AY 2007-2008 Projects - South Asia

Country                       India
City                              Ahmedabab
Host Institution           Ahmedabad Management Association

Project Description
The Ahmedabad Management Association is approved by the government of Gujarat as an institution for management training, and is a recognized scientific and research organization. AMA is currently hosting an EL Fellow and sharing his expertise with other teachers, training colleges/institutes and non-governmental organizations. The people of Gujarat are well-known for their entrepreneurship, but language has become a major impediment to the state’s overall socioeconomic development. As in other states, Gujarat follows a three-tier language policy: Gujarati is the first language, and English is either the second or third language, depending on the school. There are English-medium schools for the elite, but the majority of the population send their children to schools that emphasis on the proper teaching and learning of English speaking and comprehension. English is often taught by teachers who themselves learned English as a second or third language, and most English instruction is delivered in another language. Even in English-medium schools, teachers’ comprehension and pronunciation are often deficient. This creates a vicious circle in which students from vernacular schools are trained as English teachers, even though their own English language skills may be lacking. In Gujarat, English language training is stressed in the 11th grade and 12th grades, where language coursework is conducted in English, but students often neglect these studies because the marks obtained in English are not taken into consideration for admission to professional undergraduate programs. There are nascent MA TEFL programs emerging at Colleges of Education in the Ahmedabad area. The EL Fellow will work on the curriculum with them and offer orientation workshops for the staff and graduate students in student-centered, interactive language education. Post wishes to continue with an EL Fellow based at this prestigious management institute in Gujarat to help build capacity, and also break the downward spiral of language ability and experience in teacher training. The ACCESS Microscholarship program in Ahmedabad offers opportunity for academic and economic advancement to students in a Muslim community who are not able to afford the typical after school tutoring. The EL Fellow will enliven the ACCESS teaching by introducing modern communicative methods to teachers and by interacting with students through activities such as English camp, outings and film showings. The students will be brought to the American Corner from time to time for cultural exposure programs. The EL Fellow will offer academic programs at the American Corner on a regular basis as well. 

Project Objectives
At the AMA the EL Fellow will work with local educators to develop a curriculum for English language teachers in Gujarati-language schools; conduct ongoing sessions of English language training programs at AMA and nearby colleges (these include short courses in Business English for the AMA advanced students and for young professionals from the community. Gujarat’s economy is expanding and English language competency is in great demand); organize special lectures/seminars/workshops for English language teachers; participate in AMA’s management development programs; engage with the new MA TEFL programs to develop curriculum and train teachers. In addition, the EL Fellow will work with the ACCESS Microscholarship program in Ahmedabad which is run by an educational NGO. The EL Fellow provides regular training for ACCESS teachers and will provides activities for students in the predominantly Muslim community ACCESS serves. The EL Fellow will offer ELT and cultural programs at the American Corner located in the AMA as well.  

About the Host Institution
The Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) has won several accolades for its educational programs and has been running regular language programs for heads of educational institutions, school teachers and students. AMA is also the host institution for post’s hugely successful American Corner, and has been a cooperative partner with the Consulate in American Corner activities. AMA is located in a modern and well-kept facility in the city of Ahmedabad, which, at a population of over 5 million, is the largest city in Gujarat and home to a number of educational and cultural institutions.