C I I L

Geographically Orissa can be divided into two parts, the coastal plains and the hilly region which lies to the west. The alluvial plain along the coast had been the home of settled population while the hilly region was the home of aboriginal tribes. Even now Orissa is a highly tribal populated state with as many as sixty two tribes belonging to three ethnic groups. The tribes constitute 22.21% of the state's population (1991 census). The tribes has influenced the history and culture of the state to a very great extent. There are good grounds to believe that Orissan culture which developed in a broader Indian framework has assimilated folk and tribal cultural elements all along its very long history.

The tribes of Orissa are the indigenous autoethonous people of the land. They had long settled in different parts of the state before driven inside the hilly areas by the Aryans. With the pressure of a superior social and techno-economic organisation of Indo-Aryans the indigenous tribes were obliged to move bit by bit into remote areas, the relatively more inaccessible regions of forests and hills. Along side this process the process of integration and assimilation into non-tribal language and culture went on simultaneously. There were inter tribal language assimilation's and borrowing as well as borrowing to and from the language of the mainstream, i.e., Oriya, Telugu, Hindi and Bengali, depending upon the area it was spoken. For example, Desia, Bhuyan, Bhatri, Jharia, Matia were influenced by southern Oriya dialects. Kondhan, Laria, Bhulia, Aghria were influenced by Western Oriya dialect. Kurmi, Santali, Bathudi were influenced by Northern Oriya and South Western Bengali dialect. Sadri was influenced by Hindi and Oriya, Binjhia was influenced by Chattisgarhi and Hindi dialects.

According to 1991 census, Orissa ranks second in the number of tribal groups residing in the state. In Arunachal Pradesh there are ninety-eight types of tribes found whereas in Orissa there are sixty two tribal groups found. There are 90,32,214 tribals staying in Orissa according to 1991 census. Among the tribes, Konds rank the highest in number. Juang according to 1991 census, are still backward. The following tribes are found in Orissa (1) Dongria Kond (2) Gond, (3) Santali (4) Kolh (5) Sora / Savara (6) Munda / Lohra (7) Paraja (8) Bhatoda (9) Kisan (10) Oran (11) Bhuyan (12) Bhumija (13) Bathudi (14) Khaira (15) Koya (16) Bimjhal (17) Bhumiya (18) Sa u ti (19) Gadaba (20) Ho (21) Juang (22) Mundari (23) Mirdha (24) Kutia Kond (25) Amantya (26) Dal, (27) Konda (Gauda), (28) Kond (Dhora) (29) Holabha (30) Mahali (31) Matia (32) Banjara (33) Kolha / Lohra, (34) Dharu (35) Penthia (36) Bhunjia (37) Kora (38) Kawar, (39) Jatapu (40) Bijia (41) Lodha (42) Bond Paraj (43) Kulis (44) Parenga (45) Kol (46) Didayi (47) Koli / Malhar (48) Bagata (49) Gondia (50) Kharwar (51) Rajur (52) Korua (53) Desua Bhumaj (54) Tharua (55) Baiga (56) Ghara (57) Mankidia (58) Madia (59) Mankidi (60) Birhor (61) Chenchu (62) Unspecified. (Source: The Samaj, Oct. 31, 2004 ).

There are almost forty four tribal languages found in Orissa. Many tribal languages died in course of time as they could not develop. The tribal languages of Orissa belong to the IndoAryan, Dravidian and Munda family.

Indo-Aryan family : Among the Indo-Aryan family, languages such as Desia, Bhuyan, Batri, Jharia, Matia, Kondhan, Laria, Bhulia, Aghria, Kurmi, Sounti, Bathudi, Sadri, Binjhia, Banjara, Baiga, Bhunjia, Halbi are found.

Dravidian family - Tribal languages such as Parji (Dharua) Koya, Kui (Kond-Kutia / Dongria) Konda, (Kubi), Konda (Dora), Ollari (Gadaba), Kurukh / Oraon, Gondi (Gond), Madia, Kuvi (Kond, Jatapu), Pengu (Pengo, Kond) Kisan form the Dravidian group.

Munda group - Tribal languages such as Gata (Didayi) Gutob (Gdaba), Juang, Koda, Birhor (Mankidia), Mundairi (Mundari / Munda), Santali, Sora (Sora, Lanjia, Juray, Arsi) Gorum (Parenga) Remo (Bonda), Kharia (Kharia/ Mirdha), Korwa, Bhumija, Ho (Ho / Kolha), Mahili (Mahali) form the Munda group.

