A list of blogs written on the activities apart from the texts included in the curriculum.

1. Blogs on other
activities
HP
3/7/2020

2. Tableof Contents
Post Truth....................................................................................................................................2
Bucket List....................................................................................................................................3
Youth Festival 2018 ...................................................................................................................... 3
Lagaan Film review....................................................................................................................... 5
Cultural Interactions..................................................................................................................... 6
Rivers and Tides a documentary on Andy Goldsworthy...................................................................6
August: Patriotism and Religious Fervour....................................................................................... 7
Youth Festival 2019 ...................................................................................................................... 8
Thiong'o, Tharoor and Films on colonial history.............................................................................. 8
Vinod Joshi's Sairandhari............................................................................................................... 9
Movie Review: Charlie Chaplin's The Modern Times and The Great Dictators................................. 10
The Modern Times:................................................................................................................. 10
Review:............................................................................................................................... 10
The Great Dictator:................................................................................................................. 10
Review:............................................................................................................................... 10
GirishKarnad: Controversial obituaries........................................................................................ 10
Workshop on Quality and Authenticity of Web Resources............................................................. 11
Know the author: Arundhati Roy ................................................................................................. 11
Survey: DELL Software: ............................................................................................................... 12
Expert Lectures on ELT- Prof. Attanu Bhattacharya....................................................................... 13
Learning Outcome: The Sense of An Ending.................................................................................. 14
Know the Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.............................................................................. 15
PostTruth
Certain words like discipline, morality, truth, etc are highly subjective in my opinion.
Especially, the word truth, which has remained highly ambiguous even for the greatest
thinkers. And let me remind you that this ambiguity has resulted into horrifying
circumstances at times as well.
The reason for this sudden highly philosophical speculation is the fact that often what is
considered as the universal or general truth is not the actual reality. Most of the times in
today's world the general or universal truth is a 'make believe '. The concept or meaning of
the word post truth is, in my opinion related to this idea.
What I really found interesting while reading about post truth is the fact that not only has the
word truth gone through huge changes in interpretation but also the prefix 'post', as is
explained in this line: "Rather than simply referring to the time after a specified situation or

3. event – as in post-war or post-match – the prefix in post-truth has a meaning more like
‘belonging to a time in which the specified concept has become unimportant or irrelevant."
One example of this concept can be the recent events of the murders of journalists. Or the
kind of restrictions the media has to face now and then to telecast news about a person in
power or an age old tradition.
Post truth, as far as I've known, is mostly related to the concepts like politics or journalism,
considered as important pillars on which a society or culture sustains. How interesting!
BucketList
Those who would be expecting to read what constitutes my bucket list might be greatly
disappointed by this post. For, this post is about the 'word' or the 'concept' of bucket list in
general.
So, recently, in one of our language classes we were asked to write a few lines about any one
of the following topics:
1) my school life
2) nature (beautiful or dangerous)
3) my bucket list
Now, for people who can read, write, and understand English and also knows the updates of
the English vocabulary, might think this task a cake walk. However, for people who aren't
capable enough to use English proficiently or are not the native speakers of the language or
are learning it for the first time, this was the most difficult task. And I think everyone can
imagine which word caught all of our attention. Yes, the word was 'bucket list'.
As for me, it was nothing new. I had heard about it a lot many times, used it for many times
more and was fully acquainted with its usage. But, this wasn't about me. Almost four to five
people asked the same question, 'what does bucket list mean? ‘Obviously the teacher
explained it to them, later on. But I decided to look into it a bit more.
So, here's what I found. When I searched on Google, it said, 'a number of experiences or
achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime.' A pretty good
definition, something which we all know about. However, when I searched for its etymology,
I came to know about one more phrase which was 'to kick the bucket' and which simply
means to die. The phrase itself was coined to describe how while committing suicide, a
person kicks the bucket, while he or she has tied their head in a slip noose. It was also linked
with the Christian ceremony of sprinkling the Holy Water on a dead body. Well, there are
many interpretations. But the basic meaning is to die.
Justin Zackham, the American and British screenwriter, coined the term bucket list for his
own list of things he wanted to do before he kicked the bucket.
What I want to draw your attention to is the fact that how the term about life originated from
the one about life. A positivist observation, but an observation at least.
Please let me know if you have any more interesting observations about this in the comment
section.
YouthFestival2018
This year's youth festival was a spectrum of the various talents and the celebration of young
energy and spirit. Every event had something new to project before the people. Whether it
was poetry or drama or folk music, every competition was full of sportsman's spirit. The joy
of participation was greater than the motive to win and that's what made the three day festival

