General English Language Skills-2 T-2

Syllabus topics (RTMNU)

• 1.1 Listening vs Hearing, Types of Listening [Listening to pre-recorded audios/ YouTube Videos on Interviews/ Conversations/ Motivational Speech]
• 1.2 Situational Communication: Introducing your family and friends
• 1.3 Reading Skills: Reading and Note-taking
• 1.4 Writing Skills: Summarizing and Precis Writing

1.1 Listening vs Hearing, Types of Listening

Hearing is a physical process. Sound enters our ears and we notice it. It happens automatically, even when we do not want it. Listening is a mental process. We pay attention, understand the meaning and respond. Listening needs effort and interest.

Types of Listening

• Active listening – full attention, nodding, asking questions, giving feedback.
• Passive listening – listening without responding, e.g. radio in the background.
• Informative listening – listening to learn facts, e.g. news, lectures.
• Critical (evaluative) listening – judging whether the message is true, logical or useful, e.g. a sales talk or a political speech.
• Empathetic listening – understanding the speaker's feelings, e.g. a friend sharing a problem.
• Appreciative listening – listening for enjoyment, e.g. music, poetry, a motivational speech.
• Selective listening – hearing only what we want to hear (a bad habit).

Practice (as in the syllabus): listen to recorded interviews, conversations and motivational speeches. Note the main idea, key words and the speaker's tone.

Tips for good listening: keep eye contact, do not interrupt, avoid mobile phones, note key points, ask questions at the end.

1.2 Situational Communication: Introducing your family and friends

Situational communication means using the right words for a given situation. Introducing people is a common daily situation. It should be polite and clear.

Useful expressions

• Introducing yourself: "Hello, I am Riya. I am from Nagpur."
• Introducing others: "This is my brother, Amit." / "Let me introduce my friend, Sana." / "I'd like you to meet my father."
• Responding: "Nice to meet you." / "Pleased to meet you." / "Glad to meet you too."

Sample dialogue

Rahul: Hi Neha! Let me introduce my mother. Mummy, this is Neha, my classmate.

Mother: Hello Neha, nice to meet you.

Neha: Namaste aunty, pleased to meet you. Rahul often talks about you.

Rahul: And this is my friend Karan. He plays cricket for our college.

Neha: Hi Karan, glad to meet you.

Tips: say the name clearly; add one detail (relation, job, hobby); introduce the younger person to the elder first; smile and shake hands or greet politely.

1.3 Reading Skills: Reading and Note-taking

Reading is understanding the meaning of written text. Main reading techniques:

• Skimming – reading quickly to get the general idea.
• Scanning – reading quickly to find a particular fact, e.g. a date or name.
• Intensive reading – careful, detailed reading for full understanding (textbooks).
• Extensive reading – reading long texts for pleasure (novels, magazines).

Note-taking means writing down the main points of what we read or hear in short form. Notes help in revision and remembering.

Steps in note-taking

1. Read the passage and find the main idea.
2. Give a suitable title.
3. Write main points as headings and sub-points below them (1, 1.1, 1.2 …).
4. Use abbreviations and symbols (e.g. govt. = government, & = and, → = leads to).
5. Do not write full sentences; use key words.

Example: Title: Benefits of Trees. 1. Environment: 1.1 give oxygen, 1.2 reduce pollution. 2. Economy: 2.1 wood, fruit, 2.2 medicine.

1.4 Writing Skills: Summarizing and Precis Writing

A summary is a short version of a text in our own words, giving only its main ideas. A precis is a special, exact summary — usually about one-third of the original length, with a title.

Steps for precis writing

1. Read the passage two or three times.
2. Find the central idea and underline key points.
3. Remove examples, repetitions, quotations and decorations.
4. Write a rough draft in your own words, in third person and past/reported form.
5. Count words; keep it near one-third.
6. Give a suitable title and write the fair copy.

Don'ts: do not add your own opinion; do not copy whole sentences; do not use direct speech.

Mini example: Original (45 words): "Mobile phones have become a part of our lives. We use them to talk, study, pay bills and watch films. But too much use harms our eyes, sleep and family time. So we must use them wisely and for limited hours." Precis (15 words): Mobile Phones – Mobiles are useful in many ways, but overuse harms health, so use them wisely.

Likely exam questions

1. (Long, SAQ (about 50 words, 5 marks)) Distinguish between hearing and listening. Explain any three types of listening.
2. (Long, SAQ (about 50 words, 5 marks)) What is a precis? Write the steps of precis writing.
3. (Short, VSAQ (1 mark)) What is scanning in reading?
4. (Short, VSAQ (1 mark)) Write one polite sentence to introduce your friend to your father.
5. (Short, VSAQ (1 mark)) What is the usual length of a precis compared to the original passage?

