2. The obstacles of communication skills in (LSRW) faced by engineering graduates as per statistical analysis of cosmopolitan cities in India of 2015-D. Rayappa

Introduction

English is one of the widely spoken languages around the world for engineering graduates. English language fluency is important both in studies and career. Engineering is one of the largest fields of study and many of the works of research and academics are recorded in English. Without fluency in English, engineering students may find it difficult to understand the concept being conveyed by the authors. Also, many modules in engineering require writing academic reports. Hence, a good fluency and grasp of English language is necessary. Basic reasons why an Engineer should be fluent in English are as follows: In a student's social life, English language is most important. It helps to build strong relationship and better understanding among fellow students and peers. For success in any field, one has to know, understand and communicate effectively. In the era of liberalization, privatization and globalization, communication skills are the key to success. The English language is now a bridge language of international business, technology, research and aviation. About 1.8 billion speak English and the number is still rising.

The importance of communication for engineering graduates

For communication purposes, an engineer graduates must bear these things in mind:

· Most of the theories are taught in English language. For this reason, an expected level of proficiency in English language would be essential.

· To study abroad in some of the best universities in the world, students have to take up standardized tests to prove their English language proficiency. These tests play a major role for admissions to most of the universities overseas. These tests are measurements carried out to ensure that the students from non-English speaking countries are able to write, listen, and converse in English fluently.

· Engineers today have to communicate with their counterparts across the globe. Among most of the professionals like the scientists, technologists and business experts who belong to different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, English is predominantly considered to be a language of communication. For professional purposes, English may come in very handy.

Here are some of the reasons:

(1). In today's world, employers seek engineering graduates with sound communication skills, along with technical engineering knowledge.

(2). Having good communication skills is a valuable asset for any organisation. Professionals with strong hold on English language are set in higher level of standards in the organisation. Read more on the ways to improve your English language skills. All in all, English language fluency is a significant aspect of an engineering student's academic life and future career.

1. Listening skills

Listening skills are probably one of the most important language skills that you need in order to be successful in academic and professional pursuits. As engineering graduates, you have to listen to lectures, explanations during tutorials and practical sessions, seminars and workshops, technical presence, and academic discussions, academic interactions viva voce test and so

1.1 Listening speed

No communication process is complete without listening. Several students have indicated that business people spend almost 45percent of their working time in listening (Ramkin and Nicholas, 1968; Timon 1986; Husband and Cooper 1993), according to management guru Tom Peters listening is an essential management and leadership skill. Similarly effective listening is extremely important for engineering graduates as they spend most of their time listening to lectures.

The average speaking rate is 125-150 words per minute. The average listening capacity is 400-500words a minute.

People listen more than they speak, read or write.

“Ramkin (1929) gives the following statistics about the time spent by adults in different occupations on the four functions of language.”

“Ramkin (1929) gives the following statistics about the time spent by adults in different occupations on the four functions of language.”

“Students in colleges listen and write more than others”

Barker Edwards, Gaines, Glandney and Holley, (1980) as the following figures show

1.2 Listening Comprehension

Listening comprehension is an ability to understand a dialogue or a talk in English, usually spoken by native speakers, either American or British. As it is, in practice, the American accent is generally used in international examination such as TOEFL, GRE and IELTS. Although this is so, listening comprehension is essential to all who listen to spoken discourses, in whatever accents of English

2. Speaking skills

Speaking skills are very important for a person’s professional survival and growth. One needs them to be successful in one’s academic and professional pursuits. In fact, every academic, professional, or business work requires effective speaking skills.

2.1. The need of teaching spoken English for engineering graduates

The need for spoken English has grown considerably during the last fifty years. With the globalization of every sphere of life consequent upon the growth of technology and market economy, English as a largely used global language has gained greater importance than before. Oral English communication is indispensable for communication education technology, preparatory outdoor work for academic research, presentations, conferences and public speaking. Engineering graduate aspirants who seek careers in the competitive world and employment market have chance of greater success if they possess smart speech skills and use them effectively in interviews, group discussions and presentations. Global arrangements for selection to careers in the form of entrance tests in oral and aural communication, tele – interviews, tele – conferencing and face to face interviews also require proficient of English speech skills, therefore, has become necessary.

2.2. The key problem is in pronunciation, fluency skills followed by grammar and sentences construction.

Engineering graduates show large gap in elements of spoken English, pronunciation and fluency, followed by grammar, though they do relatively better in vocabulary and spoken English understanding. We find only 6. 8% engineering graduates show ability to speak / respond spontaneously. These candidates can speak fluently, with good pronunciation and proper sentence construction. The following table shows differences among the key

cities as:

Tab1: Mean scores – Comparison of key cities

2.3. Feature of mutually intelligible English speech in India and overseas

Mutual intelligibility within the India has been hitherto understood as segment approximation to the British variety of R.P, in most of the writings on the subject. In actual practice however, the pronunciation of the educated middle class, with its regional features that do not affect mutual intelligibility, has been the norm for communication in day – to - day transactions. Thus we can find several accents of English existing side by side: the English of the Tamils ( often jocularly called “ Tinglish” ) ; the English of Malayalee ( minglish ) ; the English of the Hindi belt ( hinglish ) ; the English of Telugu speakers ( tenglish ) ; Punjabi ( punjlish ) ; and others. These accents do not cause any impediment to intelligibility because almost all of them share some pan – Indian features such as retroflexion, syllabic timing, speaking pronunciation and stress shift. When it comes to the question of devising.