All these tribal languages do not have the equal status. Some languages have fewer numerical strength of the speakers (for example - Birhor has 825 speakers, Kui has 11,40,374 speakers according to 1991 census) Some of the tribes like Juang are still primitive. Some of these languages like Sora, Santali, Ho, Kui have their own script, richness of oral literary tradition, influences of Oriya and prevalence of bi-lingualism. Some tribes use Oriya dialects at inter-tribal level. As a result, tribal languages are new treated as major or minor, autonomous or semi-autonomous, pure or pidgin variety, literary or non-literary, recognizable or ignorable varieties.

Mahapatra (1997) found out that Bonda, Oraon have definite tribal identity; whereas languages like Desia, Sadri etc. have no particular community affiliation but function at inter-community level as lingua franca. Some of the tribes such as Lodha, Mirdha, Bhumia, Jatapu, Bagata, Pentia, Some sections of Gond etc. do not have distinctive linguistic identity. Some tribes like Mahali, Kond Kisan etc. have only dialectal distinction from autonomous languages like Santali, Kui-Kuvi, Kurukh etc. Some of the tribes have scattered settlements in different regions under the same tribe name use different languages e.g. Kond, Sora living elsewhere outside Koraput, Ganjam and Phulbani districts use Oriya dialects. In some cases the names of the tribe and the name of their language are different e.g., Dharua speak Parji, Kolha speak Ho, Gadaba speak Gutob or Ollari, Kondh speak Kui or Kuvi or Konda. Larger tribes like Kond, Sora have several subgroups as there are Desia, Kutia, Dongria, Pengo, Jatapu Konds and Lanjia / Jury / Arsi / Sudha soras and each of these sub groups speak a distinct dialect of the languages.

The education of the tribals was neglected before independence although some Christian missionaries with Proselytization as their main objectives did some work for their education as the main instrument for their upward mobility and status equalisation. Article 46 of Indian constitution under Directive Principles of State Policy deals with status equalisation of tribal. Article 29(9) also speaks of the cultural and educational rights to conserve its language, script and culture as the fundamental right of the tribals. This article do not speak of the right to mother tongue education.

The three languages formula (TLF) was originally proposed by Central Advisory Board of Education in 1957, accepted by the conference of Chief Ministers in 1961, modified by the Education Commission headed by Kothari in 1966, voted by the Parliament and incorporated into National Policy in education in 1968. It was expected that anyone who complete secondary education must be atleast a trilinguad as the government had realised the advantages one gets in being a multilingual. This three language formula consists of one modern Indian languages normally the official or dominant language of the state for regional identity, English for international identity and Hindi for national identity. In lieu of Hindi sometimes a classical language like Sanskrit is also taught. In Orissa, Oriya, English, Hindi / Sanskrit are taught in secondary schools under this policy. The tribal students of Orissa have to go through the same system.

It is seen because of this language planning (among other reasons), the rate of school drop outs among tribals in Orissa is alarmingly high. A survey by Ministry of HRD reports that whereas in the year (1999-2000) there were a total of 1,018,000 in the age group of 6-11 years school going tribal children in Orissa, there were only 199,000 in the age of 11-14 years. The enrolment rate (1999-2000) of ST children with total population in 6-11 years was 99.69% and 11-14 years was only 41.13%. This shows that the tribal children feels demotivated to pursue secondary education and dropout.

The promoters of mother tongue medium of education like Kangas 1999 are of opinion that in the initial phases of mother tongue medium education leads to greater second language competence and helps school achievement because the children do not lose content while learning the second language. Mother tongue medium education will also ensure tribal children to maintain and develop their mother tongue at a native speaking level. It will help the society by promoting pluralism and mutual understanding and by ensuring that tribals gain access to linguistic and educational pre-requisites for social economic and political integration. Language maintenance is promoted or at least protected by the language policy in administration and in education (Annamalai, 2001). Tribal languages can be maintained only if these are promoted, developed and used for administrative and educational purposes. The National Policy of Education (1986) has given special place to education of the scheduled tribes. It emphasis on the need to develop the curricula and devise instructional materials in tribal languages at the initial stages with arrangements for switching over to the regional languages.

The initial mother tongue education of the tribals will definitely have a positive impact on tribal education in Orissa. It will motivate many children to study, as they will not have to learn an alien language like Oriya from the 1 st day of school. The government of Orissa had introduced few books in O'l Chikki script in Santali language in late 1990s in twenty nine Santali dominated tribal schools of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts. But this mission could not last long as the native Santali speaking teachers employed in these schools initially got transferred soon after their confirmation and got replaced by non-Santals speaking teachers.

