Abstract:
In Sri Lanka, proficiency in the English language is a strength while non-proficiency in it
is a weakness. As Sri Lankans consider error- free English as the hallmark of English
proficiency, the learners avoid the language skills that expose them to errors. The
learners' avoidance of speech, thus, is a strategy adopted to evade errors. In the light of
research, this is absurd for errors exhibit a certain phase, namely "inter language phase"
which is vital while acquiring a second language naturally. West likens these inter
language specimens to "working hypotheses which permit the learner to approximate to
the rules ofL2".(West, R 1992:17). The learners, however, are scared of "interlanguage"
because of the stigma attached to errors. A technique which can avoid errors through
scrutiny of their causes, is bound to dispel this fear significantly.
The main cause of English errors of Sinhala learners is their inability to formulate
questions which are more complex than the" inflectional ending" variety of Sinhala. The
ignorance of TL linking devices, and the difficulty of recalling TL syntax at short notice
to maintain conversational speed are the other sources of errors. The presenter designed
a technique to overcome these problems. As its first step a few episodes were presented
to the class through illustrations , highlighting the syntactic features intended to be
taught. Subsequently these items were associated with simple gestures and consolidated
later through diverse examples. Question patterns , discourse markers and lexical items
were introduced in this manner. The simplicity of the gestures enabled the presenter to
repeat them constantly and this repetition helped the learners to retain the data. With the
passage of time they were able to recall these data promptly and use them for
communication. (Tried out at the Department of Library science at the University of
Kelaniya).
