B.E. - Semester II

BCC201- PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

Faculty Member: C.Meenakshisundaram.

OBJECTIVES:

  1. The primary objective of the course is to develop in the undergraduate students of engineering a level of competence in English required for independent and effective communication for academic, professional and social needs.
  2. The course aims to enable the students use English effectively for the purpose of
    • Comprehending technical information in their field/branch of study.
    • Participating in discussions and seminars in their subjects successfully.
    • Expressing their ideas effectively in the written and spoken media.
    • Listening to different speech styles and comprehending the essential meaning.

The course will provide the students adequate opportunities for individual practice.

COURSE MATERIAL:To achieve the above objectives, instruction will be imparted, through relevant ESP materials,articles from technical journals, popular magazines, sample materials from industries etc.

COURSE CONTENT:

  1. READING STRATEGIES: Practice in various techniques: skimming, scanning, eye reading, etc., - Active and Passive reading - Reading and interpreting charts and diagrams - Need and Role of reading in technical/industrial organisations.
  2. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION: Introduction to technical writing. Discourse writing: Definition, Description, Instruction- Summary writing - Cohesive paragraphs.
  3. BUSINESS COMMUNICATION: Business correspondence - Format, tone and message of business letters- Perspective/point of view in purposive writing - Sales letters
  4. LISTENING AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: Barriers to listening: Physical & Psychological - steps to overcome them- Listening with a purpose - Active listening and anticipating the speaker- Practice in note - taking-Steps to improve speaker's contribution.
  5. SUCCESSFUL SPEAKING TECHNIQUES: How to improve self-expression- Need for clear thinking- The Speech process- Fluency & accuracy in speech - developing persuasive speaking skills - Goal oriented group discussion- Formal and public speaking practice.

REFERENCES

  1. Alan Malcy and Sandra Moulding, 'Learning to listen - Tasks for developing listening skills'-Cambridge University Press. 1981.
  2. Deborah.C.Andrews, Margaret D.Bickle, 'Technical Writing: Principles and Forms'. Macmillan 1978.
  3. Eric H. Glendinning & Beverly Holmstrom, 'Study Reading - A Course in reading for academic purposes',Cambridge University Press,1992.
  4. John Kirkman, 'Good Style - Writing for Science & Technology', E & FN Spon, an imprint of chapman & Hall, 1992.
  5. List Hamp Lyons, Ben Heasley, 'Study Writing', Cambridge University Press,1987.
  6. Louis Trimble, English for Science & Technology - A Discourse Approach, Cambridge University Press, 1985.
  7. Patrick Hanks, JimCorbett, 'Business Listening Tasks', Cambridge University Press,1986.
  8. Sharon Bower, 'Painless public speaking', Thorsons, 1990.
  9. Stewart, Zimmer & Camp, 'College English & Communication', McGraw Hill,1987.
  10. Tom Hutchinson, Alan Waters, 'English for Specific Purpose',Cambridge University Press,1987.