RECORD WRITING

I. MINIMAL PAIRS

A minimal pair is a pair of words that vary by only a single sound, usually meaning sounds that may
confuse English learners, like the /f/ and /v/ in fan and van, or the /e/ and /ɪ/ in desk and disk

word 1 word 2 IPA 1 IPA 2 note

pin bin /pɪn/ /bɪn/
rot lot /rɒt/ /lɒt/
initial consonant
thigh thy /θaɪ/ /ðaɪ/
zeal seal /ziːl/ /siːl/
bin bean /bɪn/ /biːn/
pen pan /pɛn/ /pæn/ vowel
cook kook /kʊk/ /kuːk/
hat had /hæt/ /hæd/
final consonant
mean meme /miːn/ /miːm/

VOWEL SOUNDS

Minimal Pairs /ɪ/ and /i:/ sit seat

Minimal Pairs /e/ and /ɪ/ desk disk
Minimal Pairs /e/ and /eɪ/ wet wait
Minimal Pairs /æ/ and /ʌ/ bat but
Minimal Pairs /əʊ/ and /ɔ:/ so saw
Minimal Pairs /ɒ/ and /əʊ/ not note
Minimal Pairs /æ/ and /e/ bad bed
Minimal Pairs /ɑ:/ and /ɜ:/ fast first

CONSONANT SOUNDS

Minimal Pairs /b/ and /v/ berry very

Minimal Pairs /b/ and /p/ buy pie
Minimal Pairs /n/ and /ŋ/ thin thing
Minimal Pairs /l/ and /r/ alive arrive
Minimal Pairs /ʧ/ and /t/ catch cat
Minimal Pairs /s/ and /ʃ/ sea she
Minimal Pairs /f/ and /v/ fan van
Minimal Pairs /f/ and /h/ fat hat
Minimal Pairs /f/ and /θ/ free three
Minimal Pairs /s/ and /θ/ sink think

2. TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE

When you're speaking over the phone remember to smile, sound upbeat and keep your
communication short.

The telephone is perhaps one of the most helpful inventions of the eighteenth century.
Though technology has advanced over the years, making way for e-mails and chats; for most of us,
telephonic communication continues to be the most convenient way of making a conversation.
However, when you're speaking over the phone, there are certain barriers that come in the way
which also need to be taken into consideration.
Let us look at 10 tips that will help you communicate better over the phone:

