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ELT Voices – India Volume 2 Issue 4 | August 2012

ISSN 2230-9136

© Ignite (India) Publishing, Bhavnagar, Gujarat – India

www.eltvoices.in

ELT Research Paper 3

Industry’s Expectation and English Language Teaching in Rajasthan Divya Walia

Divya Walia: Industry’s Expectation and English Language Teaching in Rajasthan

35 | E L T V o i c e s – I n d i a ( V o l . 2 I s s u e 4 ) | A u g u s t 2 0 1 2 | I S S N 2 2 3 0 - 9 1 3 6

Abstract

There are three branches of English related majors in Iran among whom ELT

teachers are recruited: literature, translation, and teaching, the most relevant

branch to English teaching being the last one! The available programs are

divided into two categories: general English course and special major courses.

The aim of the first module is to enhance general English proficiency and that of

the second one is to enhance students’ knowledge of their specific major. A third

module which is just found in teaching major (and, of course, constitutes a small

portion of the total program) is practical considerations of teaching manifested in

the courses such as practicum. The present study aims at analyzing each of the

three modules. It also explores the weak and strong points of them from the post-

method era’s point of view.



Introduction

In the present global work arena, success and competitiveness are determined by well-

developed communication skills and high English language proficiency. A good

command over English language and effective communication skills are considered

very important in business field. Such a competence not only ensures job

opportunities but also success in one’s professional field.

Today the engineering graduates, besides the technical knowledge, are expected to

possess effective communication skills. Although Scrase [2004:16] views English

language proficiency in globalizing India as an essential component of one's cultural

baggage, he is quick to add that it is also a resource “that can eventually open doors

into the world of professional employment in India and abroad.” Thus, English is

immediately linked to employability. It is being increasingly realized by the industry

that scientists and engineers in all positions are required to communicate the purpose

and relevance of their work, both orally and in writing. Therefore emphasis is being

laid on enriching the communication component of the engineering education.

Despite the growing importance of English language communication skills, the

situation is not very encouraging. Gereffi [2008:20] notes that engineering graduates

in India and China face the prospect of substantial unemployment despite high

corporate demand for their services and he, therefore, raises questions about the

“quality” of these recent graduates. Since quality is linked with innovation and

entrepreneurship, he calls for the need to produce high-quality engineering talent. He

points out that despite the growth in international demand; India (along with China) is

facing a significant level of unemployment among its engineers. While statistics show

high levels of unemployment among engineers, many large companies complain of

difficulties in finding qualified candidates—a “vexing paradox” in the words of

Gereffi. This increasing unemployment of engineers in India has been attributed to

their limited communication skills and consequently, the teaching of English in



engineering education has been under the scanner.

According to NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Company)

President, Karnik, only 25 percent of technical graduates are suitable for employment

in the outsourcing industry because of their lack of abilities to speak or write well in

English. (Karnik, 2007 as cited in P’Rayan 2008:1). Most students are not ‘industry

ready’ because they lack communication skills. (Infosys, 2008) "Grammar and accent

neutrality are the two key areas where the students seem to be lacking. …..It is

important to work on these issues, especially in colleges," Madan Padki, director,

MeritTrac Services Pvt. Ltd said.

The urgent need to improve technical students’ communication skills has been

emphasized by educationists as well as employers. Narayanan, vice chairman of

Cognizant Technology Solutions and chairman of the NASSCOM, in an interview

(Warrier 2007) answered a question regarding the talent demand and supply gap and

the role of the NASSCOM to help the industry bridge the gap: “The current situation

is that, in terms of availability of talent, the numbers are good. The problem lies in the

suitability of people. The industry has moved forward rapidly and technology also has

changed but the educational institutions and the curriculum have not changed that

rapidly. So, we have to bridge the gap by providing additional training to the people

who are coming out of colleges so that they are industry-ready.” (Rayan et al.)

Commenting on the graduates of Rajasthan, Rakesh Gupta, MD, iTG India Ltd.,

Jaipur stated, “The young graduates seem to lack fluency and accuracy in grammar.

Most of all speaking and writing skills are the two core areas where they need to

improve, for industry demands proficiency, especially in the above two skills.”

Consequently, engineering graduates, today, face more challenges in securing a job.

Because of the stiff competition and a surplus of work force in the job market, one is

expected to be well equipped with the necessary skills required for the job. Of such



necessary skills, one of the crucial skills is to be able to communicate well especially

in English.

