Good day, Dr. Anupama P.. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

Please start

Yeah, hi. SO.

Yeah, I see. I see an old, my name is Anupama. Currently I'm working as an assistant professor of English in in an arts and science College in Kerala. So talking talking about my background, I've completed UG and PG in English language and literature. And then immediately after that I qualified met and then I started working in a law college which is also in Kerala. And after that I joined PhD and my specialization was English language teaching. So.

Finished my PhD in 2024 and my open defense was on May 14th so after that I joined in this particular college and the name of my college is KSMDB college Shasta Gautam Kollam, Kerala. So I'm currently working here as an assistant professor on contract and it's been 2 years and talking about my research interests, my interested or or the areas I like are English language teaching definitely and then neural linguistics. So these.

So that's all about my research background and that's all about my educational background.

Yeah, actually we are living in an era where we can't separate digital humanities from the academia. So if we were talking about a couple of years back, so talking about the time when I was doing my degree in PG digital humanities was not that, you know, inevitable in in the context of teaching and learning. But when it comes to case at the press center, English language teaching is inseparable from the field of academia. So when it comes to the case of teaching, we can.

Thank you for sharing, Professor. Let's delve into verifying your skills. I'll ask specific questions covering core competencies related to the role of English Professor. Let's begin. How do you approach integrating digital humanities into your teaching or research?

There's all these digital tools, including AI tools in our classrooms, specifically when it comes to the case of communicative language teaching or when it comes to the case of English language teaching. We have a lot of AI tools which help us to teach English, which help help the students to learn English. So we have to incorporate all these things in our classroom. For instance, when I teach my students. You know, in the classrooms, for instance, in the classrooms, we may not be able to.

Incorporate all the digital tools but apart from the classroom tools, the tools which I use in my classroom for teaching. I suggest my students to use certain language tools which helps them to enhance their English language speaking. For instance, Duolingo. In one of my classes where I am the tutor, all students have installed a Duolingo and they are using Duolingo and after using even.

Currently I'm writing a paper on it based on this particular topic, so the students who are using Duolingo.

Have you know a very fluent, I mean before like I have, I have conducted a research where I have analyzed the students before they started using Duolingo and after after started using Duolingo. Like it took almost four months for them to pick up that pace to get used to that app. But I can see visible results. So that is.

One example I'd like to code here. And also when it comes to the case of research, all these digital tools are very inevitable when it comes to keys of taking references and also when it comes to case of structuring, formatting and writing and editing the research work. We can't separate digital tools from the present academic scenario.

OK.

Thank you, Professor. Moving forward, could you elaborate on your teaching methods when addressing Commonwealth Literature in the classroom?

Yeah. So when it comes to case of Commonwealth literature, usually what I'd love to do is generally I'll give a detailed intro on Commonwealth literatures to my students. I'll just introduce them to the concept of Commonwealth literature. What exactly is Commonwealth literature and what all comes under this particular genre. And then I if I'm teaching a particular literary work from this particular context.

Initially, I'll tell them to research on this particular work. So they'll have, when I start teaching them, they'll have a very strong background on that particular work based on their research. And after that, I'll introduce that work to the students, to the classroom. And later on we'll have a discussion. So each and every students in the class will have something to contribute. So in that way, that is how I I usually. Contact my class so it'll go like.

Good discussion thing and I'll be just a guide for them. I'll clarify their doubts and also I'll just direct them in the right direction that that is what my role is in the classroom where I'm teaching Commonwealth literature. So I help them to incorporate more and more aspects to the classroom. So mostly they'll be the ones who who are contributing and I'll be like a guide for them.

Thank you, Professor. How do you ensure your students grasp the historical and cultural contexts of Commonwealth works effectively in your discussions?

Yeah, that is a very good question actually. As I've already mentioned, initially, I'll just give an introduction about a particular literary work from the Commonwealth literature and I'll I'll just give them a very detailed introduction in the big ring. And I'd like to, no matter which type of literature I'm teaching, when it comes to the case of historical background, I'll love to present that history as a story. So what happens with the historical aspect of a literary work? Is that or, or what happens with.

Historical aspect is that, see, when teachers teach history or when teachers present history of a particular literary work or a particular literary period, you know, both teachers and students distance themselves from that historical context and then they'll read it as just as facts like dates, you know, numbers and all such things. But I'll, I'll, I usually, I wish to change this particular approach. Approach to history.

And I'd love to present history as a story where each of us are a part in it. So when I teach that particular historical context, I ensure that students are not detached from it. They are involved in the particular context. And I'll build history just like that, just like a storyline, so that they'll get involved in it, they'll get some interest in it, and then I'll introduce a literary work. So they'll be able to place that literary work in the appropriate historical.

