WHY DO ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION SKILLS LABS (ELCS- Labs)

UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE BETTER IN JNTU-K AREA AT PRESENT

SITUATION?
K.BALASHOWRI REDDY
MA, M.Phil, B.Ed., PGCTE
kbaluenglish@gmail.com ABSTRACT

This paper explores key problems and possibilities in the use of English Language
Communication Skills Labs (ELCS – Labs) with Computer Assisted Language Learning
(CALL) facilities in engineering and technology institutes in Jawaharlal Nehru
Technological University- Kakinada (JNTU-K) area in Andhra Pradesh, language teaching
mainly depends upon the chalk and talk method of teaching. But in recent times all the
stakeholders of these engineering and technology institutes have begun to realize that
language learning should take place in a naturalistic manner—a process of learner
discovery, trial and error and ultimately achieving language proficiency and fluency which
are providing employability skills around the globe. The objective of this paper is to
provide an overview of technology-related changes that are taking place in the engineering
institutes of JNTU-K vis-à-vis language learning and teaching and to examine how far
these changes are actually able to make a difference at the ground level and provides
an overview of the capacities of a broad-range of technologies for
second language learning and discusses how technology can be
better designed to support second language learning in both formal
and informal settings. The language lab sessions of the author’s own institute is
presented as an example to highlight the challenges and possibilities facing ELCS-Labs/
CALL as it is contextualize. The scope of study is limited.

Introduction
In engineering and technology institutes in JNTU-K, establishing ELCS Labs has become
the norm rather than the exception. With the advent of sophisticated technologies, it seems
pretty outdated if the faculty and administrators concerned do not provide students with
new and interesting technologies of language learning and practice. Both the government,
University and Private Institutes have realized that to become more “Marketable” students
need to be proficient in both hard (technical) skills and soft skills. Most native and global
companies value workers with a good basic education and qualification and at the same
time they place greater value on people who are technically strong while well grounded in
the soft skills. Increasingly, strong academic credentials have become only a small factor in
the long-term success of a person in his/her career in the global job market. The
importance of English language teaching and learning has long been recognized and
acknowledged in Science and Technology Institutions. Rapid advances in the development
of Technology have simultaneously been seen to offer new opportunities for enhancing the
quality and effectiveness of language teaching and learning. Multimedia computing, the
Internet, and the World Wide Web have provided an incredible boost to ELCS
Labs/CALL applications, offering a wide variety of educational, programs, resources,
software, journals, organizations, software tutorials including all types of exercises for
grammar drills, vocabulary, listening and pronunciation exercises, games, etc. The utility
of ELCS labs had a fresh breath when its library – like features came to the fore. The

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equipment was recognized for its easy management and availability to students on
individual basis.

Indeed, good communication skills help groom the whole personality of the individual.
They help build a confident and congenial person who can communicate effectively with all
kinds of people. This person integrates into a team more easily and effectively, resulting in
an increasing level of efficiency and productivity. At present “Good communication skills”
usually refers to good communication skills in the English language. English, a once
borrowed language, has become the language of choice in many contexts, such as
higher/technical education, business and commerce etc., thus, all institutes of higher
education in Andhra Pradesh English as one of their core subjects. And because of rapid
advancements in technology in the world today, there is now a demand in most of these
institutes to adapt technology based learning methods for English language teaching
(ELT)/English Lanauge Education (ELE). ELCS Lab course is compulsory for all
undergraduate (B.Tech) engineering students at the first year and 3rd year first or second
semester. The key point to make is that ELCS Lab/ CALL without an effective teacher may
not work; the teacher continues to occupy an important, indispensable space in classrooms
which deploy computer assisted work.

