Dr Albert P’Rayan, an English Language Teaching (ELT) professional, teacher trainer and education columnist (Pic: Dr Albert P’Rayan)
Dr Albert P’Rayan, an English Language Teaching (ELT) professional, teacher trainer and education columnist (Pic: Dr Albert P’Rayan)

Why all anglophiles should read author and columnist  Albert P'Rayan's latest book, English Essentials

The book promises to decode all the 'isms' and give a comprehensive understanding of the English language. This is the popular columnist's second book after English Blues and promises a great read!

At the recently held ThinkEdu Conclave 2020 organised by The New Indian Express, academician and researcher Madhu Kishwar made an interesting point about how we, as Indians, have anglicised our system of education because of which vernacular languages have been forgotten, to the point that people even disregard teaching children their mother tongue in many cases. The call to promote Indian vernacular languages, Hindi in particular, has been gaining momentum in the past few years now amidst the new political climate.

So, does this mean that Indians need to completely trash English and follow in the footsteps of their Japanese/ French counterparts who refuse to acknowledge English as a global language? “English is a global language and there is a great demand for it in India as well as in other countries. For most people in India — it is either an employability skill or a life skill.  Those who lack English language skills will find it difficult to get a decent job and climb up the ladder of corporate success. So, I truly believe that English will continue to be a global language and there will be more demand in the job market for those who are proficient in the language,” says Dr Albert P’Rayan, an English Language Teaching (ELT) professional, teacher trainer and education columnist. If you're wondering why his name sounds familiar, he is the author of the English Blues column — a regular feature in Edex — that focuses on many areas including the nuances of grammar, common errors, English language teaching and learning tips, English for competitive exams and communication skills in English. 

The book discusses different topics such as collocation, spoonerism, malapropism, and parallelism

Albert has over two decades of teaching experience at the tertiary level in India and abroad, having worked in many engineering colleges. He has also served as Head of the Department of English at the Kigali Institute of Science, Technology and Management, Rwanda, East Africa for five years. His vast experience and knowledge have left him with only one mission — to help people develop their proficiency in the language. And keeping this mission in mind, he recently penned a book titled English Essentials, which he states is 'not just a grammar book'. "It discusses different topics such as collocation, spoonerism, malapropism, parallelism in sentences, new words, tips for improving communication skills, and so on. The book is not only for learners of English but also for anyone interested in developing their English language skills. It deals with current topics and helps readers update their knowledge of English,” he says, adding that the book can be used in the classroom by teachers as a guide to help students improve their language skills or it also can be used as self-learning material. 

As a thorough linguistic professional — whose areas of interest include teacher training, teacher education, course design, critical thinking, critical pedagogy, English for Specific Purposes (ESP), English through social media — Albert is regularly invited to conduct workshops on various topics, including ELT, multiple intelligences, critical thinking, classroom management, creative writing, technology integrated ELT, critical education, testing and evaluation, designing ESP courses. Through English Essentials, he hopes he can reach a wider audience and help people, especially students, have a greater grasp of the language.

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