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Advanced
English Communication Skills Lab
Manual

III B.Tech.

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

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S. No. TITLE OF THE MODULE PAGE NUMBERS

1. Activities on Listening and

Reading Comprehension 5-15

2. Activities on Writing Skills 16-32

3. Activities on Presentation Skills 33-44

4. Activities on Group Discussion 45-51

5. Interview Skills: 52-61

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 MALLAREDDY ENGINEERINGCOLLEGE B. Tech.
(MR-22)
(Autonomous) VI Semester

Code:C0H03 L T P
ADVANCE ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS LAB
Credits:2 (Common forAll branches) - - 2

List of Experiments
Module I
Activities on Listening and Reading Comprehension
Development of Listening Skills through Audio clips
Reading Comprehension–Exercises for Practice
Module II
Activities on Writing Skills
Structure and presentation of different types of writing
Letter Writing
Email Writing
Blog Writing
Resume vs Curriculum Vitae
Report Writing
Technical Report Writing
Module III

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Activities on Presentation Skills
Posters/ Projects/ Reports Presentation
Situational Dialogues
Small Talk
Practice-sessions
Module IV
Activities on Group Discussion
Mechanics of Dynamics of Group Discussion
Do’s and Don’ts
Dynamics of Group Discussion- Myths of GD
Practice
Module V
Interview Skills:
Concept and Process - Interview Preparation Technique

Types of Interview Questions

Pre-interview Planning, Opening Strategies, Answering Strategies

Interview through Tele-conference &Video-conference

Mock Interviews.

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 MODULE- I
LISTENING AND READING COMPREHENSION
Active listening is the practice of preparing to listen, observing what verbal and non-
verbal messages are being sent, and then providing appropriate feedback for the sake of showing
attentiveness to the message being presented. Active listening is listening on purpose. Active
listening is being fully engaged while another person is talking to you. It is listening with the
intent to understand the other person fully, rather than listening to respond. Active listening
includes asking wide-eyed questions such as, "How did you feel?" or "What did you think? This
form of listening conveys a mutual understanding between speaker and listener. Speakers receive
confirmation their point is coming across and listeners absorb more content and understanding
by being consciously engaged. The overall goal of active listening is to eliminate any
misunderstandings and establish clear communication of thoughts and ideas between the speaker
and listener. It may also be referred to as Reflective Listening.[4] By actively listening to another
person a sense of belonging and mutual understanding between the two individuals is created.

For many students improving their listening skills is the hardest of the four skills to master.
Unlike reading, listening happens in real time and it can be hard to control the speed of the
information coming at them. They may also have to deal with a range of unfamiliar accents,
noise interference from background environment and the pressure to respond to the person they
are listening to.

Traditionally, listening skills have been developed in the classroom by the teacher using audio
files and graded listening activities. The audio file is usually played by the teacher and the
students work through the activities in lock-step together. Although this model may be easy to
manage for the teacher it doesn’t allow much differentiation for the students or give them much
choice or autonomy regarding what they listen to or how many times they listen.

This, however, is an area of language learning where digital technology and mobile devices can
have a significant impact. There are now a great many websites and apps that students can use
to develop their listening skills independently and which teachers can use to create interesting
learning and support materials for their students.

● lyrics Training
● Listen Notes
● Accent Rosie
● TeachVid
● Read Aloud

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 ● Synth
● Fluid Data
● Listen and Write
● SpeakPipe
● Video Converter

lyrics Training

This app has long been a favourite of mine as it combines listening to songs with learning a
language. Students can choose songs in a variety of languages then watch the video of the song
and try to reconstruct the lyrics. Students can choose the level of difficulty by selecting either to
reconstruct the whole of the lyrics or to just have a few of the words taken out.

The app is gamified, so as they listen to the song, the music stops at the end of each line and they
then have a time limit to fill in the missing words. If they don’t complete the line they have to
start from the beginning of the song again.

Using songs in this kind of text reconstruction activity helps students to listen multiple times
without getting bored. The app works in the web-browser, but there is also a free app for both
Android and iOS.

The app gives a much better user experience in my opinion. Students and teachers can register on
the site and the app will then track student scores. As a teacher you can also add videos and
lyrics to songs you want to use with your students and so add to the LyricsTraining collection.

This is a great app to get students listening intensively, but remember they can successfully
recreate the lyrics of the song without necessarily understanding them so it’s good to follow this
up in class.

Listen Notes

This is a podcast search engine with a huge collection of podcasts on a wide range of topics.
Podcasts are a great source of listening materials for students and can easily be downloaded onto
mobile devices for replay at any convenient moment.

Listen Notes can help teachers or students to find listening materials that fit their interests. If
they log in, students can start to ‘curate’ collections of different podcast episodes that they like
and keep working on their listening skills while listening to them whenever is convenient.

The site also provides an embed code for each episode so if you are designing online learning
materials for your students, this makes it easy to embed the podcast into your site, materials or
blog.

Most of the podcasts are authentic so these are more suited to higher levels, although there are
some made for ESL/EFL podcasts available too.

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Accent Rosie

This is a great app for any of your students who use Facebook. It is a simple free app that works
with Facebook Messenger and sends students short audio clips. The students have to listen to the
audio clip and write down what they hear.

They can then send their text back and get instant feedback on how much they got correct. This
is a great way for students to regularly work on developing their listening skills.

TeachVid

This is another app that combines listening with watching videos. TeachVid uses video from
YouTube and builds a range of different activities around them, varying from text reconstruction,
translation, multiple choice, jumbled sentences and many more.

One of the nice things about TeachVid is that students can choose the types of exercise they want
to do for improving specific listening skills. If you register as a teacher you can also create
activities using the videos of your choice and create ‘classrooms’ so that you can share
assignments with students and track their results.

This is a great way to set listening for homework and know that your students have done it.

Read Aloud

This is a text to speech voice reader that can be plugged into the Google Chrome or Firefox
browser. Adding the plug-in takes a couple of seconds and once added students can go to any
webpage and simply click on an icon on the tool bar of the browser.

The app will then open and read the text of the page to them. As it reads, it highlights the text so
students can see the words as they hear them. It’s also possible to pause and rewind if they feel
they have missed something.

The quality of the voice isn’t perfect, main problem being with intonation, but it is very good and
synthetic speech is getting better all the time. This is a great way to help develop both students’
listening and reading skills at the same time.

Synth

Synth is an interesting way to make podcasts more interactive and engaging for students. You
can record your podcast, a message, a question or an audio file for your students to listen to and
they then have to record a reply, or add to your message.

This is a great way to either collect knowledge together or create dialogue with students while
developing their listening skills. It can be used on iOS or in the web-browser.

Fluid Data

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This is a really interesting tool for anyone who is interested in improving their listening skills
and learning how different lexical items appear in authentic speech. It is a little like a corpus, but
has a wide collection of audio files that can be searched for specific language items.

You do this by typing the word or phrase you want to find into the search field. Fluid Data then
shows you a list of audio clips with the part of the clip that contains the example phrase
highlighted by an orange bar.

When you click on the orange bar you can hear the specific part of the clip. This is great for
finding listening materials when you want to teach a specific item and can also help students to
review words or phrases they are learning and find authentic example sentences that show how
they are used.

Listen and Write

This app is similar to Lyrics Training, but has a wider variety of source materials. Again it is
based around listening to what you hear and writing it down and like Lyrics Training you can
select the level of challenge by deciding how many of the words of the script you need to type in.

Generally, the texts used are of a higher level and have more complex vocabulary than those in
lyrics training, so this would be better for higher level students who would like to specifically
develop their listening skills or ones practicing for Cambridge exams.

This is a great tool for motivated students who want to work on their own and improve their
listening vocabulary and spelling.

Speak Pipe

This app allows you to create your own short video files, upload them to server and get a link
that you can share with your students.

This is a great tool for helping students who have specific problems with remembering
pronunciation of words or phrases or for recording example sentences or very quick listening
activities for students.

Just click on the record button record your text and then click on ‘Save on sever’. The recording
will be saved on the server for three months and you’ll get a link that you can share with students
so that they can listen.

This is a great tool for backing up the work you are doing in class on listening and pronunciation.

Video Converter

This is a really useful tool for separating audio from video or for converting files for uses in
different formats on different devices.

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 Although the combination of video and audio can be really useful, sometimes it’s also great to
split the two, so that students can focus silently on what they can learn from the body language
and expressions of the characters and then, see how that corresponds to the actual words they are
saying in the sound track.

Video converter makes it easy for you to either upload a video or add a link to the video and then
save the file as either an audio file or a silent video file.

Benefits of Reading

● Gain valuable knowledge.

● Exercise your brain.
● Improve your focus.
● Improve your memory.
● Enjoy entertainment.
● Improve your ability to empathize.
● Improve your communication skills.
● Reduce stress.

Physical and Psychological benefits of reading.

● Expands Your Vocabulary. ...
● Improves Your Knowledge. ...
● Improves Focus and Concentration. ...
● Relieve Stress. ...
● Lower Blood Pressure. ...
● Prevents Dementia and Alzheimer's. ...
● Helps you Sleep Better. ...
● Longer Life.

Top Reading Techniques

● Survey: First survey the piece to get a quick idea of the content and structure of the reading. ...
● Question: Prepare questions for yourself to go over as you read the material. ...
● Read: Read with your questions in mind. ...
● Recite: Now it is time to go back and answer those questions you created.

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Reading Strategies & Tips

Reading is a foundational learning activity for college-level courses. Assigned readings prepare
you for taking notes during lectures and provide you with additional examples and detail that
might not be covered in class.

Reading a college textbook effectively takes practice and should be approached differently than
reading a novel, comic book, magazine, or website. Becoming an effective reader goes beyond
completing the reading in full or highlighting text. There are a variety of strategies you can use
to read effectively and retain the information you read.

