Innovation Practices for Teaching English Communication skills to Professional Students
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This document discusses innovative techniques for teaching English communication skills to professional students. It describes games, role plays, brainstorming, and using newspapers as ways to engage students and reduce anxiety around using English. Games allow students to practice language in a low-stress way to communicate and achieve in-game goals. Role plays put students in simulated real-world scenarios to practice functions like interviews or patient consultations. Brainstorming gives students stimulus to generate a large volume of language responses. Newspapers expose students to topics of interest while building reading skills. These techniques aim to make English learning more interactive, confidence-building and relevant to students' fields.
![Vol-1 Issue-2 2015 IJARIIE-ISSN(O)-2395-4396
1154 www.ijariie.com 135
Innovation Practices for Teaching English
Communication skills to Professional Students
[1]
M. Ramachandran, [2]
Patil chetan Vitthal, [3]
Bhavna R Sharma,
[1]
MPSTME, SVKM’s NMIMS, Shirpur campus, Dhule, Maharashtra, India
[2][3]
RC Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Dhule, India.
.
ABSTRACT
In the present scenario English communication skill teachers have always been concerned about the inadequacy
of conventional methods of English communication skill teaching in Indian education systems. As a result, the
English communication skill teaching pendulum is swinging from methods to post-method pedagogy, although it
still remains in motion. Due to tremendous progress in information and communication technology, the scenario
of contemporary teaching techniques is entirely changed. The teacher of 21 century should shed traditional
concepts and techniques of classroom teaching and should adopt the recent and innovative teaching techniques.
English communication skill teachers must be innovative, creative and resourceful with thorough knowledge of
the subject and adopt new techniques to change social economic status of our country. Due to globalization the
world is changing rapidly, hence a teacher has to improve and upgrade knowledge of innovative techniques to
meet the demands of changing scenario. Various innovative materials and strategies will assist for the effective
learning of students. The aim of this paper is to showcase the use of innovative techniques for teaching English
communication skill to learners. Novel methods such audio video aids, games, group discussions, Role play,
brain storm will provide an easy way for learning the English communication skill and increase the confidence
of the learners.
Keywords: Innovative Practices, humour, games, Role Plays, Brain storm
I. Introduction
The globalization has necessitated the learning of English communication skill in an international perspective.
Moreover the text materials on the subjects of technical education, science and medicine are available in
English. English communication skill learners who are academically proficient in their first or native language
represent differing levels of academic experiences, abilities and interests in addition to their language
proficiency. Teaching requires creativity, there are lots of different methods, strategies and techniques that can
be applied and brought into classroom. Any teaching technique or method including portfolio based instruction
will not be successful if students are not engaged in the process. Techniques are closely related to methods and
approaches. Different theories about the nature of language and how languages are learnt (the approach) imply
different ways of teaching English communication skill and different methods make use of different kind of
activity. With the advent of new millennium, trends have been changed and consequently new challenges have
to be addressed with new language teaching which can conveniently be used in English communication skill
teaching with the most suitable , reliable and homely examples of real life situations. The needs of the students
must be addressed in a better and easier way to make sure of them about their learning the English
communication skill. Teaching and learning may be considered as two mutually defining aspects of the same
process for the teacher is not just a giver but also a receiver and the learner is not just passive recipient of made
to measure packages of knowledge but also an active participant . Looking at this teachers and learners are both
participants in an interaction activity which has been traditionally called teaching learning. For human beings’
interaction with objects, animate and inanimate goes on. The communicative movement has significantly
influenced course design and instructional materials in the recent years. In order to produce effective
communicative materials a lot of efforts are required on the part of material producers.
II. Games
Games which are task based and have a purpose beyond the production of speech serve as excellent
communicative activities .The aim of all language games is for students to use the language; however during](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ijariie1154-150705054517-lva1-app6891/85/Innovation-Practices-for-Teaching-English-Communication-skills-to-Professional-Students-1-320.jpg)
![Vol-1 Issue-2 2015 IJARIIE-ISSN(O)-2395-4396
1154 www.ijariie.com 137
almost all readers. In large classes with few resources, newspapers, even the cutting and clippings are the most
useful teaching and learning aids, they can be more used of successful learning in many ways. It gives a visual
context. In the classroom language teachers can use newspapers to teach a wide range of topics from the
alphabet to grammar structures, vocabulary, conversation techniques and skills including skimming and
scanning on one hand and listening, speaking, reading and writing on the other. And thus newspapers can be
treated as an object for linguistic dissection and analysis. Moreover the additional advantage is that it in stills a
sense of confidence with a feeling of familiarity in the learner who uses it. Thus news papers are good source for
these materials as they are all contextualized, well illustrated real news items, containing a variety of materials
that conforms to the psychological needs of the pupils. Language learners find newspapers motivating because
they offer interesting, relevant, topical and varied information.
