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B.Tech 1st Year - 1st Sem (ELCS Lab Manual) English Language Communication Skills Lab Manual (CALL & ICS) 2016
B.Tech 1st Year - 1st Sem (ELCS Lab Manual) English Language Communication Skills Lab Manual (CALL & ICS) 2016
B.Tech 1st Year - 1st Sem (ELCS Lab Manual) English Language Communication Skills Lab Manual (CALL & ICS) 2016
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INDEX
Exercise I CALL Lab:(Page No:3) Understand: Listening Skill- Its importance
Purpose- Process- Types- Barriers- Effective Listening. Practice: Introduction to Phonetics
Speech Sounds Vowels and Consonants Minimal Pairs- Consonant Clusters- Past Tense
Marker and Plural Marker. Testing Exercises
ICS Lab: Understand: Spoken vs. Written language- Formal and Informal English. Practice: IceBreaking Activity and JAM Session- Situational Dialogues Greetings Taking Leave
Introducing Oneself and Others.
Exercise II CALL Lab: (Page No:13) Understand: Structure of Syllables Word
Stress Weak Forms and Strong Forms Sentence Stress Intonation. Practice: Basic Rules of
Word Accent - Stress Shift - Weak Forms and Strong Forms- Sentence Stress Intonation.
Testing Exercises
ICS Lab: Understand: Features of Good Conversation Strategies for Effective Communication.
Practice: Situational Dialogues Role-Play- Expressions in Various Situations Making
Requests and Seeking Permissions - Telephone Etiquette.
Exercise - III CALL Lab: (Page No:22) Understand: Errors in Pronunciation-the
Influence of Mother Tongue (MTI). Practice: Common Indian Variants in Pronunciation
Differences between British and American Pronunciation. Testing Exercises
ICS Lab: Understand: Descriptions- Narrations- Giving Directions and Guidelines. Practice:
Giving Instructions Seeking Clarifications Asking for and Giving Directions Thanking and
Responding Agreeing and Disagreeing Seeking and Giving Advice Making Suggestions.
Exercise IV CALL Lab: (Page No:32) Understand: Listening for General Details.
Practice: Listening Comprehension Tests. Testing Exercises
ICS Lab: Understand: Public Speaking Exposure to Structured Talks - Non-verbal
Communication- Presentation Skills. Practice: Making a Short Speech Extempore- Making a
Presentation.
Exercise V CALL Lab: (Page No:41) Understand: Listening for Specific Details.
Practice: Listening Comprehension Tests. Testing Exercises
ICS Lab: Understand: Group Discussion- Interview Skills. Practice: Group Discussion- Mock
Interviews.
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time is spent on listening. We listen more than speak. If this listening skill is used in a
proper way we can master the tools of communicative skills. Listening is difficult, as human
mind tends to distract easily. A person who controls his mind and listens attentively
acquires various other skills and is benefited.
Objectives:
Understanding listening skills
Practicing Phonetics
Improving Communication skills
Importance of Listening Skills: Listening skill makes you successful in workplace, family
and in the society. Good listening skill is mandatory to get into a profession in
communications, management, planning, sales, etc. Listening skills involve a different set of
etiquettes, questioning for explanation, showing empathy and providing a suitable
response.
LISTENING PROCESS: There are six stages in listening process - hearing, attending,
Hearing - it refers to the response caused by sound waves stimulating the sensory
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Attention- brain screens stimuli and permits only a select few to come into focusthese selective perception is known as attention, an important requirement for
effective listening; strong stimuli like bright lights, sudden noiseare attention
getters.
but also sounds like applause and sights like blue uniformthat have symbolic
meanings as well; the meanings attached to these symbols are a function of our past
associations and of the context in which the symbols occur; for successful
has not only received and interpreted a message but has also added it to the minds
storage bank; but just as our attention is selective, so too is our memory- what is
remembered may be quite different from what was originally seen or heard.
Responding- this stage requires that the receiver complete the process through
verbal and/or nonverbal feedback; because the speaker has no other way to
determine if a message has been received, this stage becomes the only overt means
by which the sender may determine the degree of success in transmitting the
message.
Types of Listening:
Whole-person listening-understanding the speaker, his words, thought, motive etc.
Casual Listening- Listening not very attentive, listening casually without any
interest.
Barriers to Listening:
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Lack of interest: This could be due to lack of interest in the individual speaking or
being distracted by things that are happening to you personally.
Beliefs and attitudes We all have opinions on a variety of current issues; we feel
strongly about certain subjects; we value certain behaviours.
Preconceptions: Our preconceptions often mean we dont even give another person
a chance to speak. We can prejudge what they have to say.
Tips for Effective Listening: Few tips to master the tool of listening skill are given below.
Have eye contact with the speaker.
Sit straight and adapt a posture to tell the speaker that you are listening.
Show some gesture which represents attentive learning, for example nodding of the
head.
Verbal responses while listening shows that you are a good listener.
Wait for the speaker to complete his speech and then share your views, dont
interrupt him.
PHONETICS:
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Tense Marker: the past tense verb walked, as in, I walked away, what is the last sound that you hear in the
verb?
Walked [wakt]
1) The -ed verb ending sounds like a [t], Walked [wakt], even though it ends in the letter d.
What do you hear when I say:
smelled, as in, it smelled bad.
2) The -ed verb ending sounds like a [d]: smelled [smeld]
And when I say, visited, as in I visited New York City, how did I pronounce that -ed ending?
[Id] [vizitid].
3) The -ed verb ending sounds like [d], [vizitid].
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ICS Lab: Understand: Spoken vs. Written language- Formal and Informal English.
some forms of writing are closer to speech than others, and vice versa. Below are some of
the ways in which these two forms of language differ:
Writing is usually permanent and written texts cannot usually be changed once they
have been printed/written out.
