Home / Current Issue / Paper 1724974
Bridging Communication, Professionalism and Technical Competency: A Reflective Case from Teaching English to Engineering Students
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Humanities
Abstract
Engineering graduates are expected to combine sound technical knowledge with clear communication and professional conduct, yet these three strands are often taught separately, if at all. This reflective case paper examines how they can be developed together in the English classroom. It draws on the author’s experience of teaching grammar, spoken English and communication skills to undergraduate engineering and management students in Ballari, Karnataka, and of training students and teachers in presentation, scripting, anchoring and interview preparation across schools and colleges. Using Gibbs’s reflective cycle as a structure, the paper describes classroom practices, considers what worked and what proved difficult, and proposes an integrated triad framework in which communication, professionalism and technical competency are developed through the same classroom tasks. The paper reports no experimental data. It offers practitioner insight and practical recommendations for English teachers, technical faculty and institutions that wish to improve the workplace readiness of engineering students.
Keywords
Engineering education, communication skills, professionalism, technical competency, reflective practice, English language teaching, employability
References
[1] Basha N (2015). Teaching English to engineering students [Conference presentation]. 60th All India English Teachers’ National Conference, 18–20 December 2015, Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Ballari, India.
[2] Brookfield SD (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
[3] Dudley-Evans T, St John MJ (1998). Developments in English for specific purposes: A multi-disciplinary approach. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
[4] Gibbs G (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit, Oxford.
[5] Kolb DA (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
[6] Ministry of Education, Government of India (2020). National Education Policy 2020. Government of India, New Delhi.
[7] Riemer MJ (2007). Communication skills for the 21st century engineer. Global Journal of Engineering Education, 11(1), 89–100.
[8] Robles MM (2012). Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in today’s workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 453–465. https://doi.org/10.1177/1080569912460400
[9] Schön DA (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books, New York.
[10] Sheppard SD, Macatangay K, Colby A, Sullivan WM (2009). Educating engineers: Designing for the future of the field. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
[11] Vygotsky LS (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
How to cite this paper
@article{1724974,
author = {Nasir Basha},
title = {Bridging Communication, Professionalism and Technical Competency: A Reflective Case from Teaching English to Engineering Students},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {5},
pages = {2220-2226},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1724974.pdf},
abstract = {Engineering graduates are expected to combine sound technical knowledge with clear communication and professional conduct, yet these three strands are often taught separately, if at all. This reflective case paper examines how they can be developed together in the English classroom. It draws on the author’s experience of teaching grammar, spoken English and communication skills to undergraduate engineering and management students in Ballari, Karnataka, and of training students and teachers in presentation, scripting, anchoring and interview preparation across schools and colleges. Using Gibbs’s reflective cycle as a structure, the paper describes classroom practices, considers what worked and what proved difficult, and proposes an integrated triad framework in which communication, professionalism and technical competency are developed through the same classroom tasks. The paper reports no experimental data. It offers practitioner insight and practical recommendations for English teachers, technical faculty and institutions that wish to improve the workplace readiness of engineering students.},
keywords = {Engineering education, communication skills, professionalism, technical competency, reflective practice, English language teaching, employability},
month = {November},
}