February 2011 ISSN : 2230-9136

LSRW Skills for Undergraduates

Dr. Richa Tewari is working as an Assistant Professor in the

Department of Humanities in Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology,
Kanpur. She has been teaching Professional Communication in B.
Tech., MCA & MBA courses for over years. Her area of PhD research
is American English Literature. She has offered wide-ranging papers
on the multifaceted growth of Professional Communication skills in
National & International seminars/conferences and also in the
renowned journals/magazines.

Abstract
In the globalized backdrop, good LSRW skills are the keys to unlock the doors to success.
These skills help to build strong relationship and better understanding which are so vital in our
personal and professional life. To be successful in any field one needs to know and understand
how to communicate effectively. Professionals having strong hold on communication skills are
considered assets for any organization. Such professionals set higher level of standards and
add value to the organizational set- up. At present times besides domain knowledge employers
look for sound communication skills in job aspirants. These undergraduates need a specific set
of language skills for their success in education and career. Employers are also voicing their
concerns about the need for better LSRW skills among students. The professional profile of a
modern qualified should include well-developed communication skills and high English
language proficiency to help him achieve success in the modern highly competitive global
work arena. When students graduate from the college and become real professionals, they will
find that English appears even more crucial. For non-native English speakers, unfortunately,
most of the professionals speak English as the first language or the working language. In order
to understand and coordinate with their colleagues and accomplish their projects smoothly,
professionals have to speak good English.
Key words: LSRW, Communication, Interpersonal communication, Presentation skills.

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Introduction
Professionals who are proficient in communication skills have a considerable edge over those
who have not. Lack of communication skills will certainly make them deficient in resources. Job
aspirants face several tough challenges in the global job market if their communication skills are
not up to the mark. Inadequate proficiency in English language, lack of exposure, low level of
confidence and weak soft skills do not let them uphold in the global marketplace.
Thus, LSRW training is essential for any undergraduate programme. Institutes that keep
themselves well stocked and well equipped in terms of communication will be able to meet the
language requirements of the globalized world. Even the employers require a number of efficacies
with an emphasis on an increased ability to communicate and good foreign language skills.
Communication skills are considered as a salient feature in the making of a global professional. In
a multilingual society, modern professionals must also be able to communicate effectively in a
shared tongue.
1. The Importance of English for Undergraduate Students
English is becoming more and more important today. That's why before starting teaching we must
tell our students about it. For non-native English users, English is very important because it is
widely spoken all around the world. Knowing English allows people to enjoy their life and work
no matter where they are. For students whose mother tongue is not English, mastering English is
even more important, not only for their academic life but also for their prospective career.
In order to master the subject knowledge and skills better, students should have English language
competence. Most of the literary and scientific papers or journals in the world are written in
English. Most of the graphs are also marked in English. Most of the professors in various
universities also conduct their lectures in English. Hence, students should at least master the Basic
English ability to deal with the countless English lectures, labs, projects and papers.
When students graduate from the college and become real professionals, they will find that
English appears even more crucial than it used to be. In order to understand and coordinate with
their colleagues and accomplish their task fluently, professionals have to speak good English.
All in all, non-native English students should try hard to improve their English ability, which
could help to make both their school life and career more successful and enjoyable.
2. English Teaching Pedagogy: The Indian Scene
English Language Teaching in India has not much changed for years and it is hardly different from
the postcolonial ELT methods where Shakespeare and Milton are taught with the same style as
was done 100 years back. First, the students do not feel comfortable with the age-old texts today
and secondly, they have nothing to do in the monotonous classrooms but listen to a lecture. With
the inception of Communicative Language Teaching in the 1960s, English teaching/learning
seems to be much affected positively and in the recent past, there have been some hopeful signs of
modifications and modernization, not just in teaching and learning but also in the use of English:
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1. ESP (English for Specific Purposes) is introduced in some Indian schools.
2. With the rise in computer expertise and Internet, the new generation has realized the
importance of the preferred language of the global information highway (English) and for
them English is no longer associated with colonial overtones. They see it as a necessary vehicle
for upward and onward mobility, not just within India but also overseas.
3. The widespread availability of cable TV in India has made the native English available to the
Indians (through BBC, CNN, MTV, etc.) and due to this exposure, people feel increasingly
comfortable with the different native varieties and have stopped being threatened by them.
4. Technology has been infused with teaching of English in the form of Language Labs.
5. Reframing of the curriculum by various universities on English Language Teaching pattern is
still going on.
3. What is LSRW?
When we learn a language, there are four skills that we need for complete communication. When
we learn our native language, we usually learn to listen first, then to speak, then to read, and
finally to write. These are called the four "language skills":
Skill #1: Listening
Skill #2: Speaking
Skill #3: Reading
Skill #4: Writing
3.1. Listening Skills:
Students should be given practice in listening to the sounds of the language to be able to recognize
them, to distinguish between them to mark stress and recognize and use the right intonation in
sentences.
Objectives
1. To enable students to develop their listening skill so that they may appreciate its role in the
LSRW skills approach to language and improve their pronunciation.
2. To equip students with necessary training in listening so that they can comprehend the speech
of people of different backgrounds and regions.
Strategies:
Listening skills may be developed through working on the following:
Listening for general content
Listening to fill up information
Intensive listening
Listening for specific information