Speech is usually transient, unless recorded, and speakers can correct themselves and
change their utterances as they go along.
A written text can communicate across time and space for as long as the particular
language and writing system is still understood.
Speech is usually used for immediate interactions.
Written language tends to be more complex and intricate than speech with longer
sentences and many subordinate clauses. The punctuation and layout of written texts
also have no spoken equivalent. However some forms of written language, such as
instant messages and email, are closer to spoken language.
Spoken language tends to be full of repetitions, incomplete sentences, corrections and
interruptions, with the exception of formal speeches and other scripted forms of
speech, such as news reports and scripts for plays and films.
Writers can make use of punctuation, headings, layout, colours and other graphical
effects in their written texts. Such things are not available in speech
Speech can use timing, tone, volume, and timbre to add emotional context.
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Written material can be read repeatedly and closely analysed, and notes can be made
on the writing surface. Only recorded speech can be used in this way.
Some grammatical constructions are only used in writing, as are some kinds of
vocabulary, such as some complex chemical and legal terms.
Some types of vocabulary are used only or mainly in speech. These include slang
expressions, and tags like y'know, like, etc.
Formal and Informal English: Formal English is used in serious texts and situations
for example, in official documents, books, news reports, articles, business letters or official
speeches. Informal English is used in everyday conversations and in personal letters.
Ice Breaking Activity: Ice Breakers are an effective way of starting a training session or
team-building event. They can be interactive and fun sessions, which run prior to the main
event or days activity. The activities can form a number of varieties including problem
solving, facilitation, communication, leadership, trust and decision making. Ice Breaker
Activities are aimed at adding some energy and fun, allowing your team to think and look
differently at how they can work together. Icebreakers can play an important role in
helping young people integrate and connect with one another in a group environment.
Activities:
1. If you had a time machine that would work only once, what point in the
future or in history would you visit?
2. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
3. If your house was burning down, what three objects would you try and save?
4. If you could talk to any one person now living, who would it be and why?
5. If you HAD to give up one of your senses (hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling,
tasting) which would it be and why?
6. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
7. Do you have a pet? If not, what sort of pet would you like?
8. Name a gift you will never forget?
9. Name one thing you really like about yourself.
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the topic for a minute. It helps students condense the entire essence precisely in their mind,
and speak only the relevant aspects within a minute. In addition, it can be used during the
interviews as well by the interviewers. Some companies conduct JAM session during their
employment interview to test the communication skills of the candidates. That is the
to improve their communication skills thus enhancing their employability skills. Hence,
students must actively participate in JAM sessions in educational institutions to improve
speak what they understood about the session. By this, students will be able to listen and
learn well.
Situational Dialogues:
How are you getting on? just another way of saying how are you?
You doing OK? asked when the person has had some tough experience recently and you
want to ask politely if theyre OK.
Hi, ! Whats new? this is a very informal way of greeting a close friend or anyone who
you see on a regular basis and you want to ask has anything happened since you last met.
Hi, ! Whats up? the same as above with a difference that youre probably not that
interested in what news the other person might have.
Hi, ! Long time no see! used when you havent seen the person for a long period of time
Hi, ! Have you been keeping busy? just a standard enquiry with little or no direct
meaning.
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Do you mind me asking? a typical way of asking something that might be a slightly
personal question.
OK, heres the thing a very handy way to start making your point if youre not sure how
to begin the sentence.
Responding to a Conversation:
Thanks, Ive been keeping busy just a standard response to a standard greeting with little
or no direct meaning.
Thanks for asking, Im fine, how are you? a typical response and counter-question to a
Frankly speaking just a way to start your response. It indicates that youre about to open
up and be very honest with your chat partner.
Never mind, its fine! - this phrase is used when the person offers to do a favour for you but
its not really necessary.
Never mind, forget what I just said You can use this phrase if you feel that he/she might be
slightly annoyed or offended by your question or comment so you want to end it there.
Departure Phrases:
Id better be going followed by a simple phrase like its too late, or have lots to do and
OK, Im sorry but I have to leave now! used when your chat partner has clear intentions of
continuing the conversation but you just need to go so youre making it clear that you need
to go.
See you later! used when you know that youll be seeing each other again sometime.
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them strong em, weak m, from strong frm, weak frm, us strong s, weak s, are strong , weak ,
for strong f, weak f
Stress: In English, we do not say each syllable with the same force or strength. In one
word, we accentuate ONE syllable. We say one syllable very loudly (big, strong,
important) and all the other syllables very quietly. Stress is defined as using more
muscular energy while articulating the words. When a word or a syllable in word is
produced louder, lengthier, with higher pitch or with more quality, it will be perceived as
stressed. The prominence makes some syllables be perceived as stressed. Words including
long vowels and diphthongs or ending with more than 1 consonant are stronger, heavier
and stressed. The more prominent of the syllable receives the primary accent and the other
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receives the secondary accent. While the primary accent mark comes above the syllable the
secondary accent mark comes below the syllable.
Information words in a sentence are usually nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. They
give information about who, what, when, where, why, and how. They express the main idea
or content of the phrase or sentence. They carry the message and therefore usually
stressed.
Unstressed words are usually function words like articles, pronouns, possessives,
prepositions, auxiliary verbs, and conjunctions. These words connect the information
words to form grammatical sentences.
Word Accent Exercises:
In a number of disyllabic words, the stress depends upon whether the word is used as a
noun or adjective or a verb. The accent is on the first syllable if the word is a noun or
adjective and on the second syllable if it is a verb.
absent absent accent accent
contrast contrast
contract contract
convert convert
abstract
abstract
compress compress conflict conflict
desert desert dictate dictate
impress impress
export export
progress progress
frequent frequent
object object
produce
produce
beggar
color
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admit
between confirm
advance
deceive
ago
posses
although
agree
receive
begin
defend
customer
nobody
Agreement
appointment attention
Afternoon
cigarette
company
represent
agency
article
destructive
director
understand
simplicity
apologise
development
diplomatic unimportant
authoritative
circulation
popularity
intentional
photography
September
Stress Shift: Observe for disyllabic- verbs stress on 1st syllable and nouns on 2nd syllable.
