English Vinglish : A MAD Project

English Vinglish was a MAD project where the small difference we were making stared us in the face as we boarded the school bus or walked into the toilet. We weren't working with NGOs spread across Mumbai where the benefit of our work was diffused between anonymous faces. What made English Vinglish unique was that we were helping those who help us daily at DAIS: the bus conductors, the housekeeping staff and the security. Over the course of the past year we have held sessions with participants on basic conversational English skills, tenses and verbs. Using worksheets and interactive sessions our objective was to not only help them write in English, but also assist them in understanding the language. Every Tuesday and Friday we would sit and plan for the lesson on Saturday, designing worksheets and organizing activities. The weekly Saturday morning sessions then proved as enjoyable for us as they did for them, and their exemplary performance in the final exam paper we set for them was a worthy culmination of our rewarding interactions.

Truly, this was a MAD project that showed that small actions had a real impact on the confidence and self-esteem of all those participating “students,” with the motivation even in adulthood to take the time out of their busy lives to devote a few hours every week towards improving their knowledge. To reward this, our team also worked with the school to design certificates that we will present to all those who successfully completely the course. This is truly a MAD project that should continue for years.