DT Workshop- Language issue
Design a solution for students facing language barrier (English speaking) during placement process.
Insights form the interview
We interviewed participants of PGP-2 i.e. those who had just finished the final placement process and some from PGP-1.
On asked questions regarding their strengths and weakness in the interviews, a few of them answered communication skills as their forte. On further probing, they attributed this to regular reading habits, conversations at home and with friends, little hesitation on interaction with strangers.
Our observation was there where three categories of students. One, who had good communication skills, second who lacked it but were unaware or were not accepting it and finally those who knew that they did not have good communication skills and courageous enough to accept it. The First category of people where discussed in the earlier paragraph so here we would focus on the last two.
During our process we met with few people who did not have good communication skills, and when probed about the same to them, few accepted the fact and few did not.
From our observation there were few things common amongst these people.
1) They are not avid reader.
2) Few who accepted this said that the environment in which they grew up did not help them improve upon their communication skills, few people were also reported telling that peer groups play an important part in this process and if you don’t have a friend circle in which you communicate in English that also affects a lot.
3) Some said that it was just lack of habit in communicating in the language which is problematic, and when it comes to the situation when it matters the most ( for example GD/PI during placements) the succumb to the pressure and stammer but if they had the habit of speaking in English that would not have happened.
Hence we could safely generalise two reasons why these people lack communication skills: Basic formal development or lack of practice.
Next we also asked few of them how they are working on improving this problem and the responses where the following:
Reading Newspapers and books
Conversing in English as much as they can
Staying in a group where they are forced to speak in English
Personality Development sessions
How can I help Students of PGP-1 with their need to reduce fear and anxiety and build confidence as they need to converse more in English ?
Concepts created by your team
i) Formation of non-regional groups
ii) Mock GDs with collegues
iii) Learning by playing games
iv) Foreign trips under mentorship
Self sufficiency (Learning by self)
i) Karaoke (Singing on English songs)
ii) Reading newspapers/articles/novels
iii) Virtual learning (Audio/visual tools)
iv) Prepared speeches for big audience (Will help to build confidence)
Responses to Version 1 Prototypes
The issues faced by students during placement process is properly tackled and various activities for the same is depicted. Here we had shown a proper flow of activity for a student with language issue will go by at his stay at institute. Proper orientation and formation of non-regional groups were appreciated and some concerns were raised on its proper implementation.
Responses to Version 2 Prototypes
Proper flow of activities was shown. Positive response on informal activities. Some innovative ideas like karaoke (singing on English Songs) were appreciated. Formal activities were in line with the one already followed. But proper channeling of the same has been done.
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