1.Addict
aDDICT (v.): Many people become addicted to alcohol or drugs after suffering a
tragedy.
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Addict (n.): As there is heroin readily available in Afghanistan, you will find many
addicts.
2. Compact
comPACT (v.): My neighbor owns a device that compacts trash to create more space
for garbage.
COMpact (n.): The Smart car is the most famous of all compact car designs.
3. Default
deFAULT (v.): It is absolutely imperative that you don't default on your loan--you
must make the payment.
DEfault (n.): The default in payments to the insurance company increased his monthly
premiums.
4. Extract
exTRACT (v.): During the Gold Rush, pioneers extracted gold from mines in California.
EXtract (n.): Flower extracts are used in the production of perfume.
5. Insult
inSULT (v.): Please don't insult me in front of the guests!
INsult (n.): In China burping is not considered an insult, on the contrary it is a
compliment to the cook!
Sentence Stress:
The sound Hello with proper stress and tone:
Can affect the meaning of a sentence.
Can cause misunderstandings.
Is as important as your choice of words.
Saying Hello to one another, in the following ways:
As if it were to their boss.
to their best friend.
to an attractive man/woman at the bar.
to a six month old baby.
This is another sentence to practice stress.
I didnt say we should beat him. = Someone else said we should beat him.
I didnt say we should beat him. = I am denying saying it.
I didnt say we should beat him. = I implied it / whispered it / wrote it down.
I didnt say we should beat him. = I said someone else should beat him.
I didnt say we should beat him. = I said we must beat him, etc.
I didnt say we should beat him. = I said we should take him to dinner.
I didnt say we should beat him. = We should beat someone else.
Intonation: Intonation refers to the total pattern of pitch changes, i.e., the rising and falling
of the voice when a person is speaking, within an utterance. So we call the melody of
language intonation. It is another important element of spoken English.
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Types of Intonation:
English has different intonation patterns: rising tone, falling tone, rising falling and falling
rising tone. When rising and falling go together, they can make a falling-rising tone.
Falling Tone: In the falling intonation, there is a gradual and rhythmical fall in the pitch of
the speaker, with a considerable duration and tempo. Falling tune is commonly used in: a.
Giving commands. b. Making statements. c. Asking questions that demand information.
Rising Tone: As the name rightly suggests, there is a rhythmical rise in the speakers pitch
level as it consequently affects the pace and duration of the speech production. In rising
intonation, the stressed syllables are capitalized in the sentences, and the rising pitch level
of the speaker is shown by the arrow at the end of the sentence. (comprise with the arrow
used in indicating falling tone).
Rising Tone is commonly used in:
1. questions that demand yes or No answers,
2. questions that show warm personal interest,
3. enumerating items,
4. polite requests,
5. greetings,
6. indicating uncertainty, and
7. incomplete statements.
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ICS Lab:
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2. Use Names: When meeting people make sure you hear the person's name and use it
right away so you will remember it. If you are not sure what the person said, ask
him/her to repeat it.
3. Get to the Point: Show value for people's time by being as concise as possible when
giving information. Do not give lengthy, unnecessary details and don't make excuses
for your mistakes. Answer the question and give important information only.
4. Let Others Talk: Don't be a person who does all the talking. What you are saying
may be of interest to you only. Keep the other person in mind, giving him/her a
chance to be a part of the conversation. Look for signals that you may be boring your
listener and ask questions to involve them in the conversation.
5. Non-verbal Language: Nine-five percent of our communication is non-verbal,
which includes: eye movement, tone of voice, posture, facial expressions and hand
gestures. When talking to someone keeping eye contact without staring shows a
sense of confidence. Be aware of non-verbal communication and keep it consistent
with your message.
6. Vocal Cues: Do not use an excessive amount of 'filler' words (sayings or words
repeated often), sounds such as "uh, um" or use lengthy pauses during conversation.
The listener will lose interest in what you are saying and will become bored.
Role playing games, exercises and activities can enhance business projects, giving
specific business outputs and organizational benefits.
It uses scripts that you read with your partner, like actors in a movie.
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It gives you information about your role. You can then talk with your partner using
this information.
It helps you speak English in full sentences.
It makes you think about what you are saying, so you remember the language.
It gives you many things to think and talk about.
1.Situation Role Plays: Situation Role Plays give you practice speaking English with
correct sentences and pronunciation. Examples: At the Markets, Clothes Shopping,
Airport Check-in, Job Interview
2. Story Role Plays : In Story Role Plays, you and your partner are characters in a
story.
3. Short Discussions : Short Discussions give you practice in asking and answering
questions about a topic. Examples Introduction, Talk about Food, Talk about
America, NEWS! Global Warming
4. Long Discussions: Long Discussions give you practice in asking and answering
questions about a topic, as well as discussing the opinions of other people.
Examples: Environment, Movies.
Telephoning Skills
Learning how to communicate well on the telephone is one of the top priorities for many
students who need to use English at work. Learning the common phrases that are used on
the telephone helps students know what to expect. However, what students often need
most is practice, practice, and more practice. While helpful, practicing a role-play in the
classroom is not always the best way to improve telephoning skills.
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Overcome Barriers:
Telephoning requires special skills as there are a number of difficulties that arise when
telephoning that are specific to telephoning. The first and foremost difficulty is not being
able to see the person you are communicating with. This lack of visual communication
often makes students, who can communicate quite successfully in other situations, nervous
and thereby hinders their communicative abilities. Add to this the typical hectic pace of
business communication, and you have a particularly difficult situation.
