What are the aims and objectives of Teaching English in Upper-Primary Classes?

English, the mother tongue of England, has now become an international language. In order to teach English properly and efficiently English teacher must know the aims and objectives of teaching English.

The aims and objectives of teaching may be divided into two. They are (1) General Objectives and (2) Specific Objectives.

General Aims/Objectives:

(1) To understand written English:

The first objective of teaching English is to understand written English. Teacher should try to help children to understand written English. Students should be made familiar with words and construction of sentences.

(2) To Understand English:

Spoken English is more different from written English to understand. There are many reasons for this they are-

(i) Elliptical usages,

(ii) Unfamiliar in notion,

(iii) Peculiar pronunciation

(iv) Rate at which words are spoken.

To over come these difficulties, it is necessary that children should be given opportunity to hear different persons speaking English. By this, it is possible for a student to get ear training exercise. It will help him to accustom and understand spoken English.

(3) To speak correct English:

Teacher should try to increase the ability of the pupil to speak English accurately, correctly and fluently. It helps them to translate their mother tongue thought into English sentence to speak it. This checks fluency as well as spontaneity.

(4) To write correct English:

Skill in writing has four aspects. The student has to learn:

(i) Formation of letters,

(ii) Spelling of words,

(iii) Selection of right words,

(iv) Construction of sentences.

The aim of teaching English thus should enable the students to express their ideas in simple English.

Specific Aims/Objectives:

Every lesson may not succeed fully in relation to the general aim. If a teacher has only general aim, he will not be able to help his pupils very much in every lesson. So addition to the general aims a teacher should have a definite, clear-cut aim for each lesson.

(a) A specific objective should usually be decided upon when beginning to prepare a lesson. The specific objectives vary from lesson to lesson.

(b) Each lesson has its own objective. So he can initiate right type of activities in the class. It should help him in the planning of his methods of teaching.

(c) It simplifies and focuses the preparation, and impels a teacher and his class to concentrate on the topic to be learnt.

(d) By selecting a single definite aim, the efforts of both the teacher and students are not scattered and dispersed in all directions.

(e) It helps both the teacher and student to go together in the same direction to achieve the same objective.

(f) Particular or specific objective vary from day to day and from topic to topic. The technique of choosing a very limited objective for each lesson is a most truthful aid to an efficient teaching.