Several students tirelessly discussed various topics, ranging from TV serials to the performance of Indian cricketers, to showcase their command over the language at the group discussion that was held on the occasion.

Boards on tips for the group discussion at the show came in handy for many.

At another part of the campus, students were seen enacting a skit to point out and correct errors committed while conversing in English. Here too, boards containing information on common errors committed while writing English and which are generally overlooked were displayed.

Stalls that offered spoken English training and interview training by experts in the respective fields also had scores of visitors.

People of different ages welcomed the idea of conducting live demonstration and training for interview skills as it helped refine their communication skills.

Bookstall set up
There was also a bookstall to encourage visitors to buy books on English.

B. Purushothaman, principal of Everwin School, said that the show was hosted due to the need to train children to hone their communication skills, besides academics, especially in the wake of the mushrooming of IT industries and BPOs.

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
Dated December 11, 2006
t was a display with a difference at ‘English on Show’, an exposition that was held at the Everwin Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Kolathur, on Saturday.

On display was everything to do on ‘English’. There were idioms and phrases with meanings and pictorial interpretation, common errors in English and homonyms with picture-supported explanation. An error detector test was also held for the visitors to talk on a topic and find errors, if they commit any.

A live interview was conducted non-stop with three panels of experts in various fields, group discussions and talks from spoken English training experts. That was not all. An open theatre that was set up screened video clippings on personality development and comedy interviews in Tamil and an exhibition of books was also on display.

For the hundreds of students and faculty visitors, this expo was not just an eye-opener as to how less they knew about this language but also a platform to discuss and learn more.

M J Barnabash, V Ganesh and K Aravind from the Velammal Engineering College, Surapet said, “We came to equip ourselves and learn more about communication skills. The displays were extremely informative and it is great take home.”

For Gandhiraj, a lecturer at the RKM Vivekananda College, Mylapore, this was a much needed expo which every school should explore. “We have to catch them young when it comes to English fluency. This is a must in today’s growing IT world,” he stressed. School principal B Purushothaman said that although communication skills have assumed a great significance in today’s world, the school curriculum, sadly, does not provide a right platform for the students to gain these skills.

“Even after schooling, students still find it difficult to pass various job tests that are conducted by the companies for the lack of good communication skills,” he said.

The school had been taking some efforts to bridge this gap by conducting a ‘Power Period’ every day, which enables students to acquire these skills.

“The students are made to spend time to read English newspapers, spell and write English words and even participate in the group discussions. We will be holding more such expos in the future,” he added..