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An article by Prof. D. Amrutha Vasudevan (retired Head of the Department), who worked at 8 universities across India.
About me:
I have spent my 33 years of service at 8 universities and served as Lecturer, Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, HOD, Chairperson of the Board of Studies or Doctoral Research Committee. I have visited several private and government colleges and conducted many workshops for university staff as well as private college teachers about English teaching and how to use the English Language lab (Digital Language lab, or ESL Lab are the various names given for software)
INTRODUCTION
As per the AICTE mandate, colleges must have language lab software during their visit.
We also had a Language lab installed in our college. We used to have plenty of problems with usage and installation, etc. We changed vendors, but the result was the same. Either the software is down if the software is working, students don’t want to use the software.
If this is the case, what is the purpose of having a language lab in college? Is it just for AICTE verification?
Diagnosis of the problem
We generally have HOD meetings in universities or some gatherings, etc. At one of the meetings, I was asked to give a keynote lecture on the usage of technology in learning English.
The meeting hall was full of English professors and HODs, etc. I delivered the lecture for 25 minutes and found people were discussing amongst themselves.
At last, I rediscovered that all the institutions have similar problems.
I have made an important list of problems that I received on that day
THE PROBLEM
1. If you buy the software that needs the Internet, then whenever the Internet is down or slow, the software does not work
2. If the software is a client-server set-up, it means the software is installed in the Main server, and all the systems connected to the server can access the software. In this case, whenever ever server system is down, then the software can not be accessed. Whenever the LAN has an issue, the software is down.
3. Teacher–student console issue. In this case, the teacher is supposed to monitor the student's screen and his activities and voice, etc. When the student knows that the student is being monitored, then, obviously student can not perform freely and the student will not like to use the Language lab at all.
4. Some language labs are imported from foreign countries. Their accent and examples do not match to Indian context and for Indian students. Hence, they are not useful
5. Service providers give the software lifetime licenses. Lifetime licenses and cheaper cost are a SCAM. I used Kerala-based and Gujarat-based softwares, where they offered lifetime free software. But from the 10th day software stopped working. The service provider never responds or rarely responds. Because they got their money hence they won't respond.
6. Few companies charge as BASIC- ADVANCED – PREMIUM, etc. Based on your payment, they will give access to the software and provide content. Their intention is they want you to buy premium.
These are major reasons for the failure of the English Language Lab at your institute:
1) Internet-based Software
2) Client-server-based architecture
3) Teacher-student console-based
4) Foreign country lab
5) Very low support from the Service provider
My Recommendations
I am not here to promote someone’s software or show the minus points of the software.
Whenever you purchase
• NEVER purchase an Internet-based solution
• NEVER go for Client–Server Setup, LAN-based
• Never go for the TEACHER – STUDENT console with monitoring
• NEVER buy foreign software. Go for local software having a simple user interface and an Indian accent, and easy to use
• Never purchase from a vendor that says lifetime free software. Once they get money, they will not look at your college again. Go for renewal-based companies.
• See that if the vendor is giving a syllabus based on the money you give them, don’t buy. Less money lowers the syllabus offered, and more money means more syllabus is offered. Reject such people and companies.
• Once you purchase the subscription complete syllabus should be offered without any limitations.
• See that the Vendor should give the full syllabus and see that Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing are available, we call it LSRW, is available. And also see that grammar is also covered with phonetics. Soft skills are essential elements. Hence, see whether their syllabus covers soft skills or not.
Last but not least, explain to your students about importance of English in professional life and the importance of the language lab.
Note that the Language lab is not designed to teach you English. It is not, and it should not be a Spoken English software.
Lab itself means doing by yourself and practising. Let your students do an experiment in the lab. You don’t interfere or monitor them.
As someone said, Never monitor your student in the Language lab, but guide them to use the lab.
It is not a teaching class where you teach English to them. It's a Language lab, which means let the students practice and learn.
Lab should not be a nightmare for students, but a fun place for students.
In this article, I am not promoting any Company or software. Just look for the Don’ts and buy the software wisely.
The purpose of the software should be only to enhance the language skills of the student, but not to showcase to parents and AICTE members that your college has a language lab.
Thank you for reading my experience, and best wishes to you all.