This article evaluates the existing language curriculum by comparing it with the employability and workplace communication skills required by undergraduate learners. Employability skills involve not just getting a job, but thriving through workplace knowledge and communication skills. The current undergraduate syllabus is genre-based, lacks substantial subject-related content, and fails to address learners’ needs for workplace-relevant knowledge and communication competency. Therefore, the research investigates the employability requirements of students and proposes pedagogical solutions. The study begins with a Target Situation Analysis (TSA), employing a qualitative research method grounded in needs analysis theory. A Purposive sampling method was used with 16 undergraduate students from Commerce and Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Program at an Arts and Science College in India. Feedback on the curriculum and occupational skills was collected through student reflection questionnaire featuring open-ended questions. Based on the TSA findings derived from these reflections; the curriculum was adapted to strengthen occupational knowledge and communication skills. TED-Ed videos were identified as effective ESP supplementary resources to bridge this gap as they offer content relevant to diverse disciplines. To validate the findings from TSA, Focus Group Discussions (FDG) were conducted post-intervention using TED-Ed materials. The findings highlighted the need for curriculum and pedagogical interventions to enhance workplace communication. The study reinforced the conclusion, implying the integration of TED-Ed videos into the language curriculum to enhance employability skills and pointing to future multimedia-enriched, discipline-specific teaching strategies.

Authors:
Nagalakshmi Balasubramanian, Shrimathi Devkunvar Nanalal Bhatt Vaishnav College for Women, India

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Nagalakshmi Balasubramanian is currently employed as Assistant Professor in the Department of English at SDNB Vaishnav College for women, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. (India). She completed her MA and MPhil in English from Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, Tamilnadu, India. She started her career at PKN Arts and Science College located in a small town in Tamilnadu and later upgraded herself to work in topnotch Engineering College in the City. She pursued Full-time PhD (2014-2017) in ELT from Hindustan University, Chennai. Has done PG Diploma in Teaching of English (2018-2020) from English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad (India). Her research interests include ELT, activity/ technology-based teaching, translation studies, reflective teaching, ethnography, multilingual/cultural studies. She is actively engaged in publishing articles in journals and magazine. She is serving as Executive member of ELTIF (English Language Teachers’ Interaction Forum) which was initiated by her Professor Dr. P. Bhaskaran Nair and had been transforming the rural villages with the motto ‘India lives in villages’,

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