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3.2. Speaking Skills:
Objectives
1. To make students aware of the role of speaking in English and its contribution to their success.
2. To enable students to express themselves fluently and appropriately in social and professional
contexts.
Strategies:
Speaking skills may be developed through working on the following:
• Understanding paralinguistic (voice quality, volume, pace, voice modulation, articulation,
pronunciation, etc. ) attributes
• Oral practice
• Describing objects/situations/people
• Individual/Group activities
• Extempore, debate, group discussion, role play, public speaking, Role play, etc.
• Just a Minute (JAM) Sessions.
3.3. Reading Skills:
Objectives
1. To develop an awareness in the students about the significance of silent reading and
comprehension.
2. To develop the ability of students to guess the meanings of words from context and grasp the
overall message of the text, draw inferences, etc.
Strategies:
Reading skills may be developed through working on the following:
• Skimming the text
• Reading and understanding of textual materials
• Understanding the gist of an argument
• Identifying the topic sentence
• Inferring lexical (Use of Dictionary/Glossary/ Listing Jargons) and contextual meaning
• Recognizing unity, coherence and emphasis of sentences and paragraphs
The students should be trained in reading skills using the prescribed text for detailed study. They
should be examined in reading and answering questions using 'unseen' passages which may be
taken from the non-detailed text or other authentic texts, such as magazines/newspaper articles.
3.4. Writing Skills:
Objectives
1. To develop an awareness in the students about writing as an exact and formal skill
2. To equip them with the components of different forms of writing, beginning with the lower
order ones.

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Strategies:
Writing skills may be developed through working on the following:
• Basic skills of simple and short composition
• Writing sentences
• Techniques of creative and critical writing
• Use of appropriate vocabulary
• Paragraph, essay and précis writing
• Coherence and cohesiveness
• Narration / description
• Note Making
• Formal and informal letter writing
• Editing a passage
By practicing the above said strategies undergraduates may improvise their LSRW skills to the
desirable extent. In view of the increasing importance of English language teaching and learning
in India and other non-native countries, encouragement for such programmes must yield a great
success in bringing about achievement in developing the ability skills related to LSRW.
4. ClassroomActivities to Develop LSRW Skills:
Teachers should conduct multiple classroom activities for developing communication skills of the
learners. Communicative games based on LSRW help to reduce hesitation and develop self
confidence amongst students.
4.1. ListeningActivities:
Making students listen to an English conversation, showing English documentaries in the
classroom, broadcasting programs, activating the College English board, reading famous sayings
related to listening skills and rewarding the super listener after giving the students a challenging
listening quiz may be advantageous to undergraduates. Other activities to improve students'
listening skills are:
(1) Theater Games for Students in Class: Focusing Energy through Fun
Teachers may use different theater games to augment their lessons taught in the classroom. These
games are designed to focus students' energy to encourage listening, develop their confidence to
encourage verbal participation, and cultivate their trust to foster openness.
(2) Games based on Listening Comprehension
Before the class session, choose a short article from a newspaper, magazine, or journal to share
with the class. The subject is not important, but the article should have many details in it. Casually
mention at the beginning of a class period that you will read an interesting article and would like to
share it with them. Read the article to the class.
After you have finished reading the article, ask questions based on the article you just heard. Have
each student take out a blank sheet of paper. Ask students eight to ten questions based on details

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from the article.Ask them to write their answers on the sheet of paper. Have students switch papers
and then tell them the answers.Ask students why they did not remember much after listening to the
story. Discuss how they could improve their listening skills.
(3) Detecting Miscommunication due to Poor Listening Skills
Before the class session, choose different dialogues/statements and write them down on chits.
Divide students into groups. There must be at least 6-7 members in each group. Call a member
named 'A' from any group. Offer him/her a chit to read silently. Then, A will go to B and whisper
the dialogue of the chit into the ear of B; B will do the same to C, C to D and so on. The last member
has to utter that dialogue aloud in front of everyone. Mistakes in pronunciation and poor listening
skills often lead to miscommunication, and negatively affect the message that one delivers.
(4) Crazy Story
Ask for three volunteers from the group to participate. Have the three volunteers lined up in a
straight line in front of the rest of the group. Begin a story with a basic introduction. Once you
complete the first sentence, the first person in the line has to pick up the story and ad lib. Every so
often, call out "next" and the next person in the line has to pick up the story. Record the story with
an audio recorder for future reference. After the game is complete, ask specific questions about the
story that was just told. See how many people can remember the details of the story. Take time
afterward to process with the entire team about the importance of listening and understanding.

