Common Pool of Generic Electives (GE) Courses
Offered by Department of English
Category - IV
GENERIC ELECTIVES LANGUAGE (GE Language-1)
Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course
Course title Credi Credit distribution of the Eligibility Pre- Department
& Code ts course criteria requisite
Lecture Tutorial Practical/ of the
Practice course
English 4 3 1 0 Class XII NIL English
Language pass
Through
Literature- I
Learning Objectives
The Learning Objectives of this course are as follows:
This course aims to:
1. develop in students the ability and confidence to process, understand and examine different
kinds of texts-verbal and written-that they encounter in everyday life.
2. enable students to identify and understand social contexts and ethical frameworks in the texts
they encounter.
3. encourage suitable research–to recognize sources; to distinguish fact from
opinion/editorialization; produce objective versus subjective pieces.
Learning outcomes
The Learning Outcomes of this course are as follows:
1. learn skilled comprehension; listening/reading; skimming; summarizing; précis writing;
paraphrasing; note making.
2. identify key topics/arguments/ideas
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3. accomplish writing goals: creating an essay; writing a thesis statement; producing topic
sentences; developing organised paragraphs; evolving the skill of producing suitable
transitions between paragraphs.
4. enable students to write in expository argumentative and descriptive modes.
5. help students identify and use the characteristic features of various writing forms: letters;
programmes reports/press-releases; newspaper; feature articles; fiction and nonfiction.
6. enable students to choose between expository, argumentative, descriptive and narrative
writing styles to assemble their own writing.
7. inculcate confident expression: to enable students to articulate their own views confidently as
their language skills sufficiently empower them to converse, research and collate information
from various textual sources, be these verbal or written.
SYLLABUS OF GE Language-1
UNIT– I Understanding Everyday Texts (20 hours)
1. Edwards, Adrian ‘Forced displacement worldwide at its highest in decades’
UNHCRorgUNHCR http://wwwunhcrorg/afr/news/stories/2017/6/5941561f4/forced-
displacement-worldwide-its-highest-decadeshtml# Accessed 1st June, 2022
2. Jadhav, Radheshyam ‘Groom wanted: Trader peon…anyone but a farmer’ Times News
Network. 1st Jan, 2018
https://timesofindiaindiatimescom/city/chandigarh/groom-wanted-trader-peonanyone-but-
afarmer/articleshow/62321832cms Accessed 1st June, 2022
3. Knapton, Sarah ‘Selfitis’ -- the obsessive need to post selfies-- is a genuine mental disorder
say psychologists’ The Telegraph. 15th December 2017
https://wwwtelegraphcouk/science/2017/12/15/selfitis-obsessive-need-post-selfies-
genuinemental-disorder/ Accessed 1st June 2022
4. ‘13 letters every parent every child should read on Children’s Day’ The Indian Express. 10th
November 2014
http://indianexpresscom/article/lifestyle/feelings/12-letters-every-parent-every-child-
shouldread-on-childrens-day/ Accessed 1st June 2022
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UNIT – II Understanding Drama (20 hours)
1. Lakshmi, CS. (i) ‘Ambai’ (ii) ‘Crossing the River’, Staging Resistance: Plays by Women in
Translation. Ed. Tutun Mukherjee, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
UNIT – III Understanding Poetry (20 hours)
1. Angelou, Maya. ‘Caged Bird’, The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou. New
York: Random House Inc, 1994.
2. Ezekiel, Nissim. ‘Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa TS’, Collected Poems. New Delhi:
Oxford University Press, 2005.
3. Okara, Gabriel. ‘Once Upon a Time’, Gabriel Okara: Collected Poems. Nebraska:
University of Nebraska, 2016.
4. Lawrence, DH. ‘Last Lesson of the Afternoon’, The Complete Poems of DH Lawrence.
Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions, 1994.
