Good day, Dr. Athira S. Kumar. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

OK, my name is Doctor Adira S Kumar. I have been working, uh, in the College in Kerala for about 12 years now. And I am, I've specialized in English language and literature and I have a doctorate in the same field. And I have been, uh, constantly learning. Uh, even though I have completed studies 10 years ago, I've been learning more about the subject.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia.

And agenda studies from IGNO University and currently I am.

And a leading role in the college as a assistant professor in the languages department.

Yeah, sure.

Thank you, Professor. Let us delve into the evaluation. I'll start by verifying your academic and pedagogical skills based on the role requirements. Shall we proceed?

Let’s begin with your expertise in **Digital Humanities**. Could you explain how you integrate digital tools or methodologies into your teaching or research in the field of English?

OK, Uh, so in the modern era where we are looking into, uh, post corona, it has been digitalized, The learning has digitalized. So I move, uh, I concentrate more on blended learning where we use digital tools like PowerPoint presentations, We have podcasts, we have online videos. Uh, we have platforms which gives us knowledge about the topic we are learning. So I integrate those into my regular classroom.

In fact, increases the engagement of students and how they get interested in the topic and that in turn leads to the enhancement of student engagement in the class.

Which?

For I teach in the undergraduate first year program, we have a paper for the phonetics. So to learn make the students learn about the sounds, I show them the videos about the pronunciation of sounds and I asked them to transcribe the words by listening to the sounds there it has been given. And I do ask them to do the exercises in the class using the blender technique where they listen to online. There are so many online tests where we can get.

Understood, Professor. Could you provide a specific example where you used these tools effectively to deepen student understanding of a literary or linguistic concept?

OK, so when in the 1st.

Uh, some audios regarding the phonetic transcription and I asked them to do in the class and that that is a very simple example to give.

We can do the follow up by asking them to transcribe a word from the textbook or a paragraph from the textbook where we can assist them and let them know how they have done it and also ask them to read it in the classroom so that we can do a follow up regarding that. And we can give feedback on their pregnancy and if they have left out some few transcription we can give the feedback on the same.

Thank you for sharing that example. One follow-up: How do you assess student progress when implementing these digital methodologies, particularly in areas like phonetic transcription?

Okay, so to understand the cultural and historical dynamics we have to look into not just the regular approach. It could be a horizontal not horizontal. It could should be a vertical approach where we need to know about the background of the authors background. Also we need to know about the historical background. I explained them what what is the social history or what is the history behind why a novel was written and why the author writes in a particular.

Thank you for elaborating, Professor. Let’s move to **Commonwealth Literature**. Could you share how you approach teaching this body of work, particularly in a way that highlights its cultural and historical dynamics?

Manner giving examples of the, I could say the milestones in history and letting them know or understand the context of the poem also or the novel and also about the how or the out or the things and how that is being done.

Understood. How do you ensure students critically engage with the deeper implications of Commonwealth literature, such as postcolonial themes or identity struggles?

I think post colonial themes are easier for as Indians it is easier for us to relate to because we have already been the under the submersive power of the colonizers. So the students can relate to that. We can we can say that how or why the colonizers have done that, how it has affected our cultural aptitude and also it won't be so difficult for the students to understand that and by relating it to the Indian context and giving them the.

What are the side effects of it and what are the repercussions of it? We can clearly describe to the students about it and then asking them to relate it to the same and asking them to critically evaluate them and giving the points of identity crisis and how the trauma has been carried by generations. Students find it easy to explain about it in their study.

Thank you, Professor. One final follow-up here: What specific texts or authors do you prioritize in your teaching to emphasize these aspects of Commonwealth literature?

If I'm looking into Commonwealth literature, I usually look into Chinua Achebe's books and how the theory part of it has really helped to look into the background study of it. And if you're looking into Indian authors, we have so many relevant writers of the Commonwealth literature. So that's what.

Understood, Professor. Let’s now examine **English Language Teaching (ELT)**. Could you elaborate on your approach to designing effective lesson plans for diverse student groups in an ELT setting?

