Padmini Bhuyan Boruah Head of the Department
MA (Gauhati) PhD (Gauhati) Fulbright-Nehru Academic & Professional Excellence Fellow (San Diego)
ELT
padminiboruah[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
Established in 1957, the Department of English Language Teaching has been rendering significant service to the cause of English teaching and learning in India, and particularly in the Northeast by providing professional training to pre-service teachers and others aspiring to work as language professionals.
Our aim has been to help English Language Teaching evolve, flourish and establish itself as a service discipline for school, college and university education that requires English as a subject, as a medium of academic study, and as a compoment in pre-service and in-service language teacher education. The Department's programmes of study focus on promoting English language education from a multilingual education perspective along the guidelines of the NEP 2020, the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (2022) and the National Curriculum Frameowrk for School Education (2023). Through the incorporation of language pedagogies that promote healthy learning of all languages, including English, while honouring children's home languages, the department hopes to serve the needs of different learner/user groups in Assam and the Northeast. We have been consistently working towards achieving this goal by:
provides knowledge, skills and expertise that prepares trained ELT professionals for a competitive job market
provides learners with experiential learning opportunities as well as practical teaching practice
offers guidance on students' speaking and writing skills for English proficiency development
The faculty makes conscious efforts to use interactive and experiential pedagogy that builds confidence in students and develops their inner creativity and professional competence. Some of the course delivery methods include:
In addition, students receive training in
Post Graduate Programmes:
a) Name of the Programme: Master of Arts in English Language Teaching
In response to the urgent need for trained professionals in English, both in key vocational areas as well as in higher education, the Department offers an M.A. in ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING (MA ELT). The programme is open to graduates fom all disciplines and incorporates components of English language pedagogy training, English proficiency development and English for professional services relating to the multi-dimensional use of English.
b) Duration of the Programme: 4 Semesters/2 Years
c) Student intake: 30
d) Admission process:
Eligibility to apply
Graduates from SCIENCE, COMMERCE and ARTS are eligible to apply provided they fulfill (i) or (ii)
(i) Secured Major in English
(candidates who fail to secure a minimum of 40% marks in English Major will not be eligible to apply)
(ii) If they have not opted for Major in English, they have scored at least 50% in English as a subject at graduation (or equivalent).
Criterion for Selection
Selection is based on a common post graduate entrance test PGET of 100 marks in English language proficiency.
This test is intended to find out whether that the applicant has the necessary level of command in the English Language required for the MA ELT Programme. The areas covered in the test include the following areas: reading comprehension, written composition, dictation, grammar and vocabulary usage.
Since applicants from all the three streams (Arts, Science and Commerce) are eligible to apply, the entrance test is not be based on any formal knowledge of English Grammar or Linguistics.
General category applicants and reserved quota applicants must secure the minimum pass percentage of 50% and 45% respectively in the proficiency test in order to be considered for admission.
e) Syllabus Structure under CBCS
Department of English Language Teaching
Gauhati University
MA (English Language Teaching)
Programme Structure 2023
No. of seats: 30 Total credits: 104
Programme description:
English Language Teaching (ELT) is a globally popular and well researched discipline that caters for the learning and teaching of English and language teacher education in a variety of contexts and for a variety of purposes. The global spread of English, expedited by neoliberal pressures, competitive higher education and business opportunities as well as emigration and asylum seekers, has made ELT an attractive field of study worldwide. In India, social pressures and the prestige value of English have added to the rise in popularity of institutions designed to teach, train and test English language proficiency. There is also a growing realization that English literature teaching does not automatically ensure language competence and skills necessary for 21st century uses of English, or prepare teachers to teach English for proficiency development.
The objective of this MA (ELT) programme is to prepare competent professionals who have the requisite theoretical understanding and pedagogical knowledge to teach English at school, college and university, and also train learners for professional uses of English. The new MA is aligned with the guidelines of the NEP 2020, the NEP for Foundational Stage (2022) and the NEP for School Education (2023). It has been designed to teach English as one of the languages within the complex multilingual Indian context, keeping in mind Indian children’s access (or the lack of it) to English in their immediate environment. It encourages students to honour children’s home languages and learn ways of gradually transitioning learners to English through effective multilingual pedagogies such as translanguaging.
The MA (ELT) programme thus aims to prepare trained English language professionals who can teach English in global contexts as well as in Indian contexts for inclusivity and social justice.
Program Specific Outcomes:
After completing the MA (English Language and ELT) program, students will be able to:
Course Structure Outline under CBCS:
First Semester |
|||
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Type |
Credits |
ELT 1016 |
Introduction to Language and Linguistics |
Core |
6 |
ELT 1026 |
History of English Language Teaching in Indian Education |
Core |
6 |
ELT 1036 |
Theories of Language Acquisition |
Core |
6 |
ELT 1046 |
Methods and Approaches of Teaching English |
Core |
6 |
ELT 1054 |
English Language Proficiency Development |
Value Added (VA) |
4 |
Second Semester |
|||
ELT 2016 |
Pedagogy of Teaching English |
Core |
6 |
ELT 2026 |
Teaching English in Multilingual Contexts: MLE |
Core |
6 |
ELT 2036 |
Materials Development and Adaptation |
Core |
6 |
ELT 2046 |
Introduction to Language Assessment |
Core |
6 |
ELT 2054 |
English for Academic Purposes |
Value Added |
4 |
Third Semester |
|||
ELT 3016 |
English for Specific Purposes |
Core |
6 |
ELT 3026 |
Designing Language Tests and Assessments |
Core |
6 |
ELT 3036 |
Teaching English for Corporate Training |
Elective* |
6 |
ELT 3046 |
Writing for Professional Purposes |
Elective* |
6 |
ELT 3056 |
English Communication for Media |
Elective* |
6 |
ELT 3066 |
Gender in English Language Teaching |
Open |
6 |
Fourth Semester |
|||
ELT 4016 |
Projects in ELT: Dissertation |
Core (Practical) |
6 |
ELT 4026 |
ELT Practicum |
Core (Practical) |
6 |
ELT 4036 |
Teaching Language through Literature |
Elective* |
6 |
ELT 4046 |
Integrating Technology in Language Teaching |
Elective* |
6 |
ELT 4056 |
Designing a Language Syllabus |
Elective* |
6 |
ELT 4066 |
Inclusivity in Language Teaching: Teaching Learners with Special Needs |
Open |
6 |
Assessment procedure:
Both the theory and practical courses of the programme will be evaluated through a formative Internal Assessment component to guide students’ understanding and expression of key concepts and language use. There will also be a summative External Assessment component at the end of the semester.
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Download syllabus here
Women in AINET: Ensuring and encouraging participation of women academics in English teacher associations
Principal Investigator: Dr. Kuheli Mukherjee. Co-investigator: Prof. Padmini Bhuyan Boruah
1. Meritocracy and language status in India and Malaysia: A comparative study (2021-22)
International collaborative project with colleagues from Sunway University, Malaysia and Ambedkar University Delhi, as part of the Transnational Sustainable Education Research Network, South Asia
Principal Investigator: Prof. Padmini Bhuyan Boruah; Co-investigators: Dr. Nivedita Malini Barua & Dr. Khamseng Baruah
2. English Language Teachers’ reflections on negotiating policies, identity and practice (2021-22)
International collaborative project with colleagues from Sunway University, Malaysia, the English & Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, India, Sanata Dhamma University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Kathmandu University, Nepal and Tribhuvan University, Nepal, as part of the Transnational Sustainable Education Research Network, South Asia
Principal Investigator: Prof. Padmini Bhuyan Boruah; Co-investigator: Dr. Pranjana Kalita Nath
3. Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Project (2019-20):
Developing critical consciousness in teacher candidates working alongside refugee-background students
Principal Investigator:Prof. Padmini Bhuyan Boruah, Gauhati University; Co-investigator: Dr Sarina Chugani Molina, University of San Diego
2. Major research project (International sponsor):
Gauhati University - Commonwealth of Learning, Canada Project CA-139 on Developing a Diploma in ELT with ICT Skills for Primary teachers of English (2013-14)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Padmini Bhuyan Boruah
3. Minor Research Project:
IATEFL TE-SIG, University of Warwick, AINET led Classroom based research EVO project titled Towards developing MA ELT students' academic writing skills: an exploratory classroom research project (2017)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Padmini Bhuyan Boruah
4. Minor Research Project (International sponsor)
British Council English Language Teachers Research Project (ELTReP) on Investigation ELT practitioners' perceptions of Materials Development as an effective CPD activity (2016-17)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Padmini Bhuyan Boruah
5. Minor Research Project (International sponsor)
Hornby Alumni Project on Effective Use of Teaching Materials (2003-04)
Co-Investigator: Padmini Bhuyan Boruah
6. Minor Research Project (International Sponsor)
English Language Teaching Research Mentoring Scheme project on Disciplinary Literacy in Information Technology at the Undergraduate Level (2019-20)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Khamseng Baruah
Co-Investigator: Dr. Parismita Sarma, Department of IT, Gauhati University
The Department believes in creating a healthy and robust research environment through an efficient and dedicated group of researchers and good physical infrastructure by:
The faculty keeps providing training and consultancy services to several state and national level institutions as training and outreach programmes. Some of the key areas that the department has focussed on are:
In addition, the Department has been a part of several English Language Teaching programmes and initiatives undertaken in collaboration with government agencies such as NCERT, SCERT, SSA and RMSA (both now subsumed under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan) as well as private educational agencies.
The Department is soon launching a journal entitled Gauhati University Journal of English Language Teaching (GUJELT). GUJELT is an annual peer reviewed journal that has been conceptualized with the objective of providing a platform for sharing teaching and research experiences among ELT practitioners from around the world. One of the prime objectives of the journal is to encourage ELT teachers and researchers working in Northeast India to carry out quality research and share the outcomes that would contribute to the existing body of research work in ELT. However, the journal will consider any research work that is based on a sound methodology and is found to be relevant to the cause of ELT. Through this journal we aim to contribute to research that shapes the future of ELT.
The Department has a vibrant Alumni Association whose members have been contributing actively to the field of English language teaching. Several alumni are teaching as university and college faculty, and as teachers at higher secondary, secondary and primary schools in both government and private sectors. Graduates of the Department are also engaged as language trainers in various NGOs, language and content writers and editors in private companies, also as entrepreneurs running their own language teaching institutes. The alumni organize various activities relating to the field such as conferences, seminars, webinars, talks and other interactive sessions and events catering to the needs of the discipline. They participate enthusiastically in alumni meets for networking, sharing ideas, showcasing talent and making future plans.
Pictures from recent Alumni Meets:
Department of English Language Teaching (ELT) Gauhati University, Guwahati 781014, Assam Phone : +919864207924 Email : elt@gauhati.ac.in Web : gauhati.ac.in/elt.php
MA (Gauhati) PhD (Gauhati) Fulbright-Nehru Academic & Professional Excellence Fellow (San Diego)
ELT
padminiboruah[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
MA (Pune) MA (Reading) PhD (Gauhati) MPhil (Pune)
ELT
anita[dot]tamuli[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in