4. enjoyable. Most importantly, the winner and loser both received applause for their efforts
which helped keep up the spirit of participation. I was able to be a part of these events:
1) Drama [2 plays]
2) Poetry recitation
3) Western solo singing
Drama: The plays ranged from the ones set in classical times to the ones dealing with modern
day social problems. Bhrugu Samhita dealt with the themes of entanglement of relations, the
importance of progeny and also how parentage formed the most important parameter of one's
identity, etc. Analyzing the play based on Aristotelian or Platonic parameters would reveal
that though the play was set in classical times, it was structured as a modern play. Neither of
the dramatic Unities was followed. And yet the play left its impression on the thinking
audience with its intriguing message i.e. humans should not intervene in the workings of fate.
Something which almost all the major classical dramatic compositions of those times would
reflect. But this theory would rather do injustice to the play since its context is of Indian
origin and not of western method of dramatization.
The other play was the one dealing with the issues of what we call the 'third gender', in this
case hermaphrodites. Again the idea of progeny and its biased and generalized gender
obsession. The play poses questions at every stereotype about gender still prevalent in
society. The question of what is understood as natural and what unnatural is also a poignant
one. The style of narration is somewhat of a biographical one, one highlighting the fact that
literature is the medium to vent out emotions regarding the incidents of life, whether positive
or negative. The author as the narrator as well as the central character does justice to the
entire flow of the plot-line. The character which attracted the most attention was the one
portraying the side of the queer themselves, a representative of the marginalized.
We can say that both the plays, in their own unique way, dealt with existential question of
identity, prevalent in popular modern literature and society.
Poetry Recitation: It was more of a learning process rather than a competition. Poetry has this
particular impression on people's mind, a set picture which they usually adhere to even if it is
not so. We usually believe poetry to be a projection of ideas in rhyme and rhythm with this
fixed length of a single side of a paper. Well that is a false assumption, every literature
student would understand that poetry is a flow of ideas, where rhyme, rhythm, and length are
secondary parameters. Thus, this competition proved to be an ice breaker for all those people.
It was interesting to hear how every other individual had its own way of dealing of with the
provided topics. On one side where some of them made up poems from quotations of famous
personalities, others applied their own 'creative genius'. The session ended with helpful
remarks from the judges as well as a recitation of their own poetic composition.
Western Solo Singing: Well, there's not much to say about this event. I must say the efforts
were great. But, personally, I didn't find it convincing. Most participants were not able to
pronounce the lyrics properly, which lead them not being able to deliver the feel of the song.
They knew the tunes but failed to stress on the lyrical part, which is also an essential part,
whether it is western or Indian singing.
I think this fest would prove memorable for all of us.