VII. Use of Internet
With the focus on language, communication and culture English language teachers are continually searching for
better ways of accessing authentic materials that will improve their students’ knowledge and skills in the
targeted areas. As the technology of internet has transformed communication around the world, it is natural that
it should play a major role in a multi media language laboratory for developing English language skills. E- Mail
is the most commonly used internet application today. English language teachers can integrate e- mail based
activities into curriculum. The search engines such as Google and yahoo takes one to sites that enables one to
correspond with native speakers of the English language. Today’s e-mail software can handle text in a wide
variety of languages and can include word processed files as attachments. The software also allows us to send
sound and images as attachments that enhance the context of the written communication. British Broadcasting
Corporation is doing an excellent job in providing regular on line lessons on English language learning.
Technology has advanced to such an extent that there are sites which provide on line language laboratories
giving listening and speaking practice with recording facility for feedback. A web camera can be a very
important tool for on line video conferencing which can be used to interact with native and non native speakers.
One such application is Internet relay Chat which enables synchronous conversation among participants in
different parts of the world.
VIII. Conclusion
The teacher is very much on the scene and has a massive responsibility. At the same time the teacher has to
make learners understand that their aim is not mastering technology but language itself. It is the teacher who
identifies the weaknesses of the learners, provides them with the correct guidance, motivates them, inculcates
confidence in them and makes language learning experience a real joy. Other roles assumed for teachers are
needs analyst, counsellor and group process manager. As an analyst the teacher has to take into account the
students’ perception of his or her learning style, learning assets and learning goals. The teacher counsellor is
expected to exemplify an effective communicator seeking to maximize the meshing of speaker intention and
hearer interpretation through the use of paraphrase, confirmation, feedback. Much study has been made on
exploring different theories relating to methods, methodologies, approaches, strategies but they have not yielded
any lasting solutions to the problems of English language teaching and so much has to be attempted towards
exploring materials in teaching language skills in a more efficient way. Whatever may be the methods and
approaches, the most pragmatic and the desirable thing seems to explore the possibility of using the under used
and valuable materials which will definitely facilitate the learning and teaching of language skills. We need to
have interactive teaching and this changing role of education is inevitable with the introduction of multimedia
technology and the spawning of a technologically-savvy generation of youths. The analysis reveals some of the
suggestions that the teaching community can practice in the classrooms. Ultimately the teaching people are
satisfied when they could reach the students community with his their ideas and views. Students will be grouped
in terms of the strategies and styles they use and they would be matched in this respect with their teacher and
course books. Moreover, it is possible that the future classroom will be a workplace to focus on ameliorating the
learners’ different types of misconceptions.
References
[1]. Richards Jack& Schmidt Richard W. Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics,
London: Pearson Education, 2002. Print.
[2]. Klippel, Friederike. Keep Talking, New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 1985. Print.
[3]. Niraja Saraswat, Innovative Techniques for Teaching English to Second Language Learners, International
Journal of English and Literature (IJEL) ISSN 2249-6912, Vol. 3, Issue 1, Mar 2012, 83-88.
[4]. Neo, M. & Neo, K.T.K. (2001). Innovative teaching: Using multimedia in a problem-based learning
environment, Educational Technology & Society 4.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ijariie1154-150705054517-lva1-app6891/85/Innovation-Practices-for-Teaching-English-Communication-skills-to-Professional-Students-3-320.jpg)
![Vol-1 Issue-2 2015 IJARIIE-ISSN(O)-2395-4396
1154 www.ijariie.com 138
[5]. Bhavna R Sharma, M. Ramachandran, Need of Bhagavad Gita Concepts in the Present Scenario of
Professional Education, International Journal of Applied Engineering Research. ISSN 0973-4562, Volume
10, Number 11 (2015) pp. 10570-10574.
