They spoke at an international conference arranged by the Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers (SPELT) at the Allama Iqbal Open University. The three-day conference was organised in collaboration with the AIOU and the Oxford University Press (OUP).
The participants from home and abroad emphasised that English should be introduced and taught as a language instead of a discipline of social sciences. They noted that the way the English is being taught at schools and colleges is hardly helpful in overcoming language barriers, being faced by teachers and students.
The speakers said that all stakeholders including heads of English departments at educational institutes should be involved in redesigning English language courses.
AIOU English Department Chairman Dr Abdul Hafeez offered SPELT to hold sessions at the university’s regional campuses around the country.
About 40 papers were presented during 16 working sessions of the conference, said Malik Tariq Mahmood, a local representative of the SPELT.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2014.
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