Consider the following quick tips and ideas to make the most of your reading time:

● Schedule time to read. Reading is an easy thing to put off because there is often no exact due
date. By scheduling a time each week to do your reading for each class, you are more likely
to complete the reading as if it were an assignment. Producing a study guide or set of notes
from the reading can help to direct your thinking as you read.
● Set yourself up for success. Pick a location that is conducive to reading. Establish a
reasonable goal for the reading, and a time limit for how long you’ll be working. These
techniques make reading feel manageable and make it easier to get started and finish
reading.
● Choose and use a specific reading strategy. There are many strategies that will help you
actively read and retain information (PRR or SQ3R – see the handouts and videos). By
consciously choosing a way to approach your reading, you can begin the first step of exam
preparation or essay writing. Remember: good readers make stronger writers.
● Monitor your comprehension. When you finish a section, ask yourself, "What is the main
idea in this section? Could I answer an exam question about this topic?" Questions at the end
of chapters are particularly good for focusing your attention and for assessing your
comprehension. If you are having difficulty recalling information or answering questions
about the text, search back through the text and look for key points and answers. Self-
correction techniques like revisiting the text are essential to assessing your comprehension
and are a hallmark technique of advanced readers
● Take notes as you read. Whether they’re annotations in the margins of the book, or notes on
a separate piece of paper. Engage with the reading through your notes – ask questions,
answer questions, make connections, and think about how these ideas integrate with other
information sources (like lecture, lab, other readings, etc.)
Want to dive in a little deeper? Take a look at Kathleen King's tips below to help you get the
most out of your reading, and to read for success. You'll see that some are similar to the tips
above, but some offer new approaches and ideas; see what works for you:

1. Read sitting up with good light, and at a desk or table.

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 2. Keep background noise to a minimum. Loud rock music will not make you a better reader.
The same goes for other distractions: talking to roommates, kids playing nearby, television or
radio. Give yourself a quiet environment so that you can concentrate on the text.
3. Keep paper and pen within reach.
4. Before beginning to read, think about the purpose of the reading. Why has the teacher
assigned the reading? What are you supposed to get out of it? Jot down your thoughts.
5. Survey the reading. Look at the title of the piece, the subheadings. What is in the dark print
or stands out? Are there illustrations or graphs?
6. Strategize your approach: read the introduction and conclusion, then go back and read the
whole assignment, or read the first line in every paragraph to get an idea of how the ideas
progress, then go back and read from the beginning.
7. Scan effectively: scan the entire reading, and then focus on the most interesting or relevant
parts to read in detail.
8. Get a feel for what's expected of you by the reading. Pay attention to when you can skim and
when you need to understand every word.
9. Write as you read. Take notes and talk back to the text. Explain in detail the concepts. Mark
up the pages. Ask questions. Write possible test questions. Write down what interests or
bores you. Speculate about why.
10. If you get stuck: think and write about where you got stuck. Contemplate why that particular
place was difficult and how you might break through the block.
11. Record and explore your confusion. Confusion is important because it’s the first stage in
understanding.
12. When the going gets difficult, and you don’t understand the reading, slow down and reread
sections. Try to explain them to someone, or have someone else read the section and talk
through it together.
13. Break long assignments into segments. Read 10 pages (and take notes) then do something
else. Later, read the next 10 pages and so on.
14. Read prefaces and summaries to learn important details about the book. Look at the table of
contents for information about the structure and movement of ideas. Use the index to look up
specific names, places, ideas.

Barriers to Reading
● Lack of concentration.
● Uninteresting subject matter.
● Lack of motivation.
● Faulty reading habits.
● Defective Reading.
● Indiscriminate use of the dictionary.

How do you overcome obstacles for an effective reading?

Still, there are multitudes of ways in which you can help facilitate better reading practices at
home, which could lead to more success in the classroom.

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1. Create an environment. ...
2. Provide enough time. ...
3. Allow room for breaks. ...
4. Encourage a broad understanding. ...
5. Consider an audio book. ...
6. Teach active reading skills. ...
Ask for help.

Discourse markers are words or phrases like anyway, right, okay, as I say, to begin with . We use them
to connect, organise and manage what we say or write or to express attitude: [friends are talking]
A: So, I've decided I'm going to go to the bank and ask for a car loan.
What are discourse markers and examples?
Discourse markers are also known as linking words, linking phrases or sentence connectors.
Discourse markers are words and phrases such as 'well', 'I mean', 'because' and 'however'.

Linking words
A Linking word is a word which shows a connection between clauses or sentences . 'However' and 'so'
are linking words.

Sub skill of reading

Connecting, predicting and synthesizing are the sub-skills of reading. Let's understand in brief:
Connecting: It refers to the process of making meaning by reading and relating the given text to
own previous real-life experience
Skimming and scanning are major reading subskills necessary for quick and efficient reading. In
addition to these major reading subskills a number of minor reading strategies are often specified
for focusing on in teaching reading. 14) thinking aloud to clarify a puzzling sentence.

Reading for facts

13 facts about why reading is important

● Illiteracy is a constant problem. ...
● Reading reduces stress. ...
● Reading is like cardio for your brain. ...
● Reading lowers blood pressure and heart rate. ...
● Reading delays the onset of age-related mental issues. ...
● Reading can help depression and anxiety. ...

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● Reading can help us sleep better.

Fact & Opinion: Being able to tell a fact from an opinion is an important reading skill to master.
It allows the reader to make a sound judgment about the information presented in a story. To
introduce this skill, explain the difference between a fact and an opinion. Fact: a fact is
something that is true about a subject. It can be tested and proven. Opinion: an opinion is what
someone thinks or feels about a subject.
What is negative fact?
Any given object seems to lack more properties than it has, and together with each of the properties that
the object lacks, it constitutes a negative fact.

What is positive and negative information?

The information is the knowledge about the state of affairs, or “situation” which can be inferred
by interpreting a statement and its truth value together. It is positive when it allows a valid inference
about what the situation is and negative when it allows a valid inference only about what the situation is
not.

Guessing from context

Guessing from context technique is the technique to find the meaning of new word with the clues used
in context. This technique is used to find the meaning of new word through the relationship of the
words around with some clues that are provided in the context.

Using context. When you guess the meaning of a word from context, you need to consider first the
immediate context, i.e. the other words in the sentence. If this is not enough, you need to use the
wider context, i.e. sentences which come before and after the one which contains the word you
are guessing.

Inferencing in reading
Making an inference is often referred to as reading between the lines. It is the process of making
a guess about something you don't know for sure, based on the information available.

What is an example of inferring?

Inference is using observation and background to reach a logical conclusion. You probably
practice inference every day. For example, if you see someone eating a new food and he or she makes

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a face, then you infer he does not like it . Or if someone slams a door, you can infer that she is upset
about something.

Critical reading means that a reader applies certain processes, models, questions, and theories that
result in enhanced clarity and comprehension. There is more involved, both in effort and
understanding, in a critical reading than in a mere "skimming" of the text.
Critical reading is an important step for many academic assignments. Critically engaging with the
work of others is often a first step in developing our own arguments, interpretations, and analysis.
Critical reading often involves re-reading a text multiple times, putting our focus on different
aspects of the text.

Reading comprehension
Reading comprehension is the ability to process written text, understand its meaning, and to
integrate with what the reader already knows. Reading comprehension relies on two abilities that
are connected to each other: word reading and language comprehension. Comprehension
specifically is a "creative, multifaceted process" that is dependent upon four language
skills: phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.[6]

Some of the fundamental skills required in efficient reading comprehension are

the ability to:

know the meaning of words,

● understand the meaning of a word from a discourse context,

● follow the organization of a passage and to identify antecedents and references in it,
● draw inferences from a passage about its contents,
● identify the main thought of a passage,
● ask questions about the text,
● answer questions asked in a passage,
● visualize the text,
● recall prior knowledge connected to text,
● recognize confusion or attention problems,
● recognize the literary devices or propositional structures used in a passage and determine
its tone,
● understand the situational mood (agents, objects, temporal and spatial reference points,
casual and intentional inflections, etc.) conveyed for assertions, questioning, commanding,
refraining, etc., and
● determine the writer's purpose, intent, and point of view, and draw inferences about the
writer (discourse-semantics).
Comprehension skills that can be applied as well as taught to all reading situations include: [10]

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● Summarizing
● Sequencing
● Inferencing
● Comparing and contrasting
● Drawing conclusions
● Self-questioning
● Problem-solving
● Relating background knowledge
● Distinguishing between fact and opinion
● Finding the main idea, important facts, and supporting details.
There are many reading strategies to use in improving reading comprehension and inferences,
these include improving one's vocabulary, critical text analysis (intertextuality, actual events vs.
narration of events, etc.), and practising deep reading. The ability to comprehend text is
influenced by the readers' skills and their ability to process information. If word recognition is
difficult, students tend to use too much of their processing capacity to read individual words
which interferes with their ability to comprehend what is read.

