An Analysis of Teachers Perspective of English Language Teaching in Engineering Education: A Study with Special Reference to Engineering Colleges of Odisha, India

For many decades teaching English, whether for beginners or for advanced learner in a non native context, has been a challenging pursuit for the teachers of English. The situation is not different in Odisha,India. This ethnographic study revolves around English language learning methodologies as implemented in different regions of the state under Biju Patnaik University of Technology of Odisha, India. The perspectives of 62 teachers of 20 engineering colleges were taken into consideration. The tools used for data collection (both qualitative and quantitative) comprise questionnaire survey among teachers. The views mentioned by the teachers on the three variables(a)syllabus design (b)students academic needs (c) teachers professional development shows that the existing syllabi, teaching resources, methodology of teaching and assessment mechanism followed in most colleges do not help skills acquisition in mixed-ability classrooms in engineering colleges of Orissa. Quantitative expansion of private engineering colleges in a short span of time raises doubts in certain quarters about the quality of education, particularly in relation to the acquisition of English language competency imparted in these institutes. The viewpoints of the teachers are taken into account to find out the advantages and disadvantages of the English syllabus followed. This study, thus aims at devising effective teaching methodologies for resource building by assessing the needs of English language learners of engineering colleges.

For many decades teaching English, whether for beginners or for advanced learner in a non native context, has been a challenging pursuit for the teachers of English. The situation is not different in Odisha,India. This ethnographic study revolves around English language learning methodologies as implemented in different regions of the state under Biju Patnaik University of Technology of Odisha, India. The perspectives of 62 teachers of 20 engineering colleges were taken into consideration. The tools used for data collection (both qualitative and quantitative) comprise questionnaire survey among teachers. The views mentioned by the teachers on the three variables(a)syllabus design (b)students academic needs (c) teachers professional development shows that the existing syllabi, teaching resources, methodology of teaching and assessment mechanism followed in most colleges do not help skills acquisition in mixed-ability classrooms in engineering colleges of Orissa. Quantitative expansion of private engineering colleges in a short span of time raises doubts in certain quarters about the quality of education, particularly in relation to the acquisition of English language competency imparted in these institutes. The viewpoints of the teachers are taken into account to find out the advantages and disadvantages of the English syllabus followed. This study, thus aims at devising effective teaching methodologies for resource building by assessing the needs of English language learners of engineering colleges.