This is more so in Rajasthan where English is still struggling to be recognized and

accepted as a language of communication. The dominance of native dialect is another

reason why graduates of Rajasthan lack effective communication skills in English.

Most of the students are those who belong to rural areas and feel more comfortable in

using their native tongue while communicating.

Communication and language skills are interdependent in nature and can be developed

simultaneously through each other. According to the Longman Dictionary of

Contemporary English, the word language is defined as a system of communication

by written or spoken words, which is used by the people of a particular country or

area. Throughout history, many have reflected on the importance of language. For

instance, the scholar Benjamin Whorf has noted that language shapes thoughts and

emotions, determining one’s perception of reality. John Stuart Mill said that

"Language is the light of the mind." For the linguist Edward Sapir, language is not

only a vehicle for the expression of thoughts, perceptions, sentiments, and values

characteristic of a community; it also represents a fundamental expression of social

identity.

At the same time, communication skills are nothing but the expression of versatile

ideas to gain maximum understanding and acceptance. The two should go together for

the desired outcome.

English as a Global Workplace Language

English today is the most widely spoken language in the world and the lingua franca

in many professions. Due to the military, economic, scientific, political and cultural

influence of the British Empire in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and that of



the United States from the early 20th century to the present, it now has lingua franca

status in many parts of the world, with some 380 million native speakers.

Another factor that can be attributed to its worldwide importance is the global

influence of native English speakers on cinema, music, broadcasting, science, and the

Internet in recent decades. As a result with the rapid globalization, there is increase in

demand for the engineers who have the ability to deal effectively with professionals

from other cultures and countries. The English language is de-facto standard in cross

national communication between engineers. In her article, The Growing Importance of

Soft Skills in the Workplace, Patricia M. Buhler refers to a survey that was conducted

in American businesses where employees were asked about the skills they wanted to

see in their employers. The results revealed that soft skills are consistently in demand.

Understandably so, since work is people-oriented and its success depends on effective

communication at all levels. As the world has changed and the nature of work has

changed, the skill set required of managers has changed. Topping the list of skills that

the mangers wish to see in their employers, is the communication skill.

“Communication skills remain a major concern of many employers today. It is critical

every employee (and especially managers) be able to communicate both orally and in

written form. Management is all about getting things done through others. Without an

ability to effectively communicate, this work cannot be accomplished. Those

individuals who are polished in their communication skills are also more effective in

getting things done.”

Being the global language, English today serves as the prime means for

communication between two people from two different cultures, wherein English is

not the native tongue. For example, French engineers while communicating with

Egyptian engineers will use English for sharing of ideas and thoughts. Many

industries that have collaborations with English, French, German and Spanish

companies utilize English as the communication medium between workers. The

Swedish transport manufacturer Volvo, infact, made English the language for



managers at its new plant in South Korea, with English lessons being taken by some

employees during production breaks. Some multinational firms with bases in

continental Europe use English as the prime form of communication in the office. In

this way, multinational companies are indirectly influencing the educational policies

in foreign lands by their value creation of particular languages through global

economic power.

Thus, today, proficiency in English is a mandatory requirement for any professional

working in a global business environment as it has become a major international

language for worldwide communication and a deficiency in this area might adversely

affect the employee's professional and personal development.

Industry’s expectations from the Engineering Students

What do industries expect of engineering graduates? At present, there is a perception

among industries in the United States of America that engineering students are not

adequately prepared to enter the workforce.(as quoted in “Educating the Engineer of

2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century”) There is an argument

that the current engineering education does not provide enough emphasis on

teamwork, communication, knowledge retention and the ability to synthesize and

make connections between courses and fields (Stouffer et al).

In a survey conducted in 1995 by the Association of Graduate Recruiters in London,

the study findings of the association have expressed that most unemployed graduates

lack some essential skills in order to be easily and promptly employed.(as quoted in

“Skills for Graduates in the 21st Century”) Currently, similar situations are taking

place in India. In a competitive working environment, the whims of the industries, the

advancement in technologies and the globalisation of world markets require new

employees to acquire certain skills so that they can always remain competitive to meet

any challenge. Most industries expect the fresh graduates to have mastered such skills



at the entry level since they do not have the leisure time and luxury resources to send

them for training at professional instruction centres. It is evident from the corporate

organisations’ job advertisements that such skills are essential requirements for the

current job positions.