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 MODULE -II

ACTIVITIES ON WRITING SKILLS

1. Activities on Writing Skills: Vocabulary for Competitive Examinations

1. Abase: lower; degrade; humiliate

2. Abhor: detest; hate
3. Abash: embarrass abate subside or moderate
4. Accomplice: partner in crime
5. Accord: agreement
6. Advent arrival
7. Adventitious: accidental; happening by chance
8. Adversary: opponent; enemy
9. Adverse: going against; opposing; unfavorable; hostile
10.aegis: shield; protection; defense
11.baffle: frustrate; perplex
12.bait: harass; tease.
13.Baleful: evil; malignant in intent or effect
14.Beguile:deceive; mislead
15.Behemoth: huge creature
16. Beholden: obligated; indebted.
17. behoove(behove): be suited to.
18.Benevolent: generous; charitable.
19.Beseech: beg; plead with.
20. Beset: harass or trouble from all directions.
21.Canny:shrewd in money matters; thrifty.
22.Cant: insincere speech or expression of piety.
23.Celerity: speed; rapidity.
24. Celestial: heavenly.
25.Chide: scold; rebuke (someone who has done wrong).
26.Damn: condemn; criticize severely.
27.Dank: damp; unpleasantly wet.
28.Dapper: neat and trim.
29.Dauntless: bold; fearless.
30.Dearth: scarcity.
31.Ellipsis: omission of words from a text.
32.Elusive: evasive; not frank.
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33.Emancipate: set free; liberate.
34. Emasculate: weaken; castrate.
35.Empathy: ability to identify with another's feelings, ideas, etc.
36.Fabricate: build; lie; make up (a story) in order to deceive.
37.Facetious: joking (often inappropriately); unserious.
38. Facile:easily accomplished; ready or fluent.
39.Fanciful: whimsical; visionary.
40.Fastidious: difficult to please; squeamish.
41.Gaudy: flashy; showy.
42.Grotesque: fantastic; comically hideous.
43.Gusto: eager enjoyment; zest; enthusiasm.
44. Gusty: windy.
45.Gullible: easily deceived.
46.Habituate: accustom or familiarize; addict.
47.Halcyon: calm; peaceful.
48. Hale: healthy.
49. Halfhearted: exhibiting little interest or enthusiasm.
50.Hallowed: blessed; consecrated
51.Ignoble: unworthy; not noble.
52.Ignominy: deep disgrace.
53.Imbecility: weakness of mind.
54.Impair: injure; hurt; damage.
55.Impeccable: faultless.
56.Jeopardize: endanger; imperil.
57.Jibe: agree; be in harmony with.
58.Jollity: gaiety; cheerfulness.
59.Juxtapose: place side by side.
60.Jubilation: rejoicing; great joy.
61.Ken: range of knowledge.
62.Kindle: start a fire; ignite.
63.Knotty: intricate; difficult.
64.Kudos: honor; glory; acclaim.
65.Knave: untrustworthy person; rogue.
66.Labyrinth: maze.
67.Laconic: brief and to the point; using few words.
68.Laity: laypersons; laymen.
69. Lament:grieve; express sorrow.
70.Languish: lose animation or strength.
71.Macabre: gruesome; grisly; ghastly.
72.Milieu: social environment; means of expression.
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73.Mingle: mix together in close association.
74.Mirth: merriment; laughter.
75.Mollify: soothe an angry person.
76.Nadir: lowest point.
77.Nebulous: vague; hazy.
78.Nettle: irritate; annoy.
79. Nexus: connection.
80.Nostalgia: homesickness; longing for the past.
81.Oaf: stupid awkward person.
82.Obstinate: stubborn; hard to control.
83.Obsolete: outmoded; no longer used.
84.Odyssey: long, eventful, adventurous journey.
85.Onus: burden; responsibility.
86.pall become boring; grow tiresome.
87.Paltry; insignificant; petty.
88.Panacea: cure-all; remedy for all diseases.
89.Paradigm: model.
90.Paucity: scarcity; dearth.
91.Queer:strange; eccentric; deviating from the normal.
92. Quell: suppress; put an end to.
93.Rankle: irritate; fester; annoy.
94. Ransack: search thoroughly.
95.Savor: enjoy; have a distinctive flavor.
96.Scoff: laugh (at); mock.
97.Tactful:careful no to cause offence.
98.Unassuaged: unsatisfied; not soothed.
99.Wary: very cautious; watchful.
100.Winsome: charming.

A. Improving Writing Skills - Structure and presentation of different types

of writing.
● Five Strategies for Improving Writing Skills;
Unlike some other academic skills, the ability to write well is something that
follows you from elementary school all throughout your life, particularly if
you work in an office environment – so it’s no wonder there’s such an
emphasis on it in school! From creative short stories and descriptive
paragraphs in elementary school to lengthier prose and argumentative essays
in high school, and then implementing those skills to write research and term

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 papers in college, students spend a great deal of their formative years learning
the proper grammar rules and various writing types.

1. Read (a lot)!
This might be surprising, but the first step toward developing writing skills is not
to write, but to read! Reading the works of respected authors will open your eyes
and your mind to examples of good writing. Do you already know the type of
writing that appeals to you? Find out who the leading writers are in that genre and
read through their works. Whether it’s fantasy, academic, humor, poetry, science
fiction, satire, or general prose, reading a lot will help you recognize what sounds
good on paper and, in turn, will help you follow a similar model in your own
writing. And it goes without saying that reading good writers will expose you to
correct grammar and spelling, as well as a larger vocabulary.

2. Get familiar with various writing styles.

Speaking of different writing styles, get to know the idiosyncrasies that exist
between each. How does academic writing differ from fiction? What makes a good
creative writing sample? What are the different types of poetry and how do they
differ from prose? Becoming familiar with the different styles will lead to you
become a more nuanced and sophisticated writer as you hone your own voice.

3. Write and/or journal everyday.

The old adage stands true: practice makes perfect. It applies to virtually any
activity or endeavor in life. When you want to get better at something, there’s just
no substitute for doing it, and doing it consistently. The same goes for writing!
Write every day. Keep a folder on your desktop with your daily writing or keep a
physical journal if you prefer writing by hand. You may not feel like you are
developing writing skills from day to day, since progress can be very gradual, but
trust us, you’re getting better with each day, week, and month of practice! One of
the most rewarding experiences as a student of writing is to look back on your
writing samples from months or years before and recognize just how much
progress you’ve made over time.

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4. Read your writing out loud to yourself.

This tip is another one that might not seem intuitive, but it is important. Writing
that is good on paper should also sound good to the reader’s ear, as though they
were a listening audience. When you read your writing out loud, you may notice if
it’s choppy, incomplete, or repetitive – things you may not always notice when
you’re busy typing or writing away.

Be sure to do this regularly, not just at the end of your assignment or document.
Getting in the habit of pausing to read every few sentences or paragraphs helps to
keep your momentum flowing and your writing fresh.

5. Work with a writing tutor.

Finally, it can be extremely helpful to share your work with others, especially those
who can give you useful feedback and individual attention. A writing coach or
tutor is key to developing writing skills, as he or she will have professional
experience and can offer constructive criticism. This final step is especially
valuable if you are planning on submitting a piece to a writing competition or
publication.

B. Structure and presentation of different types of writing.

Whether you write essays, business materials, fiction, articles, letters, or even
just notes in your journal, your writing will be at its best if you stay focused on
your purpose. While there are many reasons why you might be putting pen to
paper or tapping away on the keyboard, there are really only four main types of
writing: expository, descriptive, persuasive, and narrative.

● Expository writing sets forth facts. You can find it in textbooks, journalism
(except opinion or editorial articles), business writing, technical writing,
essays, and instructions.

● Descriptive writing evokes images through rich description. You can find it
in fiction, poetry, journal writing, and advertising.

● Persuasive writing aims to sway the reader toward the author’s point of
view. It is used heavily in advertising, and can also be found in opinion and
editorial pieces, reviews, and job applications.

20
 ● Narrative writing tells a story. It can be found in fiction, poetry,
biographies, human interest stories, and anecdotes.

● About Free Writing: Free writing is a technique where you write

continuously without worrying about grammar, spelling, or
structure. The goal is to let your thoughts flow freely and explore your
innermost feelings and ideas. It’s a form of uninhibited self-expression that
allows you to tap into your subconscious mind and access deeper layers of
creativity. Free writing can be helpful for brainstorming, capturing raw
emotions, and overcoming writer’s block. It’s a non-judgmental process that
encourages spontaneity and exploration.
● About Structured Writing :Structured writing, on the other hand,
involves a more organized and planned approach to journaling. It
follows a specific framework or template, such as prompts, questions, or
guided exercises. This method provides a structured framework to focus
your thoughts and reflections. Structured writing can be useful for goal-
setting, self-reflection, gratitude practice, or specific self-improvement
exercises. It helps bring clarity, intentionality, and a sense of direction to
your journaling practice.

2. Letter Writing –Writing a Letter of Application

What is an application letter?

An application letter is a document that expresses your interest in a position. This
document describes your personality and background as an individual and a
professional. The purpose is to convince hiring managers that you have the
required qualifications and are the best fit for the position.
● The Key Difference Between a CV and a Resume

A resume is a one- to two-page document presenting key facts about your

professional experience, educational background, and skills. A CV (Curriculum
Vitae) is a longer document that details the whole course of your career. A resume
is used for job search, and a CV—for academic purposes.

Not quite clear? See the detailed overview of a CV versus a resume below:

21
What Is a CV?
A CV (short for Curriculum Vitae—course of life in Latin) describes your whole
career. It’s usually 2–3 pages long but can be over 10+ pages if necessary. A CV
presents your education, professional career, publications, awards, etc. To see what
it looks like, check out the CV example below:

22
Curriculum Vitae Sample

23
24
As you can see, what goes on a CV is very detailed and comprehensive: many
sections, no bullet points, just plain text (after all, CV meaning is a course of life,
Below you’ll see a full list of sections you may use when writing a CV:
1. Contact information
2. Research objective, personal profile, or personal statement
3. Education
4. Professional academic appointments
5. Books
6. Book chapters
7. Peer-reviewed publications
8. Other publications
9. Awards and honors
10.Grants and fellowships
11.Conferences
12.Teaching experience
13.Research experience, lab experience, or graduate fieldwork
14.Non-academic activities
15.Languages and skills
16.Memberships
17.References

● What Is a Resume?
A resume (or résumé, from French “to sum up”) is a short, concise document used
for job applications in the US and Canada. The purpose of a resume is to provide
recruiters with a brief overview of the candidate’s work history. A good resume
should be targeted at a specific job and be 1–2 pages long.

25
American Resume Sample

26
What should be on a resume, then?
1. Contact information including job title
2. Resume summary or resume objective
3. Work experience
4. Education section
5. Skills section
27
 6. Additional resume details (awards, courses, resume publications, licenses
and certifications, personal interests, etc.)

3. Writing a Résumé – Styles of Résumé - e-Correspondence;

Here is the list of types of Resumes

1. Chronological resume

Chronological resumes emphasize your work history, with your most recent
position appearing at the top. Chronological resumes are the most common way to
format a resume. This type of resume is effective if you have a consistent work
history with no employment gaps. Here is an example of what a chronological
resume might look like:

2. Functional resume

A functional resume focuses on the skills you have developed throughout your
career rather than the positions you have held. This resume is useful to those who
have had an occasional gap in employment but have consistently improved upon
their skills. It's also useful for those who have relevant skills for a field or industry
but little to no job experience in that industry.

3. Combination resume

The combination resume combines aspects of both the chronological and

functional resume formats. This resume places an equal emphasis on your work
history as well as your skills.

4. Mini resume

The mini resume is useful if you are attending a networking event or meeting with
a variety of recruiters. This resume takes the form of a small business card that
gives a brief overview of your work experience. If you want to show your skills
and history but know that the recipient is busy, this resume format is ideal.

