National Conference on New Areas of Research in the ELT

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NEW AREAS OF RESEARCH IN THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE AND TEACHING: CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES.
(3rd & 4th March 2009)

The Department of English, Maulana Azad National Urdu University is hosting its first National Conference on 3rd and 4th March 2009. The theme of the Conference is New Areas of Research in the English Language and Teaching: Challenges and Perspectives.

The Conference
The conferences and seminars that are commonly held in ELT all around the world undoubtedly help advance methods and techniques to teach English in native or non-native context. However, in this conference the endeavour will be to discover the untrammelled and new areas of research in both the English Language and Teaching, which is why this is just not an ELT conference but an EL&T conference. The themes and sub themes of this conference succinctly mirror the objectives of conducting it (on top of academic necessity and research activism). It is positively held that the conference shall be effectively helpful to research scholars and supervisors who are looking out for
new fields and disciplines to proactively carry out their study and make some contributions to the fields of language and teaching.

Theme
New Areas of Research in the English Language & Teaching: Challenges and Perspectives

Sub Themes
1) Teaching English to the Urdu Speakers: Challenges
2) Comparative Study of Urdu and English phonetics/ phonology/
morphology/syntax
3) Computational Linguistics and English
4) Machine Translation
5) New Methodology for the Second Language Research
7) Translation as Research Method
8) Culture as a Teaching Tool in the Language Classroom
9) CALL
10) Guided Research in Second Language Teaching
11) English and Call Centers
12) Neutral English
13) The Use of Technology in the Teaching of English
14) Variations in English Pronunciation- Implications for the Classroom
15) SMS Language
16) Theory and Methodology in the Classroom
17) New Methodology for Research in English Language Teaching
18) New/Creative Techniques of Teaching Poetry/Play/Novel to the Students
of MA in English

Call for Papers
English Teachers, Scholars, Researchers can present the papers on any topic related with the sub-themes. The candidates who wish to present their papers are required to submit the abstract electronically at englishseminar1@gmail.com in about 250 words before 30th January 2009. On 2nd February 2009 they would be informed about the acceptance or rejection of the paper. In case of acceptance, the candidates are required to electronically submit the full paper at englishseminar1@gmail.com by 20th February. The papers will be published if accepted in MAJELL’s second issue. No paper should exceed 2000 words. The candidates are required to bring along with them in the Conference at least four sets and a soft copy of their paper. The paper must be written in MLA style sheet.

Please send your application form with a DD or cheque of Rs. 200 payable to:
Professor Amina Kishore
Head, Department of English,
Maulana Azad National Urdu University Gachibowli, Hyderabad

No TA/DA will be provided.
Closing date for receipt of application: 15the February 2009.
Registration can be done electronically at englishseminar1@gmail.com

'India's Shame' - Notes by Nitya Druve

Following is the presentation notes on Perspective IV Semester lesson 'India's Shame an essay by Annie Zaidi. The presentation was made for II year JPEng class by Nitya Druve in December 2008.

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INDIA’S SHAME

Annie Zaidi

Notes by Nitya Druve, II JPEng

‘India’s Shame’ is an investigative article by Frontline reporter Annie Zaidi about manual scavenging. It reveals the hardships faced by scavengers, the measures taken to improve their situation and just how ‘effective’ the government has been in dealing with the issue of manual scavenging.

To gain some perspective on this lesson, we must first familiarize ourselves with certain terms:

MANUAL SCAVENGING-is the manual removal of excreta from public and private dry (non-flush) latrines.

• Manual scavengers may also be engaged in underground sewage work, disposal of dead animals or cleaning faeces from the railway systems.
• The practice of manual scavenging started in Europe in 1214, when the first public toilets appeared.
• It was introduced during British rule in India in the late 19^th century, when municipalities were organized.
• It still exists in parts of India and is performed almost exclusively by Dalits (95% of scavengers are Dalits).
• 33% of the population uses dry latrines and another 33% do not have toilets in their houses leaving them to defecate in open spaces.

