19 per cent of IIT Madras freshers fail in English test : RTI

Deccan Chronicle: Chennai: Thursday, 30 October 2014.

About 19 per cent of first year students at IIT Madras (IIT-M) failed in the English proficiency test conducted this year. Of the 1,310 first year B.Tech, B.Tech (dual), M.Tech and M.Sc students, 239 failed to clear the test.  

In a reply to an RTI application filed by this correspondent, IIT-M’s registrar and public information officer V.G. Bhooma said that the institute administered the test on August 20 to 1,310 students, of which 1,071 managed to score over 35 per cent marks to pass the test.

All IITs conduct English proficiency test to identify students who face difficulty in English language skills and help them with an additional course in it in the first semester. The exam, which mostly has objective-type questions and an essay, tests the student’s skill in grammar and vocabulary.

Prof. V.G. Idichandy, former deputy director and professor emeritus at IIT-M’s ocean engineering department, said that students tend to focus more on subjects like mathematics, physics and chemistry as the joint entrance exam (advanced) had questions from these subjects. He lamented that they did not concentrate much on languages at the school level. “Coaching centres too don’t teach languages; so, the IITs conduct the test and help students develop their English language skills,” he said.

A B.Tech student at IIT-M said that it was only maths, physics and chemistry that mattered for admission, not only in the IITs, but in other universities too. “Schools too give less priority to languages. When I was in school most of the language classes were taken either by a science or maths teacher and we were asked to memorise the lessons,” he said.

According to R. Rajan, student mentor at FIITJEE, students from top schools did not face a problem in languages on which focus was given, but coaching centres taught only maths, physics and chemistry.

However, to help students cope with the English language, IIT-M conducts a 40-hour course that focuses on grammar and writing to enhance students’ competence in communication.

“Actual remediation is achieved through hands-on practice in core grammar areas, using situational communicative activities, like role plays and simulations. Multimedia is used extensively to invigorate the sessions and motivate learners,” Mr Bhooma said.