3. Reading skills

The education commission (1964 – 66) accepted English’s a “window on the world” and library language which means that reading is the most important skill at higher stages of learning.

Studies made of the time spent on reading by different groups of readers, have shown that adults from a wide variety of occupations spend 16% of routine time, those in high school and college spend 13% and others in general 17% .Engineering graduates do not read as much as they listen or speak; although they spend more time on reading than writing. This implies that reading is relatively less importance of reading and study not only to obtain information but also to use it wisely as well. “Francis Bacon, in his essay, “of studies “lays emphasis on the contribution of reading , listening and speaking to study: Reading maketh a wise man conference a ready man , and study a perfect man. Conferring, or consulting, as all of us know, involves both listening and speaking. It follows, therefore, that the purpose and quality of reading is more important than the time spent on it.

3.1. Vocabulary skills

· Recognizing the definitions of the words being used

· Guessing the meaning of words from the structure

· Inferring the meaning of words from their context

3.2. Visual perceptual skills

· Accurate visual perception of words and phrases

· Quick eye fixations

3.3. Prediction techniques:

· Using index or chapter headings to predict the theme of the text

· Guessing to predict information

· Scanning graphic or non-verbal context such as graphs, diagrams, charts, and so on to predict the nature and scope of content

· Using discourse and linguistic clues

3.4. Scanning skills:

· Locating specific information

3.5. Skimming skills:

· Identifying a theme or central idea

· Identifying main ideas

· Identifying organizational patterns of writing

3.6. Intensive reading skills:

· Reading for details

· Critically reading a text to :

· Distinguish fact from opinion,

· Identifying and evaluate a writer’s attitude, ad

· Understand the author’s intention.

· Drawing inferences and conclusions

Reading speed is measured in words per minuets (WPM) casual or general reading such as reading technical texts, articles and proposals require more concentration and reading speed cannot be increased at the cost of reading efficiency.

3.7. The table gives a general idea of reading speed for different purpose

4. Writing skills

Writing is the least frequent of the four functions of the language, according to studies made of its use (Werner, 1975, Barker and others, 1980), adults and students write only 8 to 9% of their routine time. The reason for this is obvious: writing is more difficult to produce than speech. It requires both hard and critical thinking and creative imagination to produce a written discourse or document. The thought process, that goes before one ever begins to write, requires careful logical reasoning. Writing also demands a mastery of verbal skills because it involves choice of right words, their arrangements in the right order in well – made sentences, and their coherent sequencing in cohesive language. Writing, therefore, is more original, deliberate, creative and formal than speech. It is more difficult than speech.

4.1. Generic and sub – skills of condensed writing

· Topic: Writing a topic or a word, is an indispensable sub – skill for highlighting theme of books, talks documents and other discourses.

· Topic sentence: Giving the gist of paragraph or any other form of writing in single sentences is the skill that produces the topic sentences.

· Precise: Reducing a given passage to an expected length, often one – third of it, gives the reader the essential information found it.

· Thesis sentences: The skill of organizing longer discourse, such as the essay, on the basis of the central idea stated in a single sentence is indispensable for organizing idea with unity.

· Synopsis: Writing a summary in outline is a skill essential for a researcher or a report writer. It is written, often in decimal outline, and placed at the beginning of a thesis or report.

· Bullet notes: Bullet notes helps in condensing. They are used to make analytical presentations and depends on effective note – making. Each bullet significance a point or idea. Different fonts are used to distinguish main points from sub – points. They are helpful for the LCD presentations.

· Blurb: A short description of a book, a product, e.c.t , written by the people who have produced it, intended to attract the attention of the reader or user.

· Abstract: It shows the skill of reducing a given passage or document to a little briefer than a summary equal to about 5% of the original.

Conclusions

The needy of this hour:

· 97% of our Indian engineering graduates could not speak English which is required for getting IT job.

· 47% of the students lacked in pronouoniciation.

· Only 2. 9 % candidates have spoken skills (SES) for high – end jobs in corporate sales / business consulting.

· In fact 67% of all engineering graduates don’t posses any English language skills.

· Only 7.1% of students can speak English which is considered as meaningful and presentable during an interview.

· The major problem was witnessed with pronunciation, followed by fluency skills grammar and sentence construction.

· The English teachers must also beware of the latest technologies, methods, and approaches of language teaching.

· Lack of well – equipped lab with listening components and with advanced gadgets.

· Teachers should be provided opportunity to participate in teaching training courses, seminars, and workshops to upgrade their knowledge.

· Engineering graduates could not meet the global opportunities to face competitive wise like GRE, TOFEL, IELTS, interviews, and group discussions.

· Many engineering students lack the necessary skills required to enter the corporate world. Societal pressure, inadequate infrastructure, and poor quality of teachers are the major reasons.

References:

1. Rajendra pal, J.S Korlahalli essential of business communication

2. Telugu academy, English language teaching methods ,

3. M. Ashraf Rizvi, effective Technical communication

4. Francis Soundara Raj, Basic of communication in English.

5. Meenakshi Raman Sangeetha Sharma, - fundamentals of technical communication – oxford higher education

6. D. Renukadevi – ISSN 2277- 3169 volume – why it is essential to emerging engineers; the challenges and remedies

7. Web resources : www.nses.com.in , www.aspringminds.com.in

8. Andrea J. Rutherfoord ; Basic communication skills for technology

9. ELTAI journal; Dr .K.Madhavi ; Collaborative learning : integrating English language communication skills and soft skills for job placements at engineering level.

10. https://www.prospect.in

11. www.times of india.com