Effective Communication Skills for Engineering /Technical Students

Effective communication is made possible with the help of language. Engineering

profession is no exception to this general rule. Engineers are also required to interact with
their co-workers, the public, their clients, superiors and even news media conversing face
to face, in writing or over the telephone and read and write emails, letters, business/
technical reports and proposals. Such a demand is placed on the part of the engineers’
right from the beginning of their career in their junior positions. Individuals who are able
to communicate well in speaking and writing always have an edge over others in
persuading people to their thinking and plan of action. They impact others and have some
influence over the thinking process and action plans of others.

THE BACKGROUND FOR USING COMPUTER AIDED TEACHING

Department of Science and Humanities (S&H), which includes English as one of its major
subjects, in an integral part of every Engineering institute in JNTU-K area from 2005-06
academic year onwards (2008 JNTU-H split JNTU-A,H,K). In these institutes English
classes have a higher student-teacher ration than engineering classes, varying between 60
to 90 students per class. Moreover, English language teaching still mainly depends the
chalk and talk method. Therefore, it is extremely difficult, it not impossible, for the teacher
to give special attention to each student in such big classes. Many students also suffer from
low confidence in their use of English because it is not the language they are most
comfortable in. Most of the companies are giving this feedback to the training and
placement cells of these institutes during the recruiting process which takes place every
year. This is where ELCS Labs enter into the picture in engineering classrooms in JNTU-

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K. It is believed that ELCS Lab/CALL has the potential to provide teacher with a powerful
set of tools for sharing information with the students interactively and efficiently which can
help improve the language skills of students. The following eight conditions for optimal
language learning through the use of CALL are outlined in Egbert & Hanson-Smith’s
(1999) Classic book, CALL Environments, Research, practice, and critical issues:

• Learner have opportunities to interact with each other and negotiate meaning
• Learners interact in the target language with an authentic audience.
• Learners are involved in authentic tasks.
• Learners are exposed to and encouraged to produce varied and creative language..
• Learners have enough time and feedback.
• Learners are guided to attend mindfully to the learning process.
• Learners work in an atmosphere with an ideal stress/anxiety level.
• Learner autonomy is supported.

Teachers are now using computer technology as an aid to create a supportive and effective
learning environment in the classroom. The potentialities of computer aided teaching is
well captured by Bickel and Truscello when they elicit that the computer based activities
render the students an opportunity to perform diverse tasks with the computer, which
broaden their repertoire of metacognitive, cognitive, and affective learning strategies.

• The language teachers’ interest to learn how to use new tools motivates him/her to
incorporate computer technology in the language teaching.

• The language teachers’ feeling of staleness or boredom in the traditional talk-chalk

method necessitates an attempt to re-awaken the interest in teaching.

• Students’ interest in using technology as a means to enhance their learning might

have motivated the teacher to incorporate computer in the language teaching.

• Teachers’ curiosity about important new developments in the field of teaching.

• The need to consider approaches for teaching that caters to the increasingly
diversified needs of the students.

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WHAT IS ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMMUNICATON SKILLS LAB (ELCS LAB)/
CALL AT PRESENT CONTEXT?
An English language Communication Skills Lab (ELCS Lab)/CALL is a facility where a
student or any aspirant can learn a language with the help and guidance of a teacher
through a system, to improve his/her speaking and listening capacity. one can go deeper to
familiarize oneself with dialects and accents in the selected Language. The Language Lab
can receive inputs from recorded tapes, audios and videos, CDs, etc. A proficient teacher in
the English language is the only external requirement to monitor the students during the
learning process. The use of a language lab will allow students to learn language, improve
their reading and speaking skills, and develop their own native language comprehension at
an accelerated rate. Through repeated practice sessions, one adapts the correct
pronunciation and accent. The teacher can assign session-wise lessons for each batch at the
commencement of the course. Students will automatically receive pre-recorded lessons
from the master source through the teacher while logging in and can use these lessons for
practice. Listening skills are primary to becoming fluent. Language lab helps to develop
listening skills, allowing the students to focus on the spoken word, therefore, enhancing
their ability to repeat and understand the spoken language. Students can be subdivided
into small groups to either listen and respond to the instructor's program material or
interact with each other in conversational exercises. There are many types of exercises and
activities that can be developed by instructors for both mainstream and special needs. The
modernization of language labs over the last decade has ensured both increased reliability
and functionality to a higher level. It is just brief description about language lab.