5. Lagaan Film review
"Cinema, it is said, usually is a fair indicator of a nation's psyche, which may possibly be
responsible for its (current) state of being, and which, in turn, may be affected by the turn of
historical, political and economic events in a given frame of time."- Partha Chatterjee
As far as movies like Lagaan, with the patriotic spirit of the nation as their focus, are
concerned the above statement can be easily justified. Lagaan as a cinematic creation is the
reflection of the national psyche which has gone through various struggles to establish its
individual identity, especially during the British colonial rule.
How is Lagaan different from the usual patriotic Bollywood films, then?
The answer lies within the subaltern theory. On one hand the colonialist historiography
perfectly represented the European perspectives towards the rest of the world, especially the
concepts like the 'white man's burden', and in the process created the categories of the 'other'
and the 'uncivilized', thus justifying the practice of colonization. And on the other hand,
"Nationalist historiography represented the Indian nationalism, as the sum of the activities
and ideas by which the Indian elite responded to the institutions, opportunities and resources,
etc generated by colonialism."- Chandrima Chakraborty However, the subaltern theories
managed to critique this stereotypical way of resistance, taking into consideration the
movements during the Indian freedom struggle which were carried out in remote parts of the
country. Again in the words of Chandrima Chakraborty," subaltern theory historians have
brought to light the existence of a space that dominant historical discourses have failed to
acknowledge or interpret."
Since it has been mentioned earlier that cinema gets affected by the turn of historical,
political and economic events in a given frame of time, it is easy to understand why, even
within the category of movies depicting the freedom struggle, each film has a new
perspective to reflect. And Lagaan particularly stands out because of its subaltern perspective.
Let's have a look at two major instances in the movie where the subaltern theory works in the
movie:
1) It is the story of the struggle of a remote village in India. It is not about the life of the
national heroes and their fight for freedom from the British government. Rather it is about the
villagers' struggle for reducing the tax(lagaan). There is no mention of the influence of any
political leader on any of the characters. The residents have their own mode of struggle for
gaining their rights.
2) The mode of struggle i.e cricket helps in lessening the stereotypical caste hierarchy
prevalent in the society. For instance, Kachra, an untouchable, is selected in the village
cricket team because of his unique bowling skills, though after much tension between the
other members of the team.
Thus, the movie in the words of Chandrima Chakraborty, "reiterates the subaltern studies
project's call for the opening up and restructuring of the received disciplinary boundaries for
the study of peasant movements."
At a time when the nation's historical discourses ignore the contributions of such struggles,
films like Lagaan help highlight those events and the people involved in them.

6. CulturalInteractions
Cultural interactions are an essential part of academic life. However, such occasions and
opportunities are rare. Hence, it's my personal opinion, that students must grab such
opportunities whenever possible. Fortunately, the Department of English of Bhavnagar
University, offers such opportunities. Recently, students engaged in two such cultural
interactions wherein they got to know about the social, political and linguistic status of two
countries, i.e. France and Argentina.
The first interaction was with Professor Saeed Paivandi and Professor Fontanini Christine of
the University of Lorraine, France. The students got to know about the system of higher
education in France. The professors discussed how the social conditions affect the education
system and also the status of literacy rate in France, in the context of higher education. As
English literature students, we also inquired about the status of the English language in
France. Professor Fontanini also talked about the condition of women in and their
contribution to the literacy rate.
The second interaction was with the Argentinean teacher of language and literature, Mariana
Dominguez. The students got to know a lot about Spanish language, literature as well as
culture at large. Argentina was a Spanish colony, and therefore there was a discussion on the
change in culture before and after colonization. At a time when Spanish songs, particularly
rap songs, are gaining worldwide popularity, Miss Mariana informed the students about how
it affects the language in use. According to her, the current trend in Spanish literature is to
reinterpret Spanish myths and classics.
The status of English language and literature is somewhat similar in both the countries; that
of being secondary in usage and popularity than the national or local language, i.e. French in
France and Spanish in Argentina respectively.
RiversandTidesa documentaryon AndyGoldsworthy
The value of an artistic creation is based on how much longer can it sustain or how far can it
be preserved. However, this notion is challenged by Andy Goldsworthy when he "creates
large-scale outdoor sculptures and artworks out of natural materials like mud, wood, ice and
stone in an attempt to imbue the physical world with a spiritual, ephemeral element."
In his documentary on Goldsworthy's work, director Reidelsheimer captures some his master
pieces. It is often a moment of despair for artists when their creation is shattered in front of
their own eyes. However, for Goldsworthy, such moments also have their own beauty. This is
how he 'works with time'. He is completely aware that the igloo he is creating from driftwood
from the beach will drift away in the sea once the tide comes in. And yet he calmly observes
when the time comes.
Goldsworthy also mentions some philosophical statements in the documentary, such as:
"The very thing which brought it to life will bring about its death."
"Art for me is a form of nourishment."
When the igloo is drifted in the sea, he says, "It feels as if it’s been taken off into another
plane, another world... It doesn't feel at all like destruction."

