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Starting strong: Enhancing English competence in disadvantaged early learners in India

Written by: Sonika Parashar
8 min read
SONIKA PARASHAR, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES (TEACHER EDUCATION), AZIM PREMJI UNIVERSITY, INDIA Introduction Despite early access to English-medium education under India’s Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009, many children from disadvantaged backgrounds struggle to attain proficiency in English. A closer look at the content and strategies used to teach English to these learners finds that they are unrelated to learners’ social context and include minimal opportunity to use the language. Responding to this research gap, this article explores effective early interventions and teaching strategies for enhancing basic communicative competence in English among learners from disadvantaged backgrounds in India. Focusing on early childhood learners at a private school in North Delhi, India, the study aimed to develop context-sensitive teaching strategies and assess their effectiveness. Thirty learners were selected through convenience sa

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