In our country, English is the second language. Apart from metropolitan cities, which have a number of convent schools, all other students stand at a huge disadvantage, since they are not exposed to the English Language. In all these states, even though the English Language is part of the curriculum, the English Language is taught in their mother tongue. The teachers themselves are not trained properly and they do not have the ability to make the English Language interesting. Moreover the interaction between students also happens in their mother tongue, with the net result being a rude shock, when they get exposed to the outside world.

When I interacted with this category of students at length their concerns were:

If we try to converse in English with our teachers, they reply in our mother tongue

English is not required for me because I am joining the family business

Our friends make fun of us or treat us as social outcasts, if we try to converse in English

Our parents are not educated and our siblings are also sailing in the same boat

Our teachers discourage the use of English

We know only a few words

We do not know how to construct a sentence and pronounce the word, so we will end up making fools of ourselves

Emotionally sensitive

Inability to speak in front of a small group or public speaking

Thinking in one’s mother tongue and translating into English

After listening to their concerns, I just asked them one question, How did you pick up your mother tongue?  The answer was prompt. We learnt to speak our mother tongue by listening to our parents speak. My next question was, Did your parents teach you grammar?  The answer was No

I then went on to tell them, the English Language also needs to be learnt, the same way.

I worked out a plan of action which I am listing below:

Be passionate about the English Language

Make it a point to watch News Channels, Animal Planet or National Geographic. Close your eyes and focus on the words. Likewise, if you share a passion for a particular game, as in, cricket or football, listen to the commentary

In the initial phase do not bother about your grammatical accuracy, fluency or vocabulary. Your focus should be to reach a level, where you can boldly communicate in the English Language, with whatever vocabulary you have

Identify one person in your locality who speaks the English Language fluently. Have a serious discussion with this person,  and tell him that you want to improve your language, and you are prepared to stretch the limit. Ask him to correct your mistakes. Fix up a time convenient to him and interact with him for anywhere between 10 – 15 minutes daily.  This conversation can be in person or on phone. Ask him to correct your mistakes and make it a point, not to repeat the same mistake again.

Avail of every opportunity that you get to speak. Never bother about the reaction of the audience. There are bound to be people in the audience who will smile sarcastically or may laugh at you, while you are delivering your speech. Let me tell you that these people are failures. They have not achieved anything in their life, and are filled with envy. Make yourself mentally so tough, that nothing should pull you down, and destroy your confidence

Do not compare yourself with anyone. You are unique

Read any magazine which is related to your area of interest. If you want to go in for fiction, there is nothing to beat, James Hadley Chase. You will not put the book down, till you have finished, reading the book fully. The language used is also simple.

Always think in English. If you think in your mother tongue, and translate  into English, the structure will go horribly wrong. Let us take a sentence; Rita is beautiful, which is the right structure.  Assuming that your mother tongue is Hindi, the translation will be, Rita khoobsurat hai, which when translated to English becomes, Rita beautiful is.  Always remember the basic structure of the English Language, which is, Subject + Verb + Object

Practice Auto Suggestion. Human beings are blessed with two minds, conscious mind and the subconscious mind. When we go to sleep in the night, the subconscious mind comes on top and the conscious mind goes down. Auto suggestion means feeding your subconscious mind with positive thoughts. In this case, let us assume that you have to deliver a speech after one week. Everyday before going to sleep, imagine that you are one of the best speakers in the world.  People admire you and they have come in huge numbers to listen to you. See yourself talking confidently, and the audience listening to you, with full attention. After your speech gets over, the entire crowds’ gets up from their seats and give you a standing applause. Do this everyday without fail, and more importantly, believe in the power of the subconscious mind. Visualize this whole scene again and again. The great tennis player, Andre Agassi, is a master of the subconscious mind. When you get up in the morning, the conscious mind comes on top, and the subconscious mind goes down.  The job of the conscious mind, is purely to implement the commands, given to it, by the subconscious mind.  You can rewrite your whole destiny, if you tap the power of your subconscious mind

Before I wind up, I would like to quote Martin Luther King, who said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenges and controversies”

HAPPY SPEAKING

The basic objective of studying these subjects, is to ensure that your fundamentals are strong. No one expects you to master all the subjects. Tomorrow when you take up a leadership role, you should have the basic knowledge about all functions, to ensure that no one takes you for a ride.

At the end of the first year, students go for summer placements. The summer placement runs for around four months. After finishing their summers, students come back and the second year begins wherein they specialize in their core area.

Before the students go for their placement, they have to choose their core specialization, as in, Finance, Marketing, Operations and Human Resources. The students have a dual specialization. On most occasions, whenever I interact with students, I see students choosing the core field due to peer pressure. When I sit with them and discuss as to what made them choose that field, the replies that I get are:

Majority of my batch mates have chosen that field

We heard it is a sunrise industry

This field pays much more than any other line

As a teacher, it pains me a lot when I see students getting into functions they are not fit for. Personally I do make it a point to tell students to identify their strengths by doing an honest introspection and  to discuss the same with their family members and close circle of friends. If they have professional contacts, they are the best people, since they are already working in that line. They are not only the best source of information they will also guide you properly.  Once the student narrows down on his core specialization, he will know the gap to be bridged in terms of skill sets after he interacts with professionals working in that industry.

Lot of B Schools have come out with super specialization programs which is an add on to the core specialization. The areas are:

Airlines and Airport Mangement

Shipping and Logistics Management

Retail Mangement

Supply Chain Management

Let me also tell you that there is nothing called as a sunrise industry. Each and every industry has to go through the stages of Infancy, Growth, Stability and Decline. It is part of the economic cycle.

