Symposia & Conferences

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Ways to be Adapted to Increase the Pass Rate in English Language in the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination in Vanni Schools.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Sandya, B. M.; Atchuthan, Y.
In Sri Lanka, students learn English as either their second or a foreign language. Even though the schoolchildren in Sri Lanka learn English as their second language from grade three, the pass rate, even after eight years of education is not at a satisfactory level in certain parts of the country. This research paper analyses the reasons for the low pass rate in English language in G.C.E Ordinary Level Examination in Vanni schools and it offers specific recommendations that can be practiced by the policy makers, school administrators, supervisors and language teachers in order to produce many English language speakers with higher pass rates in English in those regions. Students from five schools in Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts are considered randomly for this study and the study was carried out in private classrooms located in Nedunkerny, Mathiyamadu, Katsilaimadu, Marailluppai, Kulavisuddan and Thanduvan for three years using qualitative and quantitative research methods. Accordingly, pre-test and final evaluation were conducted along with interviews, observation, and discussion throughout the study. The pass rate of the students was also analysed. Before the study, in the schools from where the samples were selected, only less than 20% of students passed the above mentioned examination in previous years. The reasons for this lower pass rate in English language exam were found out and the recommendations were implemented in the said private classes in order to examine their validity. The recommendations of the study are as follows: teaching with remedial syllabus to fill the knowledge gaps of the students caused in previous years, highlighting the teacher‟s specific roles as a coordinator, motivator, and source of knowledge and patience in those areas. In addition, conducting monthly parents‟ meetings to discuss the issues related to English language teaching and learning faced by the students, and giving awareness to the parents on the ideology of actual English language teaching and learning. Moreover, providing training to the teachers on teaching methodology in this special setting, teaching the students how to use the language items in their day-to-day life taught in the class, preparing lesson plans accordingly and paying special attention for setting proper term examination papers. Once these recommendations were implemented in the classes, the results were favourable and it was proved through a special final evaluation conducted orally as well as in written form for the sample participants in grade 10 and 11. The participants were asked to answer the questions in 2016 past paper book for this evaluation. This special final evaluation revealed that 75% of students were able to gain more than 63 out of 100 marks in the written examination. At the same time, the oral evaluation showed the students‟ ability to communicate in English in their day-to-day life.
What is ‘Linguistic interference’? A linguistic study with special reference to the Sinhala and English languages
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Assajithissa Thero, Kurupita
When a speaker knows more than one language, because of their disparity, one language can be influenced by the other language. This is more familiar in the bilingual context. Contemporary, Sri Lanka is a bilingual country. In Sri Lanka, Sinhala, Tamil and English are used. In this research, our attention is specially only paid to Sinhala and English languages. Especially, the problem or this research is to examine how linguistic interference functions on Sinhala and English languages in Sri Lankan context. When one uses two languages together those two languages could be influenced by each other. This process is termed in Bilingualism as interference which means the influence for each other. This belongs to the use of the language. While using two languages, not only phonological but also semantic, grammatical, lexicon and cultural changes are usually made. Here, the word ‘change’ stands for interference. In this topic, what is interference, what are the types of interference are discussed with examples with special reference to Sinhala and English languages. To study the nature of the interference of above mentioned languages data have been collected by closely referencing the colloquial use of Sinhala and English languages. Sri Lanka as a bilingual society, interference can be seen in the day to day conversation. Further, it can be divided into five categories such as phonological, semantic, grammatical, lexicon and cultural interference. In conclusion, interference is not an uncommon process of the languages used in the world. So, there is no exception to Sinhala and English.
A Comparative Analysis on Word Formation Processes in English and Sinhala
(Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Dhammadassana Thero, Kosgama
Word formation is a process which makes a new word by changing exiting one or adding something to exiting word. It makes a new word. Forming new words is a most influential process to develop a language and to continue it as a live language. There are number of word formation process according to morphology and those processes can be seen in both Sinhala and English languages. Affixation, compounding, conversion, borrowing, blending and clipping are some of them. This study is an effort to find the similarities and dissimilarities of word formation processes between English and Sinhala languages. Thus, the present research aims to study the word formation processes mainly in terms of the two languages in order to discuss the similarities and dissimilarities between them. The oldest available grammar book in Sinhala, “Sidath Sagara” helps to find out the grammatical concept of the forming word in Sinhala and a number of books have been written in English which reveal the word formation processes of it. As the methodology both English and Sinhala books are used and after going through those books the concepts of the forming words can be analysed. those word formation processes can be compared and the research is based on a literature study, which takes a quantitative plane.

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