IIT Madras is a public technical and research university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1959, it is recognised as an Institute of National Importance.

IIT Madras has been ranked as the top engineering institute in India for four years in a row by the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the MHRD

It currently offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees across 16 disciplines in Engineering, Sciences, Humanities and Management. About 596 faculty belonging to science and engineering departments and centres of the Institute are engaged in teaching, research and industrial consultancy.

IIT Madras

This study explored the differences in receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge in terms of word frequency level and vocabulary size in undergraduate learners of English as a Second Language (ESL). A total of 90 first-year undergraduate engineering students from a semi-urban region in India participated in the study. Two quantitative vocabulary tests, the Receptive Vocabulary Levels Test (Schmitt et al., 2001) and the Productive Vocabulary Levels Test (Laufer and Nation, 1999), were applied sequentially to the students. The first test focused on identifying receptive vocabulary size, while the second test measured productive vocabulary size. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results indicate that the students' receptive word knowledge is higher than their productive word knowledge. Similarly, the students' receptive vocabulary size is larger than their productive vocabulary size. Furthermore, the difference between their receptive and productive vocabulary size is 27.69%. In order to bridge this gap and increase their vocabulary knowledge and size, we recommend an activity-based, explicit vocabulary teaching approach through self-learning, group learning and mutual learning in the regular classrooms. � 2018 Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos. All rights reserved.

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Exploring English as a Second Language Vocabulary Knowledge Differences in Graduate Students from a Semi-Urban Region

The present study investigated the use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) by Indian teachers in their classroom vocabulary instruction. It also examined the influence of gender and experience-related differences on their use of VLS in the classroom vocabulary instruction. The paper reports the results of data collected to identify the VLS used by them in their vocabulary instruction. T-test and one-way ANOVA were conducted to analyse and interpret the data. The results indicate that the teachers employ VLS, such as: guessing from the context to find the meanings of new words, group work to learn new words, and using new words in sentences to store them in memory. They also show that the teachers do not prefer VLS, such as: flashcards, L1 similarity used to find the meanings of new words, and the keyword method. Further, they reveal an experience-related difference in the teachers’ vocabulary instruction. © 2016, FACTEACHEREDUCATION. All rights reserved.

Croatian Journal of Education

Exploring the vocabulary learning strategy use of teachers in their vocabulary instruction [Kako se nastavnici koriste strategijama za usvajanje vokabulara kada poučavaju vokabular]

The study investigates the attitudes of learners towards the importance of vocabulary and their choice of sources to learn new words. It chiefl y explores the differences in attitudes and choices of learners by a survey which was conducted among 730 fi rst-year engineering students of Anna University, India. The questionnaire had two different divisions, i.e., importance given to vocabulary learning and sources of new words. The sources of new words further had four sub-divisions based on language skills. The data were collected from students and statistically analysed to answer the research questions of the study. In general, the results show that students consider vocabulary as an important aspect of language learning. Students admit the importance of vocabulary to understand a text. Interestingly, gender influences the choice of sources to learn new words. Further, the medium of education also signifi cantly influences learners' attitudes and their choices of sources in vocabulary learning.

Understanding the attitude of ESL learners to vocabulary learning

Internationally, organizations emphasize the importance of communication skills in the workplaces. In order to develop the students' communication skills, professional institutions in India have started to give importance for developing their students' communication skills. A questionnaire was developed to examine students' perceptions of a communication skills course offered in an institution. The results of the study reveal that the students have various experiences from the classroom. They have different beliefs, strategies and autonomy in learning language. The course was found to be useful by more number of students in developing the four language skills but there are issues needs to be paid more attention to enhance teaching and learning process effectively. © Serials Publications.