I also reiterate the point that compensation is totally secondary. According to me, at the start of your career what you learn, is more important than what you earn. I also see students having unrealistic expectations and living in their own dream world. Your specialization should be in tune with your skills. If you choose the wrong line, apart from being a misfit for the job, you are also putting your entire career at risk. If you get into an industry purely for money, the day is not far off when you will get frustrated and land up in a mess.

Once you have identified your skill sets and decided your core specialization, ensure that you keep yourself updated in that line. You need to seriously devote time to understand the industry, the major players, the standing of the industry right now and the future of the industry. The best source of information will be newspapers like Economic Times and Business Standard. Apart from this, try to identify a mentor, when you go for your summer placements. If you prove your worth during the summer placements, there is every chance that the organization will consider you, when they come for the final placements.

I would like to share some critical points to be kept in mind throughout the program:

• Integrity is the foundation on which your career is built. Never lie. If you have done a mistake have the courage to accept your mistake, instead of trying to hide it or getting into arguments.
• Be the first person to take the initiative. Put your heart and soul in your job, when you go for summer placements.
• Be disciplined and punctual. Never take any leave.
• Strictly adhere to organizational decorum.
• As I mentioned earlier, this is the apt time to identify a mentor, who will be your guiding and inspirational force. Never try to put on a mask and show interest. They are seasoned professionals and your reputation will take a beating. Be genuine. Be yourself.
• Be in touch with your mentor and work on your weakness. This should be done throughout the program.
• If you have the habit of gossiping, work seriously on it. All relationships are built on trust. Trust is built up only once. It cannot be built again and again. Likewise during the course of your program never criticize any of your batch mates or professors.
• During the program, you will get lot of opportunities to make presentations. Take each presentation as a challenge and keep on raising your bar.
• Be mentally alert and focused on the program.
• In group presentations you may have to work with other candidates who are not known to you. Extend your full cooperation and take the responsibility of keeping the group bonded together. Each individual will have his idea. Genuinely congratulate your group member if he has come up with excellent points. It is natural to get discouraged if your points are not included in the presentation. Try to find out why the point is not relevant. Always remember that our learning process continues till death. Moreover when you start your career you will inevitably be part of a team. You cannot afford to create disharmony within the group.
• Be very careful whenever you speak. Choose your words with care. Never indulge in any kind of casual talk. Likewise ensure that you are well dressed and maintain good hygiene. Groom yourself to become a person who can be trusted.
• Work on your vocabulary. Keep a daily target and strictly adhere to it.
• Keep working on honing  your listening skills. There is a huge difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is done with the ears. Listening is done with the mind and the heart. Powerful listeners can create miracles.

The basic objective of having summer placements is to get exposed to what an organization is, how does it work, the role of each department and how the industry works as a whole. This is because most of the students are fresh from college and directly enroll for an MBA Program.

The second year is the time when you have to hone your skills in your line or function and ensure that you keep abreast of all the latest developments in that line.

Likewise during your final placements make a very careful choice. There are two critical points which you need to keep in mind. The first is the reputation of the organization. The second is the Human Resource Interventions that the organization has in place. All professional organizations have an individual career growth plan for each employee. They also have structured training programs to help the new employee develop his skill sets and also get him exposed to all the functions. Your first job is the most critical because it is going to determine the entire course of your career. When an organization selects an employee, it does so with a long term perspective in mind. Never make the mistake of job hopping. It is suicidal. As of today, job hopping is looked upon very negatively by all reputed players in the industry. Even an experience of five years in an organization,  makes the other company think. You need to have a really valid reason for quitting the organization.

My only advice to all  MBA students is to make the right choice in terms of their specialization. Once you make the right decision, believe me, it will be an eternal honeymoon for you.

CHEERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One major factor, which I notice, is students complaining about CAT going online. There was this fear of the unknown which haunted nearly everyone.

The only difference is, instead of a paper and pencil test, the test will be online. Everything remains the same. Students are given sheets to make their rough calculations. The right answer has to be clicked using the mouse. Candidates can scroll the entire paper and start from wherever they want. Likewise they can also change their answers.

If we look at GMAT, it is a computer adaptive test. A computer adaptive test will throw up questions according to your level. Just to cite an example, if you have clicked on the right option of a question which is difficult, the next question will be more difficult than the previous one. If you get this question wrong, the system will again start throwing questions, depending on your level. The marking will also happen according to the level of difficulty. If a candidate has got lot of difficult questions right, he will obviously get a higher grading than a student who has answered all simple questions correctly.

Coming to CAT, we have three sections, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Sufficiency, Analytical and Logical Reasoning and the English Language which includes Comprehension also.

As individuals we have our strength and weakness. Go to the section, where you are very confident and finish it off first. Ensure that you crack it fully. Once you are over with this, come to the other questions, where you will need some time. Taking the new format into consideration, you are required to answer 60 questions in 90 minutes. Ensure that you manage your time well.

I would like to focus on the Verbal Ability Section. The English Language happens to be the section, where I have seen students take a huge beating. Let’s have a look at all the possible question formats:

• Synonyms
• Antonyms
• One Word Substitutes
• Idiomatic Phrases and Phrasal Verbs
• Foreign words
• Jumbled Sentences
• Fill in the blanks with the right word
• Error Correction
• Cloze Test
• Sentence Improvement
• Reading Comprehension

If we look at the all the above exercises, the bottom line is vocabulary. If we do not have an excellent vocabulary, we are bound to take a beating. If you do not understand the meaning of one word, you will find it extremely difficult to pick the right option. This applies to all the sections in Verbal Ability. Unfortunately vocabulary is the most neglected part during the CAT preparation. I have seen all the so called reputed coaching classes giving a book full of words in alphabetical order from A till Z with their meanings and asking students to mug up all the words.  Rote learning will never work for you. It is virtually impossible to recall the meaning and more importantly by doing this you are in a way, blocking your career also.

