Monday, October 2, 2017

Communication Trade off! How to Improve Communication Skill in English?


Nirjhar Chakravorti, speaking on Communication


The Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College Alumni Association having head quarter at Jalpaiguri campus organizes various seminars and workshops at the picturesque campus for the under graduate students. In those programs it has been found that there are varying opinions regarding importance of practicing communication!

Few say to strengthen technical knowledge and not to give much importance on giving time on learning soft skills (or more precisely on communication in English). Few suggest learning more about technology and sharpening communication skills in mother tongue (This school of thought emphasize that communication ability is important, but English is not that important so far learning priorities are concerned). Rests advise to strengthen engineering knowledge along with improving English communication skills.

So the bottom line is to study curriculum well and try to know more about the fundamentals of engineering or own subject. There is no doubt in it. As a student, it is quite expected from all of the pals who are preparing themselves for professional life that they will give effort to know their subjects.

Now come to communication part. Irrespective of educational background, it's really important to learn the tricks of communication. How to express our thoughts? Language is really not that important as a matter of fact. So it's important to communicate. So if someone is worried about communication in English, then it's really important to introspect whether you are really able to communicate properly in your mother tongue or not! Many a time people can't express themselves in mother tongue as well. So while speaking in your mother tongue, please focus whether you are really able to say what you are trying to say! Please try to know whether you can say something about yourself for ten minutes in your mother tongue! We must know who we are! So telling something comprehensively about self in front of mirror for ten minutes can be an eye opener for you about your own communication skill in your mother tongue! So it’s important to communicate and learn how to express ourselves in front of mirror or others in our own language!

Next come to English language as mode of communication. In today's scenario in cross country business environment, it's really important for professionals to improve ability to communicate in English. Ability to communicate in English is always an add-on for the professionals in modern world, especially in country like India. As I'm from non-English medium background, so I can understand that we need to put some effort (at least 15 minutes daily) to improve communication skill in English. But it's worth investing 15 minutes! So try to improve your English speaking skill. More you give time it is better for you! But time is fixed in a day and we have many important works including study of our basic subjects. So don't waste much time for English! But give some time to know the important language called English! Indeed it's really a good language to know and practice.

Three things can be done for at least five minutes each!

Give at least five minutes time daily to speak in English in front of mirror about anything. It can be anything! It can be about weather! It can be about a cricket match! It can be about your best singer! Don't hesitate! Speak on that subject for five minutes. Don't think about grammar and don't think about fluency! Just speak in front of mirror!

Write on any subject in a plain piece of paper or diary for five minutes! Write whatever you want!

Read anything in English loudly for five minutes! It can be English newspaper, it can be English magazine! It can be anything you googled in your mobile! If nothing is available, then read your study book loudly for five minutes as if you are a newsreader in radio.

Please try the above three tricks for fifteen minutes daily for one week. You'll able to understand your improvement. One more thing you can do is to watching English news channels in television or watching English movie with subtitles, etc. Initially you'll not able to understand anything! But after one month you'll understand that you understand English better than before. It'll help you to communicate better in professional life definitely. So there is no need to be frustrated. Put efforts. Results will ring your doorbell definitely.

(To discuss more in detail, you can mail at nirjhar.mechanical@gmail.com)

A meeting with Mr. Ashok Laha (President of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce and President & CEO of Interra Information Technologies), Mr. Debashish Bhattacharya (Head of Administration of Interra Information Technologies), Prof Gautam Biswas (Director of IIT Guwahati) and Dr. Amaresh Dalal (Asst. Prof of IIT Guwahati & then Secretary of the JGEC Alumni Association) and Nirjhar Chakravorti (member of the JGEC Alumni Association)