1. Greeting
Just like a face to face conversation, the other party in the telephonic conversation expects you to
open the conversation with a nice greeting.
It is suggested that you begin the phone call with an appropriate greeting like Good
morning/Afternoon depending on which time of the day you are calling.
Do not answer by using words such as "yeah" or "yes."
2. Take permission and be polite
A polite word or two always helps in bringing warmth into the conversation.
While it is very important to take permission to speak to the person you have intended to call, one
should always remember to use a polite tone.
Use phrase like "May I please speak with___________".
Remember to be sensitive to the tone of your voice.
Do not sound overly aggressive or pushy.
It is important your tone conveys authority and confidence.
Do not lean back in your chair when speaking on the telephone.
Try to record your own conversations. You will then hear how your sound to others.
3. Identify self and the organisation
The most common mistake that people make during a phone is call not identifying oneself.
It is considered inappropriate and can also lead to miscommunication, always introduce yourself
before getting into any conversation; telephonic or face to face -- that's the thumb rule!
4. Clarity
The good old 7Cs of communication will always have an impact on how you converse with people,
very important to remember and include the first "C" i.e being clear.
Do not use broken phrases.
Always use a clear, crisp and simple language.
5. Purpose of the call
Before making a phone call, be sure of the purpose of the call.
Think through exactly what you plan to say and practice before you place the call.
Jotting down the items you want to discuss and questions you want answered can help in making a
smooth conversation
6. Know your timeline and keep it short
While speaking on phone, you are not in front of the other party; hence it is very important to ask if
the receiver has enough time to speak to you.
Respect the person's time and ensure that the conversation gets completed within the given timeline.
7. Avoid fillers and keep it interesting
Filler words -- like um and uh -- are never written into a speech, and add nothing when a speaker
utters them.
During a telephonic conversation, a filler word sends a signal to the other person which says "I'm
still thinking, and I'm not willing to pass the conversation back to you just yet."
This only conveys that you are confused and still thinking of what to say next.
8. Smile through the phone
Keep a 'smile in your voice.'
Sound upbeat and enthusiastic about the chance to speak with the caller.
Adults pay more attention to the tone of your voice than they do to the words you use.
9. Find some quiet place
Communicating over the telephone is much more effective when both parties can hear each other
clearly without background noise.
Plan to make your call, whether it's for work or just to catch up with an old friend, at a time in
which you are not required to attend to any other business and ensure that there is no disturbance
around.
Blaring noises, such as the television or road traffic can interfere with both your listening and
communication skills, making it difficult for a conversation.
10. Summarise, paraphrase and close
There are various benefits of summarising and paraphrasing, it helps you to reaffirm what was
discussed during the phone call.
So if there is any information which needs to be changed or altered, the other party has an
opportunity to add on.
Always end the call with a pleasantry like -- "It was pleasure speaking with you" or "You have a
nice day."
Before making a phone call, be sure of the purpose of the call.
Think through exactly what you plan to say and practice before you place the call.
Jotting down the items you want to discuss and questions you want answered can help in making a
smooth conversation
6. Know your timeline and keep it short
While speaking on phone, you are not in front of the other party; hence it is very important to ask if
the receiver has enough time to speak to you.
Respect the person's time and ensure that the conversation gets completed within the given timeline.
7. Avoid fillers and keep it interesting
Filler words -- like um and uh -- are never written into a speech, and add nothing when a speaker
utters them.
During a telephonic conversation, a filler word sends a signal to the other person which says "I'm
still thinking, and I'm not willing to pass the conversation back to you just yet."
This only conveys that you are confused and still thinking of what to say next.
8. Smile through the phone
Keep a 'smile in your voice.'
Sound upbeat and enthusiastic about the chance to speak with the caller.
Adults pay more attention to the tone of your voice than they do to the words you use.
9. Find some quiet place
Communicating over the telephone is much more effective when both parties can hear each other
clearly without background noise.
Plan to make your call, whether it's for work or just to catch up with an old friend, at a time in
which you are not required to attend to any other business and ensure that there is no disturbance
around.
Blaring noises, such as the television or road traffic can interfere with both your listening and
communication skills, making it difficult for a conversation.
10. Summarise, paraphrase and close
There are various benefits of summarising and paraphrasing, it helps you to reaffirm what was
discussed during the phone call.
So if there is any information which needs to be changed or altered, the other party has an
opportunity to add on.
Always end the call with a pleasantry like -- "It was pleasure speaking with you" or "You have a
nice day."

3.WORD ACCENT AND STRESS SHIFTS

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--ALREADY YOU HAVE WRITTEN IN OBSERVATION
SO YOU CAN GET INFORMATION FROM YOUR BOOK.

4. ORAL PRESENTATIONS

ALSO .......................................................................

5. MOTHER TONGUE INFLUENCE

DEFINITION: Mother-Tongue is the language with which we are born.

1. Thinking in our Mother-Toungue and just translating it in English directly is called MTI (Mother-
Tongue-Influence).

2. Speaking the English sounds like the one we get in our Mother-Tongue.

3.As our Mother-Tongue doesn't have some sounds found in English ,

we may struggle to speak with those sounds.

4. MTI may obstruct you from speaking a neutral accent.

5. To reduce MTI (Mother-Tongue-Influence), One should think in English and speak with Neutral
English sounds.

6.Many people might have been get rejected at the interview stage, because of the MTI. (Ref. BPO)

7.Speak Neutral Accent.

Understanding Mother tongue influence (MTI)
How to recognize MTI
A very simple test is if you can guess where a guy comes from by the way he speaks English, his
English communication suffers from mother tongue influence.
Let me tell you a story about three of my dear friends.
First one is Yo Yo Sunny Singh who lives in “Kanedda” and wants to open a “Toyotta” showroom
with financial “sport” from his “dad ji”.
Then there is Chintan Chakraborthy who is going to get “mayrid” to the “garl of hiz drims” because
he “labhs” her “bhery much”.
There is also Bablu Yadav who is fighting University elections and promises everyone to “gibh”
them “neat and clean univashty”, “class on time”, “egjaminesan on time” if he wins.
The story is all three suffer from heavy mother tongue influence.

