DWARAKA DOSS GOVERDHAN DOSS VAISHNAV COLLEGE
(Autonomous)
College with Potential for Excellence, Linguistic Minority Institution
Affiliated to University of Madras
Arumbakkam, Chennai – 600 106
Department of English - Shift II
Annual Report for the Academic year 2022 –2023
The Department of English (Shift II), has conducted various events in the academic year
2022 - 2023, that has facilitated in enriching the language competency and interpersonal
skills of the students. The events include a seminar on Diffusing Power Skills through
Dynamic Techniques, a guest lecture on Presentation Skills, and a workshop on Catalysing
Language Skills through Theatre. The Literary Debating Society of the Department of
English (Shift II) has conducted a skill training programme on How to Crack Interviews, a
seminar on Preparing for the World of Work and an Interdepartmental programme Innowiz
23.
Guest lecture on Presentation Skills:
A Guest Lecture titled ‘Presentation Skills’ was conducted by the Department of
English (Shift-II) on 29th September 2022 at 11.30 am. 167 students and 25 faculty members
actively participated in the guest lecture. .Dr.S.Priya Dharshini, Assistant Professor,
Department of English, KCS Kasi Nadar College of Arts and Science, Chennai was the guest
speaker. Dr.S.Priya Dharisini reiterated on the fact that effective presentation is not only
important in business and public speaking but also in feeling comfortable when making a
conversation with others. The session focused on the steps needed to be considered before
giving presentations, its do’s and don’ts, and the tips and techniques for delivering successful
presentations. The guest speaker enlightened the students on the format, structure and the need
for lively visual illustrations in a presentation. The session covered a variety of areas such as
the structure of the presentation, its purpose, knowledge and needs of the audience, timing,
length of talk and body language. The Guest Lecture was fruitful to the students as it furnished
many inputs on presentations for business and professional settings. The session enabled the
students to learn methods to develop confidence while giving oral presentations and
comprehend that presentation skills are a much sought-after competency for self-development.
DWARAKA DOSS GOVERDHAN DOSS VAISHNAV COLLEGE
(Autonomous)
College with Potential for Excellence, Linguistic Minority Institution
Affiliated to University of Madras
Arumbakkam, Chennai – 600 106
Seminar on Diffusing Power Skills through Dynamic Techniques:
The Department of English (Shift II), conducted a seminar titled ‘Diffusing Power Skills
Through Dynamic Techniques’ on 29.9.22 at 2.30 pm in Vallabhacharya Auditorium. The
seminar was attended by 166 students and 25 faculty members, with much enthusiasm and
avidity. Dr. Subapriya Kannan, Assistant professor, Department of English, Pachaiyappa’s
College, Chennai was the resource person. The seminar was organised to aid the students in
enhancing and incorporating communication skills in their daily usage of English language.
The seminar predominantly focussed on the LSRW skills. Dr. Subapriya’s presentation
pertained to all the four language skills, with innovative and simple audio/visual aids. She
briefed on the significance of non-verbal cues such as body language, postures, voice, when
presenting oneself in a professional setup. She succinctly explained the methods to build one’s
vocabulary and grammar through visual poetry. She laid forth the techniques to induce
cognitive thinking and develop multiple perspectives using visual grammar in digital texts. She
discussed the trends in English language that included concepts like borrowing, Code
switching, code mixing etc, which enriched the students with the possible perils and benefits
of switching or mixing one’s mother tongue to learn English as a foreign/second language. The
students were largely benefitted by the seminar as it enriched them with the necessary
techniques to improve their LSRW skills. The students were able to confront their own
shortcomings with respect to their language skills, and realise their complete potential. The
session proved to be insightful as it aided the students to respond to discourses, create effective
presentations, and making written expression of thought.
Skill training programme on How to Crack Interviews:
The Literary Debating Society of the Department of English (Shift II), conducted a skill
training programme titled ‘How to Crack Interviews’ on 17.10.22 at 11.30 am in
Vallabhacharya Auditorium. The seminar was attended by 193 students and 26 faculty
members, with much enthusiasm and ardour. Mr. P. Raja Venkatesh, soft skills trainer, NPTEL,
IIT Madras, was the resource person. The programme was organised to aid the stu dents in
enhancing and incorporating the necessary skillsets to approach different types of interviews.
Mr. Venkatesh pointed out that the insights and mettle gained through experiences and
exposure to new environments can surpass any lack of expertise. He held a more practical
approach as he stressed the need to be proficient in academics and develop one’s skills, as
DWARAKA DOSS GOVERDHAN DOSS VAISHNAV COLLEGE
(Autonomous)
College with Potential for Excellence, Linguistic Minority Institution
Affiliated to University of Madras
Arumbakkam, Chennai – 600 106
moving out of one’s comfort zone alone cannot fetch a job. Mr Venkatesh reiterated the
significance of networking as a proactive approach to landing oneself in a job interview. He
stressed the importance of social media networking by urging the students to set an action plan
and connect with eminent personalities from their respective fields. He enlightened the students
on the significance of conducting thorough research on the company, interview processes and
having a well-drafted resume that speaks for oneself. He also guided them to analyse
themselves better with the help of the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and
Threats) analysis pattern. Mr. Venkatesh made the session highly beneficial to the students by
providing them with various job requirements ranging from IIT to IBM and motivating them
to apply to their relevant fields. The session proved to be insightful as it enlightened the
students on using one’s networking skills to find more relevant opportunities. The session
introduced the students to a wide range of possibilities in the employment sector, the strategies
and skills necessary to conduct themselves in an interview and the practical measures to secure
a position in their dream career.
