Beating Mundanity in a language class …with Innovation, Interaction and Experimentation

Abstract

When Francis Bacon echoed this immortal quote in the 16th Century, little did one know that
the edifice of language teaching even in the 21st century would be built on the four pillars of the
skills mentioned in the above quote: listening, speaking, reading and writing. In fact, two more
skills, namely grammar and vocabulary have, ever since, come to enjoy a prominent place
across universities teaching English Language Skills. The need for innovation, interaction and
experimentation arises from the fact that the language class today is different from that of the
mid to late 20th century.