5. Nontraditional resume

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If you're applying to a creative role in music, writing or the fine arts, you might
consider a nontraditional resume. This type of resume is essentially a sample of
your creative work. When employers are looking to fill positions in artistic
industries, they will often ask to see a sample of your work before determining
whether or not you are good fit for the role or not.

4.What is E-correspondence?

When one firm writes an email to another firm, and the answers thereto to the mail
is given then the correspondence between the firms is formed. Such
correspondence when done through the online means of email than it is called E-
correspondence.

5.Email Writing

Email stands for electronic mail. It is the easiest and the cheapest way of
communication. It is used in formal, semi-formal as well as an informal way of
expression or writing.

An email is the method of composing, sending, storing and receiving messages

over electronic communication system. Here we have discussed, what is formal
and informal email. The method for formal email has been discussed in detail here
(step–wise). The students can see how to compose a formal email and practice to
write following the method and email format given below.

Email stands for electronic mail.It is the most preferred means of communication
because it is cheaper and faster.

Categories of Email Writing

Emails are of three types

 Semi-Formal email

 Formal email

 Informal email

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Email Writing Format

The email writing format is the same for each of the categories. Though the choice
of words and language differ depending upon the type of email. One can use
friendly and casual language in informal emails. The language used in formal

emails should be professional, clear, and formal. The email writing format is

7. Report Writing
A report is a factual description of an issue or a problem. A report is written
for a clear purpose and for a particular audience. Various forms of reports are:
newspaper reports, inquiry reports, progress or action taken report, a police
report, a report of a meeting, etc., each having a distinct character and format.
A well written report must possess the following traits:
• Adherence to the specifications of report brief;
• Analysis of relevant information;
• Structuring material in a logical and coherent order;
• Presentation in a consistent manner according to the instructions of the report
brief;
• Making appropriate conclusions that are supported by the evidence and analysis
of the report.

Format of a magazine report:

1. Heading– A descriptive title which is expressive of the contents of the report.

30
2. By line- Name of the person writing the report. It is generally given in the
question.
Remember, you are not supposed to mention your personal details in your
answer.
3. Opening paragraph (introduction) – It may include the ‘5 Ws’ namely, WHAT,
WHY, WHEN and WHERE along with WHO was invited as the chief guest.
4. Account of the event in detail- The proper sequence of events that occurred
along with their description. It is the main paragraph and can be split into two
short paragraphs if required.
5. Conclusion- This will include the description of how the event ended. It may
include quote excerpts from the Chief Guest’s speech or how did the event
wind up.
Format of a newspaper report:
1. Headline- A descriptive title which is expressive of the contents of the report.

2. By line- Name of the person writing the report along with the designation. It is
generally given in the question. Remember, you are not supposed to mention
your personal details in your answer.
3. Place and date of reporting- It is generally not mentioned in a magazine report
separately, but here, it is.
4. Opening paragraph- It includes expansion of the headline. It needs to be short
as it is a general overview of the report.
5. Account of the event in detail- It is generally written in two parts: First,
complete account of what happened in it’s chronological sequence (preferably)
and second, the witness remarks.
6. Concluding paragraph- This will include the action that has been taken so far
or that will be taken. It is the last paragraph.

EXCERCISES FOR PRACTICE.

1. You had gone for a vacation to Manali and stayed in the ‘Grand Hotel’.
When you returned you realised that your son had brought some things from
the hotel without your knowledge. Write an e-mail, apologising for your
son’s actions. 2.You have to book a room for your family for 5 days stay in
Goa on the occasion of New Year. Write an e-mail to the manager of a hotel
in Goa to book a room for you and your family. Give all the necessary
31
 details.

Q2. MMD College , Nashik, recently organised a science symposium on the

topic: ‘Effect of pollution on quality of life’. You are Amit/Amita Raazda editor
of the college magazine.
Write a report on the event for your college magazine

Q2. You are Karan/ Kirti of L.M. College, Dwarka. Your college has adopted a
village as a social responsibility. Students are being taken to teach the children
of that village on a regular basis. Write a report, for your college magazine, on
the various other programmes organized there in 120-150 words.

Q3.You had gone for a vacation to Manali and stayed in the ‘Grand Hotel’.
When you returned you realised that your son had brought some things from the
hotel without your knowledge. Write an e-mail, apologising for your son’s
actions.

Q4.You have to book a room for your family for 5 days stay in Goa on the
occasion of New Year. Write an e-mail to the manager of a hotel in Goa to book
a room for you and your family. Give all the necessary details.

Q5. “E mail is a mode of communication which connects people in the nook

and corner of the world.” List out the etiquettes of writing e mail along with
KISS strategy in detail.

Q6.Imagine that you are about apply for your dream job. Prepare a resume for
yourself, include your achievements and work experience. Do not forget to
mention contact details. Remember to tailor your resume to the requirements of
the job.
MODULE-III

ACTIVITIES ON PRESENTATION SKILLS

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 Starting a conversation
1. Know your audience. Before you present, it is important to take the time to know your audience.
2. Make a connection. ...
3. Tell a story. ...
4. Use strong words. ...
5. Use body language. ...
6. Be aware of your voice. ...
7. Use visual aids. ...
8. Practice, practice, practice!
Better Body Language is a Key to Presentation Skill

You can use positive body language to enhance your presentations. Body language can be a
powerful tool to engage your audience, demonstrate gravitas and deliver a more impactful
presentation.

Developing good body language for presentations is a real skill. And it’s a skill you can
improve. Over the last 15 years we’ve coached thousands of people to be comfortable and
successful. If you need help, do please get in touch. We run in-house and online coaching
sessions for business executives. It’s fast and good value.

Our presentation experts have put together a list of great body language tips you can use to
improve your next presentation. And we’ve gathered some videos so you can see these body
language tips in action.

Here is a quick guide to good body language and how to use it when presenting:

Improve your presentation body language – top tips

1. Use your body language to show confidence
2. Use your hands to emphasize points
3. Make eye contact
4. Use your facial expressions to show emotion
5. Use your body movement to add energy
6. Beyond body language: use props effectively
7. Practise good body language and stage presence
GET A FREE CONSULTATION TODAY
Your body language matters when presenting.
We’ve all seen powerful speakers, whether in person or on platforms such as TED.com. We use
words like ‘charisma’ and ‘presence’ to describe impressive speakers. But some speakers are
uncomfortable to watch. Others use such distracting body language that we cannot focus on what
they are saying.

Good body language with strong, positive non-verbal communication can be more powerful.
Here, we share our top tips for best use of your hands, eye contact and on-stage movement.
33
Think back to the last time you prepared for an important meeting.

Perhaps you needed to convince a prospective client to do business with your organization. Or
maybe you had to present to executive board members, and you knew that they would be
peppering you with questions about your proposal.

Whatever the situation, chances are that you were nervous about the meeting; and practicing in
front of a mirror may not have helped you overcome your anxiety, especially with respect to
answering difficult questions.

This is where role-playing can be useful. In this article, we'll look at what it is, and we'll see how
you and your team can use this technique to prepare for a variety of challenging and difficult
situations.

Role Play in different situations

How to Use Role Play
It is easy to set up and run a role-playing session. It will help to follow the five steps below.
Step 1: Identify the Situation
To start the process, gather people together, introduce the problem, and encourage an open
discussion to uncover all of the relevant issues. This will help people to start thinking about the
problem before the role-play begins.
If you're in a group and people are unfamiliar with each other, consider doing
some icebreaker exercises beforehand.
Step 2: Add Details
Next, set up a scenario in enough detail for it to feel "real." Make sure that everyone is clear
about the problem that you're trying to work through, and that they know what you want to
achieve by the end of the session.
Step 3: Assign Roles
Once you've set the scene, identify the various fictional characters involved in the scenario.
Some of these may be people who have to deal with the situation when it actually happens (for
example, salespeople). Others will represent people who are supportive or hostile, depending on
the scenario (for example, an angry client).
Once you've identified these roles, allocate them to the people involved in your exercise; they
should use their imagination to put themselves inside the minds of the people that they're
representing. This involves trying to understand their perspectives, goals, motivations, and
feelings when they enter the situation. (You may find the Perceptual Positions technique useful
here.)
Step 4: Act Out the Scenario
Each person can then assume their role, and act out the situation, trying different approaches
where necessary.
It can be useful if the scenarios build up in intensity. For instance, if the aim of your role-play is
to practice a sales meeting, the person playing the role of the potential client could start as an
ideal client, and, through a series of scenarios, could become increasingly hostile and difficult.
You could then test and practice different approaches for handling situations, so that you can
give participants experience in handling them.
Step 5: Discuss What You Have Learned

34
When you finish the role-play, discuss what you've learned, so that you or the people involved
can learn from the experience.
For example, if you're using it as part of a training exercise, you could lead a discussion on the
scenarios you have explored, and ask for written summaries of observations and conclusions
from everyone who was involved.
Asking for and Refusing Permission

Asking for permission to do something takes many different forms. Perhaps you need to get
permission to do something at work, or perhaps you need to ask a friend for permission to use
one of her possessions, or maybe you need to ask the teacher if you can leave room for a moment
or two. Remember to use polite forms when asking for permission to do something or use an
object as you are asking a favor of that person.

How to Ask for Permission in English

Can I + verb (very informal)

● Can I go out tonight?

● Can he have dinner with us?

NOTE: The use of "Can I do something?" is very informal, and considered incorrect by many.
However, it is used in everyday informal speech and for that reason has been included.

May I + verb

● May I have another piece of pie?

● May we go out with our friends tonight?

NOTE: Traditionally, the use of "May I do something?" has been used for asking permission. In
modern society, this form has become a little more formal and is often replaced with other forms
such as "Can I..." and "Could I ..." Many argue that "Can I ..." is incorrect because it refers to
ability. However, this form is quite common in everyday, spoken situations.

Could I please + verb

● Could I please go with Tom to the movie?

● Could we please go on trip this weekend?

Do you think I could + verb

● Do you think I could use your cell phone?

● Do you think I could borrow your car?

Would it be possible for me + infinitive

● Would it be possible for me to use your computer for a few minutes?

35
 ● Would it be possible for to study in this room?

Would you mind if I + verb in past

● Would you mind if I stayed a few more minutes?