7. Thus, Rivers and Tides provides an interesting perspective towards understanding what we
call 'nature art'. Goldsworthy's working with time helps us in understanding that art is not
always meant to be kept till 'eternity'. Nature art can thus help diminish the distinctions
between 'high' and 'low' art if we look through the lens of cultural studies.
August: Patriotism andReligiousFervour
The month of August in India, is a time of euphoric celebration of both national and religious
festivals. However, in this euphoria of the celebrations, people forget to look at the other side
of those events. This post tries to look at that side of these events which people usually miss
out.
First, let's take the celebration of 15th August, the day India got independence from the
British Raj. But, what was the other side of the story of independence? Well, it was partition.
15th August marks not just the freedom of the nation but also its partition into three different
nation-states. Millions of people migrated and got displaced because of this. But their stories
remain veiled under the euphoria of the freedom struggle. The partition led to communal
riots, which of course wasn't a happy phenomenon. And let's not forget that much of the post
independence literature focuses on these unheard voices of displacement, migration and the
feeling of terror prevailing during the communal riots. When we read them, these words of
K.R.S Iyengar are proved true:
"Freedom had come indeed, but it was not exactly the freedom that our writers of
yesterday had dreamed or sung about or the freedom that generations of patriots had
visualized and striven for. it was a flawed freedom born in the hour of communal
disturbances of unprecedented ferocity and unbelievable bestiality. Tens of Millions
crossed the border, homes were shattered, lives were wrecked, and human values were
crushed under foot."
In the colonial discourse this condition would lead to blaming the colonial masters for
dividing the nation and so and so forth. However, now, in the post colonial understanding of
the nation-states, this situation would be looked at differently. Colonialism was a two-way
phenomenon and therefore arguing that John Radcliffe or Mountbatten were responsible for
the partition of India, would reflect a very bad understanding of history. Let's not forget that
the partition was the only option available for the national leaders like Gandhi as well, who
thought that people are no longer ready to engage in a rational debate on the issue of their
demands. The consequent result therefore was the Radcliffe line which partitioned the nation
into India, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan. In today's formation of the
Indian nation-state, there is a heightened sense of nationalism, which if thought about
rationally and a good historical sense isn't a good phenomenon.
Coming to the religious aspect of the August month; a prominent traditional practice is that
of fasting. According to the Hindu calendar, this time of the year marks the month of
Shraavan. One of the major festivals celebrated during this Shraavan month is that of Shitala
Satam. Though I don't know if it is celebrated across India, it is a major festivity in Gujarat.
Shitala is another for small pox. As common among religious practices, the fear of small pox
led to the creation of the goddess Shitala who is worshipped on this day. Small Pox was a
threatening danger during the 70s, killing almost 15,000 people in 1974. So, as a cure for the

