English As A Survival Skill

ENGLISH AS A SURVIVAL SKILL

 

                        In times of recession the problem of large-scale  unemployment especially among newly-minted graduates and post-graduates is exacerbated . In the past four years two mammoth Employment Fairs were held at two universities in Chennai. According to media reports over 4000 aspiring candidates from various disciplines appeared for interviews at each event and at the end of the day only about 400 i.e.10% were selected though many vacancies still existed. The vice-chancellors of the day famously made almost identical statements based on the feedback from prospective employers – ‘The problem is not employment opportunities but unemployability because of the lack of communicative skills’ .

 

            Though it is futile to conduct a post-mortem on why graduates and post-graduates are unable to communicate orally and in writing  one fact clearly emerges – language learning  both in schools and colleges has been given  step-motherly treatment. Both the  mother tongue and the Other Tongue have been given short shrift as  an effete appendage to the major subject.

 

            So candidates who have excelled  in various sciences and the humanities are literally tongue-tied when they appear for interviews  in English. And this after being taught English for 10 years in school and 2 more years in college. Many reasons can be attributed  for this failure to communicate  in English  but otherwise well-qualified  job-seekers are increasingly feeling marginalized and frustrated as their  opportunities for gainful employment diminish because of their inability to communicate in English.

 

            Defects in the educational system apart these young folk have themselves to blame for the debacle. They have ignored their communicative skills because of the conflict between formal, correct  English and the mangled and esoteric  version that the ubiquitous mobile phone has generated.   SMS texting has dislodged the prescribed texts in the class-room. They have to realize that a good knowledge of English is not a mere social ornament but a survival skill. The truth hits them with the force of a tsunami only when they appear at job interviews.

 

            They are unaware that even now they can improve their skills and numerous avenues of employment are open to them in India if only they can communicate in English – a random sample reveals many well-paying jobs at the front-office of  high-end hotels, hospitals, service institutes,  in  aircraft as  cabin crew,  tourism, as salespersons in reputed companies, Public Relations Officers in corporate organizations, radio jockeys and TV presenters and comperes, teaching posts in schools and colleges which now offer attractive pay scales, waiters in MNC foodcourts, secretaries to corporate honchos, the ever expanding Business Processing Offices, information technology-related jobs, copy editors in the print media, advertising copy writers, sub-titling non-English language movies, canvassers for high-end products  and many more jobs which are tantalizingly within reach of qualified candidates  but for their inability to speak or write correctly  in English.

 

           

            Instead of blaming the academic systems that have hogtied them job-seekers can improve their knowledge on their own or by being exposed to good English in reputed institutions that have come up in different parts of the country. These institutes are to be personally visited by prospective students to find out if these ‘Spoken English’ establishments which are conducting a fee war ranging from ‘Free’ to absurdly small charges for their services really are equipped to help them.

 

            A rule of thumb – ignoring the fees charged – is to find out whether the institution has adequate  teaching infrastructure like good study materials, audio-visual teaching aids, qualified and experienced teachers, the duration of the course, and a background  check on the subsequent history of earlier students. This is particularly necessary in the case of those who opt to go abroad  for higher studies or employment who have to get the required band score in the I.E.L.T.S. (International English Language Testing System) test held by the British Council consisting  of  four modules – Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing with a fifth component (interview skills). ‘Spoken English’ outfits have rechristened themselves I.E.L.T.S. training centres  and the gullible public is taken for a ride leaving the candidate with a poor band score and denial of a work permit or visa.

 

            As a precautionary measure the candidate can approach the British Council online or in person to get information about  the mandatory I.E.L.T.S.  However good  their campus English and SMS texting is very few candidates benefit from the quick fix of a short-term course. They have to hone the four skills listed above by proper guidance and testing  at genuine training centres  for at least 100 hours.

 

            Meanwhile on their own they can improve their English by equipping themselves with a good English dictionary, subscribing to any nationally published English language newspapers, listen to English news broadcasts on A.I.R., the B.B.C. and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation  getting  a wide exposure to internationally comprehensible English. Every time they come across a new word or expression in editorials and feature articles they should refer to the dictionary and write down similar sentences featuring the latest acquisition to their vocabulary. They should practice speaking in English with friends and members of their family as a drill to reaching excellence.

 

            Thereafter having narrowed down their search for a good training institute they should enroll themselves without considering the fee that they are expected to pay. This is a good business investment. The doors of lifelong employment are waiting to be opened if only they acquire this cutting-edge survival  tool.

 

Anand Kumar Raju

The author is an experienced University Professor of English and language trainer and can be contacted at ak_raju1066@hotmail.com

 

 

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Basic Survival Training Marine Institute Offshore Safety and Survival Centre Feb 2009

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