Guv: Help students develop English communication skills

Governor P Sathasivam on Thursday sought to give prominence to the use of English language as a means of communication, saying this aspect had a greater relevance than flawl

KOCHI: Governor P Sathasivam on Thursday sought to give prominence to the use of English language as a means of communication, saying this aspect had a greater relevance than flawless pronunciation. 
He was inaugurating the 12th International and 48th Annual ELTAI Conference, co-organised by ELTAI (English Language Teachers’ Association of India) and the Department of English and Centre for Research, St Teresa’s College here.

P Sathasivam
P Sathasivam


“English is a lingua franca and it is a language spoken in over 60 countries and one which expands its vocabulary constantly. The focus must be on helping students develop effective communication skills in English,” Sathasivam said.  He urged students to read English language dailies to explore the vastness of the language. 


“During my college days, I was the sole student who subscribed to an English language newspaper in hostel. This helped me improve my understanding of the language,” he said. Sathasivam also released the conference proceedings and ELTAI journal.  A P M Mohammed Hanish IAS, chairman and managing director, Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation, who delivered the presidential address, said the theme of three-day conference,’English Language Acquisition: Western Theories and Eastern Practices’, is meant to promote English language teaching and learning.


The annual report was read out by K Elango, national secretary, ELTAI.  G A Ghanshyam Iyengar, national president, ELTAI presented an overview of the conference. Mei-Kwei Barker, Director, British Council, South India and Bradley Horn of Regional English Language Office at the US Embassy offered felicitations.  Tessy Anthony C, faculty member, St Teresa’s College and Uma Sivaraman, joint secretary, ELTAI were present.

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