The mandatory switch to English medium of instruction in all degree colleges in the State, will only be a temporary issue, as students can pick up the threads easily and become proficient in about a year’s time. This is the general opinion of educationists, who are gearing up to handle the switch.
Normally, the terminology in science subjects such as physics or chemistry is known to Telugu medium students both in English and Telugu. Hence, it will not be difficult to understand the terms. But for some time the explanation has to be bilingual, says the principal of Dr. Lankapalli Bullayya College, Prof. Chakravarthi.
Teachers of a few Telugu medium colleges are also of the same opinion. The move to switch to English medium will be a game changer for Telugu medium students, as it will now be a level playing field, they say.
As per the principal of a government college, most of the teachers are now being trained to handle the switch and many of them are already trained in bilingual teaching.
Training for teachers
"There are a few glitches and we are ironing them out through some training programmes. It may not be difficult for teachers to adapt to bilingual explanation and that is why we are initially focussing on training them," he says, and adds, "We are also seeking some IT solutions to train both teachers and students to overcome the initial hiccups."
A senior professor from Andhra University says there are only a few colleges still imparting degree courses in Telugu medium. "A few are in rural areas and we are working out a plan to handle the transition in all our affiliated colleges," he explains.
Reacting to the change, Ch. Srinivas, who has joined a private college to pursue a commerce degree in Telugu medium, says, "It is a good decision and importantly, many of us are already familiar with some English terminology. What is needed now is improving vocabulary and expression."
A group of my friends have started a club and are already reading English newspapers and listening to English news to improve language skills, he adds.
‘Very few left in Telugu medium’
ccording to the Vice-Chancellor of AU, Prof. P.V.G.D. Prasad Reddy, the switch over is not an issue at all, as basically only about 5% of the students are pursuing graduation in Telugu medium today and are mostly in arts or humanities stream. For some degree courses such as computer science one has to opt for English medium only, as there are no books in Telugu, he says.