Syllabus topics (RTMNU)

• 2.1 And the Dream Bird by Sudhanya Tripura, translated by Dibyendu Nag
• 2.2 The Best Investment I Ever Made by A. J. Cronin
• Integrated Language Skills: Word formation and Subject-verb agreement (Ref: Oxford Practice Grammar with Answers, 2nd ed., 1999, OUP)

2.1 And the Dream Bird – Sudhanya Tripura (translated by Dibyendu Nag)

About the writer: Sudhanya Tripura is a writer from the state of Tripura in North-East India. He writes in Kokborok, the language of the Tripuri (Borok) people. This piece was translated into English by Dibyendu Nag. The English translation appeared in Indian Literature, the journal of the Sahitya Akademi (2005). It is a short poetic piece (it is placed in the Prose unit of our syllabus).

Background: Kokborok writing is closely linked with the hills, rivers, forests and birds of Tripura. Writers in this tradition use nature to express memory, identity and the hopes of their people. Birds often appear in Kokborok poetry as symbols.

Central idea (in simple words): The piece is built around the image of a "dream bird". A dream bird is not a real bird; it stands for a person's dreams, hopes and longings. The speaker waits for this bird and imagines it coming down to him. Through it, the writer expresses the wish for a better, happier life and a deep bond with his land and people.

Themes

• Dreams and hope – the bird is a symbol of hope that keeps a person alive.
• Nature and the homeland – the natural world of Tripura is close to the writer's heart.
• Imagination – dreams give freedom, like a bird's flight.
• Tribal / regional identity – the piece brings a North-East Indian voice into English through translation.

Literary points

• Symbol: the dream bird = hope, desire, freedom.
• Imagery: pictures from nature (sky, flight, the land).
• Translation: it shows how Indian literature in regional languages reaches all readers through English.

2.2 The Best Investment I Ever Made – A. J. Cronin

About the author: Archibald Joseph Cronin (1896–1981) was a Scottish doctor and novelist. Famous novels: Hatter's Castle (1931), The Stars Look Down (1935), The Citadel (1937), The Keys of the Kingdom. This story comes from his own life as a young doctor in London.

Summary

The narrator (Cronin) is travelling on a ship across the Atlantic. A quiet, shy passenger keeps looking at him. Later this man, Mr. John S., and his wife talk to him. They come from a small suburb of London. He and his wife run an organisation that helps poor boys and girls from city slums who come before the juvenile courts. They had gone to America (New England and New York) to study youth camps and how cities handle such children.

When Cronin asks what made him choose this work, the man asks, "So you still do not remember me?" Then Cronin remembers. Years ago, as a young doctor in a working-class area of London, a police sergeant woke him late one night. A young man had tried to kill himself with gas in his rented room. Cronin and the sergeant worked hard for a long time to bring him back to life.

The young man told his story. He was an orphan who worked as a clerk in a solicitor's office. In London he fell into bad company and began betting on horses. He lost his savings, owed money to a bookmaker, and then took seven pounds ten shillings from the office safe for one last bet. He lost it. In fear and shame, he tried to end his life.

The sergeant could have reported him (attempted suicide was a crime then). But the three people present decided to give him a second chance. The sergeant did not report the case, the landlady offered him free food and lodging for a month, and Cronin gave him the money to put back in the safe. That young man was John S. He became an honest, respected man who now helps other troubled young people. Cronin feels that this small sum was the best investment he ever made.

Themes and message

• Kindness and compassion can change a whole life.
• Second chance – people who make mistakes can reform.
• True investment is in human beings, not in money; it gives happiness, not anxiety.
• Social service – one good deed leads to many good deeds (John S. helps hundreds of youths).

Characters

• The narrator (Dr. Cronin) – kind, generous doctor.
• John S. – once a weak, misguided clerk; later a grateful, responsible social worker.
• The police sergeant – humane; puts mercy before rules.
• The landlady – kind and helpful.

Technique: the story uses a flashback – it begins in the present (on the ship) and goes back to the past.

Integrated Language Skills: Word Formation

Word formation means making new words from existing words.

• Prefix (added at the start): happy → unhappy, do → redo, legal → illegal.
• Suffix (added at the end): kind → kindness, teach → teacher, care → careful.
• Compounding (two words join): class + room → classroom, sun + flower → sunflower.
• Conversion (same word, new class): a text (noun) → to text (verb).
• Clipping: examination → exam, telephone → phone.
• Blending: breakfast + lunch → brunch; smoke + fog → smog.
• Acronym: NASA, UNESCO.