8. disease, goddess Shitala was worshipped and it was believed that it could be cured by not
eating fresh food on that particular day of Shitala Satam.
Now, where's the problem? Well, the problem lies in the fact that Shitala Satam is still
celebrated, when the disease has been almost eradicated and its cure and vaccination has been
discovered. Religion and science always are at par with each other when it comes to human
health. Even after the discovery of the vaccination of small pox by Edward Jenner, people
still don't eat fresh food on this day every year, with the excuse that it is good for vitamin
B12. How much does this help in B12 deficiency is still a question. Another claim which
nationalists make today is that the vaccination was first discovered in India. Well that can be
proved true but the amount of people it could help is much lesser than Jenner's vaccination.
One thing to be understood from both these cases is that without a rational historical sense,
the problems of the 21st century cannot be addressed. Without it arguing on any of these
matters would prove pointless.
YouthFestival2019
Youth festivals are mediums to celebrate the young talent and energy. This year's youth
festival of Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University was called Rangmohan;
celebrating the two Mohans of Indian culture, i.e. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Lord
Krishna. The festival was full of a varied range of events; ranging from literary events to
cultural and fine art events. Being participant of this festival I learnt many things, apart from
the obvious skill of dealing with people; which is by far has proved to be toughest job for me!
Anyways, moving to the events, I wasn't able to witness as many performances as are
required for writing this blog; for instance, unfortunately I wasn't able to attend any dramatic
performances, However, that isn't going to be an excuse for not writing about the dramatic
events; since I was there for the practice session of one of them� Considering the fact that
Gandhi used to fight for the contemporary social issues of his time; the plot of this
performance dealt with the question of the LGBT community in India, It spoke about not just
the conflicts of identity, but also about the identity struggles in the socio-cultural set up of the
nation, in every sphere of their life; i.e. from their education to choosing their life partners.
With the legalization of the consensual gay sex by the Supreme Court of India, a new outlook
was framed towards those identities. How far has that made a change towards the socio-
cultural perspectives and opinions of the citizens is still a question. But that doesn't deny the
fact that, at least they can voice out their struggles to the legal system whenever needed. The
play direction and characterization was well managed and over-all it was a great
performance----- sorry practice.
Thiong'o,Tharoorand Filmson colonial history
Post colonialism looks into those unheard voices of colonial history that were curbed because
of the biased historical sense. Films on colonialism either deal with the lost cultures of the
colonized as well as how the changes in the imperial power in the political scenario. Shashi
Tharoor in his An Era of Darkness looks back at the colonial history of India and argues, to a
great extent, that India could have been a better nation if it wouldn't have been colonized by
the British. His way of arguing is what makes his arguments credible and notable to think

9. about. He mentions the deteriorating economical effect the British imperialism had on the
nation. He mentions such conflicts of colonial history out of which the nation hasn't been able
to rise, even today.
Revisiting the colonial history is also a common trend among the media and entertainment
industry these days. Two glaring examples of this can be The Black Prince and Victoria and
Abdul. Both the movies released in 2017 approach and discuss two different phenomena of
the Indian colonial experience. The Black Prince discusses a prince's loss of and the struggle
to regain his kingdom after a conflicting relationship with Queen Victoria. He tries to manage
his associations both the cultures. On the other hand, the movie Victoria and Abdul discusses
the "relationship between Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her Indian Muslim
servant, Abdul Karim" (Contributors). It is interesting to study how the roles of the colonizer
and the colonized are portrayed in the both the movies.
Ngugi Wa Thiong'o discusses in his Decolonizing the mind, about how the idea of
universality is still associated with the English language. And that European imperialism
hasn't yet ended in Africa; it still continues to control economics, politics and culture of
Africa. Probably, the most remarking statement by Thiong'o would be:
"Is it right that man should abandon his mother tongue for someone else's? It
looks like a dreadful betrayal and produces a guilty feeling. But for me there is no other
choice. I have been given the language and I intend to use it."
Though Thiong'o works specifically with the politics of language in African Language, it
might be helpful for analyzing the politics of other languages of the colonized world after the
arrival of English.
Vinod Joshi's Sairandhari
Literature has always dealt with the present and past in its own unique way. It looks towards
the pastness and often asks for its help for a present situation. Thus, we are reminded of
Eliot's historical sense i.e. pastness of the past and its present whenever a writer deals with
the past. Vinod Joshi's Sairandhari is a reworking of the character from Mahabharata with a
motive to give voice to this 'lost identity' as the poet himself stated in his interview with SBS
Gujarati radio. Mahabharata Draupadi is known to many, but Sairandhari still remains as a
vague memory. Draupadi assumes the role of a maid (Sairandhari) for the queen Sudeshna
during the Pandavas' year of disguised exile in the palace of the Matsya king, Virata. The
poet states that his Sairandhari is different from Draupadi. She's someone who had to lose her
identity of a queen and had to turn into a maid because of her fate. Every day she
compromises with her own identity, in order to hold on to the mask, she can't remove. The
poet further states that his Sairandhari isn't the wife of Pandavas neither is she the princess
born out of fire. She is the woman who loved Karna more than Arjun; and someone who, in
the palace of Virat without the help of her husbands or her friend. So, she is definitely not
Draupadi. In this sense, Vinod Joshi says, "મારી સૈરન્ધ્રી મહાભારતકારથી જુદી છે"

