ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDIES

ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDIES
by MK Sadhak

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MK Sadhak presents ‘ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDIES’ for Indian learners where they can learn the English language, its grammar and usage step by step from basic to advanced level in a most efficient and organised manner. ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDIES provides its course into four parts according to learning level and age group.
They are:

    COURSES                                                                         AGE GROUP
(i) Basic Level (CEF A1 & A2)                         →                    Children
(ii) Intermediate Level   (CEF B1)                  →                    Teenagers
(iii) Upper Intermediate Level  (CEF B2)     →                    Teenagers
(iv) Advanced Level  (CEF C1 & C2)                →                  Adults

ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDIES :

BASIC LEVEL (CEF A1 & A2)

ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDIES : INTERMEDIATE LEVEL (CEF B1)

ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDIES : INTERMEDIATE LEVEL (CEF B1)

ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDIES :

UPPER INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

(CEF  B2)

“Like everything metaphysical, the harmony between the thought and reality is to be found in the grammar of the language.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

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IMPORTANCE OF THE

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

English is one of the most important languages in the world. It is the first language for nearly 400 million people and second language for another 375 million people. It is most widely taught as a foreign language in more than 100 countries across continents. The non-native followers of English in countries like India, China, Russia, Germany, Spain Egypt, Brazil and else where are adopting English as their main language of study, social discourse, and entrepreneurship.

     English is the language of major newspapers, journals, and books around the world. It is the main language of communication, Internet, legal documents, business deals, agreements, and scientific, technical and medical procedures and instructions. It is the language of interviews, debates, discussions, meetings and conferences. It is the language in offices, educational institutes, social gatherings, functions, conferences, and sports events. It is the language of emails, texts, tweets, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

     In as much as English has assumed great importance in every sphere of our life – acquiring English skills, which encompass skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling – is something no one can do without. The amount of attention you give to each skill will depend both on the level of your learning as well as situational needs.

     For those engaged in their own enterprises at small, medium or large scale, English skills are necessary for smooth operations. Professionals in different fields, and workers at various levels, need to learn correct English. For people to move out in society it pays to have a good command of English to make an impression. For teachers, instructors, administrators and policymakers, English is an essential medium of communication. There is no segment of society which does not find it necessary to have a basic knowledge of spoken and written English.

     There is a vast scope for individual and collective development in the world today. Distances have lost their meaning due to growth of technology. Multinational companies run their businesses in a number of countries. There are imports and exports on a regular basis. Space exploration is done from the earth. Techconferences are done involving people sitting at places far away from one another. It is English, which as a medium of expression, makes all this possible and opens the floodgates of opportunities for people. English is thus a passport for success and growth.

     Grammar is the base on which English skills are developed. English grammar is a systematic study and description of this language. It is a set of rules and examples dealing with the syntax and word structures. If grammar aspects are not taken care of, the texts you write will be erroneous and the readers will be put off. In the examination the answers written in faulty grammar seldom bring good results. Job applications and résumé containing errors do not get a favourable response. Reports, reviews, articles and dissertations having faulty sentence structures and other grammatical errors fail to impress others, howsoever rich in content they may be.

     Any passage, essay, letter, email, article or report containing spelling and grammatical errors sends wrong signals: Errors can make you look dumb; errors can show that you are no serious about the task; errors can show that you don’t care and have a casual approach; errors can show that you have made no preparation; errors can show that you have little knowledge; and errors can give an expression that you are not an achiever but a mediocre person who does not deserve to be at a high position in a job or profession.

     English language holds a pride of place worldwide and may well be called the job language. Business transactions, job interviews, law orders, deeds of property, technical data, information from foreign countries, Internet access, SMSs, emails, latters, statutes of administrative machinery, live commentary of Cricket, Hockey and Tennis – all are done mostly, if not entirely, in English. The more we learn about English and the rules governing it, the better for us in our personal and professional lives.

     The historical circumstances of colonial countries have given them an easy access to learning and mastering English language, and provided them with innumerable opportunities for advancement in the field of science and technology. Many non-native users of English have become skilled in English language and have won many international awards for creative and comparative literatures during the last few years. It does not require any further argument to establish the advantage English language has brought to people at the international level.

     English is increasingly used in commercial transactions throughout the globe. It is the language of the latest business management in the world, and proficiency in English has brought laurels to many business managers, software engineers, hotel managers and other professional all over the world. English has also become a means for inter-state commerce and communication.

     All the facts of history and developments in present-day Asia and Africa underline the continued importance of learning English in addition to vernaculars. Besides, English is available to us as a historical heritage in addition to our own languages. It is for us to make the best use of English to develop ourselves culturally and materially so that we can compete with the best in the world of mind and matter. English language is rightly said to be our window to the world.

     English language is one tool to establish our viewpoint. We can learn from others’ experience. We can check the theories of foreigners against our experience. We can reject the untenable and accept the tenable. We can also propagate our theories among the international audiences and readers.

     We can make use of English to promote our world view and spiritual heritage throughout the globe. Swami Vivekananda established the greatness of Indian view of religion at the world conference of religions in Chicago in 1893. He addressed the gathering in impressive English.

