Nescience Built on Overemphasis on Science Subjects: Writing Answers in Incomplete Sentences

Abstract

It is often a common tendency to write the correct answers in specific words or phrases without completing the sentences. Students often write answers alone, without completing the sentence and think that the answer is complete. The over emphasis on subjects like Maths and Science have created a notion inside the minds of the students that there is a particular answer for a question and the answers fetch marks. The way English is taught, which is no different from the ‘subjects’, make it difficult for the students to understand the difference between a language especially when it is not their regional language and the subjects. Also, the close ended questions and the lack of knowledge in using grammar and other structural aspects of language make students feel that only the answers are required. Thus students lack the inability to write the answers in a complete sentence and tend to think that English is also a subject. This paper titled ‘Nescience Built on Overemphasis on Science Subjects: Writing Answers in Incomplete Sentences’ tries to address the inability of students to write or tell answers in complete sentences, explaining about the reasons and the way such ideas are brought into their heads.

Keywords: Incomplete answers- emphasis on science subjects – ‘English’ as a subject- lack of knowledge on structural aspects of the language.

Nescience Built on Overemphasis on Science Subjects: Writing Answers in Incomplete Sentences  

The Collins English dictionary defines nescience as ignorance. There is already an attitude built up among students towards English. Apart from this, the students often ignore English as it is a lighter subject and easy to write answers since answers are to be found out from stories and not something which is purely a theory.

From the experience of the investigator it is found that students write or respond to a question in just one word or phrases, thinking that the answer is complete. The students think that it is enough for the answers and that will fetch them more marks. The idea that points are not what is important in language has not been absorbed by the students. Also the inability to perceive English as a language and seeing it as a ‘subject’ is also a reason that resulted in this.  

Generally, the two kinds of questions are open ended and close ended. In Science and Maths, the questions that a student usually faces are factual questions and close ended questions. In Literature, the questions are more subjective and open ended. More than this, there are objective, short answer and long answer questions. Usually in Science and Maths, the questions are objective type or a question where one has to find a solution using the appropriate steps which again is a particular answer. In Literature, even when short answer questions are asked, it is expected from the students to respond to the question in a complete sentence or sentences so as to form a paragraph. Discourses like letter, notice, dairy entry, essay, narrative comes under the longer answer questions where the students are expected to answer in long paragraphs, where sentences are framed properly and paragraphs are arranged in a proper manner to form a meaningful comprehension of the idea. It is not expected to write the points in such long answers as the points are not the ones which are expected. One reason for this is that there is no particular correct points for a long answer question since the nature of the questions are subjective and the students are expected to  justify their opinions regarding a topic. Another reason for this is that the students are required to bring in ideas using grammatically correct sentences so that they will learn to construct sentences as much as they can and to develop their writing skills and the language as a whole.

 English is not a subject like science. Though it is taught in Schools, it is a language and language can only be developed through speaking, reading and writing. As far as a language is concerned, especially a language which is not a regional language, the questions and exams are often framed in such a way that the language skills of a student are tested. Also, Literature aims at bringing up students with the ability to think critically, form opinions and to justify their opinions through such questions.

While writing answers in exams and while answering questions in classrooms, students just say the answer, the phrase or the word without completing the sentence as if it is science subject. Sometimes that is not corrected by the teacher also. Sometimes, even after getting half of the marks for their answers which are correct but not complete, the students repeat this mistake. For questions like ‘When does Juniale go for a picnic to the forest?’, the answer that a child writes is ‘During Christmas holidays’ instead of writing ‘Juliane goes for a picnic to the forest during Christmas holidays’.