A committed vocabulary building exercise involves two major activities. The first is adding new words to your arsenal. The second is to keep in mind the vocabulary you already know. The English Language has over one million words and the average speaker is well versed with only 30000 words. You can see the huge gap. A good vocabulary is a prerequisite for professional growth.

There is only one proven method to increase your vocabulary and also ensure that you do not forget the usage of the words, which you know. Make it a habit to read a newspaper or magazine. You are bound to come across words whose meaning you do not know. First try to guess the meaning of the word with respect to the whole sentence. Only then look up the dictionary and understand the precise meaning. Once you comprehend the meaning, make a sentence using that word in a sentence and have it corrected by a person who is excellent at the language.

Another excellent technique is to use the word in any area of your liking, as in your hobbies or extra curricular activities. Since you already like that line, you will find it motivating to use the word and the learning process becomes interesting and quick. Once you do this you will never forget the meaning and application of that word. Vocabulary Building is a long term process. There are no short cuts.

Having an excellent vocabulary has got lot of advantages. A better vocabulary will help you to enjoy reading more. Likewise having an excellent vocabulary will also give you the confidence to interact with professionals at the highest level. It will undoubtedly be a huge boost for your self esteem.

Another effective method is to understand the meanings of root, prefix and suffix. A root is the basic building block or a key which will help you to understand the meanings of many words.

To understand the importance of a root, let us take the word ‘ali’ which means another. From this, we can easily get to know the meaning of the word, alias, which means an assumed name. Another example is the root ‘am’ which means love. From this, we can understand the meaning of the word, amiable, meaning friendly.

Coming to prefix, it is a word which comes at the beginning. For example, the prefix ‘bi’ means two. We can easily understand the meaning of the words; bisect, bimonthly, bigamy and so on.

A suffix is a word which comes at the end of the word. For example, if we take the suffix ‘cide’ it means killing. We can easily get to know the meaning of the words, homicide, patricide, matricide, regicide, etc. If we take the suffix ‘mania’ which means madness, we get the meaning of the words, megalomania, kleptomania, and so on.

Another area I would like to touch on is Synonym and Antonym. Synonym means words which are similar in meaning. But this does not mean it can be used interchangeably. The right synonym needs to be used taking into consideration the message, we want to communicate. For example, if we take the word active, we have lot of synonyms like, agile, alert, efficient, energetic, quick, prompt, assiduous, indefatigable, etc

Let us take three examples to understand the usage of synonyms:

Mahesh is an efficient worker

A prompt reply is always appreciated

The guard was quite alert and this helped to catch the thief

The same logic applies to antonyms also.

Lastly, coming to Reading Comprehension, lot of books mention words like speed reading, skimming, etc. Let me tell you that all these skills can be acquired only through practice. Start practicing with small comprehension passages and gradually go to bigger ones. Read the questions first and understand what is required. Then go through the passage. While going through the passage, try to get the answers and mark the respective option.

The same technique applies to Cloze Tests also. Go through the whole passage. You will get an idea of what the passage is about, as in, the central idea.  After this, filling up the blank with the right option becomes easy.

With this, I conclude my write up and wish you all the best. Ensure that you

BELL THE CAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In this article, I shall cover the common issues with Indians and the steps to be taken to come to a Neutral Accent.

I will list down the common problems with Indian speakers in general:

Indian speakers of English are known to speak much faster than people in the West. This means that in many cases Indian speakers of English will make business communication difficult. We need to ensure that we understand and are understood.

Indians do not speak with their mouth fully open. As a result, the speech muscles get tight over a period of time, and the pronunciation gets severely affected. In other words we are not able to articulate properly.

Indians have a very fast rate of speech. The ideal speaking rate is between one hundred forty and one hundred sixty words per minute. Indians speak at anywhere between one hundred eighty to two hundred forty words per minute. At this speed, the listener is bound to lose the message. Take any article from a newspaper or magazine and work on your speed by reading it regularly. Read it for one minute. Keep a count of the number of words you read in one minute. Over a period of time you will automatically come to the right pace.

In the English Language, the vowels give the sound and therefore the stress has to be on the vowel sound, taking the syllable into consideration. Indians stress on the consonants because of which the word gets horribly mispronounced and this creates a huge communication barrier.

The consonant B is pronounced as P and vice versa

The consonant D is pronounced as T and vice versa

The consonant L is pronounced strongly

There is no distinction made between V and W sounds

The vowel U is pronounced without opening the mouth

There is no distinction made between the words, their, there and they while pronouncing it

The ‘th’ sound is not clear

The consonant T is not pronounced sharply

STEPS TO BE TAKEN TO COME TO A NEUTRAL ACCENT

To learn a new accent you need to listen to English again and again. It is not what you say, but how you say it, therefore, get familiar with the feel, tone and delivery of the accent. That adds a lot more meaning to what you say, rather that just the actual words.

Learning a new accent is making your subconscious mind conscious.

The critical thing to remember is to relax and speak in a flow, instead of speaking each word separately, to sound clear.  Pronunciation is governed by two factors, syllable stress and the vowel sound articulation.

Vowels and consonants come together and form syllables. Syllables give the word its pronunciation. Each syllable has a vowel sound and can have one or more consonants

Let us take an example:

Chair – This word is pronounced in one breath of air. It has only one syllable

Moment – This word cannot be pronounced in one breath of air. We take a pause while pronouncing the word. The place where we pause is exactly where the first syllable ends. It is broken down into parts,

Mo \ ment (2 syllables)

We can see that the first syllable has the vowel ‘O’ and the second syllable has the vowel ‘E’

Deliver – This word is broken down in three parts.