The context in a very effective manner. That is how I teach the historical context of the Commonwealth literature.

Thank you, Professor. Let's shift focus. Could you discuss your approach to English Language Teaching, particularly your strategies for addressing diverse proficiency levels within a single classroom?

Yeah. Again, that's a very relevant question. So when it comes to the case of, you know, a classroom, especially in the current Indian context, we have a large number of students. So in order to address or in order to cater, to, cater to the needs of each and every student, we have to be very careful, for instance, if I teach in a particular classroom.

You know everyone of the students or each and every student in the classroom may not be able to understand the concept in the same way. So in this context, you incorporate a particular concepts concept in ELT which is called as post method pedagogy. This particular concept was introduced by an Indian theorist especially I mean specifically a theorist from Tamil Nadu. His name is Kumara Vadivelu. According to Kumara Vadivelu's concept of force method pedagog.

Teachers have to incorporate eclectic teaching methods in their classroom. For instance, when we historically approach the context of English language teaching, what we can analyze is or what we can understand is. We have numerous teaching methods. We have grammar translation method, we have direct method, we have silent way, we have suggestopedia. We have all these things, but you know as ages went by all these. Teaching methods become outdated. They gradually faded away.

So it was then this particular theorist Kumara Baduelo proposed this concept of post method pedagogy. So according to post method pedagogy, you know, each and every classroom is different and each and every student is different. A student from a, you know, background or or a student from a particular.

Uh, yeah. A student from a particular state, for instance, a student from KLR will completely be different from a student from Tamil Nadu. So you know, we can't incorporate same theories in all these classrooms. Each and every classroom will be different, each and every student will be different. So we have to understand the students learning level and we have to incorporate strategies like that. So it is in this context the digital humanities, you know, pitch in as a success tool for teaching English.

So if we are incorporating, you know, a particular digital tool, maybe let's take the case of model. So students will be apart from the, you know, usual lectures that we have in classroom. Students will be able to, you know, do their own particular set of questions, their own particular set of exercises after the class so that the teacher, I'll be able to monitor each and every student in a very personal manner and I'll be able to understand.

Well, and I'll be able to help them in enhancing their English language level.

Yeah. So I always prefer a continuous evaluation method rather than an end semester evaluation or something. So if we are using digital tools, once a particular lesson is over, they'll have all these questions, maybe they'll have all these multiple choice questions by the end of each and every lesson. So they'll be able to do do that particular multiple choice questions set or they'll be writing an essay for me or they'll be writing a short answer. So whatever question I give.

Thank you, Professor. To refine this further, how do you evaluate their progress effectively when utilizing digital tools like Moodle or others in English Language Teaching?

After each and every chapter, they'll be able to do that and I will be able to, you know, analyze those answers. I'll be able to correct those answers and I'll be able to see their progress in a continuous way. So I always prefer this continuous evaluation strategy that rather than the traditional evaluation strategies. For instance, let's take the case of Duolingo. I've already mentioned that I've introduced Duolingo in one of my classrooms.

So those students who are using Duolingo, by the end of each and every, you know, segment of that particular Duolingo series, they'll be updating me. They'll be telling me that they have all these progress achieved. And even I can, I can easily notice what they have achieved by, you know, going forward. So in in that continuous phase, I usually analyze my students and that is how I see their progress.

Understood, Professor. Could you describe your approach to supervising student projects and research, particularly in ensuring quality and originality?

Yeah, so the very first thing I noticed or I asked my students is what they are really interested in, which are the areas that they are interested in. My first question to my research students. So currently I'm I'm guiding certain PG and UG projects. So the very first question I asked them is, you know, which area do you like? I I mean, even before that I'll ask them which is your favorite, you know, thing to research.

Shown whether it's a movie or whether it's a book or whether it's any cultural aspect that you want to study. So I'll make sure which part or which area they really like. Then I will narrow down the scope of that particular area and I'll come to a particular, you know.

Area which they really like so I will not suggest them this thing is better or you can do a research in this particular topic, but I'll ask them questions over and over again so that they'll be able to identify their real interests and what they really want to pursue so that is how we come to a particular topic so once we come to a particular topic, I'll just give them guidelines you you should follow like this or you should do like this and I'll you know make.

Work on that particular thing and then I'll give corrections, I'll give them suggestions, I'll give them reading materials or I'll suggest certain you know all those which you know which, which will be helpful for their research. So that is how I usually, you know, guide my research students.

Thank you, Professor. As a guide, how do you ensure that your students maintain academic integrity and avoid plagiarism in their research?

