Chapter-II

FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH

Every language has two major aspects, i.e., the Spoken part, and the written part. Now you recall, when you appeared in the world, what did you dofirst––Speaking or Writing. Yes, it was speech. You had spoken first. You spoke your unknown language, and you kept yourself in speech. It was the writing that came after about 500 days. Certainly, it was the spoken partof language which came first and then the written part.This is the root cause that creates difficulties to speak English fluently and properly, because we fail to adapt to the natural way of speaking. What do we do generally? We try to speak in written way of English. While the natural way of learning is to speak first, then write. Have you ever thought why you are most competent to speak your mother tongue fluently? Because you learnt that to speak first and you also succeeded to manage efficiently the written part of your mother tongue.What we have done in the case of English? We have learnt to write English first in our homes, in our schools,and in our tutorials. That’s why we always endeavour to speak in the written style. So we fail to succeed in gaining the speech fluency in English. It is the spoken part of language that comes first, and the written part of language comes later on. And this is the only natural way to gain speech fluency.

Speak in Natural Way

Natural way of speech is the prime requirement for development of fluency. What is the natural way of speech? Just imagine that you are a little kid now. If you need anything from your mummy, what would you say? You would ask: “giveittome”. Would you think to learn these words ‘give’, ‘it’, ‘to’ and ‘me’ separately and connect them. These separate four words ‘give’, ‘it’, ‘to’ and ‘me’ would be the same as the single word ‘giveittome’ for you.

Speak in Idea chunks only

This is your first instrument to acquire speech fluency. Idea chunks are your key to make you fluent. Therefore, always try to speak in idea-units only. Connecting two or more words together and utterance thereof like a single word makes the real sense, and bestow you pleasant fluency. Henceforth, speak in word–groups, not word by word.Though you are insisted upon here to speak in word–groups, but in exceptional cases, you may convey your message even in a single word, and in that case that single word will form an idea-unit too. For example, take the word ‘No’. Does it convey any idea? No. Suppose your brother spontaneously says ‘No’. Is it making any sense to you? No. So, it cannot be called an idea-unit.

But this single word can be converted to an idea-unit if it is said in the right context. If you ask your brother, ‘Are you going to see the TajMahal?’ and he replies ‘No’. In this context ‘no’ forms an idea chunk. Therefore, ‘no’ is a contextual idea-unit here. So the utterances may be of two types, i.e., idea-units those do not require any support from context, e.g., descriptive utterances, like ‘I shall go (Aishelgo)’, ‘Give it to me (givitumee)’ etc.

Read the Practice Material ALOUD

Yes, this is the only and single method that would compel your speech organs to make you fluent in English speech. So ensure reading your practice material ALOUD as well as several times Remember, it is very necessary to gain fluency. That’s why make it a point and etch in your mind to read the practice material ALOUD, ALOUD and ALOUD only.

  • Always remember that the practice material should be read ALOUD and that too again and again to train your Tongue, your Lips, your Throat and other organs of speech.
  • It is the Spoken language that comes first and written language only afterwards.
  • The Spoken part of language is not the same as the written part. Don’t try to speak in written style of language.
  • Speak in a Natural Way, i.e., to speak in Word-groups. Learning and speaking in words only can’t help you to gain speech fluency. UTTER each word-group as a single word-unit or you can say in a single IDEACHUNK. Natural talk comes out in idea chunks only, i.e., the group of words.

Practice set no-1(Greeting and Parting)

  1. Good Morning.
  2. How are you doing?
  3. I am doing well
  4. Good to see you
  5. It is pleasure to meet you
  6. I am more than happy to speak with you.
  7. How’s it going?
  8. Where are you off to?
  9. See you later.
  10. How is everything?

Practice set no-2 (offering help)

  1. Can I help you?
  2. Can I give you any help?
  3. Is there anything I can do to help?
  4. I am going to the market. Would like me to get anything for you?
  5. I’ll help you, if you like
  6. Do you need some kind of help?
  7. Here, I’ll show how to do it?
  8. Would you like me to shut the windows?
  9. Let’s have a look.
  10. Let me carry your bag.

Practice set no-3 (Requesting)

  1. Would you open the window, please?
  2. Could you tidy up my room please?
  3. Can you hold this a second?
  4. Do you have the change for hundred rupee note?
  5. If you are going out, would you mind getting me a packet of milk?
  6. Could you possibly lend me some money?
  7. Would you please ask him to come?
  8. If you don’t mind, can you get me some water?
  9. Can you please help me with my bags, please?
  10. Could you drop on the corner there, please?

Practice set no-4 (Daily activities)

  1. What time do you get up?
  2. I get up about seven fifteen
  3. What do you do usually in the afternoon?
  4. Do you ever go to movies?
  5. I go every now and then
  6. Do you watch TV very often?
  7. Does Suresh play cricket regularly?
  8. What time do you get to the College?
  9. What time do you go to bed
  10. What time do you return home?

