COMMUNICATION SKILLS

SEVEN SIMPLE TIPS TO LEARN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

English language can be taught at two levels: Academic and Non-Academic.

Teaching English at academic level, based on Syllabus, Chapters, Question Papers, Examination, Marks, Grades and Certificates, consists of a common text book prescribed by a university, lot of peculiar grammar-based exercises like fill up the blanks, questions and answers, correct the following sentences, match the following sentences etc.,

This method, no doubt, does wonders to a school-going or a college-going student, especially, when there are stiff deadlines before the teacher, who has to complete the syllabus at any cost for his/her survival and make the students ready to face ‘another’ exam and score ‘more’marks. 

But, if the same method is applied to teach Communicative English to a non-English speaker who wants to learn the language just for Spoken and Written Communication, it will never give the desired result.

Un-fortunately, many teachers, out of diffidence, try to adopt the same trusted, tested and tried so-called best method just to play safe.

One who wants to learn English language to Communicate Effectively has to consider the following Seven Points:

1. Reading: Develop the habit of reading a good newspaper, preferably The Hindu, and a good magazine, if possible, The Time. Of course, the beginners will find it difficult, but it helps a lot in the long run. Apart from this, one must also read a story book or a novel where one can learn lot of common expressions which are quite useful in improving conversational skills. 

2.  Listening: Listen to a good news channel, of course, the BBC is always the best. Pay attention to the group discussions, debates and interviews on the TV channels. See English movies and TV serials. Read the sub-titles and try to follow the dialogues.

3.  Speaking: Start speaking in English from the day you start learning it. Your struggle to make small sentences, correct or wrong, will make you lose your stage fright and feel confident. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Just speak on.

4.  Writing: Just before going to bed, write a few lines about the events at particular day. Write passages about your favourite movie, actor, song, dish, novel etc., Get it corrected by your teacher and find out the mistakes. You will find it painful in the beginning, but it makes you good at English language.

5.  Own Sentences: Resist the temptation to depend on a grammar book while learning English language. The ready-to-do grammar exercises may make you good at grammar, but not at Communication. Therefore, once you learn the concept, start making own sentences on the topic taught by your teacher. This will help you in improving your Spontaneity.

6.  Avoid grammar books: Even the best book in the world can’t replace the Teacher. Avoid depending on grammar books. It is a misconception to think that grammar books make us good at language. Grammar books teach us grammar, but not Communication Skills. Avoid the teachers who teach you grammar in the name of Communication Skills.

7 . Select the right teacher: Depend more on the teacher, let him or her teach the concept as clearly as possible by coming to your level. Therefore, go to a teacher who is regularly upgrading his/her teaching skills. Avoid the obscurantistic conservative teachers who take pains in teaching Passive Voice even to Present Perfect Continuous Tense when the whole world stopped using it long ago. Go to the teacher who can clearly teach you the concepts and give you at least, fifty own examples, mostly realistic and practical, on each topic. Prefer the teacher who enters the classroom empty handed.