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ISBN 978-93-505745-1-5

It makes sense to elicit advice from well informed sources before implementing the ideas given in the book. The reader assumes full responsibility for the consequences arising out from reading this book. For proper guidance, it is advisable to read the book under the watchful eyes of parents/guardian. The purchaser of this book assumes all responsibility for the use of given materials and information. The copyright of the entire content of this book rests with the author/publisher.

In fact, the demand for learning effective communicative English has never been as great as it stands today. It is interesting to note that during the last two decades the use of English for communicative purposes has not been confined only to the elite group of the society. People from the middle and lower middle classes are equally keen on learning and using it effectively. It is because they consider 'Spoken English' as a passport for a guaranteed success in life. The craze for learning Spoken English has led to the growth of various coaching institutes all over the country. Much as they may profess and advertise it is not really possible to learn any language in thirty or forty days.

At the same time learning Spoken English does not mean parrot like repetition of some crammed sentences with the help of a limited vocabulary. It means acquiring a skill to generate and use functional English in ever changing life situations while speaking. For this besides acquiring the required sentence patterns and expressions in a given situation a person needs an appropriate vocabulary as well. So this is surely not possible in two or three month's time. Although one needs to understand that a person who genuinely wants to learn the language needs to spend at least two to three hours every day for at least five or six months before he or she feels confident to communicate in English. A strong desire coupled with one track working is a pre condition for the successful completion of this project on communicative English.

In India, as everywhere, English offers its own problems. It becomes a language of 'iffs and butts' where double 'f's and double't's crop up at the most unlikely of places giving emphasis where there should be subtlety. Caught between the inability to articulate in a foreign language and the rather inexplicable need to be seen using English, the Indian actually gets the shivers. Over the years with mobile phones and computers spreading all over India, the country's fascination with English ahs only intensified. It cannot be said for sure if this has resulted in English usage getting more communicative. At the moment the process is a bit haphazard and finding a method in this madness is the idea of this book.

The objective of this book is to encourage students & layman to learn English as a tool of communication and to enable them 'to know, to do, to live and to live.' It looks at language from the learner's point of view and guides them through co-operative learning methods in order to master effective communication skills. The goal of teaching speaking skills is communicative efficiency. Learners should be able to make themselves understood, using their current proficiency to the fullest. They should try to avoid confusion in the message due to faulty pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, and to observe the social and cultural rules that apply in each communication situation. The book is divided into convenient units. Each chapter covers one main area of learning English with special attention given to basic skills.

Carefully selected, balanced practical exercises are designed to give practice in form, meaning and use of English. The book follows modern functional approach to the study of English. Although there are a few books available in the market on Spoken English they do not really help an individual acquire the communicative skills. They primarily deal with technical knowledge and the accompanying jargons. The section of grammar and usage I each chapter of this book provides necessary help to a learner for the understanding of certain grammatical points appearing in spoken English. Knowing the Two Mediums: Speech and Writing Speech and writing are the two mediums of language. Knowing the Two Mediums: Speech and Writing Speech and writing are the two mediums of language.

The sounds of speech and the letters of writing are in themselves meaningless, but they are combined according to the underlying system of language to convey specific meanings and perform specific functions. As mediums, speech and writing are concrete, whereas the underlying system of language is abstract. In terms of physical features, speech consists of sounds that are perceived by the ear and is therefore ephemeral, whereas writing consists of marks on a surface that are perceived by the eye and is therefore permanent. Though speech and writing function independently as medium of language, it is possible to transfer speech into writing and vice versa, because writing is a symbolic representation of speech. As there are striking discrepancies between pronunciation and spelling, particularly in a language like English, it is important to study each medium independently and not transfer the features of one to another. The characteristic features of speech and writing make them suitable for different communicative functions.