4.2. SpeakingActivities:
Speaking activities might be ensued in the form of Theme Presentations, competitions for reading
aloud, skit, plays, broadcasting programs, quizzes, and then rewarding the super speaker. Other
fruitful activities are:
(1) Hit the Podium (Using Debate in the Classroom)
The best way to be able to see how our students think, speak and argue effectively is to see them go
through a debate. Debate exercises speaking and listening skills, and targets critical thinking skills
as well. This workshop will help teachers teach debate to their students and implement debates in
the classroom. It will also give a few activities and drills that will help hone debating skills, as well
as provide discussions about how to evaluate and adjudicate a debate.
(2) Heads and Tails
Start this game by calling out a random word. The next person must use the last letter of that word
to come up with a new one. For example, if the starting word is cat, the next word might be tree.
Give students stricter guidelines to increase the game's level of difficulty. For instance, do not
allow repeats, restrict words to a specific category or only allow words that contain a certain
number of letters.
(3) Making Theme Presentation
Presentation is considered an art. Now a days business organizations pay special heed on

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presentation skills. A recent research study observed that graduates are expected to give oral
presentation as part of their work. Team work is considered as a main skill in industry. Presentation
skills encourage oral communication of the professionals and provide them a suitable platform to
transform their information and knowledge. It also helps to develop confidence level and reduces
hesitation. Group tasks and presentation enhance interpersonal skills.
(4) Role Play
Role-play activities help to build team spirit and students get the chance of learning by doing. It
can be done by assigning different types of roles like negotiators, buyers, sellers, and so on. Role
play is an integral part of personality development. Oral communication skills are required not
just for internal matters but also for external matters. Role-play will encourage self-awareness
while role reversal will contribute to the students understanding of empathy of knowing how the
other side perceives professionals.
(5) Mock Interviews and GD
Teachers can also organize mock interviews and group discussion to sharpen the communication
skills of the learners.
4.3. ReadingActivities: Vocabulary and Reading ComprehensionActivities for Students
Motivating students read lessons every day in the classroom and at home, broadcasting
program(what they read last night), summarizing stories and reading texts, making their own
dictionaries, time for discussing the students reading, reading competitions and rewarding the
super reader may be fruitful for students. Other activities are:
(1) Index Card
Design a game around improving student's reading comprehension. Write short paragraphs of text
onto various index cards with a comprehension question on the back. Place students together in
small groups of no more than 3 students, and have them work together to answer each question.
Correct answers should lead the groups to another hidden index card in the room, and finally lead
to some sort of prize. This activity encourages teamwork while at the same time helping improve
reading comprehension.
Another way to turn comprehension activities into games is to provide sentences with missing key
words. Students should read the sentences and write in whatever word they feel is most
appropriate based on the rest of the sentence. This activity not only improves reading
comprehension, but will train students to use context to learn new vocabulary words.
(2) Match Headlines with theirArticle
Prepare for the game by collecting an assortment of newspaper articles. Separate the articles from
their headlines. Divide the class into two groups, giving one half the headlines and the other half
the articles. The object of the game is for students to match each headline with its corresponding
article.At the end of the game, students take turns reading the articles to the class.
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4.4. Writing Activities:
The key in motivating students towards writing is to plan activities that will capture the
curiosity of students and that will be fun. Writing competitions (essays, short stories, poems,
etc.), teaching students about writing for specific purposes, and rewarding the super writer
may be beneficial. The following activities have been tried by students and have high
motivational value.
(1) Three Minute Writing
Students are given a specific topic or title to write about with the understanding that they only
have three minutes in which to write about it. The fun is in the time limit and in the interesting
paragraphs that students develop. After the students have had some experience with writing
within a time limit, their writing will become more and more creative.
(2)You're not yourself today
In this writing activity students are told they are not themselves today, they will become
someone else. Prepare index cards with different roles the students are to pretend to be in their
stories. Example: "You're not yourself today.... you are a pirate looking for treasure on a
deserted island."
Besides, conduct writing workshops on letter, report, proposal, résumé, paper, poster, and
project writing and provide remedial feedback to the learners.
Conclusion
In the present scenario professionals certainly need effective and impressive LSRW (listening,
Speaking, reading, Writing) skills. There is a great need to frame course materials and develop
methods and strategies so as to enhance LSRW skills of undergraduates. Students require
LSRW skills to express and share their experience, knowledge, ideas and thoughts in an
effective manner and to harness a better understanding and harmony for the common benefit of
the society.
LSRW skills thus can be developed by rigorous training programmes and a lot of practice
work. It requires persistent efforts. It is possible by applying various methods discussion in the
classes, studying famous speeches, mastering the art of oral presentation and by active
participation in presentations, seminars, workshops, conferences, group discussions, etc.
References
Keane, A and Gibson, I.S. Communication trends in firms: implications for undergraduate
courses. International Journal of Engg. Edu., (1999)
Kitao, K., Why do we teach English? The Internet TESL Journal, (1996).
http://www.britishcouncil.org/
http://depssa.ignou.ac.in
http://www.elanguages.org
http://www.eltweekly.com

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