Practical component (if any) -
Not applicable
GENERIC ELECTIVES LANGUAGE (GE Language-2)
Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course
Course Credits Credit distribution of the course Eligibility Pre-requisite
title & Lecture Tutorial Practical/ criteria of the course
Code Practice
English 4 3 1 0 Class XII NIL
Language pass
Through
Literature-
II
Learning Objectives
The Learning Objectives of this course are as follows:
This course aims to:
1. develop in students the ability and confidence to process, understand and examine different kinds
of texts-verbal and written-that they encounter in everyday life.
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2. enable students to identify and understand social contexts and ethical frameworks in the texts they
encounter.
3. encourage suitable research–to recognize sources; to distinguish fact from
opinion/editorialization; produce objective versus subjective pieces.
4. learn skilled comprehension; listening/reading; skimming; summarizing; précis writing;
paraphrasing; note making.
5. identify key topics/arguments/ideas
6. accomplish writing goals: creating an essay; writing a thesis statement; producing topic sentences;
developing organised paragraphs; evolving the skill of producing suitable transitions between
paragraphs.
Same course objectives. Need to be chenged
Learning outcomes
This course will:
1. enable students to write in expository argumentative and descriptive modes.
2. help students identify and use the characteristic features of various writing forms: letters;
programmes reports/press-releases; newspaper; feature articles; fiction and nonfiction.
3. enable students to choose between expository, argumentative, descriptive and narrative writing
styles to assemble their own writing.
4. inculcate confident expression: to enable students to articulate their own views confidently as their
language skills sufficiently empower them to converse, research and collate information from
various textual sources, be these verbal or written.
SYLLABUS OF GE Language- 2
UNIT – I Understanding Fiction (20 hours)
1. Kumar E., Santhosh. ‘Three Blind Men describe an Elephant’, Indian Review.
http://indianreviewin/fiction/malayalam-short-stories-three-blind-men-describe-an-elephant-
bye-santhosh-kumar/ Accessed 1st June 2022
2. Mistry, Rohinton. ‘The Ghost of Firozsha Baag’, Tales from Firozsha Bagh. McClelland &
Stewart, 1992.
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3. Joshi, Umashankar. ‘The Last Dung Cake’, The Quilt from the Flea-market and Other
Stories. Delhi: National Book Trust, 2017.
UNIT – II Creating Your Own Voice (20 hours)
1. Powell, Tori B. 'Young people discuss how phones and social media create connection —
and self-doubt: "Compared to them, I am a nobody"' CBS News. Posted 24th May 2022.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mental-health-impacts-phones-social-media/
2. Khanna, Twinkle. ‘Lesson from Frida: Backbone can win over broken spine’ in ‘Mrs.
Funnybones’ The Times of India. 16th September 2018.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/mrsfunnybones/lesson-from-frida-backbone-can-
winover-broken-spine/ Accessed 13th June 2022
UNIT – III Writing your own academic paper (20 hours)
1. Patel, Raj and Moore Jason. ‘How the chicken nugget became the true symbol of our era’
The Guardian, 8th May 2018
https://wwwtheguardiancom/news/2018/may/08/how-the-chicken-nugget-became-the-
truesymbol-of-our-era Accessed 1st June 2022
2. Latest editions of the MLA and APA style sheets
Practical component (if any) -
Not applicable
GENERIC ELECTIVES LANGUAGE (GE Language-3)
Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course
C Credits Credit distribution of the Eligibilit Pre-requisite Departme
ourse course y criteria of the course nt
title & Lecture Tutorial Practical/
Code Practice
Digital 4 3 1 0 Class XII NIL English
Communi pass
cations- I
Learning Objectives
The Learning Objectives of this course are as follows:
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1. This course is for students who intend to understand and learn globally emerging forms of digital
communication in English and effectively communicate in their everyday contexts be it in social
or professional situations.
Learning outcomes
2. The course aims to hone skills for online communication and provide interpersonal skills required
in the digital world.
3. The course will help students effectively present themselves in personal and professional
capacities using online mediums.
