Speaking for Success: Developing a Core Skill for Professional Communication among Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Abstract: Speaking skills are a crucial part of the overall development of the current generation of students. It has a significant effect on the academic, personal, and professional growth of a student. In today’s communication-based society, the skill to express or communicate one’s ideas effectively with confidence is a basic necessity. However, the reality is that many undergraduate students, especially in rural Andhra Pradesh, struggle with speaking skills due to fear of making mistakes, lack of confidence, limited exposure to real-life speaking situations, and limited classroom practice. The research questions that this study aims to address are: (1) Why is speaking skill important in academic, personal, and professional settings? (2) How can activity-based interventions help improve speaking skills in undergraduate students? To address these research questions, the study employed an experiential learning design. This was done through Situational Elicitation, JAM, Pair Work and a Group Activity to highlight the relevance of effective speaking in real-life situations. The activities a) Situational Elicitation – a random individual activity to understand various situations that demand effective speaking b) Just-A-Minute (JAM) speaking session as an individual activity to enhance fluency c) Pair Work activity on self-introduction and simulated interviews to develop interpersonal and professional communication skills and d) Group Activity called “Imagine, Create, and Narrate” to promote creativity and narrative skills. The impact of structured speaking activities, interaction, and feedback in overcoming anxiety and performance is stressed in the paper. The results of these activities showed that there were remarkable gains in the students’ fluency, confidence, vocabulary, and overall communicative ability. The conclusion drawn from the study is that the inclusion of systematic development of speaking skills among undergraduate students is essential to equip them to cope with academic requirements, establish effective personal relations, and perform well in their chosen profession.