Breathe:
Before you pick up the phone, take a deep breath. Most of us are what they call shallow
breathers. We take small breathes in and out and therefore, sound tired when we answer
the phone. The goal is to sound like you like your job and you are glad they called. Practice
taking a very big breath and answering the phone at the top of that breathe. You will
continue speaking on the exhale of that breath and the caller will hear energy in your voice!
You can also practice it when you are making a call and start your breath as the phone is
ringing on the other end. Youll be surprised how you feel when you use this technique.
Identify yourself:
Give your full name and function and or the name of your company. Since they have taken
the time to call you, you may answer the phone this way;
Be Sincere:
If we are honest with ourselves, we are all problem solvers in some way. People call us on
the phone to have a problem answered. Whether it is to get driving directions, or hours of
operation or questions about our merchandise, they have a question and want it answered
quickly, intelligently and politely.
Listen attentively:
Put everything down when you answer the phone! Easier said than done, isnt? How many
times have you been in your office answering email, talking on the phone, listening to your
ipod and sipping? Callers dont like to be ignored and by multitasking, we are not focused
on the callers wants and needs.
Visualize the person:
Visualize the person, even if you dont know them so that you remind yourself you are
engaged in a two-way conversation. If you still have trouble listening, start taking notes on
what they are saying. Use a headset if possible, to keep your hands free. By taking notes you
can verify with them as well as yourself, the important points of the conversation and the
action items that needed attention.
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Introduction: When we begin speaking in the second language (i.e. English), we initially
use sounds from our mother tongue. Thus, everyone has mother tongue influence (MTI) to
begin with. With more and more listening to those fluent in the second language, practicing
speaking yourself and correcting mistakes, you slowly learn to replace your mother tongue
sounds with the original sounds of English.
Objectives:
Heavy mother tongue influence happens because your native language sounds have not yet
been replaced with the second language sounds.
This, in turn may happen due to one or more of the following reasons:
1. You have not heard enough English
2. You have not spoken enough English
3. You have not been corrected enough
Indian English speakers often use reduplication as a way of emphasizing an action -- I have
been told before to "Come come! Sit sit!" Reduplication can also replace very for
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intensifying or extending something, as in hot, hot water and long, long hair. Such usage is
common in spoken Hindi. Keep is used for put. One of the most indicative signs of Indian
English grammar is the use of the progressive aspect with habitual actions, completed
actions, and stative verbs. This produces sentences such as "I am doing it often" rather than
"I do it often"; "Where are you coming from?" instead of "Where have you come from?";
"and "She was having many sarees" rather than "She had many sarees".
Many deserving candidates lose out on job opportunities because of their vernacular
accent. By inculcating certain practices in our daily lifestyle, we will get closer to sounding
like a native English speaker and equip with a global accent.
Observe the mouth movements of those who speak English well and try to
imitate them. When you are watching television, observe the mouth movements of
the speakers. Repeat what they are saying, while imitating the intonation and
rhythm of their speech.
Until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm of English, slow your speech
down. If you speak too quickly, and with the wrong intonation and rhythm, native
speakers will have a hard time understanding you. Don't worry about your listener
getting impatient with your slow speech -- it is more important that everything you
say be understood.
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Listen to the 'rhythm' of English. Do not use the 'music' of your native language
when you speak English. Each language has its own way of 'singing'.
Use the dictionary. Try and familiarise yourself with the phonetic symbols of your
dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation of words that are hard for you to say.
Make a list of frequently used words that you find difficult to pronounce and
ask someone who speaks the language well to pronounce them for you. Record
these words, listen to them and practice saying them. Listen and read at the same
time.
Record yourself reading some sections of the book. Compare the sound of your
English with that of the person reading the book on the tape.
Pronounce the ending of each word. Pay special attention to 'S' and 'ED' endings.
This will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you use when you speak
English.
Read aloud in English for 15-20 minutes every day. Research has shown it takes
about three months of daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for speaking
a new language.
Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation mistakes. Many people
hate to hear the sound of their voice and avoid listening to themselves speak.
However, this is a very important exercise because doing it will help you become
conscious of the mistakes you are making.
Be patient. You can change the way you speak but it won't happen overnight.
Improve pronunciation and diction. There are a few tricks to making a vernacular
accent more globally understandable.
Pretend you are a newscaster and read out the newspaper to your mirror. Do
not read local newspapers. Focus on national newspapers.
While reading a book, underline all the words you do not know. Look them
up in the dictionary.
Make a list of these words, and make sure you use at least five of them in a
conversation during the day.
Most important, make an effort to speak in English to your friends and family.
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Describing:
Describing is something which involves recreating your experiences and impressions. It
includes perceiving the subject of your description accurately. Use a flowchart to identify
the flow of events in the process you are examining. Collect the data for describing the
situation. This data can be collected from existing sources.
Objectives:
Describing Objects:
Function/ Use
Components/ Parts
Characteristics (material/shape/ figure /dimensions /property /colour)
Position
Connection between parts
Components/Parts
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Describing a Person:
Adjective
square
rectangular
triangular
elliptical
semicircular
circular
cubic
pyramidal
conical
hemispherical
cylindrical
Height
He is tall.
He is short. He is normal height.
+ He is very tall. He is quite short. He is relatively normal height.
Build
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He is Asian. He has light-brown skin. She is black. She has dark skin. He is white. He has fair
skin. She is white. She has lightly tanned skin.
She is white. She has very pale skin.
Other features
moustache
beard chin forehead
nostrils
eyebrows
cheeks lips teeth
bald, black, blonde, blue, brown, curly, fat, grey, long , medium,
overweight, pale, plump, red, short, skinny, slim, stocky, straight, tall, tanned,
thin, wavy and white are all adjectives they describe things
very, quite and slightly are all modifiers they change (modify) the adjectives
Giving Directions
Giving and receiving directions in English is a great because it is useful, easy, and can be
modified to suit different levels and abilities. In addition students practice movement,
speaking, listening, and critical thinking skills. Because of this, the students tend to
remember these things pretty well. Not everyone knows where they are going and may
need help with directions from time to time. Directions may be needed to get to a nearby
town, or directions to the newest mall in town or directions to the nearest rest room in a
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large building. Where ever you are going the expression below can be used when asking for
directions.
Suggestions for giving directions
Giving street directions is really very easy when you remember to follow these points.
When giving directions you are actually giving two sets of instructions.
In the first set- Go To you are telling the listener what street to go to or how far to go.
In the second set- Then, you are telling the listener what to do when they get there. (turn
right/left, go straight, on the left, etc.)
Giving even very complicated directions is just a repetition of these two basic steps.
Another good idea is to use easily identifiable landmarks; instead of the amount of time to
get someplace (time is relative, after all). Easily identifiable landmarks are street lights,
stop signs, parks, tall building standing alone, etc.
Prepositions of location most commonly used when giving directions:
go straight
go to
turn right
turn left
cross
on your right
on your left
beside
next to
behind
across from
in front of
caddy corner on the corner of (to be very specific NE, SE, NW, SW corners)
Asking for directions
"How do I get to your office?"
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"We're opposite / next to / in front of / across the road from / round the corner from the
supermarket."
Giving directions in English
"Go straight on / left / right at the lights / at the roundabout /at the junction of and "
"Go past the supermarket."
"You'll come to / see "
"On your left you'll see an industrial centre / a hospital / the police station."
"Just after the level crossing / shopping centre (or mall)."
"Go past the petrol station / the garage."
Final tips
If you're giving directions over the phone, remember to speak slowly to allow the other
person to write things down.
Check that the other person has understood.
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If you're speaking face-to-face with someone, use your hands to show left, right, or straight
on.
Use "please" when you ask someone to give you directions. It's polite, and will normally get
you what you want!
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Introduction: Listening comprehension is more than just hearing what is said; rather, it is
a childs ability to understand the meaning of the words he hears and to relate to them in
some way. When children hear a story, for instance, good listening comprehension enables
them to understand it, remember it, discuss it, and even retell it in their own words. This is
an important skill to develop even at an early age, because good listeners grow up to
become good communicators. Basic listening skills are critical to any teaching or tutoring
situation. They are the skills that build the relationship and allow other things to happen.
Objectives:
and making sense of spoken language. These include recognizing speech sounds,
understanding the meaning of individual words, and/or understanding the syntax of
sentences in which they are presented. Listening comprehension can also involve the
prosody with which utterances are spoken (which can, e.g., change intended meaning from
a statement to a question), and making relevant inferences based on context, real-world
knowledge, and speaker-specific attributes (e.g., to what information the speaker has
access and about what he/she is likely to be talking). For longer stretches of language or
discourse, listening comprehension also involves significant memory demands to keep
track of causal relationships expressed within the discourse.
Attending and good listening:
Attention is shown by eye contact, the way in which you sit in your chair, the way in
which you are patient with the student, and show that the time (within boundaries)
is theirs.
Raja Rao Pagidipalli
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Good listening involves getting behind the surface words to the meanings and
emotions that are not being overtly expressed.
Active listening: When someone comes to you to talk something over, you can help first of
all by really listening to what they have to say. By giving your full attention to that person,
and concentrating on what they are saying, you help them to feel accepted and understood.
This way of listening also stops you from taking on the burden of trying to find answers for
them.
Active Listening is very different from normal social conversation, where we are often
waiting for someone else to finish talking whilst planning what we are going to say next
and are mostly failing to hear what is being said in the meantime! This is quite often
acceptable in everyday circumstances, but when someone is worried or unhappy, it can
leave them feeling frustrated, left out, or even rejected.
Really listening carefully to another person needs a great deal of concentration, and if you
are thinking hard about your responses, only part of what they are saying can be taken in.
So you need to try to hold back your own thoughts and judgements while listening, which is
not always easy.
It is important to show the other person in some way that you are listening carefully to
them, and that you are trying to understand what they are saying. One way of doing this is
to reflect back what you hear which helps them to feel understood, and gives them a chance
to check if that was what they really meant.
The defining characteristics of a good paraphrase are that:
It is brief
It contains both facts and feelings
It is focused on the students experience
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COMPARING. Mine is better, worse, the same as yours. If they did it my way! Boy if they
think that is tough, let me tell you how tough it can be. It is hard to listen to their
experience if you are constantly comparing. Stops compassion.
projections. They probably think Im dumb they dont really want to talk to me. We are
more concerned about OUE feelings than they are!
REHEARSING. Looking interested while you are busy rehearsing your responses to their
words. You have a point to make, a story to tell, or an objection to interject. You spend
your time ready to rebut, defend or manoeuvre your ideas.
FILTERING. The object here is to avoid problems. If you are afraid of anger you will pay
attention to angry signs perceiving none, your mind wanders. You listen enough to see
if a particular problem is coming, if not you fog out.
JUDGING. Almost everybodys favourite. Quick judgements based on our own prejudice or
opinion allow us to write off someone as stupid, uninformed, a pinko, a hippie, or whatever.
Judgement is best done after knowing background.
DREAMING. Their words trigger your own private thoughts and associations and away you
go! I just got back from San Francisco and I .. and you are gone back to the time when
you . And when you return they are talking about something else.
IDENTIFYING. Everything they say triggers your experiences about a similar incident and,
unrestrained, you launch happily into your own story about you.
ADVISING. Another all-time favourite. While you are giving great advice on how to solve
this or that, you are missing their pain or joy, havent acknowledged their situation. You
havent been there. They are alone in their joy or pain.
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SPARRING. Often starts with looking for things with which to be disagreeable. Continues
with put-downs and discounts. Are you still doing that? You dont know what you are
talking about or more subtle versions, and ends badly.
BEING RIGHT. Low self esteem means you have trouble with criticism or corrections so
you go to great lengths in order to be right. You may override others with a loud voice,
insults, twisting facts, rigidity and other tactics.
DERAILING. Two fast ways to derail somebody: (1) an abrupt change of subject when you
get uncomfortable or bored, (2) joke-it-off nothing is serious
PLACATING. Of course, yes really, terrific, incredible, right, wow. You want to liked at
almost any price agree with everything feed them mush.
the audience. The information and delivery should be relevant and presented in a way so
that the audience will listen and keep listening. Many presenters get caught up in the
details of the topic and what they want to say, and lose sight of the audience and what they
need to gain. The emphasis should be on the listener, not the presenter. You will have
determined what information will appeal to them and this will increase your
persuasiveness. There is no question about the importance of content. A presentation
without good content will always fall flat. However there are many skills that must be
applied to bring good content to life.
Objectives:
To develop enthusiastic delivery style
Raja Rao Pagidipalli
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To develop skills are comprised of effective eye contact, volume, pacing, tone, body
language, word choice, and appearance
presentations fail. If a presenter does not have a confident, enthusiastic delivery style, the
audience quickly loses interest and becomes bored. Research has shown that an audiences
opinion of a presentation is based
Presentation Style:
Presenters need to use their own personality while focusing on their delivery skills to
project the professional and confident style needed to create a successful presentation.
Utilizing an interactive and lively presentation style uses nervous energy in a positive way
instead of as an inhibitor. Delivery skills are comprised of effective eye contact, volume,
pacing, tone, body language, word choice, and appearance.
Presentation Content:
Focus their attention
Start with a clear, relevant purpose statement that shows the benefit to them
Use language that is clear and easily understood
Start with the familiar
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Physical Environment:
Keep room temperature on the cooler side
Give them a break if they have been sitting more than 1 hour
If a break isnt possible, ask them to stand up and stretch
Eliminate unnecessary noise distractions
Lighting should be bright
Use your voice, gestures, and facial expressions for emphasis to increase retention
Right Body Language in Presentations:
Using your body language properly will help your presentation become interesting
and engaging.
Gestures add visual emphasis to your words and help your listeners remember the
content. When possible, check your physical appearance in a full-length mirror prior
to your presentation.
The trick is to make your excess energy work for you by fueling it into your
presentation. Good visuals help support and organize a presentation.
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How do you let your own personality shine through without compromising the
structure and content of the presentation?
Use your visual aids as your notes rather than reading from them or a script
Become involved and committed to your topic.
Use of Visual Aids: People depend on what they see visually as their primary source of
information. Adding visual aids to your presentation has a dramatic impact on how much
your audience takes away. Research shows that information seen and heard has a much
better chance of being remembered than information just heard. Good visuals help support
and organize a presentation. They focus the audiences attention and clarify and augment
ideas. Visuals enable you to get more content across in a shorter period of time, simplify
complex information, and eliminate misunderstanding.
2. Focus Help your audience grasp your message by focusing on your message. Stories,
humour, or other sidebars should connect to the core idea. Anything that doesnt
needs to be edited out.
4. Employ quotations, facts, and statistics Dont include these for the sake of
including them, but do use them appropriately to complement your ideas.
6. Tell a story Everyone loves a story. Points wrapped up in a story are more
memorable, too!
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7. Start strong and close stronger The body of your presentation should be strong
too, but your audience will remember your first and last words (if, indeed, they
remember anything at all).
9. Vary vocal pace, tone, and volume A monotone voice is like fingernails on the
chalkboard.
10. Punctuate words with gestures Gestures should complement your words in
harmony. Tell them how big the fish was, and show them with your arms.
11. Utilize 3-dimensional space Chaining yourself to the lectern limits the energy and
passion you can exhibit. Lose the notes, and lose the chain.
12. Complement words with visual aids Visual aids should aid the message; they
should not be the message.
13. Analyze your audience Deliver the message they want (or need) to hear.
14. Connect with the audience Eye contact is only the first step. Aim to have the
audience conclude This speaker is just like me! The sooner, the better.
15. Interact with the audience Ask questions (and care about the answers). Solicit
volunteers. Make your presentation a dialogue.
16. Conduct a Q&A session Not every speaking opportunity affords a Q&A session, but
understand how to lead one productively. Use the Q&A to solidify the impression that
you are an expert, not (just) a speaker.
17. Lead a discussion Again, not every speaking opportunity affords time for a
discussion, but know how to engage the audience productively.
18. Obey time constraints Maybe you have 2 minutes. Maybe you have 45. Either way,
customize your presentation to fit the time allowed, and respect your audience by not
going over time.
19. Craft an introduction Set the context and make sure the audience is ready to go,
whether the introduction is for you or for someone else.
20. Exhibit confidence and poise These qualities are sometimes difficult for a speaker
to attain, but easy for an audience to sense.
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21. Handle unexpected issues smoothly Maybe the lights will go out. Maybe the
projector is dead. Have a plan to handle every situation.
22. Be coherent when speaking off the cuff Impromptu speaking (before, after, or
during a presentation) leaves a lasting impression too. Doing it well tells the audience
that you are personable, and that you are an expert who knows their stuff beyond the
slides and prepared speech.
23. Seek and utilize feedback Understand that no presentation or presenter (yes, even
you!) is perfect. Aim for continuous improvement, and understand that the best way to
improve is to solicit candid feedback from as many people as you can.
24. Listen critically and analyze other speakers Study the strengths and weakness of
other speakers.
25. Act and speak ethically Since public speaking fears are so common, realize the
tremendous power of influence that you hold. Use this power responsibly.