De \ li \ ver (3 syllables)

In this word, the first syllable has the vowel ‘E’ the second syllable has the vowel ‘I’ and the third syllable has the vowel ‘E’

As a rule of thumb, if a word has two syllables, stress on the first syllable. Likewise if a word has three syllables, stress on the second syllable.

Received Pronunciation is the most widely understood pronunciation. It is also referred to as Queen’s English or Oxford English.

The English Language uses over 45 basic sounds but has only 26 letters in the alphabet to represent them. This means that a word is not pronounced in the way it is written, unlike our mother tongue.

The International Phonetic Association (IPA) has laid down the pronunciation for each word. Special phonetic symbols are used to represent sounds. There are several accepted pronunciations for each word.

The Oxford Dictionary is very useful. The pronunciation is clearly mentioned for each word. Take the help of a professional who speaks the language well and practice your pronunciation.

Most poor pronunciations happen due to the omission of a sound altogether or swallowing of the last one or two alphabets.

Just to cite an example, if we take the word ‘going’ speakers often drop the last ‘g’

The ‘ch’ sound also creates lots of problems. If we take the word, chair, the ‘ch’ sound is strong whereas if we take the word, champagne, it is pronounced as ‘sh’ not ‘ch’

The ‘k’ is silent in the words, knight, knife and know

The letters ‘gh’ are silent in the words, height, might and right

The letter ‘l’ is silent in the words, should, could and would

Kindly note that the words mentioned above have been given purely for the purpose of understanding. Apart from the above words, there are lots of other words also where the ‘k’ is silent. The same applies to all the other examples also.

We need to breathe correctly for good modulation and rate of speech.

If we do not breathe properly, we cannot speak long sentences. An effective voice is possible only with an effective breath. Indians on the whole have a very poor breathing pattern which needs to be worked on.

BREATHING EXERCISES

Sit up straight

Relax your shoulders and arms

Drop your neck down with your chin touching the chest

Open the mouth and let the breath go in and out gently without exercising any kind of pressure

Do not make any noise while pulling in the breath

Take a quicker breath and then release it slowly

Repeat this exercise at least ten times

OTHER EXERCISES

Take a deep breath. Pronounce each alphabet from A till Z by throwing the air out. Initially you will feel lot of pressure on the chest. Do not give up. Keep on practicing this exercise.

With the tip of your tongue touch the back side of each tooth.

Hum any song which you like. Over a period of time you will notice a perceptible change in the quality of your voice.

As I have mentioned earlier, our goal should be to come as near as possible to the British Accent. In our country English is the second language. It is very critical to interact or listen to native speakers of English. The best channel is BBC News. Observe very carefully how the news readers pronounce the words, as in, the movement of the lip and the tongue.

Record your voice regularly which will help you to understand how far you have progressed and where you are going wrong.

To conclude, a poor speaker is often considered to be inept in all other areas also. People judge you not only by what you say, but how you say it.

HAPPY SPEAKING

The first reaction of all professionals whenever I used to mention the importance of Accent Neutralization was one of sarcasm and smirk.

When I interacted with these professionals at length, I found one point in common. They were technically very sound in their function. Moreover they were proven performers. But somewhere down the line, the growth stopped. They probably never realized this or probably did not sit down and introspect where they should have been and where they are right now.

As we are all aware, the English Language has become the lingua franca linking businesses across the globe. So it becomes all the more imperative to be fluent in our speech. Fluency is a combination of many factors put together.

Fluency includes your pronunciation, intonation, and use of the right words, flow of language and the rate of speech.

Drawing from my experience of working with multinational organizations,

I have without exception, seen professionals at all levels, having a very limited vocabulary. Moreover the use of colloquial expressions and slang is on the higher side, which makes them look totally unprofessional.

Effective Communication is very simple to define. The target listener should understand the message, in the way you want him to comprehend. If there is a mismatch here, the very purpose of communication gets lost.

Professionals, who rise up the hierarchy very fast, are without exception excellent communicators.

Indians have a very strong regional influence while speaking. In professional parlance it is called as the Mother Tongue Influence (MTI)

When people speak with a very heavy regional accent, people get distracted because the pronunciation is not clear and the class aspect is lost. The net result is your image gets spoilt. I have seen umpteen cases, where professionals have a good vocabulary, but unfortunately their heavily accented English coupled with the rate of speech creates a huge barrier in the communication process, and their reputation also taking a beating.

Neutral Accent is nothing but globally understandable and comprehensible English Language. This means that a person from any part of the world should be able to understand what you are speaking without having to strain him or interrupt you.

People have this wrong notion that they need to imitate a certain accent, as in, American Accent or British Accent. There is absolutely no need to imitate any accent. Your English should be devoid of regional influence.

When professionals speak, using the right word, with excellent pronunciation, intonation and the ideal rate of speech, people perceive you as a classy person and you command lot of respect. Likewise, a very heavy accented pronunciation, puts off the listener, and thereby the very purpose of communication is lost.

Business today is very fast paced, and in order to survive and excel in this cutthroat competition, it is of utmost importance to articulate in diction, and, be globally understood.

Comprehensibility is therefore the ultimate focus.

Now I come to the most critical part. All MBA programs talk about lot of skill sets being developed over a period of two years, but no one talks about the importance of Neutral Accent. Moreover during the selection process, Neutral Accent becomes a very critical skill which is assessed, irrespective of the industry. Lot of people have the misconception that Neutral Accent is confined only to the BPO industry, which is totally wrong. Neutral Accent is not industry specific. It is an essential requirement across all industries and more importantly one of the most critical skills if you want to move up the hierarchy.