One of the reasons for this is that students don’t have proper knowledge on grammar, sentence structure, tense forms etc. The structural items are not taught as earlier nowadays. In exams also, especially in State Board exams, the questions based on grammar are very less.  Therefore the syntax is taken very lightly both by the teachers and the students and it makes it difficult for the students to write a complete sentence by using proper verbs, auxiliary verbs and other parts of speech in English. It is very difficult for them to construct a single sentence and so, often ends up writing the proper answer for a question in one word or a phrase and leave it. Lack of knowledge about how to answer to a question using the words in the question itself and lack of knowledge in tense forms make it difficult for the students to write answers in complete sentences. Students are not aware of how to answer when questions have ‘does’ and how to change the verb when it has ‘did’ in it. The students are not asked to write answers in the classrooms in order to practice the way how they should answer to the questions because of lack of time in the academic year.  Also, even if given it as homework, the students copy it from guides or any other books which make the job easy for them but hinder them from learning and practicing the way to write answers. There are often a number of words written in answers but no sentences in their answer sheets. Sometimes even while responding to questions in the classroom also they shout the one word answers which becomes the part of habit of how they respond to the questions.

 Also the students often write it as points and not in a complete sentences or paragraphs. This comes from the attitude that it is the number of points that fetch marks and not the language. This attitude is the result of writing answers and practicing it in subjects like Social science, Science and Maths. In these subjects, even for the long answer type questions, the students are instructed and expected to write the answers as points as the examination on such subjects focus on checking whether the students have comprehended the idea or the concept. When all the subjects expect the language are written so, it dominates in the collective unconscious of the students and it becomes a normal practice that the students follow the same in Language too.

Emphasis on science subjects also adds to this attitude among the students. Often in schools, a lot of periods are allotted for subjects like science and Maths because of the lengthy syllabus. The nature of subjects also adds to this because in a subject like Maths, students may take a lot of time to understand the way of solving the problem.  The answers to the questions in these subjects are often written alone just like in ‘four’ as the answer for the question ‘what do you get when you add two to two’. In these subjects the students get marks for the answers. There are no partially correct answers in these subjects. There is only one correct answer. Sitting in such classrooms and practicing Maths and science more make them more exposed to the way of writing and answering to questions in these ‘subjects’. Because of this, students think that in English too when a question is asked, only the particular answer is needed to be written to get marks. So, in the answer sheets, students often write the answers and leave it as a one word answer expecting full marks for it.

Apart from this there is a also a tendency among students to think that there is a particular answer for each and every question. This makes them difficult to respond to open ended questions, where the students have to express their opinions. The concept of divergent thinking and freedom of expression which is to be developed through literature is often not achieved because of this attitude built in the minds of the students as a result of over emphasis on subjects like Science and Mathematics.

This situation needs to be corrected and the English should be taught as language which is different from other subjects emphasizing its skills. Only if the students understand that it is not a subject like Science or Maths, they will start responding properly to the questions in English.

Suggestions for bringing change and improvement

It is important to know that English is a language and not a subject. Students must be made aware that English answers should not be written or said just like in the subject science. The students develop the language through English and do not ‘learn’ the ‘answers’ in English. It is not a subject meant for writing exam, it is more a wide literature that helps them to think and enjoy life. The purpose of  ‘English’ should be explained to the students. Structural elements must be clearly taught in Schools so that students will feel easy to construct sentences. Along with this, the questions in English are not those which have particular answer should also be taught and explained to the students. the students must absorb the idea that it is a space where they are free to express their opinions on a topic, their interpretations on a story or a poem without being afraid or ashamed. This helps in making them develop their strength to justify their opinions. The students thus learn to accept pluralities and become divergent thinkers.

Teachers have to take this seriously as this may have serious consequences if not corrected. The aims of including literature in curriculum will not be attained if it is also perceived as Science or Maths. They must be asked to freely write what they feel and think in their answers.  Clear instructions also have to be given in responding to an answer in an English classroom. Not only English teachers, other teachers who are teaching the subjects like Science and Maths can also correct the mistakes in sentences thus bringing the concept of language across curriculum into practice.

Conclusion

Only if the way of teaching English Language and Literature is properly done, the aims of it is achieved. It is a period where materialism dominates the emotions. Giving freedom to the students to express their opinions leads to discussions and debates to reach a more acceptable conclusion for all the topics. It also helps to accept pluralities in classrooms, opinions and in their lives. This also results in building tolerance and not resorting to violence. Only then, a harmonious and humanitarian society will be built.

Reference

Collins Online Dictionary: Definitions, Thesaurus and Translations. (n.d).

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/nescience