Students' Learning: Review Writing

I am currently teaching at Birsa Munda Tribal University, where nearly 99 percent of the students come from tribal backgrounds. When I first entered the university and stepped into the classroom, I experienced a significant cultural and academic shift. The students I was going to teach did not have the same level of exposure or access to digital learning environments that I had experienced during my own education under Prof. Dilip Barad.

One of the primary challenges—both initially and ongoing—has been improving students’ English language proficiency. While students majoring in English are progressing at a relatively steady pace, teaching students from disciplines such as Economics, B.Com, and B.Sc. presents a greater challenge due to language barriers. Many of them communicate in diverse tribal dialects, making it difficult to rely solely on English as the medium of instruction.

To address this, I adopted a dual-language teaching approach, integrating both English and Gujarati, which has proven to be quite effective. However, certain challenges still persist, and I believe that with time, patience, and consistent effort, these can be gradually overcome.

Rather than focusing solely on teaching the language in a conventional manner, I decided to first understand their cognitive and learning abilities—how they think, how they interpret information, and how they adapt to new tools and technologies. As part of this approach, I introduced them to digital platforms such as Canva for resume writing (as prescribed in their syllabus) and Blogger, where I shared some of my own blog posts to assess their comprehension levels.

While the students were able to learn and navigate Blogger effectively, their primary difficulty remained in writing. To overcome this, I encouraged them to write in Gujarati, allowing them to express their ideas freely without the constraint of language. Since they are also studying review writing, this approach worked well, enabling them to write based on their understanding.

Additionally, I organized film screenings and asked them to write reviews of expert lectures. These activities not only enhanced their engagement but also helped develop their analytical and expressive skills. The outcomes of these efforts have been encouraging, reflecting gradual improvement in both their confidence and their ability to articulate their thoughts.

Expert Lecture Review Writing: Click here