Douglas Walatara
Encyclopedia
Dr Douglas Walatara was a notable Sri Lankan Lecturer in English. He initially taught at the Sri Lankan Government Training College in Maharagama for over 20 years. Following this, he was a Professor of Education at the University of Colombo
, Sri Lanka.
Dr Walatara became well known for the "Reconstruction Method" which was a bilingual method that used the student's mother tongue to teach the English language. Some have claimed that this was designed mainly for the benefit of rural children who had difficulty learning English under teachers who themselves “learnt English as a foreign language and for whom English was entirely foreign”.
, India, and a Sales Person father from Colombo, Sri Lanka. He attended St Thomas College where he excelled in English studies. In the very early 1960s, Walatara lived in England for a year before returning to Sri Lanka.
(also known as Jeanne Moonesinghe) among others.
It was claimed that he renounced a prestigious position as an executive in the Bank of Ceylon
to take up a role as a lower paid but more fulfilling, job as a teacher-educator.
Dr Walatara had a number of well known published materials. Some of his works have received coverage outside Sri Lanka. For example, some of his books are available through national libraries across the globe, such as the Australian National Library.
University of Colombo
The University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...
, Sri Lanka.
Dr Walatara became well known for the "Reconstruction Method" which was a bilingual method that used the student's mother tongue to teach the English language. Some have claimed that this was designed mainly for the benefit of rural children who had difficulty learning English under teachers who themselves “learnt English as a foreign language and for whom English was entirely foreign”.
Early years
Douglas Walatara was the eldest of three brothers born to an Anglo-Indian mother from GoaGoa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India, and a Sales Person father from Colombo, Sri Lanka. He attended St Thomas College where he excelled in English studies. In the very early 1960s, Walatara lived in England for a year before returning to Sri Lanka.
English Profession
A popular Sri Lankan Newspaper, the Sunday Times, describes Dr Walatara as having performed with much distinction, the task of educating teachers in the South Asian country. In fact, Dr Walatara led a group of educationists who wanted to teach English through the Sinhala language. This group of educationists included Jeanne HobanJeanne Hoban
Jeanne Hoban , known after her marriage as Jeanne Moonesinghe, was a British Trotskyist who became active in trade unionism and politics in Sri Lanka. She was one of the handful of European Radicals in Sri Lanka.- Early years :She was born in Gillingham, Kent...
(also known as Jeanne Moonesinghe) among others.
It was claimed that he renounced a prestigious position as an executive in the Bank of Ceylon
Bank of Ceylon
Bank of Ceylon is a government-owned, major commercial bank in Sri Lanka. Its head office is located in iconic cylindrical building in the capital Colombo, the political and commercial capital of the islandThe bank has a network of 308 branches and 200+ extension centers covering all parts of the...
to take up a role as a lower paid but more fulfilling, job as a teacher-educator.
Dr Walatara had a number of well known published materials. Some of his works have received coverage outside Sri Lanka. For example, some of his books are available through national libraries across the globe, such as the Australian National Library.
External links
- http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Search/Home?lookfor=author:%22Walatara%2C%20D%22&iknowwhatimean=1