- Blog By
Ms. Sumita Sen Mazumdar
Erode – KG Academic Coordinator
The Indian Public School
May 21, 2020 | In Blog 
The importance of English as a globally accepted language of communication is something we cannot deny.
In theory, English is a second language for us in India, next to our respective mother tongues. However, to stay ahead, acquiring a strong command over this language takes precedence.
The medium of instruction in schools is English. The medium of communication in workplaces is English. Thus, as a means to achieve our goals in the broader sphere, we must achieve mastery over this language.
After the home environment, the biggest influencer in a child’s journey of learning is their school. This is why premier educational institutions stress on staff maintaining excellent communication skills along with subject-specific expertise.
Young children are instinctively inclined to imitate adults around them, constantly absorbing language and speech styles, often subliminally. So, it is important for pre-primary teachers to communicate well. Being on a campus where teachers consistently communicate in articulate English familiarises children with correct pronunciation and good grammar. This helps them learn the language quickly and acquire strong verbal and written proficiency in higher grades.
The emphasis on well-trained staff must continue for all grades going forward. Being constantly in an environment where teachers communicate with good diction in English makes children comfortable with the language so that when the time comes for them to leave school to go out into the world for further education and explore their career dreams anywhere in the world, they are armed with a confident command over the language.
Vocabulary can only take us so far unless we also learn how to use it. Each language has its own set of nuances for achieving maximum communication impact. This is where using soft skills and emotional intelligence in communication comes into play.
Communication is essentially a cyclical two-way process where we must understand and also be understood. Voice modulation, choosing words apt to the situation, cultivating patience, consciously incorporating the right body language, knowing when to pause, learning how to gauge reactions before responding, practising social etiquettes in communication are soft skills that can enhance any communication experience.
Teachers trained in soft skills can skilfully inflect their voice and calibrate content delivery style for greater impact, making a lesson livelier for students struggling to maintain attention span. Soft skills training enables teachers to quickly adapt communication according to individual cognitive capacities of students.
While it is important for teachers to maintain their persona as educators who must be respected and obeyed, they must also appear approachable to students. Soft skills development help teachers switch efficiently between roles of disciplinarian and advisory guide.
Soft skills training enables teachers to be good leaders and subsequently, by example, encourage students to develop good leadership qualities themselves.
Learning through observation, children interacting with teachers applying soft skills will quickly pick up beneficial ones themselves like empathy, ease at making friends, communicating their needs effectively, faster processing of information, better presentation and public speaking. Incidentally, those who develop soft skills are more likely to succeed in any field they venture into and can maintain good interpersonal relationships.
As a serious contender in the world of superior education providers, The Indian Public School is strongly committed to training their teaching staff in contemporary English and soft skills development. This ensures an enriching and holistic learning experience for all their students.