[6]. Denbo, Susan M. (2005). Contracts in the Classroom-Providing Undergraduate Business Students with
Important “Real Life” Skills. The Journal of Legal Studies Education, 22(2), 149-167.
[7]. Freeman, D., & Richards, J. C. (1993). Conceptions of teaching and the education of second language
teachers. TESOL Quarterly, 27(2), 193-216.
[8]. Bhavna Sharma, M. Ramachandran, Kanak Kalita, Methods for Improving Communication Skills of Rural
Students in Pharmaceutical Education, International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, ISSN
2229-5518, Volume 5, Issue 10, October-2014, PP. 310-314.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ijariie1154-150705054517-lva1-app6891/85/Innovation-Practices-for-Teaching-English-Communication-skills-to-Professional-Students-4-320.jpg)
Innovation Practices for Teaching English Communication skills to Professional Students
- 1. Vol-1 Issue-2 2015 IJARIIE-ISSN(O)-2395-4396 1154 www.ijariie.com 135 Innovation Practices for Teaching English Communication skills to Professional Students [1] M. Ramachandran, [2] Patil chetan Vitthal, [3] Bhavna R Sharma, [1] MPSTME, SVKM’s NMIMS, Shirpur campus, Dhule, Maharashtra, India [2][3] RC Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Dhule, India. . ABSTRACT In the present scenario English communication skill teachers have always been concerned about the inadequacy of conventional methods of English communication skill teaching in Indian education systems. As a result, the English communication skill teaching pendulum is swinging from methods to post-method pedagogy, although it still remains in motion. Due to tremendous progress in information and communication technology, the scenario of contemporary teaching techniques is entirely changed. The teacher of 21 century should shed traditional concepts and techniques of classroom teaching and should adopt the recent and innovative teaching techniques. English communication skill teachers must be innovative, creative and resourceful with thorough knowledge of the subject and adopt new techniques to change social economic status of our country. Due to globalization the world is changing rapidly, hence a teacher has to improve and upgrade knowledge of innovative techniques to meet the demands of changing scenario. Various innovative materials and strategies will assist for the effective learning of students. The aim of this paper is to showcase the use of innovative techniques for teaching English communication skill to learners. Novel methods such audio video aids, games, group discussions, Role play, brain storm will provide an easy way for learning the English communication skill and increase the confidence of the learners. Keywords: Innovative Practices, humour, games, Role Plays, Brain storm I. Introduction The globalization has necessitated the learning of English communication skill in an international perspective. Moreover the text materials on the subjects of technical education, science and medicine are available in English. English communication skill learners who are academically proficient in their first or native language represent differing levels of academic experiences, abilities and interests in addition to their language proficiency. Teaching requires creativity, there are lots of different methods, strategies and techniques that can be applied and brought into classroom. Any teaching technique or method including portfolio based instruction will not be successful if students are not engaged in the process. Techniques are closely related to methods and approaches. Different theories about the nature of language and how languages are learnt (the approach) imply different ways of teaching English communication skill and different methods make use of different kind of activity. With the advent of new millennium, trends have been changed and consequently new challenges have to be addressed with new language teaching which can conveniently be used in English communication skill teaching with the most suitable , reliable and homely examples of real life situations. The needs of the students must be addressed in a better and easier way to make sure of them about their learning the English communication skill. Teaching and learning may be considered as two mutually defining aspects of the same process for the teacher is not just a giver but also a receiver and the learner is not just passive recipient of made to measure packages of knowledge but also an active participant . Looking at this teachers and learners are both participants in an interaction activity which has been traditionally called teaching learning. For human beings’ interaction with objects, animate and inanimate goes on. The communicative movement has significantly influenced course design and instructional materials in the recent years. In order to produce effective communicative materials a lot of efforts are required on the part of material producers. II. Games Games which are task based and have a purpose beyond the production of speech serve as excellent communicative activities .The aim of all language games is for students to use the language; however during