● Would you mind if I took a five minute break?

Would you mind my + verb + ing + your + object

● Would you mind my using your cellphone?

● Would you mind my playing your piano?

How to Grant Permission in English

If you would like to say "yes" to someone who asks permission, you can give permission using
these phrases. The first three are more informal, while the fourth is formal.

● Sure.
● No problem.
● Go right ahead.
● Please feel free + infinitive

How to Politely Refuse a Favor/Deny Permission

Saying 'no', is never fun, but sometimes it's necessary. See the conversations below for some
examples.

● I'm afraid I'd prefer if you didn't / don't.

● Sorry, but I'd rather you not do that.
● Unfortunately, I need to say no.
● I'm afraid that's not possible.

When denying permission, people will sometimes instead offer to help in other ways, using the
words "how about" and "instead" to offer alternatives.

● I'm afraid I can't let you borrow my car, but I could drive you instead.
● I can't babysit your daughter. How about I call my sitter for you instead?
● I wish I could help out; maybe another time.

Sample Dialogues for Practice: Asking for Permission Which Is Given

● Jack: Hi Sam, do you think I could use your cell phone for a moment?
● Sam: Sure, no problem. Here you are.
● Jack: Thanks buddy. It will only be a minute or two.
● Sam: Take your time. No rush.
● Jack: Thanks!

36
 ● Student: Would it be possible for me to have a few more minutes to review before the
quiz?
● Teacher: Please feel free to study for a few more minutes.
● Student: Thank you very much.
● Teacher: No problem. Do you have any questions in particular?
● Student: Uh, no. I just need to review things quickly.
● Teacher: OK. We'll begin in five minutes.
● Student: Thank you.

What is Glossophobia and How to Overcome it

Most people experience some degree of nervousness or anxiety when they give a speech,
presentation, or perform on stage. They still manage to cope with the occasion even though they
are not enjoying it. However, people who suffer from glossophobia may deliberately avoid
situations where they would have to speak in public.
In this article, we cover what exactly glossophobia is, what causes it, what the symptoms are,
how to treat it and exercises to help further overcome it.
What is glossophobia?
The term glossophobia derives from the Greek word γλῶσσα glōssa, meaning tongue, and φόβος
phobos, fear or dread. Most of us have experienced some sort of fear when speaking in public at
some time in our lives.
However, a person with glossophobia is unable to control their nerves and has an extremely
strong fear of public speaking, sometimes to the point of a nervous breakdown. With this can
come uncontrollable trembling, sweating, and a racing heartbeat.
This speaking anxiety may not be confined to speaking to large audiences – people suffering
with glossophobia may struggle to speak in a meeting, classroom and in other smaller group
settings.
This can make it very difficult for sufferers to communicate verbally in order to express their
ideas and thoughts. As a result, glossophobia may hamper the sufferer’s ability to further his or
her academic, social or career opportunities.
Glossophobia is a social phobia or social anxiety disorder, with recognisable symptoms and
treatment. If left untreated, this can lead to loneliness, poor self-esteem, depression and isolation.
There are helpful strategies to manage and cope effectively with glossophobia.

Symptoms and signs

Glossophobia causes a feeling of intense anxiety, including certain physical and verbal
symptoms and signs. Even the thought of group activities and presentations can trigger these
symptoms – worrying what people will think of us, worrying that we will stumble over our
words, worrying that we will forget what to say.
People suffering with glossophobia may avoid events that centre on group activities – they might
call in sick or make excuses to avoid the event.
When faced with having to give a presentation, many people experience the fight-or-
flight response. This is the body’s way of preparing to defend itself against perceived threats

37
through an increase in adrenaline. Particularly when speaking on stage, when you are exposed to
people all around you, the fear is heightened and you’ll find yourself crossing arms and legs as a
natural defence mechanism.
Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA)
Here is a highly reliable survey to measure your public speaking anxiety. The survey was created
by Dr. James C. McCroskey.Start Survey

Physical symptoms
Psychological symptoms of glossophobia can lead to acute hearing loss or other physical
symptoms. When the mind is cluttered with thoughts, extreme tension is developed which affects
a person’s hearing.
Heart palpitations or increased heart rates can develop as a result of the intense anxiety or stress.
This can lead to increased blood pressure and the physical response causes the pupils to dilate
and can cause the one to sweat.
Here are some of the common physical symptoms:
● Increased heart rate
● Raise in blood pressure
● Dilation of pupils
● Acute hearing loss
● Intense dread and trembling
● Sweating, particularly on the hands and forehead
● Nausea or vomiting in extreme cases
● Shortness of breath or hyperventilating
● Dizziness
● Muscle tension in the neck and upper back muscles
● Feeling of nervousness or panic attack
● Frequently needing the bathroom

Verbal symptoms
Some of the verbal symptoms that develop from glossophobia can cause the person to strain
while trying to speak. The voice may quiver and shake, the person may repeat hesitations such as
‘umm’ or ‘ah’, followed by vocal pausing. This reaction causes the person to feel uncomfortable
and anxious, worsening the symptoms of glossophobia.
Speech anxiety can lead to dysfunctional speech and stammers or tics, since the intense anxiety
may prevent one from speaking properly. Speech disorders can develop as well, which are
caused by stress-induced reactions during public speaking.
Here are some of the common verbal symptoms:
● Dryness in the mouth
● Weakened tone of voice and feeling energy less
● Trembling voice due to tension

38
 ● Shaking or quivering voice
● Hesitation words such as ‘umm’ and ‘ah’
● Stammers or tics
● Vocalised pauses

Practical tips for overcoming glossophobia

Here are some useful tips you can use, either in combination with the above treatment or on their
own. These focus on public speaking or presentation events, and ways you can reduce your fear:
● Know your material – you will be much more comfortable talking about something
about which you are knowledgeable. Give special focus to the introduction, because this
is when you are likely to be most nervous.
● Practice often and aloud – you should continue practicing until you’re comfortable with
what you’re going to say. Your confidence will increase as you realize that you know
what you’re going to say.
● Videotape your presentation – you can note if changes are needed. And you may be
pleasantly surprised at how authoritative you look and sound.
● Use virtual reality – practice in realistic virtual environments before the event to
overcome anxiety.
● Prepare possible audience questions – come up with a list of potential questions your
audience might ask you, then prepare answers and even additional presentation slides to
answer them.
● Don’t memorize your speech – if you commit your entire speech to memory and then
forget even just one line of it, things could spiral out of control and you may find yourself
unable to remember the rest of it. You are much better off knowing the essence of what
you want to say.
● Understand your audience – will you be addressing a group of experts or one that
knows little about the topic? Being aware of your audience will help you structure your
presentation accordingly as well as prepare for it. You should always be more
knowledgeable than your audience.
● Speak slowly – people tend to talk more quickly when they are nervous so make a
conscious effort to slow down. You will be less likely to stumble over your words if you
aren’t rushing through your speech.
● Keep a glass of water next to you – having a dry mouth while giving a speech happens
to everyone not only those who are fearful of public speaking. To keep from feeling like
your mouth is filled with cotton, take sips of water occasionally.
● Don’t say how nervous you are – try not to complain to others about how anxious you
feel. Dwelling on it will just serve to exacerbate your anxiety. Instead pretend to be
confident even if you feel anything but.
● Familiarise yourself with the room – arrive early and stand on the stage if possible,
visualise the audience and where you will stand on the stage. Check all equipment works,
such as a laptop or projector.

Nuances and Modes of Delivery

39
There are four main kinds of speech delivery- Impromptu, Extempore, Manuscript and
Memorized. Impromptu Speech -An Impromptu speech is delivered at the spur of the moment
and is spontaneous. It is an unprepared speech, an example of which can be a toast at a wedding
or a reception party. Extempore Speech - An Extempore speech is a style used in public
speaking which uses an outline for the speech and some prior preparation. It is a mix of
spontaneous and prepared speech in the sense that the speaker can change the speech as it goes.
The speaker may speak using main points or a brief outline. Manuscript Speech- When a
speaker reads from a prepared speech, using a manuscript, the style of speaking falls under this
category. The entire speech may be read out from notes or printed material. An example would
be a televised news report which a teleprompter reads out during a newscast. Memorized
Speech- When a speaker delivers a speech by memorising it or committing it to memory, it can
be termed as a memorized speech. This kind of delivery has its pros and cons. Such a speech
may either appear effortless or not very natural to the audience.

Ways to Improve Listening Skills

1) Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.

2) Be attentive and relaxed.

3) Keep an open mind. 4) Listen to the speaker to picture the words that are being said.

5) Give the speaker regular feedback.

6) Practice active listening by being responsive and attentive.

7) When listening to someone talk about a problem, refrain from suggesting solutions.

8) Wait for the speaker to pause before you ask questions to clarify their stance. Ask questions to
ensure understanding.

9) You can nod and show your understanding through appropriate facial expressions.

10) Pay attention to the non-verbal cues as well.

Presentations through Posters/Projects/Reports –

Reports

Reports are essentially your dissertation, which is an in-depth piece of written work presenting
your research problem, methods, and findings. It is often divided into the following sections:

● Abstract is a summary of your research.

● Introduction gives a bit of the background of your area of interest and gaps in the
research to be addressed.

40
 ● Methods section provides clear instructions and information on the steps taken to answer
your problem so that they are reproducible.
● Results should be transparent findings obtained from your experiments.
● Discussion should cover the wider implications of the findings.

I was anxious about my project and overwhelmed by the work, and large amounts of data. I was
also struggling with putting my results into words and I wondered if it was lacking something.

I remembered my academic advisor mentioning that obtaining results and answering your
question is a good thing. However, they stressed that not obtaining any useful results is also a
good thing as it goes to show what does not work, which is still useful information. It’s all in the
way you write it.

I have written a few important things to keep in mind when writing your report:

Get a head start

Start writing your report with the introduction and methods as you start getting your results. It
might prove difficult to start but I would suggest you push through and write something,
anything, to get over the block. You can spend time editing and proofreading later rather than
writing in a rush toward the end.

Word count

Make a note of the word count and whether it includes figure legends and table information. This
will help you in editing your information accordingly, especially when you fear you may go over
your word count.