THE EMPLOYMENT OF MANUAL SCAVENGERS AND CONSTRUCTION OF DRY LATRINES (PROHIBITION) ACT 1993-entails punishment of up to 1 year imprisonment or a fine of Rs.2000 or both, for the employment and /or construction of dry latrines.

· All the Union Territories and States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal have adopted this Act.

· In its 15 years of existence, there has not been a single prosecution, despite the fact that an estimated13 lakh people continue to manually remove excreta.

SAFAI KARAMCHARI ANDOLAN (SKA) – is an Andhra Pradesh based group dedicated to the cause of manual scavengers.

• It was started in 1986
• It is headed by Bezwada Wilson (who belongs to a backward community himself) and S.R. Sankaran, an IAS officer.
• It conducts surveys, files petitions, works with scavengers, creates and spreads awareness about the plight of manual scavengers.

Let’s start with the lesson:

Ø ‘SHAMEFUL’, ‘DEGRADING’ and ‘DISGUSTING’ are just some of the words the writer uses to describe manual scavenging. It is a practice which de-humanizes not only the scavenger but the person employing him/her.

Ø Some States (like Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Nagaland) refuse to even acknowledge the existence of manual scavengers despite evidence to the contrary.

Ø When such is the attitude of the government, the problem becomes difficult to solve as there is no acknowledgement of the problem in the first place.

Capital Falsehood

It comes as a shock that a city as forward and prosperous as Delhi has manual scavengers but the fact remains that they do exist and in a pitiable condition at that: Take the accounts of Meena (Pg.281, 3^rd para) and Sharada (Pg.282, 2^nd and 3rd para).

Moving from Delhi to Gujarat, an emerging industrial State, about which Ratan Tata once said, “If you are not in Gujarat, you’re stupid.” It is one of the most vibrant States where progress is quick but even it is not free from the menace of manual scavenging. There exists in Gujarat, according to the Navsarjan Trust, 55,000 scavengers.

Though Haryana has declared itself ‘scavenger-free’, we come across Bhagwati (Pg.283, 2nd para) and Bala (Pg.283, 3rd para).Punjab, where the Green Revolution took place is the last place one would expect to find manual scavenging. From denying the existence of manual scavengers, Punjab has acknowledged the presence of 500 odd scavengers---- a grossly underestimated number.

The Railways are the biggest culprits. The construction of the railway tracks using ‘sleepers’ (wooden planks) creates an uneven surface. Therefore when excreta is dropped by the open discharge system of passenger bogies, it cannot be washed away instead it must be cleaned manually.

It is ironic that a department of the government is not only violating but is the biggest violator of the Act. The Railways claim that there is a lack of money or that “various technologies shall be tried out.” Neither have they set a deadline for themselves nor have they taken any action. None of the Railway Ministers so far have allocated funds in the Railway Budget to implement the Act.

Challenges Ahead

Ø Section 17(2) of the Act stipulates that no prosecution for any offence under the Act shall be instituted except by or with the previous sanction of the executive authority. In many cases the executive authority is the violator of the Act and it makes no sense to make its sanction mandatory for prosecution.

Ø The government set up the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis and the National Safai Karamchari Financing and Development, both of which failed to produce the desired result.

Ø The National Scheme for Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers (Pg.283, 5th para) too failed because of a misappropriation of funds to the tune of 600 crores.

Ø Sanitation is a State subject and the Centre can do little about it.

Ø It is not a ‘vote issue’ therefore is not of much importance to the government or the public.

Ø Health concerns: Majority of the scavengers fall prey to anaemia, diarrhea and vomiting. Quite a few suffer from skin and respiratory diseases. Continued exposure to septic tanks and open gutters makes them more vulnerable to malaria, dengue and so on.

