English Language Communication Skills Lab Viva voce Questions ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

 

ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

English Language Communication Skills Lab Viva voce Questions

ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

Most of the students are nervous or worried about viva-voce because of anxiety or lack of preparation. To tackle this phobia one needs to practice before attending viva voce at the end of semester/year. Everyone is required to prepare modal questions and answers to face the viva confidently. Here are some questions which are frequently asked in ELCS Lab viva voce.

Some possible and frequently asked viva questions with Answers 

CALL Lab/Computer Assisted Language Learning Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

Phonetics and Phonology

1. Define phonetics:
   Phonetics is the branch of linguistics that studies the sounds of human speech, focusing on their production, transmission, and perception.

2. What is phonology?
   Phonology deals with the systematic organization of sounds in particular languages, including patterns, rules, and features.

3. What is the role of organs of speech in phonetics?
   The organs of speech (like tongue, lips, vocal cords, etc.) help produce different sounds by shaping airflow and modifying vibrations.

4. How many sounds are there in English Language?
   There are 44 phonemes in English:

   • 20 vowel sounds (12 pure vowels + 8 diphthongs)

   • 24 consonant sounds

5. How are speech sounds classified?
   Speech sounds are classified into vowels and consonants, based on voicing, place of articulation, and manner of articulation.

6. What is IPA?
   IPA stands for International Phonetic Alphabet—a system of symbols to represent each sound in every language precisely and universally.

7. What is Received Pronunciation (RP)?
   RP is the standard accent of British English, often used in BBC broadcasting and formal English teaching.

8. What are passive articulators?
   These are the immobile parts of the mouth used in speech production (e.g., upper teeth, hard palate, alveolar ridge).

9. What are active articulators?
   Active articulators are movable speech organs (e.g., tongue, lips) that actively produce sounds by coming into contact with passive articulators.

10. How many letters are there in the English alphabet?
    There are 26 letters.

English Language Communication Skills Lab Viva voce Questions

ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

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Speech Sounds and Classification

11. Difference between vowel and consonant sounds:

    • Vowels: Unobstructed airflow, voiced (e.g., /a/, /e/)

    • Consonants: Airflow is partially or completely blocked, may be voiced or voiceless (e.g., /p/, /t/)

12. What are voiced sounds?
    Voiced sounds involve vibration of the vocal cords.

    • There are 15 voiced consonants in English.

13. What are voiceless sounds?
    Voiceless sounds are produced without vocal cord vibration.

    • There are 9 voiceless consonants.

14. Difference between monophthongs and diphthongs:

    • Monophthongs (pure vowels): One sound (e.g., /i/, /a/)

    • Diphthongs (vowel glides): A glide from one vowel sound to another (e.g., /ai/, /au/)

15. How are consonants classified?
    By:

    • Voicing (voiced/voiceless)

    • Place of articulation (bilabial, dental, etc.)

    • Manner of articulation (plosive, fricative, etc.)

16. What are bilabial sounds? How many?
    Sounds produced by both lips. There are 6 bilabial sounds: /p/, /b/, /m/, /w/, /ʍ/, and /ɸ/.

17. What are plosives? Example?
    Plosives are stop sounds made by blocking and releasing airflow.

    • Example: /p/ in pen, /b/ in bat

18. What are affricates?
    Affricates are sounds that begin as plosives and release as fricatives.

    • Examples: /ʧ/ (ch in chair), /ʤ/ (j in jam)

19. Define fricatives:
    Fricatives are produced by forcing air through a narrow channel, creating friction (e.g., /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/).

20. What are nasal sounds?
    Air passes through the nose, not the mouth (e.g., /m/, /n/, /ŋ/).

21. Why are 'j' and 'w' called semi-vowels?
    They are called semi-vowels because they are consonants phonetically, but function like vowels in syllables (e.g., /j/ in yes, /w/ in we).

22. What are semi-vowels?
    Sounds that are close to vowel sounds but behave like consonants in syllables.

23. What are dental sounds?
    Produced with the tongue touching the teeth (e.g., /θ/ as in think, /ð/ as in this).

24. Define alveolar sounds:
    Produced by touching the alveolar ridge behind the upper teeth (e.g., /t/, /d/, /s/, /z/, /n/, /l/).

25. What are palato-alveolar/post-alveolar sounds?
    Articulated with the tongue between the alveolar ridge and hard palate (e.g., /ʃ/ in ship, /ʒ/ in measure).

English Language Communication Skills Lab Viva voce Questions

ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

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Syllables and Word Structure

26. Define syllable:
    A unit of sound that typically contains a vowel and may include consonants.

27. What is syllabification?
    The process of dividing words into syllables.

28. What is the structure of a syllable?

    • Onset (optional): Consonants before the vowel

    • Nucleus (mandatory): Usually a vowel

    • Coda (optional): Consonants after the vowel

English Language Communication Skills Lab Viva voce Questions

ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

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Grammar Rules

29. Past tense marker rules:

    • /t/ after voiceless sounds (e.g., helped)

    • /d/ after voiced sounds (e.g., played)

    • /ɪd/ after /t/ or /d/ (e.g., wanted, added)

30. Plural marker rules:

    • /s/ after voiceless sounds (e.g., cats)

    • /z/ after voiced sounds (e.g., dogs)

    • /ɪz/ after sibilant sounds (e.g., boxes)

