The role of language skills

Updated on: Monday, November 30, 2009

Interviewer: Why don't you tell us something about yourself?

Job aspirant: Oh, it's all there in my resume (a copy of which the interviewer is holding).

Interviewer: Yes, I know that, but why don't you tell us?

Aspirant: Sorry, I did not have time to go through the resume.

This anecdote recalled at the focus group seminar on ‘Enhancing graduate engineers' employability by developing their English language communication skills', highlighted the need for institutions and students to take a serious look at communication skills. Organised by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the seminar sought to discuss best practices in learning and assessing English language skills of graduate engineers.

Delivering the inaugural address at the seminar here this past week, M.S.Ananth, director, Indian Institute of Technology- Madras, said there was a difference between how the earlier generations and the present generation learnt English.

Observing that the previous generations were better off, and also had a good command over their mother tongue, he said being proficient in the mother tongue grammar helped learn English faster and better. “Tamil grammar, for instance, is more complex and learning that makes English learning easier.” Learning idioms was important to understand the refinement in language and master it, Prof. Ananth added.

Referring to current trends in English language usage, he said: “With SMS messages, spellings and idioms have gone out of the window.” Teachers needed to speak slowly, choose formal language instead of slang, repeat themselves and be patient in order to ensure students learnt the language well, he said.

R. Mahadevan, chairman, CII's sub-committee on education said that employability had three aspects — that of education, skills and ability, and presentation. “Integrating these aspects is very important,” he said.

Stressing that communication and language skills were non-negotiable requirements of the industry he said public-private partnerships were the best options to enhance these skills.

Sean Hayde, director, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, said English was no longer a “foreign language” and was increasingly being perceived as a basic skill.

Highlighting methods of assessment and benchmarking, he said language proficiency was broken down into a set of four skills — reading, writing, speaking and listening. Benchmarks could be used to assist in recruitment and also to conduct language audits in organisations, he added. The University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations was partnering the Directorate of Technical Education and the Directorate of Collegiate Education, in addition to several engineering colleges, he said. Uma Raman, DGM Skills Development, HCL Technologies, moderated the discussions.

The role of language skills

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