Function:
• Communication Skills are an indispensable component for the success of any
Professional. Language has to be practised, heard and corrected. If one has to reach
out to people, one has to speak their language. In short, to acquire the sensibility for
the sounds and rhythm of a language, one has to hear the best samples of a spoken
language. This is precisely the function of a language laboratory. It is a unique
synergy of art and technology, taste and craft.

Objectives:
• Language Laboratory is for practising and assessing one's speech.
• A facility to allow the student to listen to model pronunciation, repeat and record
the same, listen to his performance and compare the same with the model and do
self-assessment.
• Gives freedom to learn at their pace.
• Teacher's assistance is provided individually and collectively.
• Allows every participant their privacy to speak and listen.
• To enhance students’ performance at Placement Interviews, Group Discussions and
other recruitment exercises.

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ELCS Labs/ CALL - GROUND LEVEL SITUATIONS
The following instances are happening in most of the language labs:

• The first disadvantage of ELCS lab and its assisted language learning programs is
that they will increase educational costs and harm the equity of education.
• Most of the faculties don’t have previous knowledge/training about new technology.
So how can they do justice in Language labs? Because in their Graduation /Post
Graduation level no subject / training about how to use new technology, with out
previous knowledge they are handling the labs. “It is necessary that both teachers
and learners should have basic technology knowledge before they apply computer
technology to assist second language teaching and learning. No student can utilize
computer if he or she lacks training in the uses of computer technology.
Unfortunately, most teachers today do not have sufficient technological training to
guide their students exploring computer and its assisted language learning
programs. Therefore, the benefits of computer technology for those students who
are not familiar with computer are inexistent” (Roblyer, 2003). It is the real
situation in ELCS Labs at present.
• Computers cannot handle unexpected situations. Second language learners’
learning situations are various and ever changing. Due to the limitations of
computer’s artificial intelligence, computer technology is unable to deal with
learners’ unexpected learning problems and response to learners’ question
immediately as teachers do. The reasons for the computer’ inability to interact
effectively can be traced back to a fundamental difference in the way humans and
computers utilize information (Dent, 2001). So the faculties have to take more care
how to handle the unexpected problems.
• According to the time table which is prescribed by the JNTU-K for each branch
three hours a week on particular day. So with in the academic year 25 – 30 weeks
(70 – 90hrs) training only students are getting this time is not adequate. And
moreover faculty leaves, students’ absence, unexpected reasons are going to reduce
actual training time. So there is no day to day practice.

• Students are first time entering the computer labs it creates tutored, may be they
are first time seeing/using the computers very close.

• Usage of computers create tutored and de-motivation among the students, most of
the students come from rural background they don’t have scope to use computers at
secondary/ higher secondary level.

• Faculty members always instruct be careful about the equipment, system’s technical
settings it is also creates fear and de-motivation.

• The software of ELCS Lab’s learning programs are still imperfect. Current
computer technology mainly deals with reading, listening, and writing skills. Even
though some speaking programs have been developed recently, their functions are
still limited. Ex. K-VAN (which is prescribed by JNTU – K)

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• Most of the institutions are using sub-standard(3rd category)software personally I
visited more than 25 to 30 institutions out of 236+ intuitions very few institutions are
using some what standard software.

• In ELCS Labs every other day something goes wrong with the hardware or the
related software and managements would have to spend good money of the remedy.
Even then, in institutes which can afford such an amount, the use of ELCS Lab also
needs a supportive Head of the institution as well as sympathetic colleagues who
believe in its vision.

• Adequate maintenance and servicing arrangements.

• The simple availability of inter net in the ELCS Labs is the big problem to access
online materials which are giving real time practice in language learning.