Editing and proof-reading

Give yourself ample amounts of time to edit and proofread, which includes checking alignment,
spelling, punctuation, font size, spacing, borders, reference format, colouring, image quality,
labels, and page numbers. The little things might cost you points.

Abstract

A great piece of advice I received was to write the abstract after the completion of the report.
This way, armed with all the information about our research project you can effectively
summarise it and highlight the important information.

Oral Presentation

41
Reports are often tedious to write and read, so presenting your research orally with the help of
slides can be useful. The slides are organised similarly to report sections but with more
condensed information.

Oral presentations usually doesn’t last longer than 10 to 15 minutes and are followed by a short
question-and-answer session. They say to limit the bullet points to 4 per slide and include more
images, figures, flowcharts and tables instead.

The bullet points should highlight important information or keywords that the presenter discusses
for the audience, also acting as a prompt for the speaker. Here is the chance to show off those
results, images and data tables.

My favourite thing about using PowerPoint is animating the slides, which makes explaining
things easier and more fun to visualise. Another plus would be that you don’t have to go in-depth
into the project work and can often keep backup slides to present if you have more time or use
them in answering the questions later.

Our oral presentations were peer-reviewed and graded in terms of structure, presentation or
delivery, content and the ability to respond to questions. I think having to focus on everyone’s
presentation helped me not to overthink mine.

The most important takeaways from the day would be to familiarise yourself with your slides
and make eye contact with your audience. Reading off your slide doesn’t look good and stops
you from finding a friendly face in the audience to encourage you.

Poster Presentations

Coming to the poster presentation after preparing slides is much easier as you just need to edit
the existing information. Like the slides, posters should have less text and more images but
should be easy to understand when you are not available to talk someone through it.

Other important things I picked up on as I designed the poster was to choose a good colour
palette, something that lets your images and text stand out. Also choose a font size that is visible
from 20 feet away, and use white space to de-clutter the poster.

The presentation of the poster is usually similar to an elevator pitch, where you just take them
through your project using the poster as a visual aid for around 4 to 5 minutes. A tip I got last
minute was to wear something that doesn’t clash with my poster so that it doesn’t put off the
viewer, it is a visual experience after all.

On the day of the poster event, we were assigned a 2-hour session where we pinned up the
submitted posters that were printed for us and stood by it while our markers, teachers, and other
students milled about. It was a fun and tiring afternoon where I found myself saying the same

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thing again and again but it was new and interesting to those who visited me and often resulted in
an engaging discussion.

I would suggest you wing it, life, eyeliner, everything, and vary your explanations each time so
you can find out which version works best for you and the listener. Remember to take some time
to visit other posters and research work too.

Creating Rubrics
The steps for creating an analytic rubric include the following:
1. Clarify the purpose of the assignment. What learning objectives are associated with the
assignment?
2. Look for existing rubrics that can be adopted or adapted for the specific assignment
3. Define the criteria to be evaluated
4. Choose the rating scale to measure levels of performance
5. Write descriptions for each criterion for each performance level of the rating scale
6. Test and revise the rubric

Creating Rubrics

Examples of criteria that have been included in rubrics for evaluation oral presentations include:

● Knowledge of content
● Organization of content
● Presentation of ideas
● Research/sources
● Visual aids/handouts
● Language clarity
● Grammatical correctness
● Time management
● Volume of speech
● Rate/pacing of Speech
● Mannerisms/gestures
● Eye contact/audience engagement

Examples of scales/ratings that have been used to rate student performance include:

● Three Levels
o Strong, Satisfactory, Weak
o Beginning, Intermediate, High
o Exemplary, Competent, Developing
o Excellent, Competent, Needs Work
● Four Levels
o Exceeds Standard, Meets Standard, Approaching Standard, Below Standard
o Exemplary, Proficient, Developing, Novice
o Excellent, Good, Marginal, Unacceptable
o Advanced, Intermediate High, Intermediate, Developing

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 ● Five Levels
o Exceptional, Above Average, Sufficient, Minimal, Poor
o Master, Distinguished, Proficient, Intermediate, Novice
o Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Poor, Unacceptable
o Always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
● Six Levels
o Exemplary, Accomplished, Acceptable, Minimally Acceptable, Emerging,
Unacceptable

MODULE IV

GROUP DISCUSSION

INTRODUCTION

A discussion group is a group of individuals with similar interest who gather either formally or
informally to bring up ideas, solve problems or give comments

WHAT, WHY AND WHEN OF A GROUP DISCUSSION

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"Group" is a collection of individuals who have regular contact and frequent interaction and who
work together to achieve a common set of goals. "Discussion" is the process whereby two or
more people exchange information or ideas in a face-to-face situation to achieve a goal.

The question is why is group discussion so important? You think about a subject, in depth, and in
limited time.

While you might have prepared on many topics depending on the current news, or any special
events that might have taken place, or depending on the location of the college (like if you’re
applying to get an M. Tech in IIT, Kharagpur, then the city could offer you topics of interest (for
a GD) – you never really know what you’re going to be discussing on the day of GD. So, you get
only a limited amount of time to discuss a topic with your other group mates, in a way that
everyone gets to speak their mind, and you are all able to give the discussion a particular
direction and an objective conclusion. All this would require you to really think on the subject,
form coherent arguments on the same, and finally present them before the group.

TYPES OF GROUP DISCUSSION:

1. Topical Group Discussions

The topic of the group discussion is decided by the interviewer, who may have a list of questions
in mind. The interviewers will ask questions to see if you can work as a team and communicate
well with other people.

You should be able to express your views clearly and logically while explaining your stand on
the issue. You need to make use of your verbal and non-verbal methods for effective
communication.

The candidate needs to be well prepared for this type of interview and should carefully think
about the topic so that they can give an intelligent answer in front of two or more people. The
best way to prepare for this kind of group discussion is by reading the news regularly to get ideas
related to the latest trends and topics.

For example, if your topic is jobs and startups, you should cover the core aspects. Organize
everything you know in an orderly manner to present it in a clear and concise manner.

2. Case Studies

The purpose of a case study group discussion interview is to resolve a business problem
logically, rather than merely discussing it. It is intended to provide insight into how you might
perform on the job by putting you in a situation that simulates the work you will be doing.

You may receive the case verbally or in writing. You will then be asked to explain your
assumptions, strategies, and steps within a certain time frame to solve the case.

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Case studies allow you to demonstrate your analytical skills and your ability to solve problems in
real time. You may also be assessed by the recruiter on your ability to remain calm in stressful
situations.

For instance, if you are attending an interview for the banking sector, you might want to learn
more about the role and responsibilities within the company, as well as any unique challenges
that the role faces on a day-to-day basis.

3. Abstract Group Discussions

It is up to the candidates to interpret the abstract topic. The most common topics for abstract
group discussions are single sentences, phrases, idioms, and quotations. Inferences may be drawn
from the statement/word, hidden messages searched for, and inferences made based on the
information given.

The candidates’ confidence, their ability to quickly provide an example, and their ability to use
multiple points of view during the group discussion are all factors they use to judge them. Be
honest about how you think about the topic without panicking or getting disheartened.

It requires confidence and clarity to present one’s perspective and steer the conversation.
Furthermore, abstract topics show off one’s creativity and facilitate the interview process by
attracting recruiters’ attention.

Here are some examples of Abstract Group Discussions topics

Rolling stone gathers no moss.

Consistency is the key.

4. Conceptual topics

The conceptual topics group discussion is a format where you are required to discuss a topic
related to your field of study. You have to prepare a list of questions you would like to ask. The
interviewers will choose the best questions for you, which will be asked in an open-ended
manner.

In this kind of interview, you should never forget that it is not just about answering the questions
but also listening to the answers of other candidates and giving your opinion.

As an example of a conceptual topic, there is ‘Handling a conflict in the team’.

Group Dynamics

Personality Assessment:

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GD assesses the overall personality – thoughts, feelings and behavior - of an individual in a
group. A topic is presented to the group members for discussion. While the discussion is going
on, a group of panelists observe them. Through this observation they judge intellectual, social,
leadership, communicative skills of candidates taking part in the GD.

Team spirit

A GD is the most powerful tool to evaluate a person's team skills. Team skills are important
simply because, in the present knowledge economy, it is very essential for a manager to be a
team player. A manager will always work in teams. In the beginning of his career, a manager
works as a team member and, later on, as a team leader.

Leadership

A GD can go through any one of the following three situations:

1. Participants were not able to establish a proper rapport and do not speak much.

2. Participants get emotionally attached to the topic and become aggressive.

3. Participants discuss the topic calmly; touching upon all nuances, and tries to reach a
conclusion.

A leader is a person who facilitates the third type of situation in a GD. A leader shows the group
direction, whenever it moves away from the topic. He or she inspires and motivates team
members to express their views and also coordinates the effort of different participants.

Flexibility

This means openness to another person's ideas and also being open to the evaluation of one's
own ideas. To stay flexible in a group discussion, try to create a framework and avoid taking a
stand in the beginning. For instance, if the topic is 'Should India go to war with Pakistan?', some
participants may get emotionally attached to the topic and take a stand. But, by taking a stand, a
person has reached a conclusion, even without discussing the topic at hand or listening to the
views of his or her team members. Moreover, if a person who has taken a stand faces a very
strong point against his point at the 11th hour, he is in a typical Catch 22 situation.

1. If he changes the stand, he is seen as a fickle-minded or whimsical person.

2. If he does not change his stand, he is seen as inflexible, stubborn and obstinate.

Flexibility is an important personality trait. A person who is flexible will have less sharp corners
in his personality and his friction with people around will also be less.

Assertiveness

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Being assertive is all about being positive, confident and emphatic. An assertive person has an
inherent ability to put his point across the group in a friendly and confident manner. His body
language is positive and he has a friendly disposition towards fellow group members.

Initiative

Initiating a group discussion is a double-edged sword. It can make or mar your performance
rating. Starting well has huge benefits, but even the slightest mistake in the beginning gets
highlighted and puts one in a bad light. So, initiate only if one is well versed with the topic and is
confident enough to take a lead by showing the group some direction.

Creativity/Out of the box thinking

An idea or perspective that opens new horizons for a discussion on the topic is highly
appreciated in a GD. For example, while conducting a GD on the 'US invasion on Iraq', a
participant once came out with an innovative point related to the theory of 'Euro vs. Dollar'.

