English Club to improve language skills among students in Karimnagar
In a bid to improve English fluency among rural students, Zilla Parishad High School in Challur, Telangana, launched an English Club called ‘Literary Lantern’. Designed by headmaster D. Sampath Kumara Chary, the club fosters communication, public speaking, and creative writing skills through weekly activities and monthly events.
Karimnagar: In an effort to improve English communication skills among rural students, authorities at Zilla Parishad High School, Challur in Veenavanka mandal have launched an English Club named ‘Literary Lantern’.
Though English medium instruction has been introduced in most government schools across the State, a significant number of students, particularly from rural backgrounds, still struggle to speak the language fluently, especially when compared to their peers from convent schools.
To bridge this gap, the school formed the club on June 30 this year, with a structure that includes a president, vice-president and two student representatives from each class to coordinate and lead activities.
The club, conceptualised by school headmaster D. Sampath Kumara Chary, aims to enhance English speaking skills, foster creative writing, build confidence in public speaking and encourage critical thinking among students.
The club meets once a week or twice a month to plan various activities such as ‘word of the day’, storytelling, reading circles, tongue twisters, vocabulary games and news reading. Monthly events include debates, group discussions, speech competitions, role plays, creative writing sessions, quizzes on grammar and literature and English movie screenings followed by discussions.
As part of its annual schedule, the school plans to conduct an English Fest or Language Week, spelling bee contests, interclass debates, book reviews, newsletters, wall magazines and an English Drama Day.
Participants will receive certificates of appreciation, and monthly prizes will be awarded to the best speaker or creative writer to boost motivation.
Inspired by the initiative, District Collector Pamela Satpathy, during a recent school visit, instructed officials to replicate the English Club model across all government schools in the district.
Prior to this, the school had already introduced ‘Challur Talk’ during the 2023–24 academic year to help students speak, read, and write in English. Under this programme, students research topics from various sources and present them every Saturday. The initiative was recognised by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Telangana.
Additionally, the students run a YouTube channel titled Challur News, which airs a monthly bulletin covering school events and is gaining popularity in nearby villages.
Despite studying in English medium, many students lacked fluency due to fear, lack of confidence, or feelings of inferiority, the headmaster said. The club and related initiatives were introduced to systematically address these challenges and improve language proficiency among students.
