We asked an expert in ELL to anatomize PBS

Slide 1

PBS has always been committed to giving peers the best experience in ELL and making learning
creative and fun. But as they say, there’s always room for improvement. Enters Sansabeth , a
masters’ student specializing in English Language Teaching. She observed our classes and has
interesting findings about the same. Let’s have a look

Slide 2

When Sansabeth sat through two of our sessions, she observed that our classes are fun and
interactive which a traditional Indian classroom lacks due to an imbalanced student teacher ratio.
However, she questioned whether PBS could make English Language Learning more about a
student’s needs and not their scores in an exam? Was she able to derive a satisfactory answer?

While analysing PBS and it’s classes, she used UMass Amherst’s Six Principles of an Inclusive Syllabus
Design. She was able to apply these principles to get a closer look into our course and syllabus design
and the way it is executed in classrooms.

Slide 3

Commenting on the environment and language used in classrooms she appreciated the
approachability of our teachers. According to her, a smaller age gap between students and teachers
played a huge role in creating a comfortable and safe environment for learning

Sansabeth admired the use of daily newspapers and articles, children’s story books, word games etc.
in classes. “These are materials which are mostly neglected in traditional classrooms, but the
incorporation within PBS sessions helps the students grow as learners and improve their listening,
speaking, reading and writing skills”, she observes.

Slide 4

Talking about assessments, she applauded PBS’s much needed focus on how much a student has
improved and not on how much they scored. This form of grading allows students to give their best
and not worry about their ranks, something that the Indian education system can imbibe. Questions
in the assessment are framed in a way that can focus on students’ weaker areas.

She was impressed by PBS’s process of welcoming and encouraging feedback from students. “The
teacher encourages rather than demands, the student is able to openly express their doubts and
struggles while learning”, she says.

Slide 5

A wise man once said. If you’re never criticized, you may not be doing much that makes a difference.
When we asked for a more specific feedback on the paramaters PBS can work on, Sansabeth said
“the quality of teaching is at par with professionals but there is a lack of expertise since experts are
trained in their area. However, peers are much better as even minute issues are handled well”.

Commenting on the bond between students and teachers she said “a good bond is maintained
alongwith a balance between formal and informal, so nothing disrupted the class. Even the
conversations helped the students express themselves which a traditional classroom lacks.”

Slide 6
We thank our expert for such a detailed feedback on PBS classes and assure that the feedbacks will
be duly incorporated to make the teaching – learning experience even better and fruitful.