Integrated Language Skills: Subject-Verb Agreement

The verb must agree with its subject in number (singular/plural) and person.

1. Singular subject → singular verb: She writes neatly. Plural subject → plural verb: They write neatly.
2. Two subjects joined by and → plural: Ram and Shyam are friends.
3. Either…or / neither…nor → verb agrees with the nearer subject: Neither the teacher nor the students were late.
4. Each, every, everyone, nobody → singular: Each of the boys has a pen.
5. Words between subject and verb do not change it: The box of mangoes is heavy.
6. Collective nouns usually take a singular verb: The team is ready.

Likely exam questions

1. (Long, SAQ (about 50 words, 5 marks)) Why does Dr. Cronin call his help to John S. 'the best investment I ever made'?
2. (Long, SAQ (about 50 words, 5 marks)) What does the 'dream bird' stand for in Sudhanya Tripura's piece? Explain briefly.
3. (Short, VSAQ (1 mark)) How much money had the young clerk stolen from the office safe?
4. (Short, VSAQ (1 mark)) Form a noun from 'kind' by adding a suffix.
5. (Short, VSAQ (1 mark)) Correct the sentence: 'Each of the students have a book.'

Syllabus topics (RTMNU)

• 3.1 The Toy by Coventry Patmore
• 3.2 Laugh and Be Merry by John Masefield

3.1 The Toy – Coventry Patmore

About the poet: Coventry Patmore (1823–1896) was an English Victorian poet. He is best known for The Angel in the House, a long poem on married love. "The Toys" (also called "The Toy") appears in his collection The Unknown Eros (1877). It was written after the death of his first wife, Emily, which left him alone with young children.

Summary

The speaker is a father. His little son, who has thoughtful eyes and speaks quietly like a grown-up, disobeys him for the seventh time. The father loses his temper. He hits the boy and sends him away without a kiss. The boy's mother, who was always patient, is dead.

Later, the father feels sorry and worried that the child cannot sleep in sorrow. He goes to the boy's room. The child is asleep, but his eyelashes are still wet from crying. Near the bed, on a small table, the boy has arranged his little treasures to comfort himself — a box of counters, a red-veined stone, a piece of glass worn smooth by the sea, some shells, a bottle with bluebells and two French copper coins. These simple things were his comfort in his sadness.

That night, the father prays with tears. He thinks of how God sees human beings. We too play with "toys" — worldly things like money, fame and pleasure — and we disobey God. Yet God, our heavenly Father, understands how childish we are. The father hopes that, just as he forgave his son, God will forgive us and say that He is not angry.

Themes

• Love between father and child; anger followed by regret.
• Forgiveness and mercy – human forgiveness reflects God's mercy.
• Human weakness – adults are like children before God; our worldly joys are "toys".
• Loss and loneliness – a motherless child and a lonely father.

Poetic devices

• Form: an irregular ode with lines of different lengths (free, uneven rhyme).
• Analogy / comparison: father–son relationship compared to God–man relationship.
• Imagery: wet eyelashes, the toys on the table.
• Symbol: the toys = worldly pleasures of grown-up people.

3.2 Laugh and Be Merry – John Masefield

About the poet: John Masefield (1878–1967) was an English poet and novelist. He was Poet Laureate of Britain from 1930 to 1967. His famous poems include "Sea-Fever" and "Cargoes". He went to sea as a young man, and his poems are simple, musical and full of life.

Summary

The poet asks us to laugh and be merry. Life is short, so we should not waste it in worry and sadness. He says that God made the world in a mood of joy; the stars, the sky and the whole universe were created in happiness. So joy is natural and right.

He compares life to a short stay at a beautiful inn: we are guests here only for a little while. Like a party with music, life goes on for some time and then ends. So, while the music plays, we should be happy together, like brothers. We should make the world better with a song, fight our troubles with laughter, and be proud to belong to the long, old story of mankind.

Themes

• Joy and optimism – happiness is the best way to live.
• Shortness of life – life is brief, so enjoy it (a "seize the day" idea).
• Brotherhood – share happiness with others.
• Joy in God's creation – the world was made with delight.

Poetic devices

• Refrain / repetition: "laugh and be merry" is repeated.
• Metaphor: life as a stay in an inn; life as music and dance.
• Rhyme and rhythm: regular rhyme and a lively, song-like rhythm.
• Tone: cheerful, encouraging.
• Life skill: the poem teaches a positive attitude and stress-free living.