Practice set no-5(Asking about activities)

  1. When did you eat Lunch today?
  2. Where did you have your Lunch?
  3. I had it at Taj restaurant.
  4. Did you do your homework last night?
  5. Yes, I washed the dishes and cleaned the house.
  6. Where did you go last night?
  7. I watched TV for a while
  8. We went to a beautiful beach.
  9. Where have you been?
  10. I have been to Bangalore

Practice set no-6 (General activities)

  1. Would you like to go to the movie with me tonight?
  2. What are you going to do tonight?
  3. I don’t have anything else to do
  4. That would be fine ( an expression to say OK)
  5. I’d rather stay home and watch television.
  6. I haven’t decided yet.
  7. Can I call you and tell you later?
  8. Are there going to be any good programs tonight?
  9. Certainly. Meet me here at eight fifteen.
  10. Can we go with you?

Practice set no-7 (Meeting at the railway station/Asking Questions at the railway station)

  1. Should we take a taxi or bus to the Railway station?
  2. I have to go to the railway station immediately
  3. Please let me drive you to the railway station.
  4. Did you get to the station on time?
  5. We got on the train just as it was starting
  6. At what time does the next train leave for the city?
  7. How much is the fare to Vijayawada?
  8. How soon does the train leave?
  9. The next train to Ongole leaves at 5:50pm.
  10. We alighted Krishna Express at 4;40

Note: all the above expressions slightly modified can be used in Airports and Bus stations few more expressions about travel are given in practice set number 9.

Practice set no-8 Asking Directions/ finding one’s way)

  1. Would mind telling me where is the nearest SBI ATM?
  2. How can I find out the nearest Drug store?
  3. It is about a half a mile from here.
  4. Please ask the man over there. He give you the right directions
  5. The book is on the table over there
  6. Go to that desk over there to buy canteen tokens
  7. What’s the best way to get to this address?
  8. Is this the right way to Bapatla Engineering College?
  9. I need a little assistance.
  10. I’m sorry I really don’t know

Practice set no-9( Asking about busses, going by taxi, taking a trip by car)

  1. Does this bus go to Chirala?
  2. Is this where I get off the bus?
  3. Is Ameerpet the next stop?
  4. Is this taxi taken?
  5. Can I catch a taxi at Benz circle?
  6. It is a good day for the trip
  7. How far is to the next petrol station (bunk)?
  8. How long does it take to get there by car?
  9. It takes about 5 hours for you to reach Hyderabad.
  10. What is the best way to Mangalagiri?

Practice set no-10 Arriving early/late

  1. I’m afraid we are going to be late.
  2. Whom are you waiting for?
  3. She is twenty minutes late already
  4. Well, I want to be there in time to get a good seat.
  5. Isn’t Mallesh here yet?
  6. In fact, we are early according to my watch.
  7. That should be plenty of time
  8. We are waiting for our friend, he is late as usual.
  9. We have got about thirty minutes to go to English laboratory.
  10. The class doesn’t start at Seven thirty as we have an assignment today

Practice set no-11 Using telephone

  1. I’d like to speak to Siva, Please
  2. Could you tell me the extension number of English Department?
  3. May I ask who is calling please?
  4. Please hold the while I see if he is in.
  5. Pardon me; can you speak a bit louder?
  6. Thanks for calling. Have a good day.
  7. Do you want to leave a message?
  8. Could you get him to ring me back?
  9. I’ll make sure he calls you as soon as he comes home.
  10. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible

Practice set no-12 Shopping

  1. I hate to go shopping, but I guess it is necessary.
  2. It seems I have to buy a lot of things
  3. What time do the stores close?
  4. How much is that pen?
  5. I’d like to look at watches.
  6. I’m looking for a good fountain pen
  7. How much does that bag cost?
  8. Big Bazaar has good variety of things to choose from
  9. They have a good selection, the prices are low, too
  10. Excuse my asking, but how much did you pay for it?

Practice set no-13 Identifying People

  1. Are Dr.Rama Krishna Rao?
  2. Do you mean the one over there with glasses?
  3. Do you know the girl in green chudidar?
  4. Where does he come from?
  5. That’s Arjun, son of Mahesh.
  6. Do you know the man there holding the file?
  7. Who is he talking to?
  8. If you mean the thin girl, she is Lakshmi.
  9. I know his name but I can’t remember it right now.
  10. Isn’t he the Principal of Pharmacy College?

Practice set no-14 (At Restaurant/Talking about eating)

  1. What did you have for breakfast?
  2. I had south Indian Tiffin.
  3. How about a cup of Tea?
  4. That sounds good
  5. Did you have good lunch?
  6. I always enjoy a good coffee after work
  7. I’d like to order breakfast
  8. Could we have table for four?
  9. May I have a Menu, Please?
  10. I hope you feel like eating well tonight.

Practice set no-15 (health/at Hospital)

  1. I feel rather dizzy, and I have a headache
  2. Have you put on weight recently?
  3. I’ve lost some weight
  4. I am running temperature.
  5. You look bit off colour. Are you ill?
  6. You don’t look very well.
  7. I think I have a caught cold/ toothache/injured my knee/hurt my shoulder/
  8. My throat is sore.
  9. I think I’ve got a fever/a rash/an allergy/an infection/a blister/an inflammation
  10. Resting a while might help it too.