If we want to look into ELT I, I personally think that first we have to look give up a background of the what the knowledge is, what the language is about, using their prior knowledge of the topic and asking them to give introductory remark or giving them a poem or a quotation or asking them questions regarding the same. We can introduce the topic to them and then later on that questions or the answers can be.

Led to the chapter and asking them to learn the grammar or the sentence structure and they later on asking them to frame using that same theory.

Actually it it is a very challenging situation when it comes to a classroom. It is a diverse community. We have to cater to the need of each and every student. So I adjust my Lesson plan accordingly. And if the student is not able to cope up with it, I also ask them to, I give them remedial classes and I give them special instructions on how to do and I give them follow-up activities to go home and just to assess themselves and also with the remedial teaching.

Thank you for sharing your methodology. How do you adjust your lesson plans for students with varying proficiency levels in English within the same classroom?

It helps them to overcome and cope up with the rest of the class.

Thank you for your response, Professor. One last follow-up: How do you ensure that remedial teaching effectively bridges learning gaps without creating dependency on extra support?

So remedial classes are not merely extra classes. It is a class where they are the students are willingly or they can freely ask questions and clear their doubts and come across what they have in their mind. And they can also give us, they can personally ask us what is there. But it is not merely giving notes or asking them to write in the class, but actually it is a place where the student feels comfortable to open up. So that gives them it is not a.

Dependency on the part and also after the few classes I asked them to do questions of their own and write the summary of their own to do the critical analysis. So it is not a dependency situation, it is actually a cohabiting situation I would say.

Thank you, Professor, for clarifying your approach. Let us now move to another pivotal teaching aspect: **guiding student projects and research**. Could you detail your strategy for mentoring students through their independent research or project work?

I would say not climbing down into the one topic, but or else giving them the topic what to learn about or what research upon. Instead we can give the framework, we can give a broad area on which what their interests are. We can. I usually give them questions to come across which is their area of interest and then narrow it down to what area they need want to do the research upon.

So for guiding the students, it is not about.

And they later on, I asked them to look into the framework that could be used and I asked them questions to answer it so that they can find their own interest in the research topic and also ask them to look into modern journals or new updated knowledge on the scene and also get informations regarding the scene. So that's how I guide them. Instead of asking the students to be reliable on me, I asked them to do their own work.

Understood, Professor. When guiding students in framing their research questions or methodologies, how do you strike a balance between providing direction and allowing them the autonomy to explore their ideas?

I personally asked him to frame research objectives of their own or research, ask them to do the, uh, research questions to frame themselves. And then I asked them what is he, uh, just thinking about the topic and to see if it is relevant to the research you are doing. So I asked them questions and asked them to, uh, that in turn leads them to answer their own questions. And also at the same time I guide them if there is something they can't.

They are stuck into or they are not able to come across. I guide them regarding the scene and also ask them to be. I don't become the monotony in that. I ask them to do the research work of Daru and then add their own point.

Umm, it is easy to actually, uh, stick on to the qualitative, uh, element because we have a answer key of particular that would be given to us after the examination and sticking on to the answer key and just looking into it could be easy for us to look into the examination. And we also, we also have the submitted test and it is very transparent. So it gives me a more clarity to assessment of the students.

Thank you for that insight, Professor. Now, regarding **student evaluation and exam duties**, how do you structure your evaluation methods to ensure fairness and consistency, especially in qualitative subjects like English?

So all the CCA components would be as described in the syllabus is taken into consideration before the semester begins and I look upon the aspects of how it should be integrated into the syllabus.

Thank you, Professor. How do you incorporate formative assessments or continuous evaluations to track student progress over time?

And on the regular basis not to be on each module how it should be integrated. All the elements are put across, an equal division of marks is given to them, which in turn leads to.

Very structured way of evaluating the whole syllabus and also the students on hold throughout the semester.

Uh, if you're using the language lab for English language, this is a language laboratory. If you're taking students to the laboratory, uh, we can ask them to do exercises, online exercises where they can enhance their, uh, uh, LSRW. And later on we can ask them to, uh, use it in their record and also to let them know about how to use the same in the real life scenario. So that could be one way of doing it.

Understood, Professor. Let's move to the **ability to teach theory and laboratory courses**. Could you explain how you approach teaching theory and then translating it effectively into a practical or applied learning experience?

