Courses in this section: Language Lab Practice, Linguistics, English Skills for Academics

Language Lab Practice

Language Lab Practice aims to polish students’ English skills — focusing on the fundamentals of reading, writing, listening and speaking. These make up the crux of the course, and all lectures revolve around developing competence in these areas. Class discussions, writing activities, and listening skills test modules are a part of many lectures. 

This course has two sessions per week, each of two hours. Attendance is mandatory, since this course only has in-class evaluations, and does not have mid-semester or comprehensive examinations. Evaluations include comprehension-based and listening-based MCQs, assignments, essays, and presentations — to cover the four skill areas. The grading is known to be more lenient than most other HuEls. Around 15 out of 40 students get an A. It is considered a CG-boosting course, and hence tends to close at low PR numbers.

Linguistics

This course, handled by Sanjiv Kumar Choudhary, aims to acquaint students with the nature and functioning of language and the role it plays in society. Fundamental linguistics concepts are usually exemplified through English. However, references to native Indian languages are also common. A common and integral feature of each lecture is the interactive class discussions that take place.

The course material — consisting of slides and the textbook — is uploaded online. However, attending classes is highly recommended, as the instructor conveys important information which often ends up on the major evaluative components.  The grading for this course is lenient, with a substantial portion of the class strength of about 50 being awarded B- or B. One would be awarded B- at average marks and usually 10% of students would be awarded an A grade. Linguistics is available to students at a wide range of PR numbers and is usually available during the substitution period as well.

English Skills for Academics

English Skills for Academics (ESA), taught by Dr Chinatalapalli Vijayakumar, is designed to improve students’ academic English skills. It covers a broad spectrum of topics, but its primary purpose is to teach students how to write effective paragraphs, essays, critiques, summaries, and research papers. Students should expect significant improvements in their English language skills, which will be helpful in their academic endeavours and in various research and professional domains. 

The course evaluation consists of the mid-semester exam, the comprehensive exam, and two assignments that make up 30% of the grade. Regarding grading, Dr Vijayakumar typically awards a B grade at the average. However, this course usually only attracts students with a genuine interest in the subject, resulting in a higher average score. Thus, registration is expected to remain available for most PR numbers. Although attendance is not strictly required, it is strongly encouraged due to the engaging nature of the classes and the instructor’s emphasis on class participation.