Your voice is the means by which you convey your inner thoughts and feelings to the outside world.  It is the outward expression of your inner self.

The English language, its structure and the accent or dialect changes from country to country.  Hence, it is very critical to speak in a globally comprehensible English dialect.

In the second part of this article, I shall cover the problems faced by Indians and the steps to be taken to come to a Neutral Accent.

About the test
The TOEFL test is the only English-language assessment that incorporates both human and automated scoring to provide a fair and valid measure of an applicant’s ability to communicate in English. Moreover, every TOEFL test is scored by a network of reviewers who are continuously monitored to ensure objective and reliable scores.

The TOEFL test is available at more than 4,500 test administration sites in 165 countries. Students can now receive their scores online within two weeks, making the testing process more efficient and user friendly.

A complete listing of the more than 7,500 colleges and universities that currently accept TOEFL scores can be found at the TOEFL Destinations Directory (http://ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/univ0708.pdf). More information regarding the TOEFL test, including registration, study tips, and sample questions, is available on the TOEFL Go Anywhere website (http://www.toeflgoanywhere.org/).

Source: http://getahead.rediff.com

BUT WHY DO PEOPLE IGNORE GRAMMAR?
Usually we hear people saying, “It is of no use to go through a thorough grounding of the rules of grammar”. Particularly those who have an excellent command over a language would say so and tell others not to waste their time bothering much about this aspect of language. Interestingly, they never pay attention to the fact that they have those skills already otherwise it would not have been possible for them to use the language as skillfully as they do. Thus, it is in no way justified to deny similar skills to those who face problems in using the English language.

WHAT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO LEARN GRAMMAR?
Learning grammar may sometimes seem tedious to most beginners. But if it is taught in a creative as well as an interesting manner the same proves to be one of the most exploring experiences. The learning of English grammar through the typical traditional classroom teaching is most discouraging. The teacher must make the students walk through the concepts of grammar, dance to the tune of its rules and play with its functions in the most creative and fun-loving ways. It is well said by John Didion

“GRAMMAR IS THE PIANO I PLAY BY EAR. ALL I KNOW ABOUT GRAMMAR IS ITS POWER”
It is ideal for the novice in English language to start with knowing the Alphabet and Numerals leading to a step by step thorough
grounding of BASIC GRAMMAR. He must work hard to learn the functions of different parts of speech i.e. noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. Once the beginner becomes familiar with different parts of speech he\she is ready to grasp the general vocabulary of daily use. Then, it’s time to take him\her to an advance stage of Grammar i.e. to learn about Inflection.

INFLECTION is defined as the change in the form of a word in order to express a grammatical relationship.
“An alteration of the form of a word by the addition of an affix as in English dogs from dog, or by changing the form of a base, as in English spoke from speak, that indicates grammatical features such as number, person, mood or tense.

Mr. Kevin McLaven

Practice is the key to good band-scores and Indian students should make frequent use of the English language to improve their communication skills, says British Council’s IELTS head in India, Mr. Kevin McLaven, in an exclusive interview with TCYonline.com, the largest teacher-student platform in the country. Mr. McLaven is the First Secretary (Education Services), British Council Division, British High Commission, New Delhi.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. Do you think the present system of testing English language skills is effective enough in view of the changing education scenario, with the coming in of the Internet?
Ans: The standards, marking and monitoring of IELTS have been formalized after extensive worldwide research. Research is continuous and ongoing and the partners invest heavily in ensuring that the test standards are effective in measuring the true-to-life English language proficiency of the candidate and suit the needs of receiving institutions. The face-to-face speaking test, which sets IELTS apart from competitor tests, is widely recognized as the most effective indicator of an individual’s oral communication ability.
As the fastest growing test of English language competency in the world and with over a million people taking the test every year, the position of IELTS as market leader is testimony to its continued relevance. Today, more than 6,000 education institutions, faculties, government agencies and professional organisations around the world recognize IELTS scores as a trusted and valid indicator of ability to communicate in English.
Recognitions from the US institutions has mushroomed in recent years and today IELTS is recognised by over 1,700 US universities and professional bodies including all Ivy League institutions.
Candidates can take either the pen or paper or the computer-based version of the test depending on the version they are most comfortable with.

Q. How soon are you going to phase out the pen and paper methodology?
Ans: We plan to continue with the pen and paper version of the test for the foreseeable future.

Q. There is a common misconception among test aspirants in India that the British Council exam is tougher as compared to that of IDP Australia. What you have to say?
Ans: Globally there is just one IELTS test and there is no such thing as a “British Council IELTS” or “IDP IELTS”. On a given test date, candidates write answers to the exact same question paper irrespective of whether the test is administered by British Council or IDP. The question paper is the same for all cities not only across India but across several other Asian countries. British Council and IDP are two of the three partners whose responsibility it is to manage or administer the test. The third partner is University of Cambridge. The administration, marking and examiner monitoring policies are the same globally.

Q. Students are also of the belief that the British Council marking is strict.
Ans: The marking policy is the same globally and independent of whether the test is administered by British Council or IDP. Monitoring of the results of Indian candidates by Cambridge ESOL has demonstrated that there is no statistically significant difference in the band scores of candidates taking the test with British Council and IDP.

Q. Out of the four IELTS modules, the Indian students find Reading the toughest. How they should tackle this problem?
Ans: All the modules are set at a same level of difficulty. If a candidate finds a particular module or section difficult then one needs more practice in that section. The free preparatory material provided by British Council on registration should help in this regard.

Q. What about the introduction of point five bands in Writing and Speaking modules? Students have a strong feeling that since the time this system has been introduced, not many students are able to meet their requirement of getting 7 bands in each module. Why not scrap this new system?
Ans: The half band scoring in Writing and Speaking was introduced following feedback from receiving institutions that they would like a more accurate measure of a candidate’s abilities in these areas. Analysis of candidates’ results has shown that there has been no statistically significant change in candidates’ scores after the introduction of the half bands in Writing and Speaking.

