Communication Skills in English

Course Information

Institution: Gujarat Technological University Program: Diploma in Engineering Level: Diploma Branch: All Course Code: DI01000031 Subject Name: Communication Skills in English

Effective from	2024-25
Semester	1
Category of the Course	HSMC-1
Prerequisite	Basic knowledge of English
Rationale	Language is the most commonly used medium of self-expression in all spheres of human life - personal, social and professional. English language has become a dire need to deal successfully in the globalized and competitive market. Competency in English is need of the hour, not only for Indian industry, but also worldwide, where diploma engineers have the employable opportunity. Therefore, the basic English skills- listening, speaking, reading and writing have become almost mandatory for employability. This course intends to make the students to develop comprehension skills, improve vocabulary, use proper grammar, acquire writing skills, correspond with others and enhance skills in spoken English. Further, it is expected that each polytechnic will provide conducive environment for acquiring proficiency in communication skills among the students through English language.

Course Outcomes

After completion of the course, the student will be able to:

No.	Course Outcomes
CO1	Use strategies to minimize barriers of effective communication.
CO2	Construct grammatically correct sentences.
CO3	Develop reading and listening skills in terms of fluency and comprehensibility.
CO4	Compose different types of written communication.
CO5	Communicate orally in a given situation with a purpose.

Teaching and Examination Scheme

Teaching Scheme (Hours per Week)

L	T	PR	Total Credits
2	0	2	3

Assessment Pattern and Marks

Theory	Practical	Total
ESE: 70	PA/CA: 20	150
PA/CA: 30	ESE: 30
100	50

Legend: L = Lecture, T = Tutorial, PR = Practical, ESE = End Semester Examination, PA/CA = Progressive Assessment/Continuous Assessment

Course Content

Unit	Contents	Hours	Weightage
1	Theory of Communication 1.1 Concept of Effective Communication and Communication Skills 1.2 Basic Communication Models (S+E+C+D+R+N+F) 1.3 Level of Communication: Upward and Downward 1.4 Types of Communication: Verbal, Non-Verbal, Visual, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Extra personal and Mass 1.5 Barriers of Effective Communication	06	14 Marks (20%)
2	Grammar 2.1 Parts of Speech: Noun, Verb, Pronoun, Adjective, Adverb, Preposition, Conjunction, Interjection 2.2 Tenses: Present (Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous), Past (Simple, Continuous, Perfect), Future (Simple) 2.3 Modal Auxiliaries: Can, Could, May, Might, Must, Shall, Will, Should, Would, Ought to, Need 2.4 Subject-Verb Agreement 2.5 Basic Sentence Patterns of English: SV, SVO, SVA, SVC	10	28 Marks (40%)
3	Prose and Poetry 3.1 Prose: "The Leopard" - Ruskin Bond 3.2 Short Story: "After Twenty Years" - O Henry 3.3 Poetry: "Stopping by Woods on Snowy Evening" - Robert Frost	06	14 Marks (20%)
4	Techniques of Writing 4.1 Email Writing: Format & Types (Inquiry, Reply to Inquiry, Order, Complaint) 4.2 Paragraph Writing (Approximately 150 words) Suggested Topics: Festivals, Nature and Environment, Famous Personalities, Favorite Sports, Friends and Family members	08	14 Marks (20%)
	Total	30	100%

Distribution of Theory Marks (Bloom's Taxonomy)

Remember (R)	Understand (U)	Apply (A)	Analyze (N)	Evaluate (E)	Create (C)
17	29	24	-	-	-

Legend: R = Remember, U = Understanding, A = Application, N = Analyze, E = Evaluate, C = Create (as per Revised Bloom's Taxonomy)