It was put across very convincingly and discussed at length by the group.' Fresh ideas are always
appreciated.

Inspiring ability

A good group discussion should incorporate the views of all team members. If some members
want to express their ideas but are not getting an opportunity to do so, giving them an
opportunity will be seen as a positive leadership trait.

Listening

This is a very important skill. It is said that humans have been gifted with two ears and one
mouth. Apart from being a good listener, there should be a balance between the expression of
your ideas and imbibing the ideas of others.

Awareness

In today's dynamic environment, a manager should be well versed with both the micro and
macro environments. Your awareness about your environment helps a lot in your GD content,
which carries maximum weight.

Apart from these qualities, communication skills, confidence and the ability to think on one's feet
are also very important.

Remember, that GD is not a test of your language but a test of your communication skills. You
need not be a very glib speaker or a very articulate person to succeed in a GD. As long as others
are able to understand what you are trying to communicate, it matters little whether or not you

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speak perfect English. Here are some myths about this round, which may help in your
preparation.

Myths of GD:

The more I speak, the better it is

It’s not how long or how much you speak, but what you speak that’s important. You should have
the ability to enter a GD frequently, with short but important contributions (not long speeches).

You should know when to keep quiet and listen to others, as this is the key.

The louder I speak, the better it is

This is purely situational. In a calm GD, where everybody is able to contribute comfortably, you
may be seen as being aggressive if you were to speak loudly. On the other hand, in a very chaotic
GD or a ‘fish market’ GD, you may be required to speak loudly to make yourself heard.
Generally, others in the group may get intimidated and not readily accept you and your views if
you speak loudly without any reason.

Starting a GD will earn me points

Not always. A wrong start may even work against you. Hence, it is extremely important that if
you choose to start a GD, you should be sure about the topic and what you are going to talk. As a
golden rule, do not take a stand at the beginning. One should ideally describe the topic and
define what all aspects could be discussed in the GD at the start.

I cannot change my stand in the middle of a GD

Many feel that changing their opinion in the middle of a GD indicates fickle mindedness. This is
false. Understand that the GD is not a debate where you are supposed to take a stand and defend
it at any cost. Ultimately what matters is how you substantiate and justify the different points of
view.

Dos of Group Discussion:

• Make sure your first entry is well planned. The first impression goes a long way in
establishing your credentials. Enter the discussion with a strategy, rather than a random input.

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• If you are the first speaker understand the difference between starting and initiating the
discussion. Initiating is about imparting an overall direction to the discussion and panning out an
agenda for the group. Starting is merely speaking for the sake of speaking.

• Establish eye contact with the key participants, but do not ignore the other participants.
While the active participants need to be acknowledged more frequently, the passive ones should
not be completely overlooked. You may follow Pareto’s 80-20 rule here, with 80% of the
attention being given to the key participants and the balance 20% being given to the other lot.

• Use a strong voice, clear diction and correct grammar. This gives you an operational
advantage.

• Try getting as many likes as possible. Eventually the discussion boils down to group
dynamics and collaboration. Creating likeability may help you to navigate more effectively
through the course of the discussion. However this doesn’t imply lack of constructive arguments
wherever required.

• Do take counter arguments gracefully and display good listening skills, projecting you as
a good learner.

• Do present yourself as a team player with an ability to balance individual excellence and
group performance. The group discussion is not just about your perspective; you have to respond
to the others’ perspectives as well and enlarge the scope of the discussion.

• Address group members with respect and dignity. This shows professional courtesy and
etiquettes.

• When asked to conclude, summarize the main points of discussion. The conclusion is not
about what you feel about the topic; it is about what the group felt as a whole. This needs
reference to the main points which emanated in that span and the overall stand of the group.

• Maintain a calm and balanced disposition throughout the discussion. This demonstrates
your ability to manage stress effectively.

Don’ts of Group Discussion:

• Don’t start for the sake of starting. This may project you as an impulsive person with lack
of planning and organizing skills, which totally discounts your candidature for a management
program.

• Don’t speak randomly without a plan and structure. This may give an impression to the
panel that you are speaking and not adding any value to the discussion.

• Don't be arrogant, overaggressive or vain. This may evince a negative attitude with poor
interpersonal skills.

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• Don't show a lack of attention or energy. This may show that you are indifferent to the
task at hand. Kindly appreciate that energy is the capacity for doing work and any compromise
on adequate energy levels will portray you as someone who is not task driven.

• Don't look at only the key speakers in the discussion. It is your responsibility to respect
all members of the group. The key speakers should definitely be given more attention, but this
should not imply that the passive speakers are totally neglected.

• Don't condemn or severely criticize anyone’s view point. Everyone has a right to his/her
opinion. It is possible that some members of the group get aggressive while expressing
themselves but they need to be managed in a certain other way.

• Don't indulge in cross discussions when the main discussion is in progress. This amounts
to transgression and does not conform to formal etiquettes.

MODULE-V

INTERVIEW SKILLS
Interview concept

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 An interview is a discussion or conversation between a potential employer and a candidate. It is a
selection process designed that helps an employer understand the skills, scrutinize their
personality and character traits and check the domain knowledge.
Interview process
The interview process is an important phase in recruitment. It helps an employer understand
whether a candidate is ideal for a job and aids the candidate in determining whether the job suits
them or not. If you are applying for jobs, you may benefit from understanding the process of job
interviews in detail.

Interview Preparation Techniques

Before An Interview
● Research: Learn as much as you can about the position and the company beforehand – know
the company’s products and services. Sources for this research are your Career Services
Center, the Library and the Internet.
● Practice: Practice interviews with a career counselor, friend, family member or by yourself in
front of a mirror.
● Be prompt and prepared: Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early bring extra copies of your resume,
your list of references, a pen and paper, and the list of questions you have for the interviewer.
● Be prepared to discuss both your strengths and your weaknesses: Make a list of your skills
and key assets. Then reflect on past jobs/experiences and pick out one or two instances when
you used those skills successfully. When exploring your weaknesses, be able to discuss the
ways in which you addressed these weaknesses to make them strength.

During an Interview
● Introduce yourself in a courteous manner
● Have a firm handshake
● Act professionally: Dress appropriately! First impressions count!
● Keep your answers brief and concise
● Ask questions
● Maintain a conversational flow
● Smile, nod, give nonverbal feedback to the interviewer
● Be enthusiastic: have a positive attitude
● Ask about the next step in the process
● Thank the interviewer

After an Interview

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● Ask the interview for a business card and promptly send a thank you note.
● Keep the thank you note brief, but reiterate your interest in the position
● Review the interview process and your performance
● Evaluate your interview

How to Dress For Interview Success

Men and Women
● Conservative two-piece business suit/Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse
● Make sure your shoes are clean and polished
● Comb your hair: conservative style and out of your face
● Trim your fingernails and make certain that they are clean
● Use minimal cologne or perfume
● Carry a notepad or portfolio case

Men
● Wear a silk tie, in an understated pattern: the colors should complement the suit
● Dark shoes
● Facial hair should be well groomed
● Do not wear jewelry other then a wedding ring or college ring

Women
● Always wear a suit with a jacket
● Wear low heels/pumps
● Conservative hosiery at or near skin color
● Don’t carry a purse into the interview
● If you wear nail polish, choose a clear or conservative color
● Wear minimal makeup

Types of Interview Questions

An Employer’s questions are designed to see whether or not you can do the job and whether or
not you will fit in with the office environment. Be prepared that several questions may be
reworded inquires of a previous question.
1. Tell me about yourself..
2. Why do you feel you are qualified for this position?
3. What is it about yourself that makes you believe that you could do a good and effective job
in the position we are discussing?

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4. How would you describe yourself?
5. What qualifications do you have that will make you successful in the field?
6. Why did you choose to attend Fulton-Montgomery Community College?
7. What college subjects did you like best/least? Why?
8. Do you think your grades are a good indication of your academic achievements?
9. How much effort did you put into your course-work?
10. If you could do so, would you plan your academic study differently? How?
11. Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree? Why?
12. How has you college experience prepared you for a career?
13. What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?
14. What are you skills (leadership, organizational, interpersonal)?
15. What is your supervisory and or management style?
16. Have you had previous experience in supervising a staff or other individuals?
17. Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and an employee?
18. Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing? How did you choose it?
19. What are the most important rewards you expect in you career?
20. In your present or last position, what aspects did you like the most/least?
21. How would a previous employer, professor or friend describe you?
22. In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
23. What things are most important to you in your job?
24. Why did you decide to seek a position with this firm?
25. What do you know about our organization?
26. How do you determine or evaluate success?
27. What do you think it takes to be successful in an organization like ours?
28. What contribution can you make to our organization?
29. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths/weaknesses?
30. What is your greatest accomplishment?
31. What accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
32. What motivates you to put forth your greatest efforts?
33. What have you learned from your mistakes?
34. How do you work under pressure?
35. How do you handle criticism?
36. Talk about a situation where you had to convince someone to see your point of view.
37. Talk about a situation where you had to deal with someone who was being difficult.
38. Tell me about a time where you had a major disagreement with an employer and how you
handled the situation.

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39. If you and another co-worker are working together and you end up doing a majority of the
tasks and getting half of the credit, how would you handle it? What would you do?
40. As you view this position, what are some of the ways you would measure accountability.
41. What are your long-range and short-range goals, personal and professional?
42. What do you see yourself doing five/ten years from now?
43. If you were hiring someone for this position, what qualities would you look for?
44. What do you see as being your first goal if you take this position?
45. What do you feel this position should pay?
46. How would you compare us to our competitors?
47. What question do you have about this company, the position, or anything related?
48. What do you do in your spare time (hobbies, interests)?
49. What additional information can you tell me, that we haven’t covered so far, that would
make you the ideal candidate for this position?
50. Why should we hire you?

Pre Interview Planning

A pre- interview is a quick glance at the basic qualifications that a candidate may have. A brief
synopsis of the resume and some quick-fire questions about basic requirements will determine
whether the employer wants to move forward with a formal interview process.

Opening strategies of Interview

The right interview strategies will help you find valuable candidates and avoid making a bad
hire, which can be a costly mistake.