SYLLABUS OF GE Language -3
UNIT – I Constructing a Self (20 hours)
1. Creating a personal/professional profile for social media. (Facebook, LinkedIn etc.)
2. Striking up formal, informal conversations (register, tone, vocabulary)
3. Social Media etiquette
UNIT – II Expressing the Self (20 hours)
1. Blogs, Facebook posts (expressing likes and dislikes)
2. Formal and informal correspondence (emails, making announcements on social groups:
expressing/ declining interests, making requests, sharing information).
3. Acknowledging and negotiating opinions
UNIT – III Expressing Visually (20 hours)
1. Introducing oneself in a vlog (how to create a narrative: biography, autobiography)
2. Striking a rapport/connecting with viewers/audience (colloquial language, discourse markers)
3. Moderating content (integrating narrative with visuals/images)
Practical component (if any) -
Not applicable
Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
University of Delhi, from time to time.
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GENERIC ELECTIVES LANGUAGE (GE Language-4)
Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course
Course title & Credits Credit distribution of the Eligibility Pre-requisite
Code course criteria of the course
Lecture Tutorial Practical/
Practice
Digital 4 3 1 0 Class XII NIL
Communications- pass
II
Learning Objectives
The Learning Objectives of this course are as follows:
This course is for students who intend to understand and learn globally emerging forms of digital
communication in English and effectively communicate in their everyday contexts be it in social
or professional situations.
The course aims to hone skills for online communication and provide interpersonal skills required
in the digital world.
Learning outcomes
The course will help students effectively present themselves in personal and professional
capacities using online mediums.
SYLLABUS OF GE Language- 4
UNIT – I Curating Persona (20 hours)
1. Maintaining profiles (continuity: coherence, cohesion)
2. Innovating content (introducing new ideas, opinions, and facts: style and correctness)
3. Content writing (briefs, press releases, podcast scripts: concise, cohesion, coherence, clarity)
UNIT – II Making Institutional Profiles and networks ( 20 hours)
1. Writing about the institution (describing and assessing)
2. Building networks (compare, contrast, synthesize)
3. Updating Blogs and Vlogs (discourse markers)
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UNIT – III Online Interactions and Diversity (20 hours)
1. Etiquettes for online interactions (chats, meetings, video conferences).
2. Ethics towards inclusive and integrated participation (addressing gender, ethnicity, special
abilities)
3. Drawing boundaries in communication (obscenities, hostility, addressing disrespectful
comments and feedback: changing register and tone of communication)
Practical component (if any) -
Not applicable
Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
University of Delhi, from time to time.
GENERIC ELECTIVES LANGUAGE (GE Language-5)
Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course
Course Credits Credit distribution of the Eligibility Pre- Department
title & course criteria requisite
Code Lecture Tutorial Practical/ of the
Practice course
English 4 3 1 0 Class XII NIL English
Fluency- I pass
Learning Objectives
The Learning Objectives of this course are as follows:
1. This course is intended for students who possess basic grammatical and vocabulary skills in
English but may not be able to effectively communicate in their everyday contexts.
2. The course aims to equip them with skills that will help them interact with people around their
personal, institutional and social spaces.
Learning outcomes
The course will help students to:
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1. describe or express their opinions on topics of personal interest such as their experiences of
events, their hopes and ambitions.
2. read and understand information on topical matters and explain the advantages and
disadvantages of a situation.
3. write formal letters, personal notes, blogs, reports and texts on familiar matters.
4. comprehend and analyse texts in English.
5. organise and write paragraphs and short essays in a variety of rhetorical styles
SYLLABUS OF GE-5
UNIT – I In the domestic sphere (20 hours)
1. Diary
2. Modifiers, Prepositions, Conjunctions
3. Write a diary entry and convert it into a blog post
4. Convert a transcript/ script/ piece of dialogue into a diary entry/ blog post
Readings:
1. Morgan, Esther. ‘The Lost Word’, New Writing. ed. Penelope Lively and George Szirtes,
Picador India, 2001.