The tribal educational system needs total rethinking in the line of language planning and in mother tongue medium education as a major for their upward upliftment.

What should be the languages of education in a multi-tribal lingual state like Orissa? Whether there should be a common language to be taught in all tribal schools or different languages for different tribal schools?. What should be the language in a multilingual set up like in tribal schools at Bhubaneswar , where children from different tribal community are studying.
If few tribal languages are choosen for education, wont' there be violation of human rights of the speakers of other tribal languages?
What should be the scripts?
At what stage the switching over from mother tongue to regional language to take place?
What language policy should be adopted for tribal children studying in non-tribal schools i.e., with the mainstream?
What should be the teaching methods and materials?
How to train teachers? If they are transferred, whether the new teachers have to go through training prior to posting in tribal schools? Whether only tribal teachers be posted in the tribal schools?

These issues need to be looked into carefully for formulating of a new language policy for the tribal children of Orissa. As the tribals constitute a substantial part of the state, their mother tongue must be maintained, developed and be used in education so that they become at par with the mainstream.

Annnamalai, E. (2001). Managing multilingualism in India : Political and Linguistic manifestation: New Delhi : Sage.
Kangas, T.S. (1999) Education of minorities. In Fishman, J.A. (1999) Ed. Handbook of language and Ethnic identity, New York : OUP.
The Indian Child: A profile, 2002, Department of Women and Child Development, Ministry of HRD.
Census of India , 1991
Mahapatra, K. (1997) Tribal languages of Orissa. In Tribal language and culture ATDC.
The Samaj, Oct. 31, 2004 .

SUMMARY

English, once a colonial language has captured the world market to-day. Infact, it has become the international link language and the most powerful language, the official language of UN. It has become imperative to learn and master this language in order to compute for better job opportunity around the globe.

India is a multilingual country with four distinct language families found. In most of the schools (regional language medium), English is taught as a second language and only as a subject carrying 100/200 marks only. The students do not get opportunity to read classical English literature nor get exposed to spoken-English. As a result, most of them lack the proficiency in English which is desired from a secondary school passed out. As a consequence, when at college and University level suddenly the medium of instruction changes from regional language to English and these regional language medium students have to compete with the English (ICSE, CBSE) medium students they face tremendous difficulties. Only the bright ones come with flying colours, the mass suffer. They not because they lack 1. Q. to understand the specific subjects like Physics or History, but they are not able to express themselves properly in English language. Something happens at the competitive examinations like civil services. Oriya medium students too suffer. Although the present study is in Orissa with Oriya medium students, its results and applications can be extended to Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Punjabi etc. medium school students too.

The main objectives of this work is to see whether there are actually any marked differences in English language skills and proficiency between English medium urban students and urban and rural Oriya medium students. If there are, what could be the reasons - whether the Oriya medium schools follow a faculty teaching methodology or a faculty syllabus structure or both? What could be the remedy? It tries to give some remedial suggestions at various levels- such as changing teaching methodology, syllabus, teachers training and in administrative measures, so that regional language medium students are at par with English medium students. Because the country's growth depends upon the total growth of all the students.

The book is divided into six chapters. Chapter one is the introduction. It contains briefly the background of English in India and in Orissa, the background of the present study, English language teaching methods and setting of English language teaching Institute at Bhubaneswar . Review of the earlier literature, goal of the present study, hypothesis, methodology etc.

Chapter two deals with selection of samples, questionnaire and collection of data. It gives the sample profile taking various socio-physiological variables into account The samples are from class X students of English medium urban schools, Oriya medium rural schools and Oriya medium urban schools of equal number of boys and girls. It also speaks of the teacher's sample. The questionnaire for teachers is to see their attitude towards English language teaching. The questionnaire for students covered all the skill test (Listening comprehension, writing comprehension and reading comprehension) Speaking comprehension test was intentionally omitted as it was felt that when they are poor in grammar, writing and listening, their speaking skill definitely be poor.

Chapter III deals with the evaluation and analysis of all the skills among Oriya and English medium students. The results were tabulated and comparisons are shown in coloured graphs.

Chapter IV deals with the comparative study of the teaching methodologies in general and those adopted in English medium and Oriya medium schools.

Chapter V defines various types of language syllabus exist in modern language classes. Then it compares the syllabus of English medium ICSE schools with Oriya medium schools to find the vast difference in the courses and study. Materials, which is basically affecting the language skills of Oriya medium students.

Chapter Six is the concluding chapter which speaks about the summary of the results, implications of the study, suggestions, comments and conclusion.