- 2. Vol-1 Issue-2 2015 IJARIIE-ISSN(O)-2395-4396 1154 www.ijariie.com 136 game play learners also use the target language to play, persuade and negotiate their way to desired results. This process involves productive and receptive skills simultaneously. Games offer students a fun filled and relaxing learning atmosphere. After learning and practicing new vocabulary, students have the opportunity to use language in a non stressful way .While playing games, the learner’s attention is on the message, not on the language. Rather than paying attention to the correctness of linguistic forms, most participants will do all they can to win .This eases the fear of negative evolution , the concern of being negatively judged in public which is one of the main factors inhibiting language learners from using the target language in front of other people. In a game oriented context, anxiety is reduced and speech fluency is generated thus communicative competence is achieved. To improve the atmosphere in the class and help the learners to cooperate better with each other discussion games can be used. The learners have to present views on the topics. The main purpose is to make the learners talk and stimulate their imagination, curiosity and interest. Game of Sudoku, a kind of number puzzle is an ideal authentic context for practicing language functions. III. Teaching with Sense of Humour Always every student community loves a Professor, who is having very good sense of humour. The sense of humour not only improves the cordial relations between professors and students, but also gives some relief while professor provides difficult lecture on a toughest subject for students. For a faculty teaching for a present student is a challenge and for students, Learning is a challenge. Combining both effectively in the classroom is a very big challenge. We are convinced both by experience and research that using humour in teaching is a very effective tool for both the teacher and student. Humour strengthens the relationship between student and teacher, reduces stress, makes a course more interesting and if relevant to the subject, may even enhance recall of the material. Humour has the ability to relax people, reduce tension, and thereby create an atmosphere conducive for learning and communication. Numerous studies in the field of advertising have noted that humour is the most effective tool for enhancing recall of advertisements. It is easy to create a humour in the classroom by reading books of jokes and to listen to professional comics. The students should be encouraged to take notes, especially to learn about the professionals’ use of such techniques as exaggeration, pauses, and timing. With clear analysis shows sense of humour not only plays an important role in the healing process but is also very important in teaching English communication skill education. IV. Role Play Simulations are simplified patterns of human interactions or social processes where the players participate in roles. Role plays comprise of short scenes which can be realistic as in pretending to interview a celebrity. In group work, the class can be divided in a group of four to five persons. Choose one person as a group leader who will be playing the role of a medical consultant and other will be playing the role of patients. Role playing and scenario analysis is mostly used in organizations that try to analyze a problem pertaining to the organization, and this is also used in management institutions. But the similar kind of practice can be tried in other specialization too like science and engineering. Science and engineering courses have practical but in support of those practical if students are given a scenario and other options to solve a particular issue, then the students are exposed to decision making in a given environment. For example, in teaching pharmacists the role of pharmacists can be explained by role playing technique. Medical Prescriptions and medicines can be given to students and asked them to assume the role of pharmacists. Here the real medical prescriptions pertaining to medicines are made by the student and this is more practical approach to teaching where theory is supplemented by proper practical knowledge. Similar kind of technique can be applied in management, engineering and other science courses. V. Brainstorm In brainstorm, the students are given a single stimulus which serves as a clue for large number of responses. The stimulus may be a question with plenty of possible answers like what do you do when…? The advantages of this technique are that it provides a large volume of productive language practice on the part of the learners relative to the contribution of the teacher and that it allows students to compose utterance at convenient level for them. The wide range of possibilities are open to participants and the fact that many of them are original and entertaining means to tend to be motivated to contribute and activity usually move forward briskly with a high density of learner’s participation. VI. Use of News Papers in the Classroom Jon Chandler and Mark stone have rightly remarked that newspapers are a valuable but often underused classroom resource. There is a breadth of coverage in them, which means there is something of interest to
