Communicative English as a Vocational Degree Course was
introduced in Gokhale Memorial Girls' College under the aegis of
the then Department of English of the Institution in 1994. In
accordance with the guidelines of the University Grants
Commission, the three-year Course aims at training students for
direct employment after graduation. However, the syllabus and
particularly the revised syllabus which was introduced with the
implementation of the Choice Based Credit System, has ample
scope to orient interested students towards higher studies in
varied disciplines. The introduction of the new syllabus has
witnessed a higher rate of progression to higher education vis-a-vis reflecting a healthy shift to the job sector as well.
The syllabus includes both Theory and Practical components.
Students are taught Language and Pronunciation Skills along with
specialised components of Phonetics and Phonology. Interviewing,
Demonstration Broadcasting, Anchoring and Telecasting Skills are
taught to students both in theoretical and practical capacity.
They are taught to prepare Project Reports and this involves
research and field work as well as first-hand job experience
through a four-week internship in the Media sector. With the
introduction of the CBCS, newer disciplines like Public
Relations (which was part of the syllabus but is taught more in
detail now), Translation Studies, Creative Writing,
Sociolinguistics, Editing, Publishing and Technical Writing
along with Skill Enhancement training enable students to learn
more and have more branches to choose from either while applying
for jobs or for higher studies.
The vision of the Department is to perform a transformative role for the students, foster a spirit of enquiry, articulate social and professional concerns from the curriculum design and scope of the syllabi, set ethical standards in thought, execution and action and enable the making of responsible citizens, thorough professionals and compassionate empathetic human beings.
This Vision merges into the following missions:
The students of this undergraduate discipline are trained both
for entering the professional world after their graduation as
well as to pursue higher studies and research if one has the
aptitude and orientation. In addition, they are, in all
sincerity and as an organised prerogative, taught soft skills
practically on every-lecture basis which they are able to
successfully execute when they go for job interviews or actually
embark on a professional journey thereafter. In addition to all
forms of qualitative and quantitative skill enhancement, life
skills and other motivational guidelines which are provided
always reflect in the behaviour and overall personality of the
students. Not just confidence but empathy, not just competence
but compassion and patience can all be seen in the students as
and when they graduate. The mentoring sessions with students
prepare them furthermore to confront the difficulties in their
way.
As far as the core curriculum is concerned, it is currently
under the Choice Based Credit System and the immediate outcomes
include:
Students are not only well-trained in all the aspects that were
covered by the (1+1+1) system but also learn new and varied
courses under the semester system of undergraduate studies.
They are taught more courses, topics and areas of study over a
period of a year than earlier (i.e., two semesters per academic
year) and although covering the syllabus may sometimes be a
challenge sometimes, it is very enriching for both teachers and
students. In addition to the basic components of Reading,
Listening, Speaking and Writing, they study more
skill-enhancement courses and topics to further add to the basic
training. Along with technical writing, essay and article
writing along with business correspondence, they are taught
travel writing, review writing, blog writing, travel and
lifestyle narrative-writing, among others. They are taught
components with both academic and professional merit like
Translation Studies, Editing, Proofreading, Copywriting,
Sociolinguistics and so on. They are trained in Media studies
with topics covering history of media, scope, prospects and
features to commercial demonstrations, anchoring across all
formats, public announcements and so
on. Students are also offered a course on English Language
Training to enable them to become language trainers. They are
also trained to enter the professional world via On-the-job
training. They are also trained to conduct surveys and prepare
reports. Overall, they are taught to apply their soft skills and
life skills in practical situations and after the duration of
three years, they are able to apply their emotional and academic
growth in their professional life.
Students from this department have graduated with distinction. The success rate of students in the subject is 100% and they make the Department proud by securing First Class marks on most occasions and also becoming University rank holders. On account of the training received, students of this department have been absorbed in as varied professional fields as public relations, teaching, mass media and print journalism, as well as front-desk, customer care and sales positions. They have been employed by Media Houses like Telegraph, NDTV, Corporate Houses like Lakme Enterprises, Jalan Distributors etc. Many are working in the IT sector companies such as TCS, IBM, WIPRO. All Communicative English students are required to take up English and either Philosophy or History as their elective subjects and find employment in schools too. Those interested in higher studies have opted for a post-graduate degree in Linguistics, Film Studies etc. Students from this department have graduated with distinction and the majority has been absorbed in as varied professional fields as public relations, teaching, mass media and print journalism, as well as front-desk, customer care and sales positions. Some students are also pursuing their doctoral degrees. Students have also cracked CAT/MAT and are pursuing MBA.
Department of Communicative English
Gokhale Memorial Girls' College
1/1, Harish Mukherjee Road
Kolkata - 700020
Department Mail:
ce@gokhalecollegekolkata.edu.in
College Mail:
gokhalecollegekolkata@gmail.com
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