Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

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Articulating Protest against mass hysteria and senseless violence train to Pakistan and a debt to pay
(Literary Voice, 2012) Lata, Pushp
Capacity Building Through Cross Cultural Skills Among Engineering Graduates of India: A Case Study of Cross Cultural Skills Course at BITS Pilani
(Springer, 2020-07) Lata, Pushp
Multiculturalism being a global reality of the present world, it has become imperative to develop Cross-Cultural Competence (CCC) to become successful as a professional and function effectively as an individual in personal and social interactions. Considering the fact that India with 60 percent of its population being under 25 years of age, it must educate its young generation to succeed in a globalized world. Another vital fact that endorses the need for change is revealed in a study, which states that about 20–33% of the 1.5 million engineers who pass out every year in India, run the risk of not getting a job at all. Among the multiple reasons for their being unemployable, one of the strongest is their lack of exposure to “other” cultures and their nuances that makes it hard for the leading MNCs to hire them. Keeping these facts in mind the present study argues the need for capacity building of engineering graduates through cross cultural skills. This paper recommends a course on Cross Cultural Skills to be offered to engineering students in order to inculcate in them the desired global competency among them. Besides this, the paper also discusses the different types of activities and tasks that are done in Cross Cultural Skills (CCS) classroom at BITS Pilani with a view to grooming students as effective University ambassadors. It also shares the feedback given by students to highlight the need for developing cross cultural skills and the success of the training during the course.
Communication Skills
(OUP, 2011) Lata, Pushp
The book is divided in five units with the first unit focussing on the nuances of the English language covering aspects such as basic and applied grammar, phonetics, and vocabulary development. The subsequent four units focus exclusively on each of the four language skills, namely, speaking, reading, listening, and writing. These four units exhaustively explore, analyse and exemplify the kaleidoscopic world of communication by focusing on reading comprehension, effective listening skills, non-verbal communication, public speaking, professional presentations, group discussions, job interviews, business letters & reports, resume preparation, essay writing, and e-mails. Offering scores of exercises, the book attempts to prepare students for all the various types of communicating tasks that they are likely to encounter both in their academic and professional lives. With the accompanying audio and video CD, the book can effectively serve as a text for graduating students besides serving as a reference for corporate professionals.
Communication Skills (VTU)
(OUP, 2018-10) Lata, Pushp
Communication Skills is a textbook tailored to meet the needs of undergraduate engineering students of VTU. Written in an interactive style, the book will be equally useful for students as well as professionals aspiring to enhance their proficiency in English.The title begins with a discussion on the essentials of technical communication. Following this, the book is divided into 3 units: Unit I on Listening Skills focusing discussions on various strategies of effective listening Unit II on Speaking Skills covering essentials of phonetics, interpersonal skills, public speaking and oral presentations Unit III on Writing Skills discussing essentials of grammar and vocabulary buildingKey Features Covers VTU syllabus completely Includes discussions on mother tongue influence (MTI), especially in South Indian speakers of English Supports text with numerous examples and exercises.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS 3rd ed.
(OUP, 2024-07) Lata, Pushp
The Third Edition of Communication Skills has been designed to meet the diverse needs of the learners in the fields of Engineering, Science, Management, Arts, Commerce, Mass Communication and Journalism, and also for candidates appearing in various competitive exams. Containing exhaustive content with multiple examples, illustrations, and exercises, the book aims at equipping readers with an ability to use English in their oral and written communication with confidence, clarity, and accuracy. Written with a precise understanding of the challenges that young professionals encounter in the global work scenario, the book would be highly useful for readers to enhance their professional communication skills.
