In the Zone : Analysis and Verification
4.3.8 A teaching device in educational institutions
Bilingual teaching is already a recognized way of teaching in schools and colleges in many parts of the world today, including Europe, Africa, Australlia and Asia. This system of teaching, followed in bilingual societies, gives the learners a two-way understanding of a given subject. In the Mising society, particularly in the rural areas, the Mising-Assamese bilingual medium is followed for teaching students in schools, particularly in lower classes. This is stated by the following teachers during an interaction on April 15, 2002. They are Iraboti Doley (55), a primary school teacher at Majulipur, Dhanada Pao (52), a primary school teacher at Bahir Jonai, Photik Pegu (43), a high school teacher at Matmora, Dhakuakhana, Ganesh Doley (55), a primary school teacher at Shantipur, and Birkudhar Pao (56), a high school teacher at Laimekuri.
1 Q : Nolu school-lo poraidouém, kapé bujaidon ? (When you teach in school, how do you explain the lesson ?)
2 Iraboti : Ngolu asolote path-dém Ohomiya-pé poribipo:do, odokké édém Mising-pé bhangoni bidoku. (When we teach our students, we first read out the lesson in Assamese, then we translate it into Mising.) 3 : Odopak bulu path dém bujidag. (Then only they understand the
lesson.)
4 Q : Baru, Mising do:lung kolo jodi Mipag mastor ko du:m lo, b kapé bujaiyén ? (Ok, if a non-Mising teacher has to teach in a school situated in a Mising area, how will he teach ?)
5 Iraboti : Ngolum ngoluk prohikhyon-no luy réi tak je oko jégado sakori idoji, édé jégadok local bhasha dém apir-pirnyo:daggom hiki supa:yé jate b édé jati-dok ko:kangém porai douém bulu buji- dopé buluk bhasha lo:sin lubila:dopé. (It is instructed during our training that wherever we serve, we must learn the local language so that the children of that area can be taught in their vernacular language also for their better understanding.)
6 Photik : Class room-ot porhaunte ami Asomiyate porhaun, karon, amar school khon eta Asomiya medium school. (While teaching in the class room, we teach in Assamese because our school is an Assamese medium school).
7 : Kintu jihetu praibur chatro-chatri Mising, teunlukok bhalke bujaboloi ami Mising bhashat kotha khini bujai diun. (But since the majority of the students are Mising, we explain in Mising also in order to make them understand properly.)
8 Ganesh : É:lo, Mipag-Mising anyipak dém lupé idag. (Yes, we have to use both Assamese and Mising)
8 : Émpila iskullo porai douémsin kitapdok agom dém Mising-pé bujai po:pé idak, odokképak édé agom :dém Asomiya-pé lubidoku. (While teaching a particular lesson, we first explain it in
Mising, then we do it again in Assamese)
9 : Odopak bulu édém aiyo:p tatkindakku. (Then only they understand properly.)
10 Jugal : Mising-pé lungapla:ma émdo, akou kapé Mising-pé bujai don? (It has been said that one can’t express his/her feelings in Mising, then how do you teach in Mising?)
11 Ganesh : Lékoném lupé mé:yém lo, Misingo:pé lula:daksin. (Sometimes, if we try we can express in Mishing alone.)
12 : Kintu, ngolu Misingai Mipagai du:lu-du:yar sula du:naména su:pag lulu-luyar supé poridu:né. (But, since the Misings and non- Misings are living mixed, our language has also become mixed.) 13 : Odokké, su:pag Mising kitabém la:lenna Mising-pé iskullo
poraidung, Mising area lok iskul k d :so. (Now the Mising books are written and being taught in the schools of the Mising dominated areas.)
14 : Édé arombhoni he, édé kiman agbarhibo, édém su:pag lula:mada.
(This is only the beginning, it’s too early to say anything about its progress.)
15 Dhanada : Ngolu dan kouém bujai douém, Mising-pé lubipo:do, aro Mising- pé. (While teaching, we first explain the lesson in Mising, in pure Mising.)
16 : Odokképag, édé agom :dém Mipagpé lubidoku, odopak koué agom dém bujidak. (Then the same thing is explained in Assamese, then only, the children understand.)
17 : Émpila, poraidouém Mising pésin lubipa:dak, Mipag pésin lubipa:dak. (Therefore, while teaching, we have to speak Mising as well as Assamese.)
18 Birkudhar: Aru sémpésin idag. (And it happens like this also.)
19 : English subject dém poraidouém akou tinta bhashat kobo logiya
hoi. (While teaching the English subject, we have to use three languages.)
20 : English-dém tu English-pé poriru:bipo:pa:dag, odokké Ohomiya- pé bhangoni bido, odokké akou édém Mising-pé lubipa:dakku.
(Obviously, an English lesson is to be first read out in English, then it is translated into Assamese, then again it has to be explained in Mising.)
21 : Ék mam bulu bujib nna, bujima. (Otherwise, they don’t understand.)
22 : Hindi-r khetrotu eitue hoi. (It is true with Hindi too.)
All the five teachers participating in the above group discussion, teach in primary and high schools in areas where 75%–95% students are from the Mising community.
They have adopted, although unofficially, bilingualism as the teaching tool in pursuit of making the children understand a given topic. They all agree that Mising–
Assamese bilingual teaching is required for proper understanding of the rural children of the Mising dominated areas. The prescribed books are in Assamese except the language subjects on English, Hindi and Mising. While English is a compulsory subject, Hindi is optional in the high school level. Mising is currently taught in the lower classes. English and Hindi are taught trilingually in English or Hindi (as the case may be), Assamese and Mising as Birkudhar Pao who teaches English at the high school level, says in Sentence 19, 20 and 21. On the other direction, Mising is taught bilingually in Mising and Assamese again in order to make the children understand the contents where some newly coined words are also found which require Assamese translation.