• Training faculty to use computers takes time and costs lot of money – but it’s worth
it in the end. But Head of the institutions are not willing to accept this.

• Faculties’ should not only be aware of the mechanical operation of the equipment,
but also of its inherent methodological advantages and limitations.

• Suitable recorded materials or staff with the time, facilities and ability to produce
them should be ready in hand. Ex work sheets/ handouts etc., when all these
requirements are fulfilled, the faculties using the language laboratories tend to use
them enthusiastically. The difficulty or impossibility to achieve success in teaching
with the laboratory in the absence of these requirements disillusions the faculties
about the laboratories in general.

• There is no proper internal assessment periodically, it leads negligence about

learning and students unable to know their pace of learning.

• Most of the colleges are not willing to subscribe even a single national or
international journals, how can the faculty know latest trends in English language
education/ ELT. Sufficient reference books are also not available in libraries.

• Most of the administrators and core subjects’ faculty members are thinking English
as a subject not a language. So they are steeling more language classes’ schedule for
the benefit of core subjects from the regular timetable.

• Managements are failed to appoint experienced, talented and dedicated faculty

members due to financial barriers. And they are not willing to provide good
software and facilities which are essential to develop communication skills like TV.
LCDs, CDs, DVDs, Local cable connection, Photostat facility and Inter net etc.,

• From the Managements or the University is not going conduct the periodical
vocational training for the faculties of language. Even most of the faculties are also

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 not willing to attend workshops, seminars, crash courses, faculty development
programmes, paper presentation events, and symposiums to up grad their
knowledge of teaching skills and knowing new trends in language teaching. If some
of the faculty members take incitation to attend any programs to develop their
skills, Managements are not willing to sponsor such type of programs, some times
they are not giving even causal leaves also.

• ELCS Lab accommodates all types of students. The setting of the lab needs to reflect
the audience that the lab targets. Undergraduate students, student aids, and
teachers all come into the lab to work.

The wide-open space of the lab presents problems when

1. Students are trying to work together in groups
2. Individuals need quiet time to write papers or study
3. Classes are being held and need the entire computer area
4. Students are being tutored
• The nature of the space of the language learning environment has undergone a
paradigm shift from traditional blackboard classrooms to computer labs and so the
position as faculties/students within that space has changed also. In this
environment, teachers’ role underwent a significant shift from a knowledge giver to
a facilitator. The students took over the responsibility for their own language
learning and became more active and autonomous learners.

• The computer is a means of communication between the programmer and the user.
However in this analogy, the author and the programmer do not mostly share
similar concerns. While the author is bound to be a subject expert, the programmer
is mostly a technician. This gap between the author and the programmer is
responsible for inappropriate lesson content, poor documentation, errors in format
and content, improper feedback, etc. found in some lab materials.

• Many students find it difficult to read papers/material on a computer screen.

• Students think about examination point of view they are unable to learn language in
real time experience.

• Students are not willing to initiate lab activities (role play, GDs, team activities) lack
of language expose in real life situations and motivation in ELCS labs.

• ELCS lab, is basically a self- study mode of language leaning. But the age group of
students in these institutes varies for 18-21, a challenging group to implement ELCS
lab with. Even students with very poor English knowledge do not seem to be

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 interested enough to access these resources for a long period of time. Since they are
mostly technologically sophisticated, working with multimedia elements hardly
impresses them and they get easily bored and lose interest in improving their
English skills through a self-study mode of learning.

Why we have to use ELCS Labs?