The industry’s perspective on language proficiency of the engineers of Rajasthan was

elicited through a semi structured interview. The Managing Directors/HR managers of

six IT firms from all over Rajasthan were interviewed to assess the current scenario in

terms of the performance of the engineering graduates and the industry’s further

expectations from them. The semi structured interview included questions like:

1. At the time of recruitment, how much importance, in terms of percentage, is

given to communication skills in comparison to other skills (20%-80%; 50%-

50%; 80%-20%; 100%-0)?

2. Of the four skills viz. Writing, Speaking, Reading, Listening, which of the

skills are stressed more by them?

3. Do they expect a high degree of fluency in English, or are satisfied if the

employees can get the message through?

4. How comfortable do they find the students in the following communication

skills

(Written, Oral, Reading, Listening)

From the responses to the above questions the following conclusions have been

drawn:

1. The industry requires the component of language proficiency in the ratio of 20%-

80% i.e. 80 % technical knowledge and 20% ability to communicate but they made it

clear that these are just the entry level requirements; once a graduate becomes the part

of an organization, he/she is expected to improve upon it in an equal ratio. With more

responsibilities and tasks, comes the need to communicate and interact well at various



levels and with various sectors. According to Shakti Singh, Team Leader,

Devfoundrey Infocom Pvt. Ltd., Jaipur, “The importance of English in today's world

cannot be over stressed, especially for an Engineer. Not only the course materials and

references are in English, it is ubiquitous as the language for communication. For an

engineer, not being fluent in English (spoken as well as written) is a handicap that

might well overshadow any technical expertise he/she has. Someone with passable

skill in English might well be suitable for junior positions but as an Engineer’s career

grows he/she might find himself/herself being overlooked for senior positions due to

his/her inability to communicate confidently with overseas clients.”

2. Of the four language skills, writing and speaking skills are stressed more by the

industry people

3. For the industry, fluency in English is a must.

4. In terms of performance, most of the fresh graduates lack in writing skills. In the

oral component, as per the industry, this is generally directly proportional to fluency

in English and self-confidence, however the fresh engineers require more presentation

skills.

In reading skills, comprehension / interpretation proficiency is generally lacking even

in the candidates who are fluent.

In listening skills, industry definitely expects some improvement in the level of

understanding.

Thus it is clear that in order to prepare engineering students for the workplace

(industry), we need to equip them with skills that are aligned with the industry’s

needs. The engineering degree can be divided into two primary components; the

technical component, which comprises of knowledge of mathematical and physical



principles, modelling and analytic techniques and a set of generic skills, which

includes team working ability, effective communication, problem solving approach

and critical thinking ability and the awareness of social, cultural, ethical, and

environmental issues associated with the practice of engineering in a societal context.

The generic skills form an important part of the engineering graduate’s professional

development.

The generic attribute, directly related to the professional development component of

the engineering degree states that the student should develop the “ability to

communicate effectively, not only with engineers but also with the community at

large”.

Communication and social skills are the key skills required by employers of both new

and experienced graduates.” The authors such as Elliot and Anastasias (1996),

Clanchy and Ballard (1995) and Sleet, Hager, Logan and Hooper (1996) have also

referred to the nature and importance of generic skills.

These generic skills are usually not formally taught as part of the engineering

curriculum content, despite their outcomes being invariably sought after by the

employers and the public at large. “Since there is abundance of unemployed local

graduates who are considered unskilful according to the needs of industries, the

institutions of higher learning are being burdened to produce future engineering

graduates who are not only competent in technical know-how, but also possess

generic skills that are very valuable to the industries ”(Shahrin et al). Therefore,

generic skills should be taught as an integral part of the learning activities of students

and be assessed as part of the overall assessment of subject content.

Over the last thirty years, the curriculum that is being followed in the universities

appears to be mostly knowledge based and lacks the functional aspect. Only very

recently some of the universities and colleges have taken a step forward to introduce



skill-based courses with focus on communication skills. But efforts taken in this

direction are not adequate. Indian universities churn out more than half-a-million

engineers every year. Are all of them employable? No, because "academic curriculum

does not match industry expectations," said Mr N. Ram Subramani, Chairman and

CEO of Maples ESM Technologies Ltd, Chennai. (Source: The Hindu, Business Line,

Internet Edition, 27 Dec.05)

The reasons for these lacunae are the absence of a well designed course objectives,

inconsistent and outdated teaching methodology, outdated testing and evaluation

patterns. The result is that the graduates produced by the universities/colleges are

suffering largely due to lack of communicative skills; they are not able to match with

the skills required for studying in the world-class institutions or working in global

atmosphere.