- 3. Vol-1 Issue-2 2015 IJARIIE-ISSN(O)-2395-4396 1154 www.ijariie.com 137 almost all readers. In large classes with few resources, newspapers, even the cutting and clippings are the most useful teaching and learning aids, they can be more used of successful learning in many ways. It gives a visual context. In the classroom language teachers can use newspapers to teach a wide range of topics from the alphabet to grammar structures, vocabulary, conversation techniques and skills including skimming and scanning on one hand and listening, speaking, reading and writing on the other. And thus newspapers can be treated as an object for linguistic dissection and analysis. Moreover the additional advantage is that it in stills a sense of confidence with a feeling of familiarity in the learner who uses it. Thus news papers are good source for these materials as they are all contextualized, well illustrated real news items, containing a variety of materials that conforms to the psychological needs of the pupils. Language learners find newspapers motivating because they offer interesting, relevant, topical and varied information. VII. Use of Internet With the focus on language, communication and culture English language teachers are continually searching for better ways of accessing authentic materials that will improve their students’ knowledge and skills in the targeted areas. As the technology of internet has transformed communication around the world, it is natural that it should play a major role in a multi media language laboratory for developing English language skills. E- Mail is the most commonly used internet application today. English language teachers can integrate e- mail based activities into curriculum. The search engines such as Google and yahoo takes one to sites that enables one to correspond with native speakers of the English language. Today’s e-mail software can handle text in a wide variety of languages and can include word processed files as attachments. The software also allows us to send sound and images as attachments that enhance the context of the written communication. British Broadcasting Corporation is doing an excellent job in providing regular on line lessons on English language learning. Technology has advanced to such an extent that there are sites which provide on line language laboratories giving listening and speaking practice with recording facility for feedback. A web camera can be a very important tool for on line video conferencing which can be used to interact with native and non native speakers. One such application is Internet relay Chat which enables synchronous conversation among participants in different parts of the world. VIII. Conclusion The teacher is very much on the scene and has a massive responsibility. At the same time the teacher has to make learners understand that their aim is not mastering technology but language itself. It is the teacher who identifies the weaknesses of the learners, provides them with the correct guidance, motivates them, inculcates confidence in them and makes language learning experience a real joy. Other roles assumed for teachers are needs analyst, counsellor and group process manager. As an analyst the teacher has to take into account the students’ perception of his or her learning style, learning assets and learning goals. The teacher counsellor is expected to exemplify an effective communicator seeking to maximize the meshing of speaker intention and hearer interpretation through the use of paraphrase, confirmation, feedback. Much study has been made on exploring different theories relating to methods, methodologies, approaches, strategies but they have not yielded any lasting solutions to the problems of English language teaching and so much has to be attempted towards exploring materials in teaching language skills in a more efficient way. Whatever may be the methods and approaches, the most pragmatic and the desirable thing seems to explore the possibility of using the under used and valuable materials which will definitely facilitate the learning and teaching of language skills. We need to have interactive teaching and this changing role of education is inevitable with the introduction of multimedia technology and the spawning of a technologically-savvy generation of youths. The analysis reveals some of the suggestions that the teaching community can practice in the classrooms. Ultimately the teaching people are satisfied when they could reach the students community with his their ideas and views. Students will be grouped in terms of the strategies and styles they use and they would be matched in this respect with their teacher and course books. Moreover, it is possible that the future classroom will be a workplace to focus on ameliorating the learners’ different types of misconceptions. References [1]. Richards Jack& Schmidt Richard W. Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, London: Pearson Education, 2002. Print. [2]. Klippel, Friederike. Keep Talking, New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 1985. Print. [3]. Niraja Saraswat, Innovative Techniques for Teaching English to Second Language Learners, International Journal of English and Literature (IJEL) ISSN 2249-6912, Vol. 3, Issue 1, Mar 2012, 83-88. [4]. Neo, M. & Neo, K.T.K. (2001). Innovative teaching: Using multimedia in a problem-based learning environment, Educational Technology & Society 4.
- 4. Vol-1 Issue-2 2015 IJARIIE-ISSN(O)-2395-4396 1154 www.ijariie.com 138 [5]. Bhavna R Sharma, M. Ramachandran, Need of Bhagavad Gita Concepts in the Present Scenario of Professional Education, International Journal of Applied Engineering Research. ISSN 0973-4562, Volume 10, Number 11 (2015) pp. 10570-10574. [6]. Denbo, Susan M. (2005). Contracts in the Classroom-Providing Undergraduate Business Students with Important “Real Life” Skills. The Journal of Legal Studies Education, 22(2), 149-167. [7]. Freeman, D., & Richards, J. C. (1993). Conceptions of teaching and the education of second language teachers. TESOL Quarterly, 27(2), 193-216. [8]. Bhavna Sharma, M. Ramachandran, Kanak Kalita, Methods for Improving Communication Skills of Rural Students in Pharmaceutical Education, International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, ISSN 2229-5518, Volume 5, Issue 10, October-2014, PP. 310-314.