2. Sharma, Natasha. Squiggle Gets Stuck: All About Muddled Sentences. India: Penguin Books
Limited, 2016.
UNIT – II In the University (20 hours)
1. Introducing oneself -- Note-making
2. Pronunciation Intonation – Nouns, Verbs, Articles
3. Blog writing
A. Introduce yourselves as individuals and as groups -- group discussion exercise Take
notes on your fellow students' introductions.
B. Introduce characters from the text you are reading via posters
Readings:
1. Ghose, Premola. Tales of Historic Delhi. Zubaan, 2011.
UNIT – III In public places (20 hours)
1. CV Job applications
2. Tenses and concord
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A. Write the CV of a fictional character
B. Write the perfect job application for your dream job
Readings:
1. Chakrabarti, Nirendranath. ‘Amalkanti’, The Oxford Anthology of Modern Indian Poetry. ed.
Vinay Dharwadkar and A.K. Ramanujan, India: Oxford University Press, 1994.
2. Anand, S., et al. Bhimayana: Incidents in the Life of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. India:
Navayana Pub, 2011. pp 60-71
Practical component (if any) –
Not applicable
Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
University of Delhi, from time to time.
GENERIC ELECTIVES LANGUAGE (GE Language-6)
Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course
Course Credits Credit distribution of the Eligibility Pre- Department
title & course criteria requisite of
Code Lecture Tutorial Practical/ the course
Practice
English 4 3 1 0 Class XII NIL English
Fluency- pass
II
Learning Objectives
The Learning Objectives of this course are as follows:
1. This course is intended for students who possess basic grammatical and vocabulary skills in
English but may not be able to effectively communicate in their everyday contexts.
2. The course aims to equip them with skills that will help them interact with people around their
personal, institutional and social spaces.
Learning outcomes
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The course will help students to:
1. describe or express their opinions on topics of personal interest such as their experiences of
events, their hopes and ambitions.
2. read and understand information on topical matters and explain the advantages and disadvantages
of a situation.
3. write formal letters, personal notes, blogs, reports and texts on familiar matters.
4. comprehend and analyse texts in English.
5. organise and write paragraphs and short essays in a variety of rhetorical styles
SYLLABUS OF GE Language- 6
UNIT – I In the State (20 hours)
1. Research -- Filing an FIR, making an RTI request, submitting a consumer complaint
2. Active & Passive voice; idioms.
A. Find out what the procedure is for making a complaint about trees being cut in your
neighbourhood.
B. Draft a formal letter requesting information about the disbursal of funds collected by a
residents' welfare association
Readings:
1. Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. UK: Random House, 2000. 2.
2. https://rtionline.gov.in/
3. www.jaagore.com/know-your-police/procedure-of-filing-fir
4. www.consumercomplaints.in/municipal-corporation-of-delhi-b100274
UNIT – II Interface with Technology (20 hours)
1. Book/film reviews
2. Punctuation
A. Write a review of a text you have read in class.
B. Record a collaborative spoken-word review of the latest film your group have all seen.
Readings:
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1. Kennedy, Elizabeth. "Breakdown and Review of 'Where the Wild Things Are'." ThoughtCo.
Posted 3rd July, 2019.
2. https://www.thoughtco.com/where-the-wild-things-are-maurice-sendak-626391 Accessed 1st
June, 2022
3. Brown, Dan. Angels & Demons. UK: Pocket Books, 2000.
4. Angels & Demons. dir. Ron Howard, 2009
UNIT – III Self-Representation (20 hours)
1. Introducing oneself, giving and seeking information.
2. Introduce characters from the texts you are reading.
3. Creating a profile for social media.
4. Creating a professional profile of oneself.
5. Dialogue writing, Paragraph writing – Brainstorming, planning/outline rough drafts,
editing.
6. Intercultural Communication
Readings:
1. "To Jyotiba, From Savitribai Phule: These Aren't Love Letters, But Tell You What Love Is
All About", Scroll.In. Posted 14th February, 2016. https://scroll.in/article/801848/to-jyotiba-
from-savitribai-phule-these-arent-love-letters-buttellyou-what-love-is-all-about Accessed on
1st June 2022.