English Language Teaching for Engineering Students at Universities/ colleges in

Rajasthan

In most of the universities or colleges, English / Communication Skills is taught for

minimum of two semesters. In a state like Rajasthan where people prefer speaking

Hindi or the local language, the condition of English both in spoken and written skills

is pathetic and in a state of utter gloominess. While competing for a job, it becomes

even more challenging for the students who have come from Hindi background

schooling to compete with the candidates from other states. Besides the pressure of

proving excellence in the subject knowledge, they have to compete with others in the

area of communication skills also, where they definitely lack and score less.

Language teaching process has the following inherent elements and these should

address the needs of the students and be made relevant to the job requirements in

question.



Course Objectives

For any instruction to be effective it is very important that it should have a well

defined and a clearly stated objective. Clearly defined learning objectives are

important not only for an effective instruction but also for the evaluation of the

effectiveness of the program. Besides, they also provide a sound basis for the selection

of learning materials, content, and methodology and give the students an opportunity

to organize their efforts and activities before and, as the instruction occurs.

Since, by offering English as a subject at the college level, we wish to make our

students well equipped for the global professional world, the learning objectives

should include the development of the following.

Ability to communicate confidently

Ability to speak accurately and fluently

Confidence of participating in meetings

Written English including emails

Professional vocabulary

Understanding of grammar

Ability to socialise and network with confidence

Ability to work successfully in a cross-cultural environment

Listening comprehension

Reading comprehension

Course Structure

The course structure should be purposive and clearly focused on the planned

learning outcomes or the learning objectives. Edwards (2000) has observed that

there is a co relational relationship between the place of work and the effective

needs of workers in terms of language skills practiced, terminology used, and



syllabus design and materials preparation for the workers.

The inclusion of irrelevant topics, however interesting in themselves, acts as a

distraction and may confuse students. Considering the above objectives, an

effective curriculum of English for engineering graduates should have modules on

all the four skills of language viz. Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.

There should be well formulated instructional plan and the material with proper

emphasis on the skills that are essential for the engineering graduates to acquire.

As the industry demands professional communication skills, besides the functional

aspects of language (like grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation etc.) these should be

well incorporated within the curriculum. Further chapters will deal with modules

included in the present syllabus, being followed in the engineering colleges and the

modules that need to be added or modified.

Teaching Methodology

Methodology in language teaching has been characterized in a variety of ways. A

more or less classical formulation suggests that methodology combines theory and

practice. Within methodology we have methods and approaches, in which methods

are the fixed teaching systems with prescribed techniques and practices, and

approaches are language teaching philosophies that can be interpreted and applied

in a variety of different ways in the classroom.

The period from the 1950s to the 1980s is known as "The Age of Methods," during

which a number of quite detailed prescriptions for language teaching emerged.

Situational Language Teaching evolved in the United Kingdom while a parallel

method, Audio-Lingualism, emerged in the United States. In the middle-methods

period, a variety of methods were proclaimed as successors to the then prevailing

Situational Language Teaching and Audio-Lingual methods. These alternatives



were promoted under such titles as Silent Way, Suggestopedia, Community

Language Learning, and Total Physical Response. In the 1980s, with the evolution

of more interactive views of language teaching, these methods got overshadowed

by Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach. The basis of this

approach was a broad set of principles which advocated that:

Learners learn a language by communicating in it

The goal of classroom activities should be to encourage authentic and

meaningful communication.

An important dimension of communication is fluency

Different language skills should be integrated within the communication

Learning is a process of creative construction and therefore, involves trial

and error.

Keeping in mind the above principles, it is essential that the teaching methodology

should be interactive and innovative. Mere lectures will not help because besides

the theoretical aspect, functional aspect of the language learning is also very

important. As such, the language teachers should aim at:

1. providing learners with opportunities to make the language input they receive,

more comprehensible,

2. furnishing contexts in which learners need to produce output which others can

understand, and

3. Making the classroom closer to real-life language situations.

The students must also be introduced to the relevant and specific terminology and the

grammatical constructions should also match with the respective skills they are aiming

to acquire.