Man in India

An Indian University Students' evaluation of communication skills and soft skills laboratory course

Bengal region in India was affected by severe hunger in 1943. The situations lead to social, cultural and economic transformation. Through the analysis of the famine, it is important to understand how human trade and hunger are connected, and what factors forced women to engage in prostitution during harsh conditions. In addition, through the critique of different secondary sources, the paper discusses evidences to whether hunger is the main factor to the rate of prostitution in India. The information used in this discussion is based on a critique of different secondary materials. © Serials Publications.

Body trade and famine: How famine facilitated to the rise of prostitution in India

Developing the Interpersonal Communication Skills (IPCS) of students at college level is emphasized by the academia and industry to bridge the gap between academic skills and employability skills. Among the qualities sought by the employers from their employees, IPCS are considered the most important. This paper highlights the importance of developing the IPCS, presents the need for academic interventions, and explores the use of poetry in English Language Teaching (ELT), Communication Skills and IPCS development. Poetry is basically a rich source of emotional and interactional diversity. Therefore, this paper argues that a variety of emotions embodied in poetry in English from various countries can be a valuable resource in developing the IPCS of students. It explains the task design, activities, and observations and presents the findings through the response from students. It also presents the limitations of the study undertaken and scope for further research. © 2015 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

IUP Journal of English Studies

Developing the interpersonal communication skills of college students through poetry: A classroom study

This paper attempts a Foucauldian analysis of power, position and agony in Pinter's One for the Road (1984). Pinter was a leading British political playwright in the 20th century. In his plays, he focused on the political situation in private and distinguished between power have and power have not: the oppressor and the oppressed. In the play One for the Road, he brings out the impact of power and position on people, leading to their agony. Through the course of the play, he describes different dimensions of power. The aim of this study is to discuss how Pinter has depicted the abuse of power and position, causing agony by the totalitarians controlling and subduing the people, from a Foucauldian perspective. © Serials Publications.

Power, position, and agony in Harold Pinter's one for the road

Amy Tan is one of the celebrated Chinese-American writers who have been highly recognized as a feminist writer highlighting a world where women are strained to live a life of rules and conventions exercised and implemented by men. Tan in The Kitchen God's Wife portrays the predicament of an exceptionally aspiring woman who suffers domestic violence in the hands of her husband but yearns tirelessly to come out of this cramping role in society and contends with her male counterpart on a foothold of equality. Tan has beautifully brought out the inhuman treatment a woman is subjected to in the form of rights of a husband. In this world crimes against women and children happen every single day with forensic meticulousness. This paper throws light on how Tan deals with the suffering, the physical and emotional torture, the humiliation and injustice her women characters face not only in the society but also within the four walls of a house. In short, Tan brings out the domestic violence against women. & copy; Serials Publications.

Domestic violence in Amy tan's the kitchen god's wife

This article approaches Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman as a realistic play to analyze the Mental Otherness of Willy Loman, the protagonist of the play. First, the article briefly defines Otherness and Mental Otherness besides providing the basis for studying the play in a realistic point of view. It primarily studies the factors that constitute Willy Loman's Mental Otherness, such as his misconceived ideals, the Othering of his traditional profession and the Othering of the Absolute Other and then the effects of his Otherness namely the dichotomy between nature and technology, appeasement in a dream world, extra-marital relationship, vanity and remorse. Arthur Miller creates the character of Willy Loman with flesh and blood to represent the millions of the Americans who have become Mentally Other owing to their failures at work or/ and at home. This article aims to bring to the surface how many an issue connive together to leave a man like Willy, as Mentally Other. Willy survives pathetically as an amalgamation of doomed ambitions, shattered hopes, failed philosophies and crushed spirit. Condemning himself as a flop, he finally feels fit only to be lowered in the grave as a low man. & copy; Serials Publications.

'Mental Otherness' of willy loman in arthur miller's Death of a Salesman

The Delta Approach to English Language Teaching (ELT) is a novel method for teaching English grammar and discourse. It relies on acronyms and abbreviations for imparting English grammar and discourse skills to students. It is useful at the tertiary level for remedial purposes, though it can be profitably used at all levels. © 2009 IUP. All Rights Reserved.