Q. Sometimes a student has to appear many times to meet his requirement in each module, why not consider his previous result while preparing his new one?
Ans: Although currently, there is no facility for candidates to take modules independently of one another, it is up to the receiving institutions as to how they use the results.

Q. Is it possible to issue more than one TRF to students as sometimes they have to apply for more than one university?
Ans: British Council sends up to 5 TRFs free of cost to receiving institutions. A nominal charge is levied if candidates want to send their TRF to more than five universities or if they inform us of the names of the institutions after the test date.

Q. How can Indian students improve their English language and communication skills?
Ans: Practice and frequent use of the language will help candidates in this regard. Taking classes (not just IELTS preparation but courses to improve their overall communication skills) at a reputable training institute will also be beneficial.

Q. Do you have any message for Indian test aspirants?
Ans: Practice for the test but also aim to develop those skills where you are less strong. Think of your preparation not just as a means of getting the desired band score but as a life long investment to enable you to become a more effective communicator in English

We also spoke to Ms. Gurpreet Wadhera, Head, English Programs at BetterThink, Ludhiana, the language division of Top Careers & You (TCY), an education company with 34 centres in North India.

These experts throw light on various issues concerning a prospective Indian student desiring to pursue his/her studies in the land of the Cambridge and the Oxford.

Q 1. How much weightage do you give to the Indian education from the   visa point of view?

DAN CHUGG: A degree from an Indian university is as good as one from any other country and we give it the same weightage.  For example, under the points system, students get points for having a (graduation) degree or a post-graduation degree. He gets the same amount of points as he gets from the Indian university or from the British or French university.  Well, our eligibility criteria are very simple. If somebody comes to us with a letter saying he has been accepted by a UK university, got a place to stay and have a proof of enough funds, he is given a student visa.

Q 2. Is work experience mandatory for students pursuing their MBA after graduation?

DAN: It entirely depends on the course.  Some courses would expect a student to have a work experience before going for an MBA study.  On the other hand, some MBAs in the UK are deliberately designed for mid-career professionals but other MBAs would be free to take students straight from the university.

Q 3. How does the knowledge of English language affect a student’s job prospects in Britain?

DAN: I think, firstly it affects him as a student. To be able to study in the UK he must have a sufficient knowledge of English to enable him take the course. If his English is very poor then it would be very difficult for him to get the required qualifications. Following that, if he is looking for a job it would depend on what kind of job he will be doing and how good his English needs to be. For some jobs he needs to speak perfect English and for others English may not be that important.

GURPREET WADHERA: It is pertinent for a student to have a good knowledge of the English language. He should be really good at all the four modules — Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.  No wonder, the High Commission wants a student to show a good English proficiency by requiring him to clear an IELTS test.  A good preparation is the key. I always advise my students to visit TCYonline.com for free online practice tests and IELTS strategies to improve their command over the language and thereby obtain a good band score.

Q. 4. How far is the British accent important for jobs in the UK?

DAN: I don’t think the British accent is important at all. It is important that he should be able to communicate well.

GURPREET: The Indians have a neutral accent which is accepted universally. An ability to communicate well in English is more important. Accent can be developed later when the student starts living in that country.

Q 5. Is IELTS compulsory for everybody? Does the UK accept TOEFL score as well?

DAN: For an admission into a UK education institution, they (universities) need a proof that an Indian student can speak appropriate English. But if the university doesn’t set any minimum standard, we would expect the student to have at least the level of IELTS of 5.5 minimum score or an equivalent level to that. It would be fine if he has a TOEFL score instead.  We have set the standard and if he is not able to score, we feel that he won’t be able to complete the course. So, we don’t give him a visa.

GURPREET: IELTS basically is a test of English language that proves the proficiency of a candidate in this language. It is mandatory for a native of any non-English speaking country if he wants to live in the UK at any status. A minimum 5.5 band score is accepted to go to the UK. This score proves the minimum level of understanding of this language that helps the student communicate and complete his studies. TOEFL is also accepted by some of the universities.

Q. 6.  Are any scholarships available for bright Indian students who may not be financially that strong?

DAN: Yes, there are lots of scholarships available from universities who have their independent scholarship schemes. So, it would be appropriate for the students to try and find out what types of scholarships are available for them.  The British Government also offers a few scholarships. It has got the Chevening scholarship scheme, a very prestigious scheme for very outstanding candidates; a scholarship from the Cambridge university, and there are also some Commonwealth scholarships.

GURPREET: Definitely, scholarships are available for intelligent candidates. Students can check with the University for the Scholarships available and their eligibility criteria.

Q. 7. Can students go for a part-time job along with their studies? If yes, how easy or difficult it is for a student to find a job in your country?

DAN: A student can work part-time in the UK if he is studying for more than six months.  He can work for up to 20 hours a week and full-time during vacations. Regarding how easier it is to find a job, depends where he is living, what kind of job he is looking for, and how skilful he is. So, it very much depends on the situation. Any types of jobs are available.  For a post-graduate student there can be lecturing or tutoring at his university.  Students with very specialized skills like IT and business professionals can get high-level jobs during vacations in city companies. Undergraduates can get those kinds of jobs generally the British citizens do during vacations.

GURPREET: Students can work part-time if they are enrolled for a course for duration of more than six months. Different jobs are available for undergraduate and graduate students. If a student has the skill level that is in demand in that particular area he is living in, it won’t be difficult for him to find a suitable job

Q.8. Which universities and courses are in high demand these days?