Assessment and Evaluation

'The spirit and style of student assessment defines the de facto curriculum'

( Rowntree, 1987 )

This is the final and a very important stage of instruction as it determines the success

and effectiveness of the whole instructional programme.

The first stage in any assessment procedure is to define its goals and ensure that the

goals of the assessment process correlate with the educational goals of the curriculum.

[21]

During evaluation, following skills are required to be assessed:

Speaking skills (including such micro-skills as pronunciation, accent)

Listening skills (including such micro-skills as listening for gist, listening

for detail)

Reading Skills (including such micro-skills as reading for gist, reading for

detail, appreciation of style)

Writing Skills (including such micro-skills as spelling, punctuation,

planning, style, form)

Strategies for learning vocabulary

Strategies for learning grammar

For testing the above, there should be both application based and concept based

exercises and assignments.

Thus the study indicates that in the present corporate scenario, apart from being

knowledgeable in the respective field, one is also expected to be fluent and well



turned out in communication skills. Proficiency in communication skills is considered

more of a ‘qualifying criteria’ than selection criteria for technical roles in the industry.

Companies today demand candidates who not only possess the three critical skills

(communication, problem solving and technical skills) but are ready to start work

from day one, because nobody wants to spend time and money on training. As a result

students need to do all that they can work on their skills and be industry ready. Just

going to college and finishing their studies is evidently not enough. One has to do a lot

of value addition too. As such, the teaching methodology and curriculum should be

reviewed should that they are able to address and incorporate the skill set required by

the industry.



References

Buhler, Patricia M. “The Growing Importance of Soft Skills in the Workplace”,

Supervision.1 June 2001

Clanchy, J. and B. Ballard, “Generic Skills in the Context of Higher Education”,

Higher Education Research and Development. Vol. 14, No. 2. 1995.155-166.

“Educating the Engineer of 2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New

Century”, National Academy of Engineering, National Academy Press, Washington

DC.2005

Edwards, Nathan. Language for business: effective needs assessment, syllabus design

and materials preparation in a practical ESP case study, English for Specific Purposes,

19, 2000. 291-296.

Elliot, P. & J. Anastasias, Procedural document for: Addressing the issue of generic

skills involved in undergraduate subjects and undergraduate majors. Hawthorn, Vic.:

The Office for Quality and Educational Development, Swinburne University of

Technology. 1996

Gereffi, G, V.Wadhwa, B.Rissing, and R.Ong. “Getting the Numbers Right:

International Engineering Education in the United States, China and India”, Journal of

Engineering Education. 97.1. 2008.13-25.

Gupta, Rakesh, Personal INTERVIEW, 9 May 2009

Kilgour, David .The Importance of Language . 9 October 1999

Raghavendra, R. “The BPO skills assessment test”, Business Standard, March 2004



Rayan, Albert P. & Ramakrishna T. Shetty, “Developing Engineering Students’

Communication Skills by Reducing their Communication Apprehension” English for

Specific Purposes World (www.esp-world.info), Issue 4 (20), Volume 7, 2008

Rowntree, D. Assessing students: How shall we know them? (2nd ed.). London:

Kogan Page. 1987

Scrase, Timothy J “The Hegemony of English in India.” Proceedings of the 15th

Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia, Canberra, (29

June-2 July 2004) http://coombs.anu.edu.au/SpecialProj/ASAA/biennial-

conference/2004/Scrase-T1-ASAA2004.pdf [Last accessed : 20 June 2009]

Shahrin ,Mohammad and Md. Nor, Hasanan and Omar, Wahid and Mohamed, Danial.

“Enhancing Teaching and Learning through the Incorporation of Generic Skills for

Civil Engineering Undergraduates.” Conference on Engineering Education. 14-15

December 2004

Singh, Shakti. Personal INTERVIEW. 9 January 2009

“Skills for Graduates in the 21st Century”, Association of Graduate

Recruiters, London 1995

Sleet, R. P.Hager, P Logan, and M. Hooper, “Broader Skill Requirements of Science

Graduates”. University of Technology. Sydney. 1996

Stouffer,W.B. J.S. Russell, and M.G. Oliva, “Making the Strange Familiar: Creativity

and the Future of Engineering Education”, Proceedings of the 2004 American Society

for Engineering Education Annual Conference Exposition, American Society for

Engineering Education. 2004

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