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2. Listening and
transferring
information
drawing pictures
locating routes on a map
carrying out instructions,
such as cooking steps,
rules of a game
performing body
movements
operating equipment,
such as telephone,
recorder etc.
selecting a person, a thing
from a description
taking a message by
phone
filling blanks
completing forms
summarising the gist of
short story
taking written notes
about instructions
(cooking i. e.)
taking notes of a lecture
dictation
jigsaw listening and
passing the message on in
writing or orally
4. listening and
manipulating
5 A variety of question
types for interactive
listening
information
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listen to songs,
stories
plays
poems
jokes
anecdotes
general chat
personal topics that
interest
listen to guests ( English
guests, stars, sport stars,
etc)
-
ability to extract and understand the overall message of a text without getting too
involved in the actual details and without necessarily being able to understand all the
lexical and structural content of the text.
Listening for Detail: This part of the examination, Listening for Detail, tests the
candidates' ability to understand important details in a text.
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Selective Listening: This part the Selective Listening tests the candidates' ability to listen
to short recorded texts for the information they need in order to solve a task, e.g. make a
decision.
Group Discussion
Introduction: As in a football game, where you play like a team, passing the ball to each
team member and aim for a common goal, GD is also based on team work, incorporating
views of different team members to reach a common goal. A Group Discussion can be
defined as a formal discussion involving 8 to 10 participants in a group. They are given a
topic. After some time, during which they collect their thoughts, the group is asked to
discuss the topic for 15 to 20 minutes. The GD process is to assess a candidates personality
traits.
Objectives:
To develop the dynamics of GD.
To learn techniques that can make an effective participant in GD.
To meet up the future challenges with success.
To be familiar with different types of interviews.
To develop a complete inventory of skills.
Dynamics of GD:
Flexibility: You must be open to other ideas as well as to the evaluation of your ideas. That
is what flexibility is all about. But first, remember: Never ever start your GD with a stand or
a conclusion. By taking a stand, you have already given your decision without discussing
the topic at hand or listening to the views of your team members.
Assertiveness: You must put forth your point to the group in a very emphatic, positive
and confident manner
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Initiative: A general trend amongst students is to start a GD and get the initial kitty of
points earmarked for the initiator. But that is a high risk-high return strategy. Initiate a GD
only if you are well versed with the topic.
Creativity: An idea or a perspective which opens new horizons for discussion on the GD
topic is always highly appreciated. When you put across a new idea convincingly, such that
it is discussed at length by the group, it can only be positive
Team Player: It lays great emphasis on this parameter because it is essential for managers
to be team players. Management aspirants who lack team skills cannot be good managers.
Reasoning Ability: Reasoning ability plays an important role while expressing your
opinions or ideas at a GD.
S/he shows direction to the group whenever group moves away from the topic.
S/he
S/he
coordinates
contributes
the
to
effort
the
GD
of
at
the
different
regular
team
intervals
members
with
S/he also inspires and motivates team members to express their views.
in
valuable
the
GD.
insights.
Inspiring ability: A good group discussion should incorporate views of all the team
members. If some team members want to express their ideas but are not getting the
opportunity to do so, giving them an opportunity to express their ideas or opinions will be
seen as a positive trait.
your GD. Apart from these qualities, communication skills, confidence and the ability to
think on ones feet are also very important.
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GD Initiation: Initiating a GD is a high profit-high loss strategy. When you initiate a GD, you
not only grab the opportunity to speak, you also grab the attention of the examiner and
your fellow candidates.
the topic. You can summarise what the group has discussed in the GD in a nutshell. Keep it
brief and concise. It must incorporate all the important points that came out during the GD.
If the examiner asks you to summarise a GD, it means the GD has come to an end. Do not
add anything once the GD has been summarised.
GD Points Marked on :
1. Audibility : Communication skills.
2. Analysis : supported by facts & examples
3. Content : Obtain by good reading
4. Team Work
5.Demeanor : Body Language counts, dont sit cross-legged
6. Leadership : People should listen and agree to you.
GD Techniques:
There are a few simple techniques that can make you an effective participant:
Prepare: If you know what the topic of the discussion will be, there is a lot you can do to
prepare in advance. You can read round the topic to make sure you are aware of the main
issues and arguments, and spend some time deciding what your own position is.
Listen: An effective discussion is one in which people listen to each other. Listening is a very
important discussion skill and make sure you listen and respond to what other people have to
say.
Be polite: In a discussion, its important to stay calm and be polite, even if you feel strongly
about the topic under discussion. Using words like please, thank you, Id like to May I?
Would you mind? Could you? Make you sound polite and respectful.
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Take / make notes: Its a good idea to have a pen and paper handy. You can jot down any
useful or important words or ideas that might come in handy later in the discussion or
afterwards.
Speak clearly: Practise your pronunciation and speak clearly and confidently. If you need
time to collect your thoughts, you could say something like Hmmm just let me have a minute
to think about this.
Useful phrases for GD:
There are lots of useful phrases that you can use in discussions. Here are just a few of them:
o Agreeing: Youre absolutely right about that.
o Asking for explanation: Would you mind telling us what exactly you mean by that?
o Asking for more information: Would you mind saying a little bit more about that?
o Adding more information: Another point Id like to make is
Different parts of a GD: (considering a 15 minutes GD).
Chaos period. (1-2 minutes).
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Elaborator: Explains ideas within the group, offers examples to clarify ideas.
Coordinator: Shows the relationships between ideas.
Encourager: Praises the ideas of others.
Harmonizer: Mediates differences between group members.
Standard Setter: Suggests standards or criteria for the group to achieve.
Follower: Goes along with the group and accepts the groups ideas.
Dysfunctional roles
These roles are destructive to the group.
Aggressor: Attacks other group members, deflates the status of others, and other
aggressive behavior.
Dominator: Asserts control over the group by manipulating the other group members.
Special interest pleader: Uses stereotypes to assert his or her own prejudices.
