Mother Tongue-based Literacy Programmes: Case Studies of Good ...
Mother Tongue-based Literacy Programmes: Case Studies of Good ... Mother Tongue-based Literacy Programmes: Case Studies of Good ...
Identification of Learning NeedsThe Rabhas are spread over a large area of Assam and Meghalaya. For this project, organizers chose thesite with the largest concentration of Rabha speakers in Goalpara district. As already mentioned, amongthe eleven sub-classes of the Rabhas, only three sub-classes have retained their language. The othersub-classes have adopted the dominant regional language, Assamese, as their mother tongue.Based on this community, the project identified two primary learning groups. The first group includedthose learners who needed to become literate in the mother tongue so that they could move on to theregional language. The second group were those Rabhas who knew the regional language, but hadforgotten their mother tongue. They were also keen to relearn the Rabha language. Project organizersbelieved that this second group could be readily served by using bilingual books, since the scriptwould be the same. They also deduced that inclusion of this second group would be a big step towardsmainstreaming the community to address the feelings of inferiority that are often shared by all minoritylanguage speakers the world over. In this way, the project would put forward the idea of affirmativeaction.The methods adopted to identify the learning needs were:Interaction: Interaction with groups, individuals and the Rabha Literacy Society result in the creation ofa survey.Survey: When the people showed interest in learning Rabha, a survey was conducted to identify thenumber of learners.Awareness meetings: Awareness meetings organized in the community strengthened the idea ofliteracy through mother tongue-based instruction.Discussion with Rabha Literacy Society: Project organizers had a series of discussions with the RabhaLiteracy Society that were very encouraging. The Society welcomed the idea of propagating literacythrough mother tongue-based instruction, and also took an active part in preparing primers.In discussing the learning needs, the overall intent was understood to be the need to mainstream theRabha language speakers into the regional Assamese language once they had become literate via theirmother tongue-based studies.As per the National Literacy Mission Authority, New Delhi, there are three phases in the Rabha MotherTongue Literacy Programme: the total literacy campaign (TLC), the post-literacy programme (PLP), andthe continuing education programme (CE).The first phase of the project is currently underway. Thusfar, mother tongue-based instruction for thetwo target groups has begun and bilingual reading materials in Assamese-Rabha have been produced.Project organizers expect that by Phase II PLP, the Rabha neo-literates will have bilingual primers andsupplementary bilingual reading materials. Preparation of these primers is now in progess.In the CE phase, the neo-literates will be able to read and write in both mother tongue (Rabha) andregional language (Assamese). The reading materials (bilingual/ Rabha/Assamese) will be more topicalin nature (skill upgrading, legal literacy, women’s empowerment, Rabha culture, stories, etc.).The initial challenge of learning in the mother tongue has been successfully crossed. The bilingualmaterials for Assamese-speaking Rabhas have also been appreciated by the community.[ 99 ]
Curriculum and Learning Materials Development© State Resource Centre AssamThe Rabha Mother Tongue Literacy Project is taggedto the National Literacy Programme and, thus, thecurriculum must conform accordingly. The nationalprogramme curriculum includes such topics aslocal environment, culture, small family norms,reproductive/child health, and gender equality. Allthese topics are included in the first three primers.The primers in Phase II will deal with these issues, aswell, but include more ideas and additional detail. Innumeracy, the figures from 1-100 are included. Simplearithmetic (plus, minus, multiplication, division ) is alsopart of the curriculum.From the project’s beginning, the State Resource Centre (SRC) of Assam has consulted with the communityand the Rabha Literacy Society on the production process. The writers were identified with help from theRabha Literacy Society. A language expert from the Department of Linguistics, Gauhati University, andmaterial production experts from SRC Assam, the Department of Modern Indian Languages, GauhatiUniversity, and SIL International participated in the writers workshop.The primers for the literacy programme are being prepared using the IPCL (Improved Pace and Contentof Learning) method. In this method, instead of teaching the alphabet first, words from pictures areintroduced. When the National Adult Education Programme was introduced in 1978, the wholeprogramme took 350 hours of learning using standard books. After much deliberation, the country’sAdult Education