Communication Skills: A Workbook
(OUP, 2018-06) Lata, Pushp
Communication Skills: A Workbook is a practice book designed to help users to develop the four fundamental language skills - Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing (LSRW). Divided into four parts, Unit I focuses on non-verbal communication, grammar and usage, vocabulary enhancement and listening skills. It goes on to cover reading comprehension in Unit II. Unit III on writing skills concentrates on emails, blogs, business letters and job application letters among others. Unit IV focuses on speaking skills that will help in role play and dialogues, professional presentations, speeches, debates, group discussion and job interviews. Drafted for students at the graduation level, the text would prove equally useful for students pursuing their post-graduation or professionals aspiring to enhance their proficiency in English.Key FeaturesInnovatively-designed text and examples to help students excel in grammar, vocabulary, listening, reading, writing and speakingNumerous practice exercises for self-assessment in all chaptersEnhances employability by providing practical insights to help readers face interviews and group discussions, participate in debates or appear for competitive examinationsOnline ResourcesThe following resources are available to support the faculty recommending this text:For FacultyAdditional exercises for class assessments Answer keyFor StudentsAnswer keyTable of ContentsUnit 1: Essentials of language learning 1. Fundamentals of Communication 2. Grammar and Usage in Practice3. Remedial Grammar 4. Enhancing Vocabulary 5. Developing Effective Listening Skills Unit 2: Reading Skills6. Reading Skills and Comprehension Unit 3: Writing Skills 7. Email and Blog Writing 8. Business Letters 9. Report Writing10. Reviewing a Movie, Book or Match 11. Job Application and CV Preparation Unit 4: Speaking Skills 12. Conversations and Role Play 13. Public Speaking 14. Professional Presentations 15. Group Discussion 16. Speeches and Debates 17. Job Interviews.
Creating a User-Generated Learning Environment through Flipping Classroom: An Experiential Pedagogy
(ELTAI, 2018-05) Lata, Pushp
Participatory learning improves students’ learning and understanding of the concepts taught in a course. It can prove to be very effective in developing communication skills, higher order cognitive skills and inculcate problem solving ability among students. This kind of teaching learning environment calls for a paradigm shift, that is, to move from the teacher-centered approach to the student-centered approach. For better active learning, flipping the classroom is one of the techniques which can be employed. My work over the years has brought me into thinking heavily about the change of the role of learners from receiver to participant in the whole teaching learning process of a subject. Besides, I acknowledge the drastic shift in the learning aptitude of students due to an easy exposure and accessibility of technology and internet. I therefore, have been experimenting with, blogs, online forums and task based approach activities for collaborative learning from time to time. The flexibility and students’ active participation were the key features which motivated me to try this pedagogy in my classroom. The present study therefore, is an attempt to integrate flipped classroom environment in teaching of Cross Cultural Skills course which is a humanities elective course being offered to the first degree engineering students at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani.
Digital Spinning Wheel for Just-a-Minute Session: A Pedagogical and Assessment Tool
(IEEE, 2022-12) Lata, Pushp
In the present digital era, technology is being extensively used as an aid to teach different skills in a language teaching course. With the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, where technology that was being used for peripheral tasks and activities in education so far, has now become pervasive in the learning spaces. Tech aids such as audio, video, internet, educational tools, etc. are the popular ones among teachers at all levels. The present study aims to explore the use of one such tool - Digital Spinning Wheel that has been used as a tool for conducting Just-a- Minute sessions in the Effective Public Speaking course being offered at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, one of the premier engineering institutes of India. The study also makes an attempt to understand students' perceptions about the appropriacy of the choice of the tool and the effectiveness of the instructional tool as used by the course instructors. For the study, a questionnaire was designed and circulated through Google Form among all the students of the course. The findings of the study suggest that the Digital Spinning Wheel makes the classroom activity interesting and dynamic and also ensures objectivity and fairness during the conduction of the evaluative component, Just-a-Minute.
Digital Training for Language Teachers: An Exploration into Online Writing Tutorials,
(ISERD International Conference, 2018-10) Lata, Pushp
Use of technology in education has increased and it aims at transforming the delivery of knowledge to the learners by empowering the teachers. However, majority of language teachers who have been given access to the online tools of language teaching and learning feel helpless in absence of proper training and exposure before experimenting it with the students. The present paper deals with teaching of writing skills. While discussing this, the paper also sheds light on how in- service teachers need to be given an exposure to effective implementation of online writing tutorials. The paper also discusses how face to face writing tutorials differ from online tutorials. While providing digital training the teachers will be trained in proper planning of the tasks and circulating precise instruction sheets to the students. Moreover, to make the tutorial standardised, the efficacy of the tasks and rubrics to be measured through proper validity and reliability tests. One pilot study has been conducted among teachers to ascertain the efficiency of this new mode of instruction. The paper also discusses the results of the findings for ascertaining the effectiveness of this exposure.
