Fresh Beginnings in Learner Autonomy with CLIx English! (10.04.2017-14.04.2017)
It’s a bright, sunny day in the hills as I wind my way towards Ramhlun (South) High School. I’m looking forward to talking to the teachers and meeting the students who will embark on the CLIx English journey this year. Coinciding with the Easter weekend, it does indeed portend fresh beginnings!
This is my third visit to Aizawl in 8 months, and it is to initiate the next cycle of research on practices in learner autonomy and language learning. It is the first of many more visits to observe, interact and learn best practices that can help students become independent language learners.
Bright, happy faces and cheeky smiles greeted me as I circulated survey sheets to the students and the teacher called out the questions in Mizo, asking students to tick their answers.
The teacher and the headmaster at Ramhlun receive me in their office with smiles. “Is the CLIx English lab popular with the students?” I ask. “CLIx is great for the students,” they say, “We can see changes in them. They have started speaking up more confidently in class and they look forward to the CLIx lab!”
The first CLIx English lesson (2017-2018) in Bethlehem Vengthlang High School, Aizawl, 12 April 2017
My next visit is to Bethlehem Vengthlang High School and I’m greeted with the same enthusiasm and excitement. “I want our school to be the first to roll out and complete the CLIx modules this year,” says the headmaster. “The students love the lab. They love to speak and record themselves,” says the English teacher, “It is necessary to give students this kind of a space.” She then invites me to observe the CLIx English module roll-out for the new batch!
The teacher at Durtlang High School removed any residual doubts about the popularity of CLIx English when she said that she planned to conduct a workshop with students of neighbouring schools who would come to her school and work on the CLIx modules!
(Nishevita Jayendran, Curriculum Consultant, English team, CLIx)