DAN: I think it varies from university to university. It is very difficult to say if one course is in high demand. While it is also true that some of the universities like Oxford, Cambridge and Kings College London, etc. are in high demand.  On the other hand, some lesser known universities offer very good education and extremely good courses. And admission into them is not quite difficult.  In the UK you can take an admission to any course you want to, provided, of course, you qualify for it.  The courses cover absolutely everything imaginable, from Law to Engineering to Medicine to media studies to Journalism, etc.

GURPREET: There are various universities offering a number of courses. It won’t be right to say that some particular courses are more in demand in the UK. This depends on the student which course he wants to go in and also the kind of skill set he wants to develop in himself.

Q. 9. Don’t you think the recent immigration law changes are ‘too scary’ for oversees students?

DAN: I don’t think why it should be. The recent immigration changes should have made it in fact less scary, more transparent and easier.  If you go to the website (www.ukvisas.gov.uk) will come to know about the criteria you need to fulfill before applying for Visa. People get an idea whether they would be able to fulfill those criteria or not.

GURPREET: The UK immigration demands for a minimum level of English language so that the prospective immigrants are able to work and understand that culture well. I think things are quite clear and transparent under the new system. Before applying for immigration to the UK, the candidate can well assess whether he is eligible for immigration or not.

Q. 10 How easy or difficult it is to settle down (permanent residency) in Britain?

DAN: You can’t get a permanent residency just because you been a student there. You have to have lived in the UK as a worker on a work-permit for a right number of years before you get a settlement visa.  Your time spent as a student doesn’t count towards those years…Well, it is unlikely that a student qualify for a permanent residency. First he has to apply for a work permit. He has to work in the UK for several years before he can apply for residency…Currently, students can get   one year work-permit, after they finish their studies, but as of this summer this is going to change. Now the students will get a two-year work-permit.

Q. 11. How would you rate the UK, the US and Australia from the student’s perspective?

DAN: Well, the UK has some of the very best universities in the entire world.  Going by the recent rankings of global universities,   three of the top five universities of the world are in the UK.  If you look at some of the universities by the subject-area,   the UK is very top on the list.  There is no doubt that the UK has some of the very best universities in the world.  From a student’s perspective, if you want a very high quality education, they are nowhere nearly comparable with the UK.  Some people are concerned that the UK is expensive and they can get cheaper education elsewhere. I must say, if you really want good education probably the UK is the best. We still offer more student visas than the Australians issue every year — issued 23,000 student visas last year.  It is true that Australia is growing in importance for the Indian students, but one of the reasons is it is cheaper to study in Australia than the UK.  Slightly more students go to the USA than the UK may be because it is a bigger country and has more universities….

Q. 12. What’s your experience, do you think the Indian students assimilate well into the UK culture?

DAN: We find that of all the students in the UK, those of the Chinese and the Indian origin do better than anybody else. And that includes the people who have been brought up in the UK.  They contribute a huge amount … they are very able students and very hard-working and give very good results in the end.

Q. 13 Do you have any message for Indian students planning to pursue their studies in Britain?

DAN: My message to the Indian students would be to do a lot of preparation in advance. They should make sure to know what courses the universities are offering.  Look for the sources of funding and available scholarships at the British Council website. I suggest the students to leave lots of time to apply for the courses, funding, visa and booking a flight because there are a lot of processes to go through.

The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is a highly regarded exam that determines proficiency in the English language. The exam gauges university aspirants in their ability to use English in both academic and business environment; it is used world-wide in university and college admissions departments.

Yesterday’s TOEFL article presented a general overview along with tips for exam registration. Today, we discuss in-depth the exam’s structure and how test takers are evaluated.

The Internet Based TOEFL exam has four separate tests — reading, listening, speaking and writing. The following diagram displays the exam structure:

Structure of Reading Test

� Three to five academic reading passages followed by comprehension questions that measure the ability to understand and analyse the meaning of the passages.
� Similar question types from the computer-based TOEFL test.
� New question types:
~ Demonstrate they have learned what they have read, either by filling out a table or completing a narrative summary.
~ Choose a correct paraphrase of a reading.
� New features that make the testing experience easier for test takers, including a glossary and review feature.

Structure of Listening Test

� Two to three conversations that include two or more speakers in each.
� Four to six lectures, which include classroom dialogue.
� Opportunity to take notes while listening.
� Smilar question types from the computer-based TOEFL test.
� New question types that measure test takers’ ability to understand a speaker’s attitude or meaning.

Structure of Speaking Test

� Total of six tasks to be completed by the test taker.
� Two independent tasks about familiar topics.
~ Test takers state, explain and support their response using personal knowledge and experience.
� Two tasks based on Reading and Listening material.
~ Tasks include a short reading passage and a short talk.
~ Questions require test takers to combine information from both the reading and the listening material.
~ One task is based on a campus-related situation, and the other is based on academic classroom material.
~ Test takers can take notes and use them to respond.
� Two tasks based on Listening material, including a short lecture or conversation.
~ Questions require test takers to summarise key ideas from the talks in the responses.
~ One task is based on a campus-related situation, and the other is based on academic classroom material.
~ Test takers can take notes and use them to respond.
� Trained evaluators gauge test takers’ ability in:
~ Topic development — show they understand and can make connections, and convey relevant information.
~ Delivery — use clear, smooth, sustained speech for overall intelligibility.
~ Language use — control of grammar and word choice, and respond coherently.

