Speech Writing based on where the mind is without fear
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Literature and language teaching are popularly mistaken as two distinct domains of language. In reality they are two intertwined aspects of a language. It is pertinent to channelize literature, an output of the masters of a language as an input to the learners of that language. Literature as a tool for teaching has gained acclaim though not widely practiced in non-native English classrooms. Literature is studied for aesthetic appeal and for the content and not utilized as a tool for teaching language skills. The paper attempts to exploit 'Where the Mind is Without Fear', a verse in Gitanjali, and a masterpiece by Rabindranath Tagore as a tool for teaching essay writing. Background Lingua franca status of English has assigned significance for learning it. Mastery in English leads to widening of knowledge, rendering an opening to a career and aiding in development. These implications of English learning have led to setting of varied objectives for English teaching, opportunities for innovative teaching practices, the challenges faced and the researches on providing solutions for it. English teaching practices have started inclining towards the use of digital tools, however utilizing literature as a tool for enhancing language skills has got its own precedence over other tools.