Know how studying engineering in mother tongue will help students – Times of India

With the Ministry of Education preparing a roadmap on imparting technical education in the mother tongue, students who have studied in regional languages will not face obstacles in their career advancement. However, for the higher educational institutions, it is a mammoth task which requires effective implementation.

“Translating learning resources including reference materials in regional languages is the way forward,” says Virendra Kumar Tewari, director, IIT Kharagpur. “The IITs have already started working with the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) towards AI-based multilingual translation of the learning resources of various engineering subjects. These resources can be made available as class notes and also in the library.”

Machine translation of quality content

In fact, AICTE’s newly developed automated translation tool has made it possible for the Council to initiate translation of the first year and second-year engineering courses in eight regional languages including Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, to mention a few. “The tool requires only 5% human input and can easily translate formulae and equations. Presently, Swayam courses are being machine translated to provide quality content to engineering students, specially from the underprivileged sections who maybe bright but lack fluency in English and suffer from an inferiority complex. The translated works will empower them and provide a more enabling environment to pursue higher education,” AICTE chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe tells Education Times. The concept of engineering courses in regional languages is not new, since Rajasthan has been providing Engineering diploma in Hindi and in Tamil Nadu it has been provided in Tamil. “Before Independence and until 1950s, Engineering was also taught in Urdu in some institutes,” he adds.


The larger picture


V Ramgopal Rao, IIT Delhi director, has a different take on the regional language issue. In an earlier social media post Rao had pointed out that having an entire degree course in mother tongue might be the beginning of the end of IITs. Speaking to Education Times, he elaborates, “About 100 students every year join IIT Delhi after clearing their JEE Advanced examination in Hindi. The institute provides them all possible language support with the help of senior students and faculty who are conversant in Hindi. They are also provided English language support to help them easily understand their lectures. Within 6 months to one year, all these students improve their English language skills and finally do as well as any other candidates. They also go on to do very well in their careers and make a name for themselves.”

Rao believes that JEE Advanced examination can be offered in various regional languages and some IITs, depending on the availability of faculty and other resources, can offer bridge courses in a specific local language. “The goal is to eventually move these candidates to the regular programmes. IIT curriculum, unlike other places, heavily integrates research and innovation components into the regular classroom instruction. A lot of peer learning also happens on the campus, because of the residential nature of these campuses. By just translating a few textbooks into local languages, one will not be able to provide the same learning environment for these students as that of regular students.”

Emphasising that all research material is available only in English, he adds further, even the top Chinese and Japanese researchers publish their best quality research in English journals. “For those seeking to pursue higher studies in top US Universities, GRE needs to be taken which is offered only in English. The IITs, through their Senates, will be happy to work with the Ministry of Education to ensure that various language provisions of NEP are implemented in the higher education sector without a dilution of quality.”


Language aids for better learning outcomes


To uphold the quality of learning at the IITs, Tewari recommends setting up of regional language hubs at technical institutes that can bring together students requiring language aids. “These hubs can be structured depending upon the composition of students from various regions or those facing a barrier in English communication, and the availability of teachers with regional language proficiency.”

“AI-based real-time translation aids which students can wear during the classes and listen to the classroom lectures in their preferred language can also help address the language barrier. Similar technological aids are already in use even in the Indian Parliament,” he says.

Setting high standards with mother tongue


According to Tewari, engineering courses when indigenised, will not hamper the quality of education at the IITs nor their positions in the global rankings. “Mother tongue education is popular in most non-English speaking countries such as Germany, France, Russia, Japan etc. In China, there are eight languages for imparting education. All of these countries maintain high standards, rather they set international standards.”

“Till date, many students have suffered academically due to mandatory educational communication in the English language that disrupted the process of learning. But when explained in regional languages, especially mother tongue, grabbing the concepts becomes fairly easy for them. This can be observed in practical classes and labs where the lab instructors often form a close relationship with the students and communicate with them in the languages known to the students. Even some teachers adopt this approach outside the classroom to clear students’ confusions and doubts,” Tewari concludes.