The English Cell is the only agency directly responsible for promotion of English in Mizoram. Its purview extends beyond teacher training to more functional areas such as conducting Spoken English classes for people from all walks of life, textbook writing, production of teaching learning materials and so on.

The cell at present deals with :

  1. English Language Teaching Institute(ELTI)
  2. District Centre for English(DCE)
  3. Mizoram Institute of Spoken English(MISE)

1. ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING INSTITUTE (ELTI)

The ELTI was established at the SCERT in the year 2001 under the centrally sponsored scheme through the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad. It is a nodal agency to offer quality in-service teacher training in the state.

A. Objectives of the scheme :

  1. To offer teacher training to teachers of English at all levels.
  2. To help teachers take up independent research projects on areas related to English Language Teaching(ELT).
  3. To help teachers to produce materials for use in the class.
  4. To help teachers assume the role of leader-teacher and train their colleagues in ELT.
  5. To help resource persons at the District Centres.

B. Activities :

i) In-service training programmes -

- 12-Week Training Course

- One Month Training Course

- 10-Day Course

- Need-Based Course.

ii) Workshops and Seminars.

iii) Production of Teaching Learning Materials.

iv) Research Projects.

C. Productions under the Scheme :

  1. Teacher’s Guidebooks for Classes 1 to 8 English Text Books.
  2. Teacher’s Guidebook for Classes IX & X Literature.
  3. Vocabulary Bank for Primary School.
  4. Vocabulary Bank for Middle School.
  5. Audio Cassette for New Wave Reader I
  6. Common Errors in English with Special Reference to Mizoram is under production.
  7. A Book of Translated Mizo Folk Tales as supplementary reading for elementary school children is under production.
  8. English in Action : A set of language learning materials

- Conversation Cards

- Nursery Rhymes with DVD

- Commics Books on Mizo Folk Tales

2. DISTRICT CENTRE FOR ENGLISH(DCE).

The District Centre for English, Aizawl was set up at the SCERT in the year 1985 under the Plan Scheme and is manned by 1 Chief Tutor and 2 Tutors.The scheme aims to bring about a qualitative improvement in the teaching and learning of English in the state. Under Central Assisstance 4 District Centres were covered as shown:-

i) Serchhip - 2000 - 2005

ii) Lunglei - 2001 - 2006

iii) Kolasib - 2001 - 2006

iv) Aizawl - 2001 - 2006

v) Champhai - 2006 - 2012

vi) Mamit - 2006 - 2012

At present 1 Centre is functioning under Central Assistance i.e. Saiha - 2012

A. Objectives of the scheme :

  1. To provide saturation level training to all teachers of English in the state, especially those in rural and backward regions and areas, through short orientation courses supported by long-term courses in the distance mode.
  2. To offer need-based specific-purpose training to teachers on a sustained basis.
  3. To identify and develop leadership potential among high school teachers of English and develop a cadre of specialists in material production, teacher training and testing and evaluation.
  4. To provide opportunities to teachers to grow and develop professionally by promoting collaborative learning and teacher development programmes.
  5. To develop each District Centre into an English Language Teaching(ELT) Resource Centre for the benefit of teachers of English in the district and for the benefit of the community as a whole.

B. Activities :

i) Short - term (10-days) Courses.

All teachers of English in the district are trained initially on a 10-Day course, specially designed and produced by the CIEFL. It is a basic training with twin objectives -

- to orient teachers to modern approaches and methods and techniques in the teaching of English in order to enable them to teach the prescribed materials effectively.

- to enable them to enrich their proficiency in the language with the help of a self-learning package gifted to them on the course. (The package consist of a good Learner’s Dictionary and a good Grammar book).

ii) Correspondence-cum-Contact Course.

Teachers who feel motivated and are willing to continue their learning and professional growth after the 10-day training can enrol themselves on the correspondence-cum-contact course. The course have three contact programmes. It aims -

- to improve the teachers’ proficiency in English

- to improve their professional competence and

- to facilitate their professional improvement.

Successful teachers are awarded Certificate in the Teaching of English - Secondary Level by the CIEFL, Hyderabad.

iii) Need-based Courses.

The Resource Persons at the Centres visit schools, observe the trained teachers’ performance and identify their further training needs, if any. They then design training programmes to cater to their needs and offer them either at a school convenient to the participants or at the District Centre .

iv) Other training programmes.

The District Centre conducts short orientation courses and workshop sessions for the heads of schools to create awareness among them and to enlist their co-operation in the training programmes of the Centre in general.

C. Productions under the scheme.

i) Rhymes and Choruses for Primary School with audio cassette

ii) Song Book for Middle School.

iii) Audio Cassette on Poetry reading

iv) Lesson Plans/ Teachers Handbook for H/S

3. MIZORAM INSTITUTE OF SPOKEN ENGLISH(MISE).

The Mizoram Institute of Spoken English(MISE) was establishedin the year 1987 at the SCERT with the primary aim of strengthening the District Centres for English. It is an additional resource for the District Centre team taking active step towards improvement of English in the state.

Production : 1) Let's Talk 2) Let's Speak

LIST OF OFFICERS UNDER THE CELL :

1.  Mr P.C.Vanlalruata - Tutor

2. Mr. H.T. Vanlalremruata - Tutor

CONTACT OFFICER :

1.  Mr P.C.Vanlalruata - 9436351415