Thank you. How do you measure the effectiveness of laboratory sessions in enhancing the specific skills taught in theory classes?

Umm, theory classes can give you the uh, can give you the framework to what is to be done. Then it goes to the laboratory sessions. There the software needs to be updated and we the students get the whole idea about how it is. It should be learned in a real life interaction. So the theoretical knowledge gives the confidence or it acts as a pavement to into the theoretical practical classes where they can.

Use them and then make uh rectify the mistakes. They can use and also it can be it. It could be treated as a simulator situation actually.

Thank you for elaborating, Professor. Next, let's discuss **Good communication and structured teaching approach**. How do you ensure clarity and structure in delivering complex literary or linguistic material to students?

I would say the first thing to do would be breakdown the topics into simpler ideas and sectioning or fragmenting the topics so that it would be easy for the students to get into the idea of how well it should be done. And fragmentation is actually a good strategy where theory parts could be put into very small chunks and that idea could be explained to the students and identifying the historical background, how it is done, what are.

Samples so that would help them to understand the theory part.

Understood. Could you share a specific instance where you used this method to simplify a particularly challenging concept for your students?

For example, if you're teaching about civil peace of Chinua Achebe, we need to know about the historical background of the study, how the Bifrin war has affected them, and what is the literal position of Africans in the war and why the rebellious rebellions had happened and why there is a insecurity there and why there is an insurgency in their place. To understand that, first giving the historical background and the.

Background of the work into fragmentizing it into shorter techniques and then placing the author in the framework.

Where does Chinua's GB stand? And then giving explanation about the topic would be Mori's.

OK, recently I have published, I've actually given for the publication, it is under process. I have presented a paper at IIT Madras with regard to the tribal songs in Kerala and how it how it in turn reflects upon the pain and the women over there. So it is under process actually for publication.

Thank you for the detailed example, Professor. Let’s now address **Research publications in reputed journals**. Could you highlight a recent publication of yours, its key focus, and its contribution to the academic field?

Thank you, Professor. Could you elaborate on how this research ties into broader academic discussions or societal themes, such as gender studies or the preservation of cultural heritage?

So all the research publications play an important role in our daily life because it gives an insight into what is a recent trend or how the concept needs to be looked in the modern scenario or how it is need to be analyzed in the OR. Or it could be disembarked to the modern students where they are not aware about the cultural trauma and how it is it has been passing from generation to generations. So gender studies in fact.

A new idea or a new perspective to look into how things have been going around and using the literature that comes around that helps or students get to connect with the same.

Thank you, Professor. Now let’s discuss your **experience in industry projects or consultancy**. Have you been involved in any such initiatives, and if so, could you share an example?

As of now, I've been training my students for the placement training of the placement cell of the college and I have also filed for a patent with a few teachers of another university. So far, that's all I have done.

Thank you for sharing, Professor. Regarding your involvement in placement training, how do you design your sessions to align with industry expectations while also leveraging your expertise in English?

Mock sections of interviews and interview questions and how interview panel goes through it. Frequently asked questions. What are the voice modulation, body language to be looked into? I train students regarding the same and help them to analyze how they should approach an interview board. What are the the dos and don'ts in an interview and giving them practice mocks. Actually mock interviews and mock GDS in class help them.

To be.

Efficient in depth performance.

I look forward to working with VIT because I think it aligns with my research outline and I I really think that it would be a good place for me to, for my professional growth and I'm looking for a change in scenario. So I really look forward for a positive input.

Thank you for elaborating, Professor. With this, I’ve gathered insights into all the outlined aspects. I’ll be analyzing the overall inputs. Is there anything you’d like to add before we proceed to close the evaluation?

I just wanted to know will that be this would be the last round or there would be other rounds regarding the same?

Thank you, Professor. Your enthusiasm and alignment with the role are noted. Do you have any final points or questions before we conclude?

Thank you for your question, Professor. Unfortunately, I am unable to provide specifics regarding the overall selection process or the number of rounds. Those details will be communicated to you by the hiring team post-interview. Do you have any other queries? Or should we proceed to conclude?

OK.

Sure.

Yes.

Thank you, Professor. Can you confirm if you'd like me to conclude the interview now?