Spoken English component to curriculum

Shirley WIJESINGHE

A special spoken English component will be added to the English language curriculum from grade six onwards, Secondary Education Modernization Project -II Director Anura Dissanayake said yesterday.

He was addressing a media conference organized by the President's Task Forces for English and Information Technology yesterday.

Dissanayake said Cabinet approval has already been obtained to add these necessary components.

He said arrangements have been made to train 22,000 school teachers to achieve the target of this accelerated project.

As an initial measure, 380 teachers will be deployed in collaboration with the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad and the target will be achieved within the next two years, he said.

Special attention will be focused on matters pertaining to curriculum. School leavers too will be mobilised for job oriented spoken English programs.

Addressing media Presidential Advisor Sunimal Fernando said that English language students should follow their own accent to pronounce the terms in English Language. The way of pronouncing introduced by the colonialists should not be imitated.

Fernando appreciated the Sri Lanka ICT Industry (FITIS ) effort to strengthen the Task Force's mission to support the national drive to improve the standard of English language of the younger generation of the country.