2. Sharma, Natasha. Squiggle Takes a Walk: All About Punctuation. Penguin/Young Zubaan
and Puffin, 2014.
3. Lorde, Audre. ‘The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action’, Sister Outsider.
NY: Random House, 1984. pp 40-44
4. Haroun and the Sea of Stories: Salman Rushdie. New Delhi: Penguin Books, 1991. pp 15-23
Practical component (if any) -
Not applicable
Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
University of Delhi, from time to time.
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GENERIC ELECTIVES LANGUAGE (GE Language-7)
Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course
Course Credits Credit distribution of the Eligibility Pre- Department
title & course criteria requisite
Code Lecture Tutorial Practical/ of the
Practice course
Developing 4 3 1 0 Class XII NIL English
English pass
Language
Skills- I
Learning Objectives
The Learning Objectives of this course are as follows:
This course is intended for students who have had inadequate exposure to English and hence
exhibit a very low level of proficiency in the language – difficulty in comprehending simple texts,
limited vocabulary, a poor grasp of basic syntactical structures, and an inability to speak or write
the language with confidence. The course that is spread over two semesters aims to redress these
issues and aims to:
1. enhance comprehension skills and enrich vocabulary through the reading of short and simple
passages with suitable tasks built around these.
2. introduce simple syntactical structures and basic grammar to students through contextualized
settings and ample practice exercises so that they can engage in short independent compositions.
NOTE:
Learning outcomes
The unit names are indicative only and identify core language areas that are targeted through the
course. The learning of various language skills needs to happen in an integrated fashion. It is,
therefore, imperative that for every unit, learners should work through the whole range of tasks
in the prescribed readings.
3. The students will identify the sounds of the language and the essentials of English pronunciation
to students in order to remove the inhibitions experienced by them while speaking English.
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4. Students will acquire the social formulae used to perform various everyday functions so that
they can converse in English in simple situations.
SYLLABUS OF GE Language-7
UNIT – I Reading & Vocabulary–I (20 hours)
1. Strategies for language learning;
2. various ways of reading;
3. understanding different text types like newspaper articles, poems, stories, etc. through a
variety of textual tasks such as reading aloud, sentence completion, true/false activities,
reordering jumbled sentences, supplying alternative titles, short comprehension questions,
etc.
Readings:
1. A Foundation English Course for Undergraduates: Book II. Delhi: University of Delhi,
1992. pp 8–10, 47–49
2. Developing Language Skills I. Delhi: Manohar, 1997. pp 61–69
3. English at the Workplace. Delhi: Macmillan, 2006. pp 1–3, 16–20 4. Everyday English.
Delhi: Pearson, 2005. pp 21–31
4. Everyday English 2. Delhi: Foundation Books, 2006. pp 95 – 100
UNIT – II Writing & Grammar–I (20 hours)
1. Understanding the structure of written texts by identifying topic sentences and supporting
details.
2. summarizing passages
3. expanding ideas, subjects and topics
4. the steps involved in the process of good writing.
5. Revising key topics in grammar: subject - verb agreement, tenses, articles, prepositions
Readings:
1. A Foundation English Course for Undergraduates: Book III. Delhi: University of Delhi,
1993. pp 119–125
2. Developing Language Skills I. Delhi: Manohar, 1997. pp 186–195, 209–216
3. Developing Language Skills 2, Delhi: Doaba House, 1995. pp 76–88
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4. English at the Workplace. Delhi: Macmillan, 2006. pp 38–42
5. English at the Workplace II. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007. pp 29–30
UNIT – III Speaking & Listening–I (20 hours)
1. Learning to use language according to situation: the difference between formal and
informal;
2. ways of socializing and showing politeness;
3. expressions used for greetings and asking after, introducing oneself and others, thanking,
wishing well, apologizing and excusing, asking for and giving information, making offers
and requests and giving orders.