Uh, in this context, especially in the context of digital humanities, there are, you know, there are chances of plagiarism at, at the same time, we'll be able to easily identify whether a text is plagiarized. So in a context where they are, you know, surrounded with a lot of AI tools, sometimes students will have a tendency to.

Uh, you know, you can refer whatever you want, you can read whatever you want, but whenever you are taking some ideas from a particular text, sort of particular website or from a particular article, you have to properly cite that particular article. You have to properly code that particular, you know, you have to properly write on where exactly you have taken a particular code from, so. I'll teach that research ethics first once they are very strong in the research ethics part.

You know, copy and paste from all these sources, but the very first thing I teach my research students is that.

Aware of all the possibilities that you know, you have all these areas or you have all these materials to refer to or you have all these websites to look, look onto. But just make sure that you are not copying anything from those places. You can read whatever you want, but make sure you have made the right citation. That is how my how I train my students.

They won't be able to do all these, you know, all these plagiarism and I'll, I'll make make them, you know.

Thank you, Professor. Moving on, could you explain your preferred communication and teaching approach to ensure clarity and structure when delivering complex theories or concepts?

Yeah, So whenever I read, whenever I teach the complex series or concepts or usually in my classroom, I try to communicate mostly in English because we are teaching English and there is, you know, there is no meaning in teaching English in any other language. So I'll try to communicate in English with my students. So if if it's, it's difficult. I mean if they are not getting what I'm saying, I'll just.

Repeat that in a slow pace or I'll just change my wording so that they'll understand. I mean, I'll simplify my speech and I'll try once or twice, even if even after that, if they are not understanding the concept, I'll do code switching. I'll just use the language which they are comfortable with for you know, I'll, I'll use certain words like minimal words in that in their language, in the language they are comfortable with.

And I'll try to make them understand the concept. That is a important aspect. They should they, they should definitely understand the concept. That is the main thing. And you know, the nutshell of this answer is mostly I'll try to stick onto English itself. And if they're not understanding it thing, I'll, I'll, I'll just do port switching. Yeah.

Thank you, Professor. Could you also share how you handle student evaluations and feedback to continuously improve your teaching methods?

I think all these feedback feedback things have.

Whether they're liking that course and how can we improve that course? I'll, I'll give all these questions and then I'll ask them about the teaching strategies I'm incorporating in the classroom, whether it's beneficial for them, whether it's helping them and what are the suggestions that they have to, or they, they, they want to give me. So I'll ask all these questions. So I've, I've got a lot of, I mean, many of my students have written very innovative and creative suggestions.

Enhanced or enriched my teaching career. So after each semester, sometimes by mid SEM, I'll just tell them to write a detailed review on what they are learning. First of all, I'll I'll tell them to write a review on on the course which they are they have opted for, whether they are getting any benefits from that course.

So so as I've already mentioned, I've incorporated Duolingo in one of my classrooms, so it was out of a suggestion that a student has given. So that student has written me like this. Ma'am, your classes are really good. I am understanding all the concepts and I love love listening to your classes. But The thing is, even if I'm trying so hard, even if I am.

English well, but I'm not able to communicate properly in English. And since we have very limited time inside our classroom, we are not getting proper, I mean, we are not getting time for proper interaction. So ma'am, can you give me some suggestions to improve my communication skill? And if you are incorporating some strategies to improve the communication skill of the students outside the classroom, it will be very beneficial. That is one suggestion I've got. So yeah, I've, I've incorporated.

Attending all your classes, you know I can understand English, I can write.

Duolingo inside my classroom and that was a great success. So I take all these feedbacks and suggestions very positively and to be very honest, that has or that have helped me to grow a lot.

Thank you, Professor. Could you elaborate on how your PhD and research publications have contributed to your teaching and academic pursuits?

Definitely. So my talking about my PhD, my PhD thesis is titled Teacher Knowledge, Beliefs and challenges in using e-learning Management Systems in English language teaching so. As I've already mentioned in the beginning, I really love ELT, so I was quite sure what to do as my research topic. So I wanted to do something related to ELT and since digital humanities is an emerging field, I thought I'll do my or I thought I'll, you know, definitely have to do my PhD on this topic itself. So I started doing my PhD and it was really an insightful.

You know, decision and. Those three years or, or those 3 1/2 years of my PhD was really, really, really helpful for me. And it, it has changed my perspective as a teacher. It has chiseled my teaching strategies. It helped me to incorporate more innovative strategies in my classroom. So before doing my pH tour, before thinking about all these digital humanities thing or all these, you know, incorporation of Elms and e-learning, I mean, e-learning management systems in English.

