• Mohd. Mahib ur Rahman

  Author

Rationale for the Study  
The rationale for the study is primarily based on certain fundamental considerations of the socio economic characteristics of the target group. Most of the time, it happens that language teaching  done in colleges seems to be losing significance simply for the reasons beyond the control of the  variables that are local to the target area of language teaching: teacher, learner, curriculum and resources. The teaching is simply not effective since the wants, needs and lacks go unnoticed or underrepresented. Rather language teaching is meant to be one-size-fits-all approach and it is actually distanced from the socio-cultural and contextual realities in which it takes place. Hence teaching done in colleges does not provide enough opportunities for learners’ needs. Even when teacher puts in a serious effort for good teaching for a purposeful end, it is sometimes good but not effective. Hardly any studies are available to explore these connections; in fact no such studies are specifically available in the region confirming this connection. As a result of this reflection, language teaching is a highly decontextualized activity. Moreover, it is the teacher who is expected to perform magic and wonders in classroom. As for any serious effort to sensitize teachers, most of the educational institutions have no region-specific or need-based program. As part of this investigation the study involves analysis of learners’ needs. No attempt is made in this study to formulate any theoretical construct. A very simple rationale is used to report the state’s educational and ELT policies and a review of theoretical approaches to needs analysis keeping in view survey findings based on learners’ needs analysis.

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