Tips on how to prepare ‘Language I and Language II’ for CTET 2016

Paper I of CTET exam carries 150 multiple choice questions (MCQs). Following are the major contents, each having same weightage (20 %):

i.Child Development and Pedagogy

ii.Language I

iii.Language II

iv.Mathematics

v.Environmental Studies

Language I and language II

Language is a cognition that truly makes us human. Candidates can select any two languages from the options of Languages (English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Garo, Gujarati, Kannada, Khasi, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Mizo, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan, Urdu) offered for CTET. One cannot select the same language for both the sections Language I and Language II.

Language I focuses on proficiency related to the medium of instruction, so, one should choose a language as Language-I that you know very well. On the other hand, the focus of Language II remains on elements (an abstract part of something) of language, communication and comprehensive abilities etc. Hence, normally the Language-II may be the second Language we taught till our childhood.

Language Comprehension involves a variety of capacities, skills, processes, knowledge, and dispositions that are used to derive meaning from spoken, written, and signed language. On the other hand, Language development is the process by which children come to understand and communicate language during early childhood.
Language I is divided into two parts:
(a) Language Comprehension (15 questions):

Reading unseen passages – two passages one prose or drama and one poem with questions on comprehension, inference, grammar and verbal ability (Prose passage may be literary, scientific, narrative or discursive)

(b)Pedagogy of Language Development (15 questions)

• Learning and acquisition
• Principles of language Teaching
• Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool
• Critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form
• Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders
• Language Skills
• Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing
• Teaching- learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom
• Remedial Teaching

Language II also has two parts:

(a)Comprehension (15 Questions)

 Two unseen prose passages (discursive or literary or narrative or scientific) with question on comprehension, grammar and verbal ability

(b)Pedagogy of Language Development (15 Questions)

• Learning and acquisition

• Principles of language Teaching

• Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool

• Critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form;

• Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders

• Language Skills

• Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing

• Teaching – learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom

• Remedial Teaching

CTET February 2016: Quiz set 1

Strategies for preparation:

•Selection of languages is very important. As already mentioned, Languages I and II focus on proficiency and abstracts, respectively.

•The choice of Language-1 should be a language whose fundamentals are clear and known to the candidate and candidates have a regular practice of the language-1. Generally, Hindi or regional language is preferred as Language-1.

•Generally, the Language-II may be the second Language we taught in our primary school. For Hindi medium school students, language II may be English, for English medium schools, one can go for Hindi or regional language, for other regional-medium, you may choose English or Hindi,

•To have command of fundamentals one should practice a lot to improve proficiency.

•Grammatically, you should be strong (especially for language II).

•Attempt online tests and previous year’s question papers to improve proficiency.

•Apart from subject preparations, time management and planning are also very important.

All the best for examination.

CTET February 2016: How to prepare Child development and pedagogy