10. Movie Review: Charlie Chaplin's The Modern Times and The Great
Dictators
TheModernTimes:
Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford, Chester Conklin
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Review:
Often considered a one of the many acclaimed works of Chaplin, the modern times captures
the struggles of a tramp, in a modern industrialized world. Chaplin with his amazing sense of
humor satirizes the inequalities and injustices prevailing in the modern institutions."The film
is a comment on the desperate employment and financial conditions many people faced
during the Great Depression, conditions created in Chaplin's view by the efficiencies of
modern industrialization.
TheGreatDictator:
Cast:
Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Henry Daniell, Reginald Gardiner, Billy
Gilbert, Maurice Moscovich
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Review:
The film presents Chaplin as, as both a 'ruthless fascist dictator' as well as a 'persecuted
Jewish barber'. As is the case with Chaplin, his film comments on the state of dictatorship as
well as the political scenario of the time; because of which many innocent lives suffered.
Girish Karnad: Controversial obituaries
How is a writer or an artist recognized and understood by the society or nation? People
critique a writer for the conflicting matters included in his/her work. Girish Karnad, a
significant figure in Indian literary tradition, as well as in the nation's politics; passed away
on 10th June 2019. And people's, especially media's reactions were varied. Some celebrated
the death of an Urban Naxal while some mourned the death of a versatile artist, playwright,
and actor. The reason why he faced criticism even at his death was because he raised his
voice against religious fundamentalism and strongly advocated freedom of expression. This
controversy clearly reflects how hypocritical society is even in today's time. It praises a writer
if he/she stays obedient to its ideologies and never questions them; while it condemns the
same person if that doesn't happen. Literature, we all know would always stand against the
authoritative majority. There is no established truth in literature; it is always elusive and
based on subjective experience.

11. Considering how significant of Karnad's works are, in changing the perspectives of people
towards mythology, history, and socio-cultural problems at large. A true obituary for him
then would be to remember his works and ideas and to think about them.
Workshop on Quality and Authenticity of Web Resources
The ongoing technological advances of the 21st century and the amount of information
available on the web sources have not only restructured the ways of learning but also changed
the very definition of education drastically. However, like every advancement, this one is also
subject to risk; the risk of being misused. The phenomenon of Plagiarism is enough to justify
the statement. Students today, not only involve in using the web sources for their assignments
and homework but also for learning things which are not a part of their curriculum. In such
circumstances, it is important to identify the authenticity of the sources we rely on for our
purpose.
In light of these issues, the English Department at Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar
University, organized a workshop addressing the problems faced by students in identifying
qualified and authentic content on the internet. For the qualitative analysis of the web
resources, the students were introduced to the SEER (Source Education Evaluation Rubric)
model proposed by turnitin, in their report titled, What's Wrong With Wikipedia?
The students were asked to evaluate three web sources or websites they use frequently for
academic purpose.
The rubric is built on five criteria:
1) Authority
2) Educational value
3) Intent
4) Originality
5) Quality
Know the author: Arundhati Roy
Literature and society have, throughout history, and often even today, shared a relationship of
dependency; a literary text, no matter how much we try to, can never be separated from
societal concerns while society needs literature to reflect on its own strengths and flaws.
Writers have always tried to adhere to the notion that 'literature is a mirror to society'. A
mirror indeed, reflecting not just the beauty of the society it reflects, but also its hideousness.
Arundhati Roy's works fall into this later function of the mirror. Her works are a
documentation of that reality or history which, as mentioned in the above quote, has/had
been 'deliberately silenced' or 'preferably unheard'. One might even agree to the argument
that literature is where these unheard and silenced voices, find expression and that it is often
one of the many reasons behind literary expression.

