking classes offered by individuals.

P. Srilatha, an Intermediate second year student at Narmetta, says: "The teaching is very analytical and helpful."

The ELTA was formed in 2003 by a group of enterprising teachers led by Bathini Komuraiah. After initial problems, the association secured recognition and course tie-up with the Regional Institute of English of Bangalore, which offers a three-month spoken English certificate course in association with the ELTA. The ELTA had conducted classes in the tribal area of Medaram in Tadvai mandal exclusively for tribal children and for students in Narmetta, one of the backward mandals.

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