• Sonia

  Author

The main purpose of using language is to communicate one’s needs, necessities, feelings,
thoughts and ideas to others (Banu, 2). The last decade or so has been marked by a new
phenomenon called globalization. This has a profound impact on different domains of life such
as social, political and economic. It has also experienced significant changes in the
communication dynamics of the world. English language is the most crucial gear of this new
communication euphoria. English has become the modern lingua franca, i.e. the language of
communication among speakers of other languages. As such, English can help bridge
communication barriers across cultures. English has opened up avenues for many areas such as
means of communication, medicine, agro-business, science, technology, international businesses,
trade, shipping, aviation, sports, research, books, diplomacy, and so on. Its quick wide spreading
also arrived at small rural communities, where life goes around the school and the fields. It is in
this limited space, distant from the great urban centers, that the English language is taught in
rural areas.
Teaching of English in rural or difficult areas is definitely a challenge. It's a challenge in
the sense that all theoretical knowledge acquired as part of ELT training goes haywire in the
classroom. A teacher has to evolve strategies at every step during his/her class. Before I
deliberate on the remedial measures, let us take an overview of the grey areas as far as teaching
of English in rural areas is concerned.

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