Readings:
1. Developing Language Skills I. Delhi: Manohar, 1997. pp 1–26
2. English at the Workplace. Delhi: Macmillan, 2006. pp 10–13
3. English at the Workplace II. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007. pp 5–8, 14–18.
Practical component (if any) -
Not Applicable
Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
University of Delhi, from time to time.
GENERIC ELECTIVES LANGUAGE (GE Language-8)
Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course
Course Credits Credit distribution of the Eligibility Pre- Department
title & course criteria requisite
Code Lecture Tutorial Practical/ of the
Practice course
Developing 4 3 1 0 Class XII NIL English
English pass
Language
Skills- II
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Learning Objectives
The Learning Objectives of this course are as follows:
1. This course is intended for students who have had inadequate exposure to English and hence
exhibit a very low level of proficiency in the language–difficulty in comprehending simple texts,
limited vocabulary, a poor grasp of basic syntactical structures, and an inability to speak or write
the language with confidence.
The course that is spread over two semesters aims to redress these issues and aims to:
1. enhance comprehension skills and enrich vocabulary through the reading of short and simple
passages with suitable tasks built around these.
2. introduce simple syntactical structures and basic grammar to students through contextualized
settings and ample practice exercises so that they can engage in short independent
compositions.
3. introduce the sounds of the language and the essentials of English pronunciation to students in
order to remove the inhibitions experienced by them while speaking English.
Learning outcomes
Students will acquire the social formulae used to perform various everyday functions so that they can
converse in English in simple situations.
The unit names are indicative only and identify core language areas that are targeted through the
course. The learning of various language skills needs to happen in an integrated fashion.
It is, therefore, imperative that for every unit, learners should work through the whole
range of tasks in the prescribed readings
SYLLABUS OF GE Language- 8
UNIT – I Reading & Vocabulary–II (20 hours)
1. Ways of expanding vocabulary;
2. learning how to use a dictionary;
3. understanding more text types such as argumentative and descriptive passages, poetry,
character sketches, etc. through suitable activities based on selected texts
Readings:
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1. A Foundation English Course for Undergraduates: Book III. Delhi: University of Delhi,
1993. pp 5–10, 27–29, 40–44, 81–83 2. Developing Language Skills
2. Delhi: Doaba House, 1995. pp 43–51
3. Everyday English. Delhi: Pearson, 2005. pp 36–43
4. English at the Workplace II. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007. pp 32–37, 46–48
UNIT – II Writing & Grammar–II (20 hours)
1. Understanding what constitutes a piece of good writing;
2. learning to describe objects and processes, narrate incidents and stories, and argue a point
of view.
3. framing of questions and negative sentences; modals and their uses.
Readings:
1. A Foundation English Course for Undergraduates: Book II. Delhi: University of Delhi,
1992. pp 115–130
2. A Foundation English Course for Undergraduates: Book III. Delhi: University of Delhi,
1993. pp 126–136
3. Developing Language Skills I. Delhi: Manohar, 1997. pp 183–186, 206–209
4. Developing Language Skills 2. Delhi: Doaba House, 1995. pp 112–116
5. English at the Workplace II (Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007) pp 49 – 52
UNIT – III Speaking & Listening–II (20 hours)
1. Understanding the essentials of English pronunciation: word stress and rhythm in
connected speech; speaking on the telephone;
2. becoming a better listener;
3. expressions used for getting and giving permission, agreeing and disagreeing, warning
and persuading, inviting, suggesting, accepting and refusing, expressing likes and
dislikes, regulating speech and ending a conversation.
Readings:
1. Developing Language Skills I. Delhi: Manohar, 1997. pp 26–45
2. English at the Workplace. Delhi: Macmillan, 2006. pp 52–57
3. English at the Workplace II. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007. pp 10–13, 20–24, 38–45
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Practical component (if any) -
Not applicable
Essential/recommended readings
Not mentioned
Suggestive readings
Not specified
Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
University of Delhi, from time to time.
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