Language classroom, I was not that aware of the importance or I was not that aware of the benefits of incorporating these strategies in the classrooms. So before.

Uh, delving deep into this field, I was just like any other traditional teacher who comes to the classroom with a book. I'll explain the poem to my, I used to explain the poem to my students and they'll listen very passively. So that was my classroom and that was how my classroom looked like before my PhD. So after that, I changed completely. I started incorporating interactive classrooms, I classroom strategies, I started incorporating digital.

Till in my classroom, so it was a, you know, uh, completely, uh, life changing decision. Umm, and talking about my research publications, that is also in this particular area, all my research publications are in the field of alt and it's also related to, you know, digital tools or e-learning management tools and how that can impact. Uh, you know the English language teaching classrooms. For instance, one of my.

Research paper was based on COVID and how the sudden shift from the traditional classroom to the.

System in world classrooms like how how was that change happened and was that change smooth all these things I've analyzed in that particular article so when I conducted a study when I that paper was actually.

You know e-learning management system.

That paper I incorporated a mixed method study. So for the quantitative analysis I have incorporated a survey and then for the qualitative analysis I've incorporated an interview.

So when I conduct conducted those survey and interview, when I, when I spoke with numerous English language educators in Kerala, what I've understood is that, you know, before COVID, before that, you know, pandemic came, we were all sticking onto the traditional teaching strategies. And immediately when the COVID came and the education become completely online, the teachers were suffering initially and most of the time what happened was.

Teachers was teachers were using all those traditional teaching strategies inside their online classrooms. So just the mode or just the medium has changed. However, their strategies haven't changed. Their pedagogic knowledge have been changed. So this was an insightful, you know, sorry, this was a very insightful.

Thing I came to, came to know or that was a very insightful thing that I realized after doing this particular research. So in total my research works, including my PhD and all my publications that has enriched my knowledge, that has enhanced my knowledge. And as I've already mentioned, I have completed Cambridge Celta as well, so that particular course also.

Teaching and all these things, all these academic backgrounds has made me a good teacher, I guess.

Enhance the quality of my.

Thank you, Professor. Lastly, could you expand on your experience with industry projects or consultancy that complements your academic pursuits?

Uh, can you repeat the question please?

Certainly, Professor. Could you share any experiences you've had with industry projects or consultancy work that complement your academic interests?

Uh, not really. I haven't done or. I haven't done any search work so far, but I'd love to do.

Understood, Professor. That concludes the skill verification segment. Thank you for your detailed responses. Let me confirm the next step. Please hold.

Professor Anupama, I see that you have published multiple research papers in UGC Care and SCOPUS-indexed journals, which is commendable. Could you select one of your research papers and briefly explain its primary focus and the key findings?

Yeah, definitely. So recently I've published a paper that is based on Neuro linguistics method, NRELT methods in English language teaching. For instance, as I've already mentioned, my one of my one of the area of of my interest is neurolinguistics. So in that particular research work, what I have tried to understand is in a classroom.

There are numerous learners and all these learners are with different potentials. So maybe they'll be students who may not be able to understand even they may not be able to understand what the teacher is speaking or maybe they are not coping up with the pace of the teacher. So there'll be numerous neuro, neuro issues related to the students so.

What I have tried to incorporate or what I have proposed in that particular study is each and every classroom should be, you know, very, you know, adaptable to all the students. We have to incorporate certain specific strategies in the classrooms which are according to the neurolinguistic strategies and those particular, as I've mentioned in the article, those particular strategies will be helping the learners to.

I have suggested certain strategies. We can incorporate all these things and that is how we have we can enhance the skill of the students just like that.

Pop up with the, you know, with the context of teaching, for instance, in that particular study.

Actually, it's, it's theoretical in scope because, you know, testing that needs a lot of, uh, you know, permissions, uh, we need a lot of permission from the higher authorities in order to test the students. So it's more like a theoretical way, but I'd like to do my research further and I'd like, like to like to, you know, test that in the students after getting permissions and all that. But it'll, it'll be in the long run.

That’s an interesting approach, Professor. Let me ask this: how did you evaluate the effectiveness of the neurolinguistics strategies you've proposed? Did you test or analyze their application in real classroom settings, or was it more theoretical in scope?

Sorry.

Understood, Professor. Developing a theoretical foundation is a critical first step. For my final question, how would you translate insights from this research into practical strategies that could directly benefit your students in a classroom environment?

Yes, I'll give you a simple example. For instance, we were already talking about incorporating digital language tools inside classrooms so that the students will be able to, you know, learn in a more interactive way. That is an ideal.