Compare the two poems

Likely exam questions

1. (Long, SAQ (about 50 words, 5 marks)) How does the father in 'The Toy' compare his relationship with his son to man's relationship with God?
2. (Long, SAQ (about 50 words, 5 marks)) What is the message of John Masefield's 'Laugh and Be Merry'?
3. (Short, VSAQ (1 mark)) Why did the father in 'The Toy' send his son to bed without a kiss?
4. (Short, VSAQ (1 mark)) Name any two toys the child kept near his bed in 'The Toy'.
5. (Short, VSAQ (1 mark)) To what does Masefield compare our short stay in the world?

Syllabus topics (RTMNU)

• 4.1 Developing Self-knowledge
• 4.2 Professionalism

4.1 Developing Self-knowledge

Self-knowledge means knowing yourself well — your strengths, weaknesses, values, interests, habits and feelings. The Greek saying "Know thyself" shows its importance. A person who knows himself or herself makes better choices in study, career and relationships.

Why it is important

• Helps in choosing the right career and goals.
• Builds self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Helps to control emotions (anger, fear).
• Improves relationships, because we understand our behaviour.

How to develop self-knowledge

1. Self-reflection: think daily about what you did and why.
2. Write a diary/journal.
3. SWOT analysis: list your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
4. Take feedback from teachers, parents and friends honestly.
5. Try new activities to find hidden talents.
6. Know your values – honesty, hard work, kindness.

Example (SWOT of a student): Strength – good at speaking; Weakness – poor time management; Opportunity – college debate club; Threat – too much mobile use.

Johari Window (a simple model): Open self (known to me and others), Blind self (known to others, not to me), Hidden self (known to me, not to others), Unknown self (known to nobody). Feedback and sharing increase the open self.

Areas of self-knowledge

• Physical self – your health, energy, habits of sleep and food.
• Emotional self – what makes you happy, angry or nervous.
• Intellectual self – how you learn best (reading, listening, doing).
• Social self – how you behave with friends, family and strangers.
• Values and beliefs – what you think is right and important.

Barriers to self-knowledge

• Ego – not accepting our faults.
• Comparing ourselves with others all the time.
• Fear of criticism; not asking for feedback.
• Too much distraction (mobile, social media) and no time to think.

Model paragraph (written for practice): "I know that I am a good listener and my friends trust me. But I often delay my work till the last day. To improve, I now make a daily timetable and finish small tasks first. Knowing my weakness has helped me become more confident and organised."

Self-knowledge and career choice

When a student knows his or her interests and abilities, choosing a career becomes easier. For example, a student who enjoys talking to people and is patient may do well in teaching, sales or social work. A student who likes working alone with details may prefer accounts, research or computer work. Interest tests, talks with teachers and short internships help to discover this.

4.2 Professionalism

Professionalism means behaving in a responsible, skilled and respectful way at work or in study. It is not only about clothes; it is about attitude and conduct.

Qualities of a professional

• Punctuality – being on time.
• Responsibility and accountability – owning your work and mistakes.
• Honesty and integrity – being truthful and ethical.
• Competence – knowing your job and improving skills.
• Respect – polite behaviour with everyone.
• Good communication – clear, polite speech and emails.
• Proper appearance – neat, suitable dress.
• Teamwork and self-control under pressure.

Do's and Don'ts

Example: A student who submits assignments on time, attends classes regularly, speaks politely and admits mistakes is showing professionalism even before getting a job.

Professionalism in college life

• Attend lectures on time and come prepared.
• Write polite, clear emails or messages to teachers (use a greeting, the subject, your name and roll number).
• Do your own assignments honestly; do not copy.
• Respect deadlines, rules and other people's time.

Sample professional message

Subject: Request for leave on 5 November

Respected Sir, I request leave on 5 November as I have to attend my cousin's wedding. I will complete the missed work. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Priya Sharma, B.A. Sem I, Roll No. 24.

Professional ethics

Ethics are moral rules at work: be fair to all, do not take bribes or gifts for favours, protect the company's and clients' private information, and report wrongdoing. A professional is trusted because he or she follows these rules even when nobody is watching.

Benefits of professionalism

• Earns trust and respect.
• Gives better chances of jobs and promotion.
• Creates a peaceful and productive workplace.
• Builds a good personal image (reputation).

Likely exam questions

1. (Long, SAQ (about 50 words, 5 marks)) What is self-knowledge? How can a student develop it?
2. (Long, SAQ (about 50 words, 5 marks)) Explain any five qualities of a professional.
3. (Short, VSAQ (1 mark)) What does SWOT stand for?
4. (Short, VSAQ (1 mark)) Define professionalism in one sentence.
5. (Short, VSAQ (1 mark)) Name the four parts of the Johari Window.