References and Suggested Learning Resources

Books

S. No.	Title of Book	Author	Publication Details
1	Living English Structures	W. S. Allen	Pearson Education India, 1992 ISBN: 9788131728499
2	Essentials of English Grammar and Composition	N. K. Aggrawal	Goyal Brothers Prakashan, 2015 ISBN: 8183896162
3	English Grammar at Glance	M. Gnanamurali	S. Chand & Co. Ltd., 2010 ISBN: 9788121929042
4	Effective English	E. Suresh Kumar & Others	Pearson, 2010 ISBN: 9788131731000
5	English Communication for Polytechnics	S. Chandrashekhar & Others	Orient BlackSwan, 2013 ISBN: 8125037462
6	English Fluency Step 1 & 2	-	Macmillan, 2010 ISBN: 9781405003650, 9781405003667
7	Active English Dictionary	-	Longman, 1991 ISBN: 8131707865
8	The Pronunciation of English	Daniel Jones	Cambridge University Press, 4th Edition, 1956 ISBN: 0521093694
9	English Pronouncing Dictionary	James Hartman et al.	Cambridge University Press, 17th Edition, 2006 ISBN: 0521680867
10	Effective Communication Skills	Kulbhushan Kumar	Khanna Publishing House, New Delhi, Revised Ed. 2018 ISBN: 9789382609940
11	Better English Pronunciation	J.D. O'Connor	Cambridge University Press, 1982 ISBN: 0521231523
12	An English Grammar: Comprehending Principles and Rules	Lindley Murray	Franklin Classics, 2018 ISBN: 0342097008
13	Examine your English	Margaret M. Maison	Orient Longman, New Delhi, 1964 ISBN: 812500176X
14	A Practice Course in English Pronunciation	J. Sethi et al.	Prentice Hall, New Delhi, 2004 ISBN: 9788120325944
15	Technical Communication: A Practical Approach	Pfeiffer, William Sanborn and T.V.S Padmaja	Pearson, Delhi, 2007 ISBN: 9788131700884

Online Resources and Websites

Suggested Course Practical List

S.No.	Practical Outcomes (PrOs)	Mapped COs	Hours Required
1	Develop listening skills through listening to recorded lectures, poems, interviews and speeches	CO1, CO3	04*
2	Use antonyms and synonyms effectively in oral and written forms	CO3, CO4	04*
3	Use grammatically correct sentences	CO2, CO5	02
4	Communicate ideas effectively and fluently in oral and written communication	CO1, CO2, CO3, CO5	02*
5	Articulate vowels, consonants and diphthongs correctly	CO1, CO5	02*
6	Speak with appropriate intonation, voice modulation, pitch, speed and volume	CO1, CO5	02
7	Participate in conversations (GD/meetings etc.)	CO1, CO3, CO5	04*
8	Deliver presentations effectively in the class	CO1, CO3, CO5	04*
9	Communicate effectively through verbal and non-verbal means of communication	CO1, CO3, CO5	04*
10	Practice online exercises for listening and reading comprehension	CO3, CO5	02*
	Total		30

Note: The above practical outcomes (PrOs) are the sub-components of the COs. Some of the PrOs marked '*' are compulsory, as they are crucial for that particular CO. These PrOs need to be attained at least at the 'Precision Level' of Dave's Taxonomy related to 'Psychomotor Domain'.

List of Laboratory/Learning Resources Required

The major equipment/instruments and software required to develop PrOs are given below with broad specifications to facilitate procurement by the administrators/management of the institutes. This will ensure proper conduction of practicals in all institutions across the state so that the desired skills are developed in students.

S. No.	Equipment Name with Broad Specifications	PrO. No.
1	Computer systems Windows 7 or above with internet connectivity	All
2	Headphones with speakers	All
3	LCD Projector	All
4	Language lab software	All

Suggested Project List

Suggestive list of micro-projects is given here. This should relate highly with competency of the course and the COs. Similar micro-projects could be added by the concerned course teacher:

Book Review - Students should read a book and then write their reviews about the book and present it in the class.
Presentation - Prepare a presentation regarding current problems of environment and present it in the class.
Mock Interviews - Interviews conducted by students and for the students.
Skit or Role Play - Write the script and present it in the class (can be asked to take topic related to environment and pollution).
Vocabulary Building - Find out 20 new words out of a given story, write its synonym and use the word in your own sentence.
Story Writing - Draft a story according to a given picture.
Descriptive Writing - You are in the village fair. Describe what is happening around you in present continuous tense (Celebration of Annual Day - past tense, etc.).
Personal Experience Writing - Write a paragraph about your first day in college.

Suggested Activities for Students

Other than the classroom and laboratory learning, following are the suggested student-related co-curricular activities which can be undertaken to accelerate the attainment of the various outcomes in this course. Students should perform following activities in groups and prepare reports of about 5 pages for each activity. They should also collect/record physical evidences for their portfolio which may be useful for their placement interviews:

The experiments should be properly designed and implemented with an attempt to develop different types of skills leading to the achievement of the competency.
Initiating a conversation with a newcomer to your college.
Assignments using Internet (Online Listening/Speaking/Vocabulary based exercises and uploading their score, etc. Teacher can decide how to use various online platforms for evaluation purpose).
Self-learning activities using mobile apps/internet.
Discuss current affairs in English with your friends.
Read storybooks and learn new words and sentence structures.
Write a brief report on current environmental issues.

Document Version: 2024-25
Last Updated: Academic Year 2024-25
Approved by: Gujarat Technological University