Series of recent experiments and research in the field of Educational Technology (E.T.)
show how Information Technology can enhance the quality of language teaching. Paul
Chin while highlighting the potentialities of computer aided teaching says, “C&IT
(Computer and Information Technology) has a lot to offer teaching and learning, and the
benefits for both teachers and students are clear”. Bush in his “Interactive Videodisc The
‘Why’ and The ‘How’", CALICO monograph Volume 2, has delineated that the majority
of the work that investigated into the us of multimedia and computer applications have
shown learning gains proving the positive contribution of computer technology to learning.
Watts and Brett (Using Multimedia, 2) proclaim that there is evidence that the use of
multimedia for self-access work is more motivating and attractive than the traditional
books and tapes or videos. Krashen in Language Acquisition and Language Education
stresses that while anxiety and lack of motivation can impede language learning by acting
as filters blocking comprehension, the novelty factor or the very appealing features of
multimedia renders autonomy and creates greater participation from the students. While
discussing the use of computer technology in its various forms for effective language
teaching Mary Ellen Butler-Pascoe points out that, “Through the use of the Internet, word
processors, multimedia, hypermedia and drill and practice programs, students can engage
in individualized instruction designed to meet their specific needs…” . In “Multimedia for
listening comprehension:- The design of a multimedia-based resource for developing
listening skills” Brett, P.A describes how the computer-based delivery of video, audio,
written text, graphics and the integration of these media can be used as a useful tool for
second language learning. He also enlists the possible advantages of multimedia
applications in assisting the development of listening skills, within the field of Business
English by using moving video. Cathy Gunn, in “Integrated multimedia for better language
learning” has elucidated the high possibility of using the computer technology as an
effective supplement in language teaching. The history of pedagogy has revealed that the
teaching methods are evolutionary and are subjected to changes. Different ideas about
language teaching have emerged, flourished and declined over the years. In the recent
years attempts for delineating a single method as the best suited for teaching a language for
all learners in all contexts is losing vigour. David Nunan in his speculation over methods
elicits that researchers and teachers are now focusing on the development of suitable
classroom tasks and activities that are consonant with the process of second language
acquisition and also with the dynamics of the classroom. Language laboratories evidently
serve as an aid for the development of suitable learning environment in the second
language classroom.

Conclusion
The ability to communicate well in English has become more stark in the midst of even
increasing globalization today. Academicians assume that exposing students to authentic

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ELCS Lab materials designed by so-called native speakers of English would meet this need
to become proficient in the language. But actual classroom experience suggests that for
engineering students ELCS Lab is not necessarily a precondition to improving their
English language proficiency. It is true that students’ lives are becoming more and more
entwined with computer-based technologies and the importance of integrating computers
into language learning is growing. But we need to think carefully how best we can integrate
ELCS Lab into our English language classes in order to exploit its potential to transform
students’ experience in English language learning. Use of technology in learning is not
necessarily sound pedagogy; it is only a way towards achieving good teaching and learning.
There is also the problem of teachers keeping up with the speed by which technology
advances. Learners may not have the same problems as they are more exposed to such kind
of resources and materials. Implementing ELCS Lab in the classroom requires the teacher
to be always ‘relevant’ to the students. We cannot use it as an excuse for complacency.
Certainly, its future must be nurtured but the teacher, instead of receding into the
background, must even be more active in making sure that learning takes place in the
classroom.

References

A.P.R. Howatt with H.G. Widdowson. A History of English Language Teaching. Second
edition Oxford University Press, 2004.

Chin, Paul. Using C&IT to Support Teaching. Routledge Falmer London and New York,
2004.

Computer Assisted Language Learning: Increase of freedom or submission to machines.

Retrieved on February 21, 2007, from www.terra.es/personal/nostat.

Computer Assisted Language Learning Journal 9, 1996. (2)- “Multimedia for listening
comprehension:- The design of a multimedia based resource for developing listening
skills”. System. 23:1 1995

Kumar, E. S., & Sreehari, P. (2007). A handbook for English language laboratories. New
Delhi: Foundation Books.

Nunan, David. Language Teaching Methodology. Macquarie University, 1991.

K.BALA SHOWRI REDDY,

ASST. PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH,
ESWAR COLLEGE OF ENGG.
NARASARAO PET.GUNTURE (Dt).
kbaluenglish.blogspot.com
kbaluenglish@gmail.com