Communication Skills for Engineering Students

Sakshi Education

By,
Dr. E. Suresh Kumar,
Professor & Head,
Department of English &
Director, English Language Training Centre,
Osmania University, Hyderabad.

The present post-modern world is revolving around English. It is a pre-requisite for any person who wants to excel in one’s own career. The countries which banned English due to various reasons opened up doors for English education in their countries to keep themselves abreast with the latest technological advancements taking place around the world. This leaves us with no choice but to develop good communication skills in English. India is lucky to some extent in this aspect, as the language has become a part of every Indian now.

Having said that, do not overestimate the usage of English by the average Indian. Though Indians use English words in their communication, by and large, they are not good at the effective contextual usage of them. They are also not comfortable with converting their know-how on English language into effective communication. This leaves a large gap between expectation and reality in the job market. Engineers are also no exception to this. Companies expect their employees to have good communication skills in English but unfortunately they are unable to find the ones who are good at them.

Not even 15% of Engineers are good at English:
Azeem Premji once said, “We are constantly in search of engineering graduates who possess good communication in English but fail to get the required number as many get screened at the HRD level itself. Opportunities are there but there are no employable engineering graduates in India. Of the number of engineering graduates who pass out every year not even 15% of them are good at English due to which they are unable to communicate the intended message.” Thus, it can be said that there are plenty employment opportunities for engineering graduates but not many are able to grab them up because of lack of English skills.

Effective communication skills in English help students at different levels:

in improving academic performance not only in English but also in other subjects;
in increasing their employment opportunities;
in enhancing their subsequent professional competence;
in improving their own personal effectiveness.

Employers value effective English communication skills because their employees need to:

interact effectively and productively in, and on behalf of, the organisation;
listen to and convey information accurately;
give instructions and explanations clearly; and
engage in constructive debate and contribute to meetings and committees.

Tips to improve your communication skills:
Now, how can you improve your communication skills in English? First, the budding engineers should remember that it is not at all a herculean task to do. With a little effort and constant practice, it can be achieved. The following are some tips you can follow at your own time and space:

Keep talking to your friends, family members, neighbours etc., in English about interesting things which have happened to you or the things you are planning to do in the future. Initially, do not worry about the right usage. Just talk.
Try to recall what you have learnt after the class. Try different ways of studying the material. Think about applying these new concepts to your work situation. From time to time, review the classes you have completed.
Learn contextual vocabulary. Pay close attention to how words are used with different meanings in different contexts in English newspapers.
Listen to English news channels and repeat the sentences immediately.
Read storybooks or any books which you are interested in. Observe the language used in those books and try to rewrite the story or the gist of the book in your own sentences.
Learn from your mistakes. Never shy away from mistakes. Try not to repeat the same mistake you made earlier.
Never finish learning. Think and work independently instead of depending solely on your teachers or courses. Develop a love for learning.
Have a vision that motivates you.
Participate in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.
Concentrate more on how to learn.
Grab opportunities for practising all language skills and their sub skills. In order to do this, you have to participate actively in your classes.
Participate in discussions - do not be shy. In your English classes participate in role-plays.
Join forums or literary clubs where you can make friends and practise English.
Check on your progress. Look at some past exercises or written texts; see if you can do better. Be on the lookout for spelling and grammar mistakes that crop up repeatedly.

To improve non-verbal communication:
Many students are under the impression that communication skills mean only ‘verbal communication’. But two-thirds of the meaning of any conversation is conveyed through non-verbal behaviour. You need to be aware of your non-verbal communication to send the right message across. Non-verbal communication involves the use of:

Eye contact
Facial expression
Body contact
Gesture
Posture
Personal distance

To improve oral communication:
You can develop your oral communication practising the following in your classroom as well as outside your classroom:

Conversations
Elocutions
JAM (Just a minute) sessions
Speeches / public speaking
Discussions and debates
Presentations / seminars
Telephoning
Interviewing
Role play

To improve written communication:
Communication does not mean only spoken medium. Written communication is equally important in work place. You can achieve this by practising the following:

Keeping diary entries
Essay writing
Summarising
Report writing
Writing letters or articles to newspapers

Make use of the English lab:
Most of the engineering colleges have excellent English lab and the syllabus too is in tune with the present requirements. Students who enter their first year engineering should utilise this opportunity and participate in all the activities given to them in the language lab. Many engineering colleges also have excellent phonetics software which helps you in improving your pronunciation. Remember that your English speaking would be comprehensible only when your pronunciation is without your mother tongue’s influence. You need to practise pronunciation exercises and also record your voice and compare it with the original speaker’s voice. This feature is available in phonetics software. Alternatively, you can also practise using CD ROMs of Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Cambridge English Pronunciation Dictionary, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, etc.

Finally, a piece of advice. Do not neglect or ignore English classes in your engineering. These classes provide you with excellent foundation for your future career.

A List of Some Useful Books for Learning English:

Suresh Kumar E et al. English for Success, Cambridge University Press India Pvt. Ltd., 2009.
Suresh Kumar E et al. Effective English, Pearson, 2010.
Suresh Kumar E et al. Essential English, Orient Blackswan, 2011.
Hari Mohan Prasad, How to Prepare for Group Discussion and Interview, Tata McGraw Hill, 2006.
Raymond Murphy, English Grammar, Cambridge University Press, 2005.

A List of Some Useful Websites for Learning English: