College Principals and Spoken English

It's reported most of the candidates, who are likely to be no lesser persons than associate professors at college or university levels, appearing at interview for college principals at College Service Commission have fared badly in verbal communication in English.They often stumbled or felt ill at ease while speaking in English.Incidentally,many of them have brilliant academic records and presented research papers at conferences or delivered lectures at learned gathering at home and aboard.In fact, there's no element of surprise in this matter.Nor does it mean they don't know English.May be, many of them can write excellent English rather. For fluency in speaking a foreign language regular practice is necessary.In respect of fluency in spoken English students of English medium schools have certainly edge over their counter parts from Bengali medium ones because the former learn spoken English from primary levels. . In our state in most of the average colleges subjects are taught in Bengali though many students write answers in English in examinations.In fact, students in classes like to be taught in Bengali as they can follow the subject matter better in mother tongue.Even the Honours students find it difficult to follow lectures in English.So teachers hardly find scope for teaching in English, which could help them improve their English speaking ability.When these teachers deliver lectures at seminar most of them read the matter out from their written scripts or recite the matter after repeated cramming at home. In question-answer session they reply more in 'broken' than in spoken English.However, there're exceptions too.What's actually needed is spoken English be made compulsory at primary level as proposed by Education minister Bratya Bose.But who'll teach spoken English at primary levels?However, it's a problem that can be sorted out by the education department.