LESSON - 1 (Learning to Write)

(a) Writing is perhaps the most difficult of all the most difficult of all the language skills,even seasoned (experienced) writers have to make drafts of what they wish to convey before they are satisfied. Most of us are simply scared of pen and paper yet, there is not getting away from writing. Whether we want to remember, convey, or correct something, it is best to put it down in black and white. Anyone who can write is looked upon with respect in our society.

(b) If you want to apply for a job, you must write out your curriculum vitae as well as a covering letter. Now-a-days recruitment agencies prefer that applicants wrote an essay in their own handwriting because it is believed that writing reveals your true personality traits, such as sincerity, commitment, attitude and social responsibility. In fact, handwriting is as individual as fingerprints.

(c) Yet, instruction in writing has generally consisted of providing students with models of good writing and letting them muddle (make way 'confuse state of mind , / , ) their way through. This is a long and tedious ( , , ) process and students are generally left to their own devices. Teachers only perform the task of 'correcting' and 'grading'. Some of the students gamely struggle on, but most just drop by the wayside ( , , ).

(d) First of all, most of us think we know our feelings, ideas and subject, but it is only when we sit down to write that we relize how muddled ( ) our thoughts are, so, in a very

important sense, free writing helps us clarify our thoughts, In addition, when we write for ourselves and not to please, imress, or convince others, we tend to be more honest and open.

LESSON - 2 (Learning can be Fun)

(1) The time we realised that an average child is not interested in all of these subjects. We have to come across a child who is not happy to get a 'free period'. When childredn are coaxed ( ) graded, and forced into learning they turn out to be indifferent scholars who scrape through school and college and become dull office workers, uncreative teachers, medicore engineers, and unimaginative factory managers. (2) There is a mistaken notion (thinking) that learning takes place only within a structured school framework. Unschooled people like tribals ( ) have more knowledge about plant life, herbs, trees, animal behaviour and so on than the botanist ( ) or zoologist ( ) . Illitrate village folks ( ) have immense knowledge about growing crops, domesticating animals, weaving and house building. Children in such societies acquire the skills and knowledge for survival by observing and participating in these activities.

(3) Today's students know a lot. One has to just look at the quiz competitions. But they understand little and feel much less. They have mastered the art of debating ( ), declaiming ( ranging from communalism ( , ) and recting on a variety of usual ) & gender justice ( ), nuclear ). But

disarmament ( ) , and ozone depletion (reduction, once they are off stage, they stop carring about the issue they just debated.

(4) Learning is a process - sometimes tedious, sometimes exciting, sometimes frustating and sometimes fulfilling. But today we are in amad rush to reach the top, to suceed, to leave others behind. Schools, as a microcosm ( ) of society, are also cought in the competition. They compete with each other for more medals, more trophies and more recognition. The casualty of such competition is children learning.