An Analysis of the Writing Module Taught to the MA FL Students at EFLU Hyderabad

NEP 2020 highlights the importance of integrating employability skills into the University curriculum to make education more relevant and adequate for facing the challenges of the 21st century. In line with this, the EFL University, Hyderabad, introduced a new course on Communicative English for its postgraduate students of various Foreign Languages (FL) in the academic year 2022-2023. Spread across two semesters, this course contained a writing skills module dedicated to enhancing students’ employability skills by helping them develop e-portfolios showcasing their strengths and potential to perform in a given job role. This study analyses the efficacy of the writing module by using classroom observation, survey responses and teacher and student interviews as primary tools of data collection. A group of 20 students from Semester 1 of the course participated in the study along with the two co-instructors of the writing module. The study found that learners perceived e-portfolios to be a challenging yet motivating and rewarding approach to assess and improve their English writing skills, which are needed to enhance their employability skills to tackle the nuances of professional communication.