Effect of mother tongue influence

The worst part of mother tongue influence (MTI) is that it kills your confidence. You as a speaker
know you sound wrong and even funny. It makes you self conscious and requires hard work for a
long time to get over.
Just as each language has different words, letters and script – so does each have different sounds.
Thus there are some sounds which are found in Hindi but not in English and some sounds may be
found in English but not in Tamil.
For example: in the word “Pleasure”, the second syllable is a sound not found in Hindi. It’s not
“plezar” and it’s not “pleshar” – it is the mix of sounds of “z” and “sh”. Thus, for native Hindi
speakers with insufficient English speaking exposure, pronouncing pleasure (or measure or leisure)
correctly takes time and practice.
Similarly, there are sounds in your regional language which may not exist in English.
When we begin speaking in the second language (i.e. English), we initially use sounds from our
mother tongue. Thus, everyone has mother tongue influence (MTI) to begin with. With more and
more listening to those fluent in the second language, practicing speaking yourself and correcting
mistakes, you slowly learn to replace your mother tongue sounds with the original sounds of
English.
NEUTRALIZATION OF MOTHER TONGUE INFLUENCE
MTI refers to the Mother Tongue Influence
So,MTI is not only a problem faced by Indians but it is the problem people face across the
globe,except the native English speakers.
The basic reason behind this problem is we are all habituated to speak and listen to our mother
tongue right from the time we take birth and our ears get habituated to it.
But,nothing is impossible. So it's not actually impossible to get rid of the Mother Tongue Influence.
There are several influential ways to get rid of this problem.
1. The first one is one should start following the dictionary. Oxford Dictionary is highly
recommended. Dictionary provides you with the proper pronunciation to each word.
2. The second is one should start watching the English news. It would help you get rid of the MTI.
3. The third option is start reading newspapers or English magazines. Well,I don't generally follow
this option. Cause I personally find it quite boring.But undoubtedly, reading English newspapers
and magazines would be of great help.
4. The fourth one is quite recreational and interesting one. Start watching Hollywood
movies.Afterall,audio visuals leave a greater impact than reading. So,this is one of the most
recommended ways to get rid of the MTI.

6. GROUP DISCUSSION

A group discussion aims at a structured but informal exchange of knowledge, ideas, and
perceptions among the participants on any issue, topic or sub-topic. Contributions are pooled
together and examined in terms of their relevance and validity to the discussion objectives. If
planned and organized in a structured way and certain essential conditions are met, it can provide
a highly enriching and stimulating experience to the participants.
As you have to participate in a Group Discussion. several questions spring across your mind. You
want to know what actions and gestures can get you positive points and what can cost you the
selection. Here’s a list of Dos and Don’ts of participating in the GD.

Dos of participating in a GD:

• Listen to the subject carefully
• Put down your thoughts on a paper
• Initiate the discussion if you know the subject well
• Listen to others if you don’t know the subject
• Support you point with some facts and figures
• Make short contribution of 25-30 seconds 3-4 times
• Give others a chance to speak
• Speak politely and pleasantly. Respect contribution from other members.
• Disagree politely and agree with what is right.
• Summarize the discussion if the group has not reached a conclusion.

Don’ts of participating in a Group Discussion

• Initiate the discussion if you do not have sufficient knowledge about the given topic.
• Over speak, intervene and snatch other’s chance to speak.
• Argue and shout during the GD
• Look at the evaluators or a particular group member
• Talk irrelevant things and distract the discussion
• Pose negative body gestures like touching the nose, leaning back on the chair, knocking the
 table with a pen etc.
• Mention erratic statistics.
• Display low self confidence with shaky voice and trembling hands.
• Try to dominate the discussion
• Put others in an embarrassing situation by asking them to speak if they don’t want.