Do we need to queer elt pedagogy in India?
(ELTAI, 2023) Lata, Pushp
The present paper focuses on initiating discussion on the much-debatable issue of adopting a gender and sexuality perspective in ELT practices in India. Till quite recently our classes have been either mono-normative or heteronormative. The basic philosophy behind this kind of socio-educational fabric is due to the belief that all beings are binary and straight, whereas scientific inquiry has proved otherwise. Also, the misconception among teachers and educators that sexual identity has no impact on English Language Teaching, has further reinforced the practice of heteronormative ideology in the classrooms. The present study attempts to determine how teaching English as a second language (ESL) needs to be meaningfully queered to create safer spaces and sustain the learning motivation of the non-heteronormative and non-binary communities in the ELT classes. In the study, we argue to have Inclusive Education in India as per the mandate of the New Educational Policy, 2020. It is important to break the age-old narrow confines created against non-normative gender and sexuality learners, especially by queering English Language pedagogy and also providing them due representation in classroom interaction.
Emergency Remote Teaching and Technology Comfort: Mapping Perceptions of English Teachers from Schools in Rural Areas of Rajasthan during COVID-19 Crisis
(SSRN, 2022-02) Lata, Pushp
The present study explores the perceptions of English language teachers in rural areas of Rajasthan, India in terms of their teaching approach, their methodological and technological preparedness, and the kind of teaching materials they have been using and developing since lockdown 1.0 in March 2020 when they had to shift to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). The study also investigates the challenges faced by the language teachers for content delivery, assessments, and the students’ engagement during classroom interactions. Besides these, the technological challenges related to the accessibility and affordability of hardware and Internet services are also discussed. The data has been collected through surveys from 147 English teachers from various schools in rural areas of Rajasthan, India. The survey results indicate the need for a teacher training program in using technology for online pedagogy, exploring the possibilities of making education accessible in remote areas and new avenues of teaching-learning. The implication of this study also gyrates around a call for restructuring English language teaching in the Indian education ecosystem and curriculum design for the post-COVID-19 era.
English for Effective Communication Paperback
(OUP, 2015-09) Lata, Pushp
English for Effective Communication is a comprehensive textbook tailored to meet the requirements of undergraduate students of Engineering and pharmacy at Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal as per the new choice-based credit system The aim of the book is to develop the four fundamental language skills—listening, speaking, writing, and reading. Divided into three parts, the first part of the book focuses on the nuances of English language covering aspects such as Basic and applied grammar, and vocabulary development. The subsequent two parts exclusively cover reading and writing skills. In addition to numerous examples and practice exercises, the book provides support for laboratory sessions.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR ENGINEERS
(OUP, 2018) Lata, Pushp
English Language and Communication Skills for Engineers is a textbook tailored to meet the needs of undergraduate engineering students. Written in an interactive style, The chapters are supplemented with numerous examples and practice exercises. The title begins with a discussion on the essentials of English language—LSRW. Following this, the book is divided into 6 units: Unit I on Essentials of Writing Skills; Unit II on Writing Practices; Unit III on Listening Skills; Unit IV on Reading Skills; Unit V on Oral Communication; and Unit VI on Communication at Workplace
English Language and Communication Skills
(OUP, 2012) Lata, Pushp
Enhancing Employability Prospects of College Students from Rural Background: A Case Study
(Literary Voice, 2018) Lata, Pushp
An Exploratory Investigation on Effective Risk Handling Attitudes of Top Business Leaders in Relation to Their Approaches Towards Innovation
(IJRCM, 2011) Lata, Pushp
Top business leaders are arguably different: in their innovation capabilities, strategy formulation and deployment as well as risk attitudes. The paper makes an attempt to research both quantitatively and qualitatively about the effective risk taking and handling attitudes as well as their innovation approaches. While analyzing such attributes, it was quantitatively confirmed that there is indeed a correlation existing between the two. This is also consistent with logic. There is always a risk which is taken and handled by the top business leaders in implementing something innovative, strategy implementation or product deployment in the form which has never existed before. Qualitative research establishes some deeper connections as well as some of the salient points. The key results of our exploratory research are important, especially for the HR, or R&D organizations, which are trying to recruit leaders and managers at the top management level in their organizations.