Factual topics for a group are as the word says about facts. This is a sample list of
speech topics on current issues and facts: Why drinking and driving is dangerous to yourself
and others.
A controversial group discussion topic is a speech topic that has many controversies.
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Abstract group discussion topics are things that cannot be touched, not be easily defined
or formulated. Just think in a creative manner and start a vivid group discussion with one
of these abstract topics to talk about: The Nostradamus Code
Case Studies: The fourth type of group discussion topics are case studies. You determine a
problem and together with the other group members you have to find a satisfying solution.
These are small group discussion topic ideas. Dropouts Individual attention in safe schools
and smaller classes; is that the way to stop students to drop out?
Body Language:
Body language plays an important role during the Group Discussion. The panelists will
surely take note of your body language.
1. Pointing fingers: Pointing fingers generally signifies talking in anger and accusing
someone with your finger. It exhibits your aggression. This should be completely avoided.
2. Playing with pen or paper: Playing with pen, paper or just moving your hands shows
careless attitude. Whether you remain silent or talk while playing with such objects, it will
show your lack of interest.
3. Stooping or slouching: You should sit straight while in a GD. Dont slouch or bend
forward. That is an informal posture and is not at all welcomed in GD rounds.
4. Sitting with crossed arms or legs: When you sit with crossed arms/legs or both, it refers
to a closed mindset and a person who is not ready to accept/listen to others point of views.
5. Throwing your hand: Dont throw your hands in such a manner that it enters your next
group members space. Everyone has their own personal space and entering that disturbs the
entire group coherence.
6. Fidget: You should not keep fidgeting or moving uncomfortably in your chair.
7. Not to be stiff: When it is advised that you should not keep fidgeting, it is also meant that
you should not be absolutely stiff in your position. You should have a relaxed posture.
8. Scratching, pricking, rubbing: You should not engage your hands in inappropriate
activities such as scratching, pricking, rubbing etc. This will again show your lack of interest
in the GD and too much obsession with yourself.
9. Control your facial expressions: Control your facial expression and avoid showing your
anger/disgust/frustration reflect on your face. Also dont smirk, smile or laugh unnecessarily.
Dont make it too stoic.
10. Moving your legs: Continuous movement of legs will show your impatience. If you keep
moving your legs, you will communicate that you want to get rid of the GD process.
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Interview Skills
Introduction: Life is full of challenges. To meet the challenges of professional life, one has
to be familiar with many skills to grab the attention of an interviewer, out of which
Interview skills are the basic necessities to meet up the future challenges with success.
Either you are applying for a job or want to qualify an entrance examination for a
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interviewer always attempt to decide that why they should select you? If you can show
your trust, your confidence, your commitment, and appropriate skills, then you could win a
successful future.
Planning The Interview Process : Once you have sent your resume to a company and
survived the weeding out process, your resume typically gets passed along to the hiring
manager.
In-Person Interview: If you survived the initial phone interview, the next step is probably
an in-person interview. Every company has their own way of conducting these interviews.
Some prefer to have "panel-like" interviews, while others prefer one-to-one interviews.
Expect to interview with three to four technical people and maybe a group manager. Expect
a wide variety of questions that range from common personal questions to very challenging
technical questions relevant to the job you are applying for.
Before the Interview
Be aware of nonverbal communication. Sit up straight, look alert, speak clearly and
forcefully, but stay relaxed. Make good eye contact, avoid nervous mannerisms, and
Follow the interviewer's lead, but try to get the interviewer to describe the position
and duties to you fairly early in the interview so that you can then relate your
Be specific, concrete, and detailed in your answers. The more information you
volunteer, the better the employer gets to know you
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Offer examples of your work and references which will document your best qualities
Answer questions as truthfully and as frankly as you can. Answer honestly, while
trying not to say more than is necessary
Take notes on what you feel you could improve upon for your next interview
Write a brief thank-you letter to the interviewer indicating your interest within 24
hours of your interview
If offered the position, one to two weeks is a reasonable amount of time to make a
decision. All employment offers deserve a written reply whether or not you accept
them.
Go through the Process: Regardless of the type of interview, most will incorporate the
following stages: establishing rapport, exchanging information, and closing the interview.
Interview Preparation
Research is a critical part of preparing for an interview. If you haven't done your
homework, it is going to be obvious. Spend time researching and thinking about yourself,
the occupation, the organization, and questions you might ask at the end of the interview.
Know Yourself: Following is a list of the ten most marketable skills. You will notice that
Analytical/Problem Solving
Flexibility/Versatility
Interpersonal
Oral/Written Communication
Organization/Planning
Time Management
Motivation
Leadership
Self-Starter/Initiative
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Team Player
Know the Occupation: The second step in preparing for an interview is to research the
occupation. This is necessary because in order to present a convincing argument that you
have the experience and skills required for that occupation, you must first know what
those requirements and duties are. It is also in your best interest to identify the
approximate starting salary for that position, or those similar.
Know the Organization: The more you know about an organization, the better prepared
you will be to discuss how you can meet its needs. Some of the characteristics that you
should know about an organization are:
Where is it located?
How big is it?
What are its products and who does it serve?
How is the organization structured?
What is its history?
Have there been any recent changes, new developments?
Prepare Questions: Having completed your background research, you are now ready to
prepare questions to ask the interviewer(s). Try to think of questions for which the answer
was not readily available in company literature. Intelligent well thought-out questions will
demonstrate your genuine interest in the position. Some sample questions are:
What future direction do you see the company taking?
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wait for a while before you actually sit down. Few interviewees know this but the interview
panel needs a little quiet time to discuss the previous candidate before they get around to
the next one. So your silence till you actually get seated would be very valuable. Try and
keep a bag with you for all your papers and certificates.
1. Family Background
2. Education
3. Experience
4. Stability
5. Initiative
6. General Ability
7. Interpersonal Skills
8. Confidence
9. Aptitude
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