English Language Communication Skills Lab Viva voce Questions

ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

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Vocabulary and Function Words

31. Difference between content and functional words:

    • Content words: Carry meaning (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)

    • Function words: Help grammatical structure (articles, prepositions)

32. What are weak and strong forms?

    • Strong form: Used when the word is stressed

    • Weak form: Used in unstressed positions (e.g., a, the, of)

33. Define consonant clusters. Example:
    Two or more consonants together (e.g., street, plant).

34. What are minimal pairs? Example:
    Words differing by only one sound (e.g., bit and bat).

English Language Communication Skills Lab Viva voce Questions

ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

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Prosody and Tone

35. What is word accent/stress?
    The emphasis placed on a syllable in a word.

36. Rules of stress:

    • One stress per word (in English)

    • Usually on the root word, not prefixes/suffixes

    • Two-syllable nouns: Stress on the first

    • Two-syllable verbs: Stress on the second

37. What is stress shift?
    Change in stress to indicate word function (e.g., record noun vs record verb)

38. Define intonation/tone group:
    Intonation is the rise and fall in pitch. A tone group is a stretch of speech with a single intonation pattern.

39. Types of intonation:

    • Falling tone: Statements, commands

    • Rising tone: Yes/no questions

    • Fall-rise: Uncertainty or polite disagreement

40. Example of falling tone:

    • “She is coming.” (↓)

41. What is rising intonation and its use?
    Rising intonation (↑) is used in yes/no questions, lists, and to show uncertainty.

    • “Are you ready?” (↑)

English Language Communication Skills Lab Viva voce Questions

ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

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ICS Lab & Soft Skills

42. What is an ice-breaker?
    A short activity or discussion used to introduce participants and ease interaction.

43. What is JAM (Just A Minute)?
    A one-minute speech on a random or given topic without pauses, repetition, or hesitation.

44. What is an article?
    A word used to define a noun as specific or unspecific. (e.g., a, an, the)

45. Types of articles:

    • Definite article: The

    • Indefinite articles: A, An

46. Define definite article and its use:
    The is used to refer to something specific or previously mentioned.

47. What is an indefinite article? Rules?
    A is used before consonant sounds, an before vowel sounds.

    • a book, an apple

48. What are prepositions?
    Words that show relationship between nouns and other words. (e.g., in, on, at, under)

49. Types of prepositions:

    • Time, Place, Direction, Cause, Instrument, Manner

English Language Communication Skills Lab Viva voce Questions

ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

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Word Formation and Grammar

50. Types of word formation:

    • Prefix: un- in unhappy

    • Suffix: -ness in kindness

    • Compounding: blackboard

    • Conversion: Google (noun) → to Google (verb)

    • Clipping: exam (from examination)

    • Blending: brunch = breakfast + lunch

    • Acronyms: NASA

    • Onomatopoeia: buzz, hiss

    • Eponyms: sandwich (from Earl of Sandwich)

    • Toponyms: Champagne (from a region in France)

    • Synonyms/Antonyms: same/ opposite meanings

English Language Communication Skills Lab Viva voce Questions

ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

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Role Play and Communication

51. Difference between role play and situational dialogue:

    • Role play: Participants act out different roles

    • Situational dialogue: Practicing set conversations based on real-life scenarios

52. What is etiquette?
    Proper behavior and polite conduct in social and professional settings

53. What is concord?
    Subject-verb agreement in a sentence.

54. Advice vs Advise:

    • Advice (noun): He gave me good advice.

    • Advise (verb): He advised me to rest.

55. Practice vs Practise:

    • In British English:
      Practice (noun), practise (verb)

      • He has football practice today.

      • She practises daily.

English Language Communication Skills Lab Viva voce Questions

ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers

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Descriptive Speaking Tasks

56. Describe tea preparation:
    Boil water → Add tea leaves → Add milk and sugar → Strain → Serve hot

57. Describe an object you know well:
    (E.g., My mobile phone: It is compact, has a 64MP camera, long battery life, etc.)

58. Directions from home to college:
    (Provide real-life directions: Take a left at the temple, go straight for 1 km, turn right at the bus stop...)

59. Instructions for voter ID enrollment:

    • Visit the official website

    • Fill Form 6

    • Upload required documents

    • Submit for verification

60. Giving guidelines:

    • Be punctual

    • Submit assignments on time

    • Maintain discipline

    • Participate actively

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61. What is an extempore?
    A spontaneous speech delivered without preparation on a given topic.

62. What are oral presentations?
    Structured talks delivered to an audience to inform, persuade or explain a topic.

63. What is information transfer? Types?
    Converting information from one form to another:

    • Text to diagram/chart

    • Flowchart to paragraph

    • Table to description

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64. What is reading? Types of reading:
    Reading is decoding written text.

    • Skimming: Quick reading for gist

    • Scanning: Looking for specific information

    • Intensive: Detailed, careful reading

    • Extensive: Reading for pleasure/general understanding

65. Difference between scanning and skimming:

    • Scanning: For specific details (e.g., dates, names)

    • Skimming: To get overall idea

66. Difference between intensive and extensive reading:

    • Intensive: Academic, slow, detailed

    • Extensive: Leisure reading, fast, general

English Language Communication Skills Lab Viva voce Questions

ELCS Lab Viva-voce Questions with Answers