READING

The role of English in teaching, not just English Language Teaching (ELT), but in other subjects as well invaluable. The textbooks of Economics, History, Geography, Business Management, Pure and Applied Sciences are mostly available in English. A good knowledge of English helps the teachers in the readings  of texts from books, and additional specialist readings on the subject by means of publications of authors from different parts of the world, mostly in English, online or otherwise. Besides, it makes it easier for teachers to elaborate on the topic, increases their own knowledge and proves an excellent means of transfer of knowledge. An additional advantage for teachers and students in that certain technical words in English have a universal acceptance and are easy to understand too.

     Reading is not just limited to the academic field, it extends to personal reading too, and in a big way. Look at the number of newspapers published daily; the readership runs into several millions worldwide. Besides, there are magazines, periodicals, e-zines, which too have a huge readership.

WRITING

For common people, the ability to write simple and correct English is of general usefulness. In today’s globalized world, opportunities galore for people who want to take a job, start a business, or be a professional of sorts. Those having some basic qualification, even of undergraduate level with a good working knowledge of English, can easily engage themselves in a vocation of their choice.

     For students it is important to make notes, summarise, complete assignments, etc., for which English writing skills are very important. It also helps them write answers to questions in the examination. For students of distance learning in any university in the world, a good knowledge of English with basics of grammar is even more important, because they do no get the facility of classroom lectures or regular interaction with other students. Students need to be grammatically correct in their answers whatever be their subject otherwise marks are deducted. You must not believe if someone tells you to the contrary, because it is you who will suffer.

SPOKEN ENGLISH/ 

LISTENING

Speaking impressive English opens the floodgates of opportunities like nothing else does. In some professions like media, call centres, lectureship, politics, the great importance of ability to speak fluent and correct English is a fact that everyone recognises. In other professions too, this ability pays rich dividends. Good communication skills are the key to success. Good and relevant questions elicit right answers. Experienced teachers and professors say that generally, students who have some confidence in their spoken English are more actively engaged in classroom activities than those who are not.

VERBAL AND WRITTEN

COMMUNICATION

Verbal communication refers to the use of sounds and language to relay a message. It serves as a vehicle for expressing ideas, concepts, feelings, desires, etc. It is vital to almost every human activity, from personal to official, to business, to business and professional. It is at the heart of the processes of learning and teaching. Interpersonal communication and public speaking are the two basic types of verbal communication. According to Jeff Snyder, “Verbal and written communication skills become critically important skills to master in the workplace. What does it matter what you know if you cannot illustrate it in writing or in spoken word to your superiors, subordinates or peers in the workplace?”

     When major corporates ask their executive recruiters to recruit technology professionals for their organisations, they often call upon an external recruiter to help them identify candidates who have both the required technical skills and exceptionally strong verbal and written communication. Companies place a high enough value on exceptional verbal and written communication skills to engage executive recruiters to assist in identifying candidates who possess such skills.

     When communicating with an HR person in a company you wish to work for, or when communicating with an external recruiter for the first time, the written communication you choose to deliver information will serve as a first impression that cannot be taken away. Thus, it is extremely important that while sending an initial email to a recruiter, time is taken to write in complete sentences and to check spelling and grammar. The message you send should present a business case, so that the recruiter may want to reach out to you.

     World renowned personal business consultant Brian Tracy in Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life says the highest paid intelligence in the United States is interpersonal intelligence. A person with such intelligence understands people’s feelings and desires – and employers pay big bucks for someone with these skills.

     In short, better communication leads to increased business, enhanced quality of work due to better feedback, smooth flow of information in the organisation, timely application of latest technology and new rules, etc. Poor communication creates confusion, brings uncertainties and puts roadblocks in the way to success.

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCES

 ON ENGLISH

As an international language, English is subject to influences from other languages and usages. It has adopted a number of words from other languages, e.g. beleaguered and bulwark from Dutch, rendezvous and portmanteau from French, bizarre and bonanza from Spanish, blitz and leitmotif  from German, and honcho and tsunami from Japanese. English continues to do so as it spreads to hitherto uncharted areas. The regional tinge is more visible in spoken English, but in written English too some variations have been seen owing to local usage. While it cannot be wholly avoided, it is necessary on the part of grammarians and authors to protect the great legacy of this wonderful language and save it from becoming a cocktail of propagating the basic correct rules and forms that go with English grammar and syntax. It is because of the efforts of eminent authors, editors, professors, grammarians, and linguists that English has been able to hold its place with all its beauty and strength.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Merriam Webster defines grammar as “the study of the classes of words, their inflections, and their functions and relations in the sentence; a study of what is to be preferred and what avoided in inflection and syntax; a system of rules that defines the grammatical structure of a language.”

Many other celebrated writers have expressed various opinions on English grammar. A look at those opinions will help us from a comprehensive view of English grammar. Whitney says, “English grammar is a description of the usages of the English language by good speakers and writers of the present day.” According to Meiklejohn, “A description of account of the nature, build, constitution, or make of a language is called its grammar”, while Patterson states that “English grammar teaches the laws of language, and the right method using it in speaking and writing”. R. Grant White lays emphasis on words and sentences when he says: “The English…grammar relates only to the laws which govern the significant forms of words, and the construction of the sentence.” Written languages use symbols or characters to build words. The entire set of words is the language’s vocabulary. The ways in which the words can be meaningfully combined is defined by the language’s syntax and grammar. The actual meaning of words and combinations of words is defined by the language’s semantics.

English Grammar is the knowledge and use of words, rules and formation of meaningful sentences, placing the words in a proper order, putting the sentences in sequence when required to make a write-up on a topic or issue at hand. An improper string of words will fail to convey any meaning.