Practice set no-16 (miscellaneous)

  1. It is cold outside; I am going to put on a sweater
  2. Have you gone through the reports yet?
  3. I enrolled in a course to improve my English
  4. Could I borrow some money from you?
  5. Do you enjoy writing letters?
  6. Where have been lately?
  7. I’ve heard Raju speaking about you quite often.
  8. I’m Glad to have met you.
  9. I worked on my report until midnight last night.
  10. How long have you been here?

Practice set no-17(miscellaneous)

  1. Where were you born?
  2. Have you lived here all your life?
  3. Whom will you get the money from
  4. I can take of everything myself
  5. Something is bothering me
  6. The traffic was heavy
  7. It’s always bad at this time of the day.
  8. Will there be a test next week?
  9. Why don’t you do it later?
  10. How do you operate this machine?

Practice set no-18( miscellaneous)

  1. I was out of town
  2. That’s good looking shirt you have on
  3. I thought you went to your village last night
  4. If you had a lot of money, what would you buy?
  5. I would take all my friends around the world.
  6. I was embarrassed by his comments
  7. We were confused by his instructions
  8. I was told that you have been to Bangalore. (నువ్వుBangalore వెళ్ళావనినాకుఎవరొచెప్పారు)
  9. I went to Haailand last night; I enjoyed a lot .
  10. Will the repair work be done on time?

Practice Set no:19( miscellaneous)

  1. The loud noise frightened us
  2. We were frightened by the loud noise
  3. She has been told by me about it
  4. I have told her about it (note: sentence no. 3 and 4 give the same meaning
  5. We should complain about the poor service in this restaurant
  6. Whom should we complain to?
  7. This food is too hot to eat
  8. I couldn’t finish all the work this afternoon.
  9. He is brave enough to ask him to repeat everything.
  10. The new method is safe enough to be used.

Practice Set no:20(miscellaneous)

  1. Who is she talking to?
  2. What are they arguing about?
  3. What is this fuss all about?
  4. What was he convicted of?
  5. What must they believe in?
  6. What are they quarreling over?
  7. What should I be ashamed of?
  8. What are they appreciated for?
  9. What will he worry about?
  10. Whom did you get the information from?

Practice Set no:21(miscellaneous)

  1. I used to play cricket during my college days.
  2. He should have talked to me about it
  3. I had to give an explanation for it
  4. I f you had told me, I would have helped you
  5. If you study well, you can get a good percentage.
  6. Let the things happen according to your wish and whim.
  7. He might have gone to the temple
  8. It seems he had a problem with his salary
  9. He is supposed to meet the HoD immediately.
  10. It is not something that I am used to.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

1. Introducing oneself.

For any professional and technical discussion, the first step is getting to know names, followed by an exchange of personal information, which will promote trust and confidence.

Oral practice

Activity1

You are the Head of the department of computer science. A new staff member joins your department. Introduce the person to the faculty members ,mentioning the specific duties of each staff member.

Activity 2

You are the student union leader of an Engineering college and the District collector will be the chief guest at the college day function in your college. Introduce the collector to the various student secretaries. Highlighting each person’s achievement

Making requests and giving polite replies

The most common expression for making requests is please.

Example; please switch off your mobiles now.

Drop the empty cups in the bins, please.

Some more ways of making requests are given in the table below

Request / Response
Can you shut the window? / Of course
Could you shut the window? / Certainly
Do you mind shutting the door? / Right away.
Do you mind shutting the door? / I’m sorry I can’t because….
Oral practice

Activity 1

You have obtained a first class in computer science. You meet your Head of the department and discuss your future plans. Enact the scene and discuss the matter in detail.

Activity 2

You are a press reporter. You meet Ajay Palekar who has been appointed captain of Indian team. Role-play a Scene with him, making polite inquires about his reaction to his captaincy and India’s performance in the forthcoming Australian tour.

Complaining and apologizing:

Some patterns of complaint:

Some patterns of Apology:

Some patterns of accepting an apology:

Oral practice

Activity 1

You are the Head of the department of mechanical Engineering in a college. You are not happy with the functioning of the recently bought pelton wheel turbine. Role-play a situation in which you highlight some of the defects of the turbine to the supplier who has come for settlement of the cash bill. The defects are faculty alignment of pulleys, leakage, abnormal noise level, defective vibration and cooling system.

Activity 2

Your company has ordered a centrifugal pump, which is found to be slightly defective on arrival. Role-play a scene with the senior engineer sent by the suppliers pointing out the defects. The defects are: enormous heat generation, wrongly placed motor pulley and leakage.

Persuading people to do something

Oral practice
Activity 1

Your class has arranged an educational tour to Ooty and Coimbatore.One of your friends is unwilling to come along. Role-play a scene in which two of your friends (along with you) persuade the unwilling students to join the excursion..