Exploring the Parameters of Syllabus through Teachers’ Perception
(SSRN, 2022-02) Lata, Pushp
The definition of syllabus has confused various thinkers and theorists for a long time. There are basically two main schools of thought providing the definition. In the first place, syllabus is considered as a part of the curriculum which deals with the course material and its sequencing only; on the other hand, syllabus is defined in a broad manner encapsulating areas like method, evaluation, time and objectives. The present study attempts to analyse teachers’ perception regarding their understanding of the different parameters of syllabus design after performing an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). A questionnaire comprising 21 statements on the different parameters of syllabus, was administered to the teachers teaching secondary grade with a view to understand the teachers’ perception about the different aspects of syllabus. The EFA results reflect that teachers perceive that syllabus consists of four parameters. The study helps in understanding how teachers perceive the different aspects of syllabus.
Inculcating Critical Thinking among Engineering Graduates through Public Speaking Course
(ELT, 2014) Lata, Pushp
The present paper focuses on how a course on Public Speaking may help teachers foster among the students of varied disciplines the development of fair-mindedness, intellectual humility, intellectual perseverance, intellectual courage, intellectual autonomy, intellectual integrity, and confidence in reasoning which are required both in social and professional life. Public speaking course surely helps in containing as well as transcending the disciplinary decadence by using the constructive ways of involving critical thinking throughout the course structure. In order to see public speaking as a way to transform, the present study throws light on various assignments such as forum discussions, Just-a-minute presentation, Prop presentation and, case study discussions and group discussions etc. that are done in the course to scaffold critical thinking. The paper also highlights the key factors such as peer review, retrospection that contribute to the increase in critical thinking skills.
Instilling Creativity, Critical Thinking and Values for Holistic Development through Humanities and Liberal Arts Courses among Engineering Students
(JSSH, 2013-03) Sangwan, Devika; Lata, Pushp
Education gives us not only a platform to succeed, but also the knowledge to polish our social conduct, character, independent thinking and self respect; its greatest gift in fact, is the set of values it imparts to all of us. Education, the continuous learning experience, makes us learn from people and situations, success and failures, leaders and followers and then getting groomed to be the person one aspires to be. The actual aim of education is to teach how to think than what to think. Thus, education not only acts as a means to get a job for earning our livelihood but also helps us lead a life of values. If education makes the learners mechanical and materialistic in their approach, it surely fails to inculcate human values. Education will have little meaning if it fails to train us to apprehend the eternal values, to appreciate the supreme human virtues and the simple decencies of life. However, presently, there is a popularly held belief in the world of education that social studies and humanities are non-essential segments of the curriculum. The students who study science and technical subjects have better job prospects and hence, better fortune as compared to those who opt for humanities and liberal arts courses. Besides, it is also assumed that the students who undertake liberal arts courses are intellectual and academically diligent. The present paper focuses on the relevance of humanities and liberal arts courses if done by the engineering students. It also discusses how the humanities courses focus on fostering value based education so as to develop learning outlook, strong character and analytical attitude.
Navigating the Impact of Social Media on Cross-Cultural Learnings and International Mobility: Students’ Perception
(SEACE2024, 2024) Lata, Pushp
In an era marked by the pervasive social media, its evolution transcends from mere communicative instruments to becoming synonymous with communication. Considering that human existence today is heavily characterized by cross-cultural intersections, the present study discusses the transformative influence wielded by social media on the perceptual landscape of cultural distinctions. The study, therefore, is a comprehensive analysis of the impact of social media on the adaptation trajectory of 20 engineering students from India who travelled abroad to do their internships. This qualitative research delves into the role of social media in enhancing their Intercultural Competence when their leaving for the host country was confirmed and the role social media played while they started residing in the host country. Researchers have used the phenomenological approach of examining the data using the Deardorff Pyramid Model of Intercultural Competence (ICC), attempted to understand the existing presence of cross-cultural knowledge and the impact of social media in cross-cultural settings, and explored the need for structured cross-cultural education within academic programs. Results suggest that Social Media helps in early adjustment in the host culture through knowledge of tangible aspects but does not help much in learning the intangible aspects. Also, social media does not support for better internal and external outcomes, required for effective ICC. Hence, a well-structured cross cultural training is required in the academic programmes at tertiary level