Learning And The Learner: A Critical Overview

Abstract

earning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organised, specifically human psychological function-Vygotsky(1978,p-90)

The educational system at the UG Level stands walled in by the constraints of a theory based examination system,. paucity of  skilled facilitators, skewed teacher -learner ratio and a classroom filled with a variegation of individuals and individualities. Given the limitations of such a context, it becomes a matter of grave conjecture if objectives such as development of communicative competence or outcome   based learning become a mere cosmetic enterprise. Superadded to this is the issue of pragmatic encumbrances faced by the teacher in terms of transforming a classroom into a constructive and productive language room-an issue that compounded at the UG level given the extent of differences found within the learning atmosphere and the time bound semester system which gives the teacher little or no time to juggle curricular and pan-curricular activities.  Matters get compounded when the content of the text book gets tangentially different from the culture of the average learner .The politics of power subtly and in a very innocuous manner steals its way into the curriculum, level of transaction and the classroom culture-ultimately influencing the quality and  level of learning and having a determinable effect on the learners  ability of imbibing the skills of social interaction  and developing personal communicative competence.