Ø Manual scavenging also takes a toll on their psychological well-being----they feel helpless, have a lowered sense of self-worth and are unhappy with their profession. Thus it is not surprising to note that a huge number of manual scavengers suffer from alcoholism.

At the end of the article, the only solution indicated to end scavenging is the destruction of all existing dry latrines. It is not as simple as that. The commissions or organizations set by the government should be given more power to take appropriate action. Apart from putting pressure on the State governments to take action and training scavengers in alternate professions, what can be done is

The MEG (Minimum Employment Guarantee) scheme can be introduced, whereby a person is guaranteed 10 months employment in a year.

A twin-pit latrine system can be introduced. It consists of a simple toilet, which empties into a composting pit. When the sewage has composted, it is used as fertilizer, removing the need for manual collection and disposal.

The government should convert all existing dry latrines into low-cost flush latrines.

It should be noted that the above mentioned are a means to an end and not the end itself.

Gender and Culture Session

The second session of the Gender and Culture Course will happen as scheduled at 2 pm tomorrow in the same venue.

God's Grandeur-Notes

1. Sparknotes
2. Video
3. Article
4. Analysis
5. Essay
6. Essay2
7. Essay3

International Conference on Generative Linguistics

International Conference on Generative Linguistics
At EFL University, Hyderabad

February 25-27, 2009

For more details click here

IV Semester General English 'Perspectives' Material by II yrJPEng Students

Business and Society

1. Rocking Horse Winner: DH Lawrence
2. The Rhetoric of Advertising: Stuart Hirschberg
3. Writing a Curriculum Vitae : Wislawa Szymborska
4. You will be Hearing from us Shortly: U A Fanthrope
5. Once Upon a Time: Gabriel Okara
6. Bankers are Just Like Anybody Else, Except Richer: Ogden Nash

Politics

1. Politics and the English Language : George Orwell
2. The Politics of Failure : SV Srinivas
3. Toba Tek Singh : Saadat Hasan Manto
4. India's Shame : Annie Zaidi

Note: The idea of making all the posts on different lessons available in one post was given by Roshan from I yr JPEng. Thank you Roshan.

'Politics and the English Language' - Notes by Shwetha

Following is the presentation notes on Perspective IV Semester lesson 'Politics and the English Language' an essay by George Orwell. The presentation was made for II year JPEng class by Shwetha D in December.

The presentation ppt is also available in a pdf format. Please click here for the file.

A Prayer For My Daughter-Notes

1. Elite Classics
2. Good Reviews
3. Analysis
4. Important Word Meanings
5. Yeat's political identity
6. E-Notes

this is all that i could find on the internet.please add more if u chance upon extra information.

Hard Times - Class notes

Date-10th January 2009
Novel being discussed-Hard Times
Author-Charles Dickens

1.History of Charles Dickens- He was a 19th century Victorian author. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens
2. Hard Times has been read as a criticism of three ideas
a) Education
b)Industrialization
c)Utilitarianism

3. The situation depicted in the novel show the conditions prevalent in England during the industrialization period. There was poverty, crimes, sickness,pollution etc
E.g.: the town Coketown is probably a pun on the word 'Choke'.

4.The three books in Hard Times are named with agrarian names-Sowing, reaping and garnering

5. The idea of utilitarianism was proposed by Jeremy Bentham and penned by James Mill. Charles Dickens had understood the practice of utilitarianism and had projected it well in his novel but had misunderstood the concept as initially proposed. He hadn't read Mill

6.British finances that were generated from colonization of countries such as India were the financial sources behind Industrialization.

7.Britain was colonized twice, first by the Romans and then by the Normans (French)
8.Utilitarianism- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism
9.Industrialization- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrialisation
10.Hard Times on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Times
11. Hard Times on bookrags-http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-hardt/
12.Hard Times on sparknotes-http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/hardtimes/
13. Hard Times support material in Gradesaver

Referance:-

Pinto,Anil.Class Lecture.Hard Times.Dickens,Charles.Christ University,Bangalore,India. 10 Jan 2009

Certificate Course in Gender and Culture

Those who are signing up for the course please send an email to sujaya@cscs.res.in saying that you are enrolling for the Gender and Culture course

The fee for application form is Rs 50. Please give the money to Naresh Rao. He will get the form. The course fee is Rs 1000. Which also you may hand over to Naresh.