Seminar on Preparing for the World of Work:
The Literary Debating Society of the Department of English (Shift II), conducted a seminar on
‘Preparing for the World of Work’ on 19.01.23 at 11:30 am in Gyan Darshan Hall. The seminar
was attended by 95 students and 22 faculty members, with much enthusiasm and ardour. Mr.
N.J. Lakshmi Narayanan, executive director, of Build Hr Management Consultants Private
Limited, was the resource person. The programme was organised to aid the students in
enhancing and comprehending the necessary competencies required in the world of work. Mr
Narayanan stressed the significance of developing an inherent belief system at an early stage
in life, as these beliefs mould one’s choices in life. He pointed out the fact that experiential
learning helps the students to connect the knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world
situations. He held a practical approach as he condemned route learning, as it does not stimulate
creative thinking and problem-solving skills. He then touched upon the basic work skills such
as workplace communication, decision making and self-management. The session then
focussed on the various recruiting strategies adopted by employers across companies, as Mr.
Narayanan provided ample samples and tips to update one’s skills based on the requirements.
He enlightened the students on the elements of job appraisals that included flexibility to work
under pressure, compatibility with colleagues, working with technology etc. Mr. Narayanan
discussed the Maslow- two factor stating that one attitude towards work can very well
determine success or failure. The session proved to be insightful as it motivated the students to
DWARAKA DOSS GOVERDHAN DOSS VAISHNAV COLLEGE
(Autonomous)
College with Potential for Excellence, Linguistic Minority Institution
Affiliated to University of Madras
Arumbakkam, Chennai – 600 106
discover their passion and build a game plan for life. The students were able to grasp the
technique of applying one’s unique skills, talents, inner resources and life experience to achieve
goals. The session provided the students with information on a wide range of employment
options, interviewing techniques, and practical steps they could take to land a job in their ideal
field.
INNOWIZ 2023 – Interdepartmental event:
The Literary Debating Society of the Department of English, Shift II conducted INNOWIZ-
23, an interdepartmental programme on the 27th and 28th of February from 11 am at Bhasha
Sangam. The programme aimed to showcase and enhance the creativity and English language
skills of the students. The programme witnessed the enthusiastic participation of 126 students
exploring their talents. The events were coordinated and organised by 22 staff of the
Department of English. Haiku, Book Face, Essay Writing, Terribly Tiny Tales, Caption the
Captured, Spell Bee, Word Relay, Oratorical, Block and Tackle and Simulate the Scene were
the wide range of events conducted to demonstrate their talent. After the successful completion
of the preliminary round, the finals of Spell Bee, Word Relay and Simulate the Scene
competitions were conducted on 3rd. March, 2023 at 11.30 am in Gyan Darshan Hall, MBA
Block. Mr. Ajmal Tahseen, Music Composer and Singer, was the Chief Guest. Mr. Ajmal
expounded on his recent elegant tracks and compositions, much admired by the young
generation. The programme was immensely fruitful to the students, as it nurtured and
developed their creativity in addition to their academic skills. It enabled the students to expand
their horizons and develop confidence while pursuing their choice of profession. Mr. Ajmal
Tahseen, encouraged students to develop their passion through a wide range of opportunities,
to gain the confidence and knowledge needed to grow as an independent creative artist. The
interdepartmental programme, INNOWIZ’23 tapped the enormous potential of the students
through its myriad events and helped them achieve their educational and professional goals.
Workshop on Catalysing Language Skills through Theatre:
The Department of English (Shift II), conducted a workshop titled ‘Catalysing Language Skills
through Theatre’ on 13.03.22 at 11.00 am in Vallabhacharya Auditorium. The workshop was
attended by 183 students and 25 faculty members, with much enthusiasm and ardour. Ms.
Sameeha Sheikh, Soft Skills Trainer, MEASI Institute of Information and Mr. Mrithunjay G.N,
English Teacher, Akshar Arbol School, were the resource persons. The programme was
organised to aid the students in facilitating the students with an opportunity to utilise theatre as
DWARAKA DOSS GOVERDHAN DOSS VAISHNAV COLLEGE
(Autonomous)
College with Potential for Excellence, Linguistic Minority Institution
Affiliated to University of Madras
Arumbakkam, Chennai – 600 106
a way of expression and communication. The workshop commenced with insights from the
principal, Captain. Dr. S. Santosh Baboo, emphasised the need to highlight social causes and
concerns of real life through the art of Theatre. They pointed out that the world of theatre can
prove to be effective in honing one’s language skills, by relating dialogues with their contextual
meaning. With the help of an activity, they enlightened the students on how theatre helps the
actors improve word articulation, Persuasive speech and voice projection. The resource persons
conveyed that theatre being a forum to express, uses language as its primary means of
communication along with body language, facial expression and movements. They discussed
the three basic principles of theatre concerning Aristotle’s ethos, pathos and logos. The session
delved into the fundamentals of theatre, as the resource persons enlightened the students on the
essential prerequisites and rules that an actor has to pay heed to. The students witnessed a
spectacular performance of a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy
‘Othello.’ The students gained insights on how to use one’s language competency to persuade
and appeal to an audience. The session emphasised the need to improvise and have control over
one’s language to fit into all aspects of theatrical production.
