9/6/2014 Communication Skills in English for Engineering Students

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Communication Skills in English for Engineering Students
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By,
Dr. E. Suresh Kumar,
Professor & Head,
Department of English &
Director, English Language Training Centre,
Osmania University, Hyderabad.
The present post-modern world is revolving around English. It is a pre-requisite for any
person who wants to excel in ones own career. The countries which banned English due
to various reasons opened up doors for English education in their countries to keep
themselves abreast with the latest technological advancements taking place around the
world. This leaves us with no choice but to develop good communication skills in
English. India is lucky to some extent in this aspect, as the language has become a part
of every Indian now.
Having said that, do not overestimate the usage of English by the average Indian.
Though Indians use English words in their communication, by and large, they are not
good at the effective contextual usage of them. They are also not comfortable with
converting their know-how on English language into effective communication. This
leaves a large gap between expectation and reality in the job market. Engineers are
also no exception to this. Companies expect their employees to have good
communication skills in English but unfortunately they are unable to find the ones who
are good at them.
Not even 15% of Engineers are good at English:
Azeem Premji once said, We are constantly in search of engineering graduates who
possess good communication in English but fail to get the required number as many get
screened at the HRD level itself. Opportunities are there but there are no employable
engineering graduates in India. Of the number of engineering graduates who pass out
every year not even 15% of them are good at English due to which they are unable to
communicate the intended message. Thus, it can be said that there are plenty
employment opportunities for engineering graduates but not many are able to grab
them up because of lack of English skills.
Effective communication skills in English help students at different levels:
in improving academic performance not only in English but also in other subjects;
in increasing their employment opportunities;
in enhancing their subsequent professional competence;
in improving their own personal effectiveness.
Employers value effective English communication skills because their
employees need to:
interact effectively and productively in, and on behalf of, the organisation;
listen to and convey information accurately;
give instructions and explanations clearly; and
engage in constructive debate and contribute to meetings and committees.
Tips to improve your communication skills:
Now, how can you improve your communication skills in English? First, the budding
engineers should remember that it is not at all a herculean task to do. With a little effort
and constant practice, it can be achieved. The following are some tips you can follow at
your own time and space:
Keep talking to your friends, family members, neighbours etc., in English about
interesting things which have happened to you or the things you are planning to do
in the future. Initially, do not worry about the right usage. Just talk.
Try to recall what you have learnt after the class. Try different ways of studying the
material. Think about applying these new concepts to your work situation. From
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9/6/2014 Communication Skills in English for Engineering Students
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time to time, review the classes you have completed.
Learn contextual vocabulary. Pay close attention to how words are used with
different meanings in different contexts in English newspapers.
Listen to English news channels and repeat the sentences immediately.
Read storybooks or any books which you are interested in. Observe the language
used in those books and try to rewrite the story or the gist of the book in your own
sentences.
Learn from your mistakes. Never shy away from mistakes. Try not to repeat the
same mistake you made earlier.
Never finish learning. Think and work independently instead of depending solely on
your teachers or courses. Develop a love for learning.
Have a vision that motivates you.
Participate in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.
Concentrate more on how to learn.
Grab opportunities for practising all language skills and their sub skills. In order to
do this, you have to participate actively in your classes.
Participate in discussions - do not be shy. In your English classes participate in role-
plays.
Join forums or literary clubs where you can make friends and practise English.
Check on your progress. Look at some past exercises or written texts; see if you can
do better. Be on the lookout for spelling and grammar mistakes that crop up
repeatedly.
To improve non-verbal communication:
Many students are under the impression that communication skills mean only verbal
communication. But two-thirds of the meaning of any conversation is conveyed through
non-verbal behaviour. You need to be aware of your non-verbal communication to send
the right message across. Non-verbal communication involves the use of:
Eye contact
Facial expression
Body contact
Gesture
Posture
Personal distance
To improve oral communication:
You can develop your oral communication practising the following in your classroom as
well as outside your classroom:
Conversations
Elocutions
JAM (Just a minute) sessions
Speeches / public speaking
Discussions and debates
Presentations / seminars
Telephoning
Interviewing
Role play
To improve written communication:
Communication does not mean only spoken medium. Written communication is equally
important in work place. You can achieve this by practising the following:
Keeping diary entries
Essay writing
Summarising
Report writing
Writing letters or articles to newspapers
Make use of the English lab:
Most of the engineering colleges have excellent English lab and the syllabus too is in
tune with the present requirements. Students who enter their first year engineering
should utilise this opportunity and participate in all the activities given to them in the
language lab. Many engineering colleges also have excellent phonetics software which
helps you in improving your pronunciation. Remember that your English speaking would
be comprehensible only when your pronunciation is without your mother tongues
influence. You need to practise pronunciation exercises and also record your voice and
compare it with the original speakers voice. This feature is available in phonetics
software. Alternatively, you can also practise using CD ROMs of Cambridge Advanced
Learners Dictionary, Cambridge English Pronunciation Dictionary, Oxford Advanced
Learners Dictionary, etc.
Finally, a piece of advice. Do not neglect or ignore English classes in your engineering.
These classes provide you with excellent foundation for your future career.
A List of Some Useful Books for Learning English:
1. Suresh Kumar E et al. English for Success, Cambridge University Press India Pvt.
Ltd., 2009.
2. Suresh Kumar E et al. Effective English, Pearson, 2010.
3. Suresh Kumar E et al. Essential English, Orient Blackswan, 2011.
4. Hari Mohan Prasad, How to Prepare for Group Discussion and Interview, Tata
McGraw Hill, 2006.
9/6/2014 Communication Skills in English for Engineering Students
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5. Raymond Murphy, English Grammar, Cambridge University Press, 2005.
A List of Some Useful Websites for Learning English:
1. www.englishclub.com
2. www.englishlisteninglounge.com
3. www.eslcafe.com.com
4. www.esl-lab.com
5. www.eslstudyguide.com
6. www.learnenglish.com
7. www.manythings.com
8. www.owlenglish.com
9. www.powa.com
10. www.talkenglish.com
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Published on 9/6/2013 3:30:00 PM


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