Structure of Writing Test

� Total of two tasks to be completed by the test taker.
� One Reading/Listening/Writing task — an academic reading followed by a lecture
~ Test takers must answer a question discussing the key points in the lecture and explain how they relate to those in the reading passage.
~ Reading passage appears first, then is removed from the screen during the lecture. Test takers can view the passage again while responding to the question.
� One independent task about a familiar topic
~ Test takers state, explain and support their response using personal knowledge and experience.
� Trained evaluators gauge test takers’ ability to demonstrate an understanding of the material, as well as write clearly, accurately and in a well-organised manner.
� The integrated skills approach to assessment reflects real English use in everyday university situations — both in and out of the classroom.

TOEFL score scales

Each of the four sections of TOEFL iBT is scored on a scale of 0 to 30. The sectional scores are then added to arrive at a total score of 0 to 120. Each score will also correspond to a percentile ranking, which shows how an individual score compares with the score of other students who have taken the same test.

The maximum score of 120 will have a percentile of 100, a score of 100 may have a percentile of, say, 89, a score of 75 a percentile of 59 and so on. In addition to the sectional scores, the total score and the percentile, students will also receive score descriptors of what the numeric scores mean in terms of language skills and proficiency (high/medium/low), along with performance feedback including suggestions for improvement.

Score scales are similar for the Reading section and the Listening section. The score values from 0-30 do not represent the number of questions a student answered correctly. If a student gets 35 questions right out of a total of 40 questions, he/ she will get a raw score of 35, which will then be scaled to give a range of 25-27. This scale estimate provides a general guide only, the actual score varying a little within this range.

The six tasks in the Speaking section are rated by at least two human scorers on a scale of 0-4. The six individual scores are averaged to arrive at an aggregate value. This aggregate is then converted to the scale of 0 to 30.

Likewise in the Writing section the two tasks are scored by at least two human scorers independently from 0 to 5 and then the raw scores are totaled/averaged before scaling them to the range of 0 to 30. ]]> http://www.tcyonline.com/blog/toefl%e2%80%93-test-structure-and-scoring/feed/ 2 http://www.tcyonline.com/blog/toefl-%e2%80%94-introduction-and-registration/ http://www.tcyonline.com/blog/toefl-%e2%80%94-introduction-and-registration/#comments Thu, 21 Dec 2006 02:21:31 +0000 TCYonline.com http://www.tcyonline.com/blog/?p=42 Offered globally, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a standardised test designed to evaluate a student’s ability to understand and use English as it is used in a college and university environment — particularly in USA and Canada. If a student is applying for admission to a University or college in these countries, his or her TOEFL score will help the admission authorities to determine whether he or she has adequate academic background of English language skills necessary for admission.

Though the TOEFL is primarily structured for students seeking admission in USA and Canada, the TOEFL is also the most widely accepted score for measuring proficiency in English worldwide. Over 5000 colleges and accredited educational institutions across 90 countries, including: UK, other European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore accept TOEFL scores.

TOEFL is administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS), the testing organisation that also conducts GRE, SAT and other standardised tests.

The new Internet Based TOEFL Test (TOEFL iBT) has been designed to better prepare the students for academic study in an English speaking environment. TOEFL iBT measures both the receptive (reading and listening) and expressive (speaking and writing) skills of university aspirants. The TOEFL score is equally divided between receptive skills and expressive skills, and therefore, a student must do well in all sections.

Test Overview

* TOEFL iBT measures receptive and expressive skills equally. The student is tested for all the four English language communication skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing.
* The exam has no grammar or sentence structure section. The student’s knowledge of English grammar is tested through actual usage in speaking and writing sections.
* TOEFL iBT replaces the structure section with a speaking section in which students wear headphones and speak into a microphone. The digital recording is transmitted to ETS Online Scoring Network where human scorers rate the speaking.
* The exam also allows note-taking. The students can now take notes while they listen and/or read and they can jot down points before they start to speak or write. Students can use these notes while giving their responses, but they will not be allowed to carry them outside the examination center.
* The Writing section has been expanded to include one integrated writing task in addition to the independent writing task.
* The Reading section usually consists of 3 passages (sometimes 5), each of around 700 words. This section includes categorisation of information and/or filling in a chart or completion of a summary.
* Lectures and conversations in the listening section are a little longer than earlier, but speech is more natural. Although the focus of the listening tasks remains American, there is likely to be at least one lecture in British /Australian accent. There may be questions that measure understanding of a speaker’s attitude, degree of certainty and purpose.
* There will be fixed dates for TOEFL iBT and the students have to make their choice out of the same. Depending upon the number of test takers and the capacity, a test center will normally have 30 to 40 test dates in a year.
* TOEFL iBT scores are reported online. Students can view their scores within 15 working days of the test and will also receive their score-sheet by mail.
* TOEFL iBT is not computer adaptive as was the case with TOEFL CBT (computer based test). Here all the test takers receive the same set of questions. There is also no computer tutorial.

How to register

~ The fee for the exam is $150 (about Rs 6,500).

~ There are three ways by which one can register for the exam: online, by phone and by mail.

~ For the fastest and most convenient service, register online. One can get the online form by visiting the learners and test takers section of the TOEFL web site. A valid credit card is required (American Express, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, or Visa card), or an electronic check (e-check) if one has a bank account in the United States or its territories.

~ To register by phone, call the Regional Registration Centre. Same payment options as online registration.

~ To register by mail, obtain a form through the TOEFL bulletin. Fill in all information on the Registration Form and mail it to the Regional Registration Centre. Mailing instructions are on the form. Registration forms must be received by ETS or your Regional Registration Center at least four weeks before your requested first-choice test date.

~ The Regional Registration Centre address is as follows:

Thomas Testing Private Limited
2nd Floor
DFL Infinity Tower-A, Sector 25, Phase II
DFL City Gurgaon, Haryana -122002
India
Tel: (011) 26511649
Fax: (011) 26529741
Tel: (011) 26511649
Fax: (011) 26529741