12. Though I can't recall the very first time I heard the author's name or the title of her work, my
first formal encounter with both was during the very first year of my undergraduate course in
English Literature. The text was God Of Small Things.
A text reflecting the troubles of the caste system, a socio-cultural flaw of the Indian society,
God of Small Things looks at how it affects the fundamental human emotions like love. Apart
from this, the Booker Prize winning novel is notable for many other reasons.
Survey: DELL Software:
7) The five advantages of language learning through software include:
1. Development of basic language skills
2. Ease of assessment for the teacher
3. The software is easy to operate, provided the tools are in good condition
4. Teachers can also easily monitor learners' performance
5. Convenient for group work
8) Following are the disadvantages of the language learning software:
1. Inconvenience of time and place
2. Affordability and availability of digital tools
3. Lack of awareness regarding the usage of the software and the usage of the digital
tools
9) Following are the few things related to language skills which can be learnt from the
software:
1. Communication skills
2. A good vocabulary
3. Standard accent and pronunciation patterns
10) Following are the five new words, in terms of vocabulary and pronunciation, learnt
during the survey:
1. Wonk
2. Psychometric
3. Veneer
4. Xerophthalmia

13. 5. Debonair
13) Comparatively, the Namo-Tab can be considered as more convenient than the DELL
software; since the tab is user friendly. The learner is not bound by any restriction of time or
place when it comes to language learning through Namo-Tab. Neither is there any barrier of
the condition of the digital tools. The language lab software in the Namo-Tab appears to be
well updated than that of the DELL monitor. As far as the speaking skills are considered
though, the DELL software has an advantage over Namo-Tab. DELL software allows the
learner to practically test their speaking skills, whereas in the Namo-Tab the learners can only
listen to the correct pronunciations and cannot practically test them.
Expert Lectures on ELT- Prof. Attanu Bhattacharya
The three day expert lectures with Prof. Attanu Bhattacharya were truly informative as well
as inspiring. Not only did the students learn a lot about ELT but also about the current trends
in the field of research in language and literature. Attanu sir's interactive teaching technique
made the entire class attentive and curious to know more about the subject. Following are
some of the points that were discussed:
ELT- Historical Perspective:
Attanu sir discussed how language learning was an important aspect of education even in the
ancient times; and also how it formed an essential part of education even before the rise of
traditional educational system. He also discussed how the classical languages like Greek,
Latin, Sanskrit, German were taught and why were they important to teach. He also discussed
how logic, philosophy, rhetoric, grammar, etc. were also incorporated in the early language
classroom to understand how they affected language learning.
Literature for Language Teaching: Poem & Fiction:
While discussing the role of literature in the language learning classroom, some interesting
observations were made. Accordingly, the following key points were discussed:
1) Literature can provide intrinsic motivation to the learner.
2) It can also help in developing inter dependence among the learners in the classroom which
can further be helpful for them in the learning process; especially during the group activities.
3) Literature can help in developing lateral thinking [thinking through associations] skills in
the learners; which in turn proves helpful in language learning.
4) Literature is also useful in developing meta-cognitive(reflective and analytic) skills in the
learner.
Testing and Evaluation: Validity, Reliability and Backwash:
Attanu sir began the discussion on testing and evaluation with the explanation of the basic
distinctions between the words Testing, Evaluation and Assessment; and also how they are
often misunderstood and used interchangeably. He discussed how, Testing involved a
specific and particular objective as well as a score. Whereas, Evaluation and Assessment

