Will language barrier impede aspirants’ success in JEE Advanced Structure of JEE Advanced question paper minimises the reliance of students on English by offering the question paper in both English and Hindi

Will language barrier impede aspirants’ success in JEE Advanced

Structure of JEE Advanced question paper minimises the reliance of students on English by offering the question paper in both English and Hindi

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

30.11.2020

With the Centre’s decision to offer JEE Main 2021 in more regional languages apart from the existing Gujarati, Hindi and English languages, aspirants who are proficient in their native tongue may stand a fair chance of gaining admission to the NITs, IIITs and the centrally funded technical institutes in the country. But will their IIT aspirations take a backseat if JEE Advanced is conducted only in English and Hindi?

Sudhir K Jain, director, IIT Gandhinagar has a more positive take on the issue. “Students appearing for JEE Main and Advanced do a comprehensive preparation keeping in mind the technical stream they have chosen to study. Having an option to take JEE Main in regional languages would give them some relief from anxiety at stepping stone, and it can build their confidence to progress further towards their next goal,” he tells Education Times. As to the possible roadblocks IIT aspirants might face, Jain explains that most scientific terminology is written in English even in local language textbooks, which will help students to understand and cope up with the questions in JEE Advanced. “Generally, care is taken to use simple English while setting the questions to test scientific understanding of the candidates. In addition, the medium of instruction in the IITs is English, so a basic knowledge of the language is assumed,” he adds.

IIT Ropar director Sarit K Das says, “In an online objective test such as the JEE Advanced, students’ language skills do not matter nor are they expected to solve problems in English. Since most of the Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics questions are language-neutral, comprehending the questions should not be difficult. In class XII, whatever the medium of instruction, students must have English as a language, though in times to come, JEE Advanced may be held in regional languages as well.”

As to whether JEE Advanced will provide a level playing to candidates, Jain explains, “Students from different Indian states possess an understanding of either English or Hindi, other than their mother tongue. Since the advent of the computer-based exams, the candidates can switch between Hindi and English at any point during the examination, which should also help them in comprehending the question in a better way in case of any confusion.”

Full report at educationtimes.com

When language is an issue

For students relying on regional languages, IIT Gandhinagar has set up a writing studio, which guides students to hone their language and writing skills. The institute also has a Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) programme to help first year BTech students who struggle to adapt to English as the medium of instruction