An interview with British educator Claire Horsburgh

The process of learning English should be interactive and engaging.
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Imagine a class full of children in rural Punjab singing their own version of ‘Kolaveri Di’ in classical Punjabi. “It is possible because they learnt the original Tamil song and its meaning without stress, and understood the song’s essence and its elongated drags to be able to produce their own version,” says British educator Claire Horsburgh. As she heard them amid a session full of laughter, fun and noise, it validated what she herself has been promoting for more than a decade now: the importance of learning another language, less often used at home, apart from the mother tongue.

On her part, Horsburgh has been reinforcing the core principles of English language teaching across India with Oxford University Press (OUP). “English can be seen everywhere in this country. It is the language of the world to get jobs and unlock opportunities,” she says. However, what should not be overlooked is that children require a foundation to be able to communicate in a language that is not their own and schools are usually the starting point, which require support. Horsburgh’s mission is to effectively cultivate multi-lingual students and teachers because she believes English proficiency not only has social and cognitive benefits but is also linked to educational level and social class. Her objective is to ensure the process of learning the language is interactive and engaging.

Fluency in languages and confident communication is the ultimate goal, says Claire Horsburgh
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Horsburgh, who was in India in late 2024 to conduct her workshops after a hiatus following the pandemic, said that she believes that people across all ages and strata take to a new language with ease when they learn by doing, and not just listening.

Global perspective

Her drive to promote English stems from the need to break barriers of cultural insensitivity. “When we study languages, it allows us to delve into different cultures and their history; it gives learners the ability to develop and have a different perspective and context. She also emphasises that, as global citizens, it is important to be culturally aware, understand different beliefs, and look beyond stereotypes to be able to build stronger international relationships.

According to a government survey of 2011, 10.2% of the Indian population speaks English as first, second or third language as every State promotes its regional language. “For a better and early exposure to English, schools have to rethink the approach of teaching because the younger students in particular are not inspired by learning rigid techniques, solely by a textbook,” said Horsburgh, who visited Kanchipuram, Hyderabad, Kochi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai and Nagpur over the course of two months.

Horsburgh’s objective is to make the English classroom lively and enjoyable and she makes her workshop participants — who come from both private and government, rural and urban schools — sing, act, and read with expression various forms of English literature.

Horsburgh’s grandfather initatied the English book series for OUP, which her father developed and completed. She takes it forward by aligning it with the National Curriculum Framework now. “There have been big changes in the Indian education sector with a move towards experiential learning, activity-based tasks and cross-curricular integration,” she says, “and we are trying to make English completely culturally relevant.”

Beyond the textbook

It is easy for teachers to slip into patterns and just focus on grades, but Horsburgh’s point is to teach in an interesting way. “The textbook is just a resource; it should not become the only teaching tool with the focus on exams alone. A teacher should take the ownership and think about how to start a lesson refreshingly.”

She feels schools fail to motivate learners to engage with the curriculum based on joyful learning pedagogy. “Teaching English is still focused on reading, writing and speaking and not knowing how to use the language to communicate well. Teachers have to think about what their class needs, tailor their approach to supplement or scaffold and raise the standard,” says Horsburgh. It is all about active learning because fluency in languages and confident communication is the ultimate goal, according to Horsburgh.