experts decided to use the word method. Using this method, the actual learning timeto become literate was brought down to 200 hours.During the week-long workshop, identification of the content forthe primers and lessons was finalized. Each primer would have ninelessons and one self-evaluation sheet after three lessons. The threeprimers would thus have nine self-evaluation sheets. The primerswould cover the Assamese alphabet and conjunct letters, as well. Asnoted above, some numeracy would also be included.After completing Primer I, the contents for primers II and III weredecided upon and drafts for the same prepared. A second and thirdworkshop were subsequently held, where the primers II and III, aswell as a teacher’s hand book for each primer, were finalized. Carewas taken so that Rabha life and culture were reflected in the primersalong with national issues.After the primers were completed, review workshops were held.Expats went through the material and commented on it. The primerswere revised and the draft copies field tested among Rabha learners.After further revision, the final copies were ready for printing.© State Resource Centre Assam[ 100 ]
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Identification <strong>of</strong> Learning NeedsThe Rabhas are spread over a large area <strong>of</strong> Assam and Meghalaya. For this project, organizers chose thesite with the largest concentration <strong>of</strong> Rabha speakers in Goalpara district. As already mentioned, amongthe eleven sub-classes <strong>of</strong> the Rabhas, only three sub-classes have retained their language. The othersub-classes have adopted the dominant regional language, Assamese, as their mother tongue.Based on this community, the project identified two primary learning groups. The first group includedthose learners who needed to become literate in the mother tongue so that they could move on to theregional language. The second group were those Rabhas who knew the regional language, but hadforgotten their mother tongue. They were also keen to relearn the Rabha language. Project organizersbelieved that this second group could be readily served by using bilingual books, since the scriptwould be the same. They also deduced that inclusion <strong>of</strong> this second group would be a big step towardsmainstreaming the community to address the feelings <strong>of</strong> inferiority that are <strong>of</strong>ten shared by all minoritylanguage speakers the world over. In this way, the project would put forward the idea <strong>of</strong> affirmativeaction.The methods adopted to identify the learning needs were:Interaction: Interaction with groups, individuals and the Rabha <strong>Literacy</strong> Society result in the creation <strong>of</strong>a survey.Survey: When the people showed interest in learning Rabha, a survey was conducted to identify thenumber <strong>of</strong> learners.Awareness meetings: Awareness meetings organized in the community strengthened the idea <strong>of</strong>literacy through mother tongue-<strong>based</strong> instruction.Discussion with Rabha <strong>Literacy</strong> Society: Project organizers had a series <strong>of</strong> discussions with the Rabha<strong>Literacy</strong> Society that were very encouraging. The Society welcomed the idea <strong>of</strong> propagating literacythrough mother tongue-<strong>based</strong> instruction, and also took an active part in preparing primers.In discussing the learning needs, the overall intent was understood to be the need to mainstream theRabha language speakers into the regional Assamese language once they had become literate via theirmother tongue-<strong>based</strong> studies.As per the National <strong>Literacy</strong> Mission Authority, New Delhi, there are three phases in the Rabha <strong>Mother</strong><strong>Tongue</strong> <strong>Literacy</strong> Programme: the total literacy campaign (TLC), the post-literacy programme (PLP), andthe continuing education programme (CE).The first phase <strong>of</strong> the project is currently underway. Thusfar, mother tongue-<strong>based</strong> instruction for thetwo target groups has begun and bilingual reading materials in Assamese-Rabha have been produced.Project organizers expect that by Phase II PLP, the Rabha neo-literates will have bilingual primers andsupplementary bilingual reading materials. Preparation <strong>of</strong> these primers is now in progess.In the CE phase, the neo-literates will be able to read and write in both mother tongue (Rabha) andregional language (Assamese). The reading materials (bilingual/ Rabha/Assamese) will be more topicalin nature (skill upgrading, legal literacy, women’s empowerment, Rabha culture, stories, etc.).The initial challenge <strong>of</strong> learning in the mother tongue has been successfully crossed. The bilingualmaterials for Assamese-speaking Rabhas have also been appreciated by the community.[ 99 ]
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