1. Develop a Standard Interviewing Procedure

The interview is your best chance to learn about prospective employees’ professional goals,
aptitude, and communication skills — so the time you spend with candidates should be focused
and informative. You don’t want to spend too much time thinking about the next steps. That’s
why preparing your interview process in advance will help you host better interviews.

2. Automate Your Interview Process

With applicant tracking technology, such as applicant tracking systems (ATS) and artificial
intelligence (AI), many parts of your interview process can be automated. These interview
strategies can help you sort through hundreds of resumes and choose candidates with the
required skills, education, and work experience.

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3. Practice Effective Questioning

The interview questions you ask are the tools you will use in your interview to get the most
decision-making information out of the candidates. Put lots of thought into which will be most
effective.

Ask open-ended questions that make the candidate comfortable enough to answer honestly.
Choose a range of open-ended questions that will help you get to know the candidate as well as
possible in the short amount of time you have together, such as:

● Opening questions to break the ice and help the candidate feel comfortable.
● Skills-based questions that will help you identify who has the relevant skills and
aptitude.
● Behavioral questions to understand how candidates have reacted to past circumstances.
● Situational questions to decipher how the candidate might act in future scenarios.
● Management-style questions that gauge their leadership ability.
● Closing questions that end the interview on a positive note.

● Situation: Describe a situation where the candidate experienced what you’re asking.
● Task: Ask them what needed to be done and why.
● Action: Follow this up by asking what action they took.
● Result: Have them describe the outcome of their action.

Since this is more of an in-depth form of questioning, reserve it for a couple of important skills.
It can be too much if you expect this level of explanation from the candidate for every question
you have for them.

4. Interview Conversationally

Another one of the interview strategies to consider is helping candidates feel comfortable enough
to open up by fostering a relaxed conversation. When candidates feel like they are being
forcefully challenged or analyzed, it can be difficult to answer honestly.

To encourage casual conversation:

● Invite candidates to ask questions and answer thoughtfully.

● Listen intently and avoid interrupting.
● Be friendly and allow the candidate plenty of time to think.
● Give lots of information about the company and role.
● Relax and be as natural as possible.
● Prepare by having your questions ready and reading the resume in advance so you can
focus on the candidate and their answers.

When you prepare for the interview, it’s easier to have a casual conversation with your
candidates. Remember though, they might be nervous. Sending them as much information about

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the interview process in advance, as well as doing what you can to keep them comfortable in the
moment, will help.

5. Utilize Peer Interviews

Peer interviews are hosted by the candidate’s prospective peers. This can help you get better
information since many candidates feel more comfortable speaking to coworkers versus potential
managers. This helps you decide who is a good fit by hosting more genuine interviews.

Rope in one or two team members that the candidate will be working with directly and have
them interview the candidate. Coordinate your questions to be sure the same ones aren’t being
asked repeatedly. This way you can cover all the bases and get another perspective, too.

6. Require a Pre-Employment Test

When you’re hiring for a skills-based role such as a content writer or graphic designer, use a pre-
employment test to evaluate the candidate’s skills. For example, you might ask that the
candidate send in a short article or simple graphic showing specific proficiencies.

Be considerate of their time and don’t require a too-heavy lift. Some companies will also pay for
candidates to complete pre-employment assessments or will have candidates complete the
assessment during the interview, so it is less time-consuming. Whichever method works for your
team, a short assignment that helps you determine relevant knowledge or skills should suffice.

7. Keep Interviews Bias-Free

Last but not least, your interview should be free from unconscious bias, which is when people
unintentionally favor candidates based on what they look like or their personality instead of their
skills and ability. It can be difficult to be aware of these biases, but by intentionally avoiding
them, you can foster a more diverse and talented work environment.

Make decisions based on competency and not who you gravitate toward socially. Also, make
sure your interview questions and job requirements are standardized and fair. It also helps to
name diversity goals that your company can work toward. You don’t want to miss out on a
stellar hire because you were unintentionally biased.

Answering Strategies

Every interview question thrown your way presents an opportunity for you to make your case for
why you're the best person for the position. You want to highlight your positive qualities and

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 avoid giving reasons to disqualify you. That said, think about your overall response strategy for
the interview.
STAR method?
● Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example.
● Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.
● Action: Explain exactly what steps you took to address it.
● Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.

Examples Speak Volumes

For each quality you present, make sure you're prepared to describe a situation where you demonstrated that quality.
Basically, you always want to be able to back up any claims you might make. For example, if during the interview
you say that you work well under pressure, be ready to describe an example where you did work effectively under
pressure and delivered the results required.

Steer the Interview Your Way

One thing to guard against is getting lured into the interviewer's game of alternative or trick questions. Be like a
politician. The next time you watch a debate or press conference, notice the kind of questions reporters ask, and then
observe how the politician responds. Politicians often answer questions indirectly by presenting information they
want to convey. You can do the exact same thing in a job interview.

For example, if the interviewer asks if you prefer to work alone or on a team, he may be trying to get you to say you
are one way or the other. But you don't have to play this game. The reality is that most jobs require us to work both
independently and in teams. Your response to this question should show that you have been successful in both
situations.

Your answers also need to provide the reason to hire you, and you want to avoid providing reasons not to hire you.
Before responding to any interview question, take your time, breathe and think about your answer. Thoughtful
answers delivered clearly are much better than empty answers given rapidly. And you're not being measured by your
response time.

Be Clear and Concise

Be honest and succinct with your responses. Tell the truth in as positive a manner as possible, and don't discuss
things or events in a negative fashion. Long answers are less effective than concise responses and tend to make
interviewers suspicious. If you are talking more than 90 seconds without interaction with the interviewer, you may
be providing more detail than is needed. If you feel you may be talking too long, just stop and ask the interviewer a
question like, “Am I giving you the level of detail you're looking for?” This prompts a response and promotes an
open exchange of information. Besides, if you're putting the interviewer to sleep with your long-winded answers,
asking a question will wake them up.

Open the Conversation

After your response, ask the interviewer a tag-on question, such as, “Does that give you what you were looking
for?” This ensures you are understood accurately, conveys that you want to be sure you're providing what the
interviewer is looking for and promotes two-way communication.

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You deserve the best, so practice your responses to frequently asked interview questions, and prepare to be your best
when it matters most.

Interview through teleconference

A job interview via teleconference is time efficient because it can be set up at any time upon arrangements. You will
get an email or text notification about the interview. Increases Productivity. Since teleconference interviews involve
more than two participants, more interviews can be conducted within a day.

Video conferencing
Video conferencing is live, visual connection between two or more remote parties over the
internet that simulates a face-to-face meeting. Video conferencing is important because it joins
people who would not normally be able to form a face-to-face connection.

At its simplest, video conferencing provides transmission of static images and text between two
locations. At its most sophisticated, it provides transmission of full-motion video images and
high-quality audio between multiple locations.

In the business world, desktop video conferencing is a core component of unified

communications platforms that also include calling and messaging capabilities. Standalone on-
premises and cloud-based video conferencing platforms are also available from numerous
vendors who support desktop- and room-based video, as well as the ability to embed video
conferencing into business applications, such as Telehealth, customer service and distance
learning.

The widespread availability of cloud-based services enables organizations to implement video

conferencing with minimal upfront investment and to take advantage of rapidly emerging AI-
powered features to improve audio and video performance.

How video conferencing works

The video conferencing process can be split into two steps: compression and transfer.

During compression, the camera and microphone capture analog audiovisual (AV) input. The
data collected is in the form of continuous waves of frequencies and amplitudes. These represent
the captured sounds, colors, brightness, depth and shades. Once captured, codecs convert data
into digital packets, typically with compression to minimize bandwidth usage.

During the transfer phase, packets are sent over the network, typically to the cloud service
provider, which then transmits them to other conference participants (and combines voice and
video from multiple participants).
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Once packets reach the endpoint, the codecs decompress the data. The codecs convert it back
into analog audio and video. This enables the receiving screen and speakers to correctly view and
hear the AV data.

Components of video conferencing systems

The components of a video conferencing system include the following:

● A network for data transfer, such as wired/wireless local area network, wide area network,
cellular wireless and residential broadband.

● Two or more video cameras or webcams that provide video input.

● Two or more microphones -- either an external microphone or one built into the accessing
device.

● A computer screen, monitor, TV or projector that can broadcast video output.

● Headphones, laptop speakers or external speakers that can be used for audio output.

● Codecs, which can be hardware- or software-based, to reduce bandwidth by compressing

and decompressing AV data. They typically include acoustic echo cancellation capabilities,
which reduce audio delays to support real-time communication. Codecs may also include
features like noise cancellation and acoustic fencing to minimize background noise during
conferences.

Mock Interview
A mock interview mirrors an actual job interview. It gives you an opportunity to practice what to
say and do during an interview and get feedback. Whether it’s face-to-face, online, or through a
webcam, a mock interview is useful in reviewing your answers to common interview questions
and assessing other factors such as your outfit, mannerisms, and body language.
As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” Doing a mock interview will show you your strong
and weak points and boost your self-confidence.
How to Prepare for a Mock Interview
A mock interview is a practice interview, but you need to take it seriously, just as you would an
actual job interview. Consider the mock interview as a dress rehearsal. Keep the following things
in mind to ace your mock interview:

● Choose the right mock interviewer. It’s easy to ask a friend or a family member, but if
you want to get objective and honest feedback, you may want to ask someone with

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 experience in interviewing job candidates. You can also choose a professional who works
in your industry.
● Choose a professional setting. You need a venue that simulates the environment of an
office.
● Be early. Arrive 15-30 minutes early.
● Bring the necessary items. Don’t forget to bring your resume and any other documents
you may need. Also, bring a notepad so that you can take notes from your mock
interviewer’s feedback.
● Dress smart and sharp. Wear the same kind of attire you expect to wear to the actual
interview.
● Prepare your answers to common interview questions, but don’t memorize them.
You want to avoid sounding like a robot with canned responses. Bear in mind that you’re
doing an interview not to take a test but to engage in a conversation to determine if
you’re suitable for the job.
Conclusion: Doing a mock interview is a great way to practice for an actual job interview. It
gives you an idea of what you need to do and sets your expectations. Practice so that you will
see areas where you can improve. By the time the real job interview arrives, you’re well-
prepared.

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