The Higher Education Review

Great people said 'Silence is golden' and that 'Speech is silver'. Silence has power as exhibited by Gautama Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi. Whether inter-personal or intra- personal, there must be somecommunication because 'nature hates a vacuum' and so do people. Connecting with people is the sole reason for communication. This occurs by sharing their views, thoughts and opinions. Effective communication is regarded as an important factor for anything to occur at all. James Humes, an author and former US presidential speechwriter said, “The art of communication is the language of leadership.” This quote aptly sums up the critical role that communications skills play in any profession.

The Institute of Business Communication and Languages, a soft-skills and language training institute, trains and equips leaders with the gift of communication. The institute offers a dynamic environment for learning the art of communication to students. Tara Nair, Director and Founder, Institute of Business Communication and Languages (IBCL), established the institute to enable students to acquire the language proficiency needed to communicate effectively. The institute initially began with onsite delivery of courses at various institutions and colleges with the name of ‘English for Specific Purposes Academy’ and later changed its name to the IBCL in 2007.

IBCL has now moved from on-site teaching and conducts classes at its own premises with a student centric curriculum, calibrated to meet workplace requirements. The Institute also caters to corporate clients. The curriculum for corporate training is developed in consultation with the relevant organization. Corporate training is delivered both in a classroom format and through workshops, depending on client requirement.entirely on the subjects chosen for study. Consequently, most students passing out of college are perhaps technically competent but lose out on well-paying jobs because of poor language and communication skills. This is the gap that IBCL seeks to fill”, says Nair. The Institute currently offers courses in Communicative English/Hindi, Business English & Business Communication, Professional Writing, and spoken Mandarin. It attracts students not only from around Gurgaon, where it is located, but also students from countries like Columbia and Brazil. The classes for outstation students are conducted through video conferencing.

The language courses are offered at different levels, starting from the beginner’s level. The classes are interactive in nature and offer students opportunities to use and develop their language skills to communicate effectively. There is emphasis on all major aspects of language learning – reading comprehension, listening, speaking, writing and grammar, apart from emphasis on diction, pronunciation and intonation. The courses are divided into modules of 60 hours, spread over approximately 10 weeks.The language courses are offered at different levels, starting from the beginner’s level. The classes are interactive in nature and offer students opportunities to use and develop their language skills to communicate effectively.

“Developing language and communication skills are critical to success in any profession. Unfortunately, teaching of languages is virtually non-existent at the school level, where the aim appears to be to prepare students to score 100 percent in the higher secondary examination. And at the college level, the focus is The course is open to both working professionals as well as freshers.A basic knowledge of English is useful for students opting to study at the institute although this is not a mandatory requirement. Usually, students are administered a placement test to help the faculty assess their current level of proficiency and to ensure that they are admitted to a level that is appropriate for them. The courses are designed to meet the varying needs of students.

Communicative English/Hindi aims primarily to improve a student’s proficiency in the language. The Business English and Business Communication course specifically targets the development of workplace communication skills. Of the various courses offered by the Institute, this course attracts a large number of professionals interested in improving their career prospects.