Teaching - Learning Space

Word of the Year 2024: A Reflection Through Language As we stand on the brink of 2025, it’s fascinating to see how words capture the essence of our collective experiences. Words don’t just live in dictionaries; they thrive in our minds and conversations, as Virginia Woolf aptly remarked: "Words are the wildest, freest, most irresponsible, most unteachable of all things... they do not live in dictionaries; they live in the mind." Each year, the selection of a “Word of the Year” reflects more than mere popularity—it tells a story of societal change and the zeitgeist of the moment. Let’s explore 2024’s most celebrated words and a few new entries that have reshaped our vocabulary: Word of the Year 2024 🗨️ Merriam-Webster : Polarization A term both sides of the political spectrum agree on, capturing the divisive yet defining debates of our times. 🗨️ Oxford : Brain rot A phrase emblematic of the dangers of excessive virtual life and how we utilize our free time. 🗨️ Collins Dicti...

English Language Speaking Anxiety Among Sri Lankan Student s According to the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Sinhala and Tamil are designated as the National Languages of the country, while English serves as the link language (Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka - Chapter IV - Language, n.d.) . Furthermore, the Constitution affirms that “a person shall be entitled to be educated through the medium of either of the National Languages: Provided that the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to an institution of higher education where the medium of instruction is a language other than a National Language.” This provision ensures linguistic inclusivity in state-funded higher education while offering flexibility for universities to provide courses in multiple languages. Consequently, undergraduates are often required to use English for various purposes within universities, given its status as both a global and academic lang...

Role of a Teacher Last Monday, I had a very nice discussion with one of my colleagues about the role of a teacher. This conversation inspired me to write about my personal opinion on the subject. Teacher/Lecturer From a pragmatic perspective, the word "teacher" typically refers to someone who educates school-aged learners, whereas "lecturer" denotes a person who delivers specialized content to undergraduates. However, both these referential nouns can be broadly identified as educators (using educators as an umbrella term that includes teachers, lecturers, and others in similar roles). It is commonly understood that an educator's role is to educate or teach. But is that their main role? As a practitioner in the field, I believe, the role of a teacher is to create an environment where students feel motivated and engaged in the learning process. This enables students to develop a genuine desire to learn. The responsibility of an educator goes far beyond simply deli...