14. often go together; since both involve a general idea of the course and also that both of them
may or may not involve a score; both of them also involve a feedback from the one who
evaluates or assesses.
Coming to the section on Testing, the various types of Tests in language learning were
discussed. For instance, Proficiency Tests, Achievement Tests, Diagnostic Tests, etc. The
Backwash or Washback effect, it was discussed, is the effect which testing or evaluation has
on how students are taught. A test can either have a positive or negative effect on the system
of teaching.
English Studies: Future Prospects and Research Avenues:
A common trouble a student of literature or language faces, particularly in India, is the
question of what to do after studying literature or language for five years. Attanu sir provided
the students new insights regarding research in language and literature. He explained how
current trends in the research field aren't focused strictly on a certain category of language or
literature. Especially, today the field of research in literature isn't restricted to the study of
classical texts or application of one or the theory. Some trending research areas which sir
introduced were Comparative Literature, Digital Humanities, The trend of rewriting the
classical texts, A study on the phenomenon of fan-fictions, etc.
LearningOutcome: TheSenseof An Ending
Julian Barnes' The Sense of an Ending is a novel that makes you reflect on history,
philosophy, memory, and above all, yourself. It is about the 'end of any likelihood of change'.
All of us encounter situations where we regret doing something and try to overcome that
regret by one or the other way. But, what if overcoming was not possible? Tony Webster is
stuck in this kind of a situation. A state where neither can he undo what he did, nor can he
mend the damage. But, then again, is it just Tony's fault for what happened with Veronica,
Sarah and Adrian?
What kind of sense do we get when we are about to get to the end of our lives? How do we
understand our past selves? And in that case, how much do we remember our past? These are
some of the many existential questions the novel seems to reflect on. After I finished reading
the novel I was left with so many questions. It's not just about 'to be or not to be'. It is about
whether we can justify our being the way we are.
I loved the following lines:
1) "What did I know of life, I who had lived so carefully? Who had neither won nor lost,
but just let life happen to him? Who had the usual ambitions and settled all too quickly for
them not being realized? Who avoided being hurt and called it a capacity for survival?
Who paid his bills, stayed on good terms with everyone as far as possible, for whom ecstasy

15. and despair soon became just words once read in novels? One whose self-rebukes never
really inflicted pain? Well, there was all this to reflect upon, while I endured a special kind
of remorse: a hurt inflicted at long last on one who always thought he knew how to being
hurt -- and inflicted for precisely that reason."
Reason: These lines indicate the vain attempts at being on the safe side; which all of us try to
do very often in our lives. Barnes seems to point out that such efforts of being on the safe side
are actually ways of escaping the harsh realities and responsibilities of life. Struggle is a
reality, all of us, at some point of time wish to escape. But then is it actually possible to do
so?
2) "What you end up remembering isn't always the same as what you have witnessed."
Reason: Memory is a subjective matter. It keeps on changing with time. We remember things
which we want to remember: and that too in the way we want them to be remembered. This is
why one can never rely on memories to justify an event. Because as the quote suggests 'it isn't
always the same as what you have witnessed,'
Know the Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
What I really liked out of the three Ted Talks by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was her talk on
the dangers of a single story. She explains how a single story about someone can soon
become a generalization and can cloud our understanding regarding a person or place. Her
ideas reminded me of the Foucoultian idea of power and knowledge. Our understanding of
the 'Other' is constructed by the generalizations we have made regarding that place or person.
Here's how, according to Adichie, we create a single story:
"Show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again."
What happens as a consequence of this is what we call a generalization of an identity. This
happens not just in terms of demographic parameter but also in terms of gender, race, and
other markers of identity. I would like to share a personal experience here. So, before I was
even introduced to the texts of African Literature, I sensed that it would be about how they
have suffered through out colonial rule; and also about how they fight for it. This might have
been because I was already introduced to Post Colonialism before I read African literature
and therefore words like 'suffering', 'racism', 'imperial injustice', etc were already a part of my
understanding of that literary sphere. Now that I think about it, it's quite intriguing because
I'm also a Post Colonial identity. Being an Indian, I've also heard and read about the colonial
history and struggle for independence in my country. And yet, my mind has been full of,
what Adichie calls, "a patronizing, well meaning pity".
But when that story was proved wrong by works like The Swamp Dwellers by Wole
Soyinka (wherein he talks more about the issue of tradition and modernity within the

16. developing Nigerian society instead of the usual narratives of 'black, natives' fighting for
Uhuru [freedom] from their 'white, foreign masters').
Conclusively, what I learnt was that in order to establish what we call 'universal brotherhood'
we must come out of our 'single stories', i.e. our generalizations, biases and presumptions as
well as generalizations. And literature can be a great help in doing so.