Naresh email id: naresh.rao at christuniversity.in
my email id: ajpinto42 at gmail dot com
Anup's email: anup at cscs dot res dot in

The link for today's session on click here

For the link of next session on click here

Syllabus

I. Introduction:

Module 1: Gender-Culture: Introduction to the Course

Module 2: Knowledge Production / Gender as a Category of Analysis

II. Theorising the Contemporary

Module 3: Public – Private: Gender and Space

Module 4: Body, Sexuality and Identity

Module 5: Gender in Cyberspace

III. Issues of Representation

a) Modules 6, 7, and 8 will focus on Political Representation

Module 6: Contestations of the Public

Module 7: Women’s Movement’s engagement with the Law

Module 8: Reservation – Community, Identity

b) Modules 9 & 10 will focus on issues involving Aesthetic Representation

Course Instructors

Dr Anup Dhar

Dr Tejaswini Niranjana

Dr Ratheesh Radhakrishnan

Dr Rekha Pappu

Dr P Radhika

Dr Asha Achuthan

Nishant Shah

Nitya Vasudevan

Shilpa Phadke

Cerificate course in Gender and Culture

The Certificate Course in Gender and Culture begins this Saturday, 10 Jan 2009 at 2 pm to 6 pm in Room 913, II floor, Auditorium Block of the University. The course is jointly offered by Christ University and Centre for the Study of Culture and Society.

The first session this Saturday is a lecture by Tejaswini Niranjana. This session is open to all.

Those interested can contact Naresh Rao for the forms. Those who have taken other certificate courses can also take, provided the classes do not clash. The course is conducted on every satuday from 2-6 pm from Jan to March 2009.

When Cultural Studies meets 'Cultural evening' compering

Recently I was asked to compere the so called 'cultural evening' at the second day of the 7th International Whitehead Conference held at our university. Reluctantly though, I accepted it. But I could not bring myself to repeat the cliche'd and problematic ways in which the 'traditional' and dances have been talked about. My exposure the cultural studies had radically changed my received notions of culture. Hence, I set out to create a script, informed by developments in cultural studies in India.

Although there were nine dances, the script does not use words like folk, classical, ancient and instead tries to be matter of fact by drawing upon contemporary research on these forms. For the programme I evolved the title 'showcasing India through the performative traditions and practes'. Although, retrospectively I see one or two slips, on the whole it comes across to me as a unique attempt. I wish the readers will carry this experiment ahead.

Of course, I am grateful to my co-compere but for whose open mindedness and unconditional support the script would not have been realized.

Please click here for the compereing script

7th International Whitehead Conference Book Fair at Christ University

As part of the 7^th International Whitehead Conference, Christ University, and Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram are organizing a book fair from January 5 to 9, 2008 in DVK auditorium in Christ University premises. Over 5000 titles covering social sciences, humanities from reputed publishers such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Sage, Routledge, Viva, Orient Blackswan Marg, Motilal Banarasidass, Asian Trading Corporation, are on display. A discount of 15% is available on all purchases. All are welcome to visit the book fair.

A handicraft exhibition is also organized as part of the conference.

The conference is being organized by the PG Department of Philosophy, Christ University and the Faculty of Philosophy, Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram. The conference is bringing together scholars, working on the process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead, mathematician, scientist, and philosopher.

A number of scholars from over 100 universities and 20 countries like Belgium, USA, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Germany, Korea, and Japan are attending the 7^th IWC 2009.

For further infomraiotn on the conference, visit www.whitehead-bangalore.in