Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Professor

Dhanavel SP

  Research Interest

  • American Literature
  • British Literature
  • Indian Literature
  • English Language Teaching
  • Communication and Soft Skills

  Office Location

  • Room no – HSB 348
  • E-mail : dhanavelsp[at]iitm[.]ac[.]in, dhanavelsp[at]gmail[.]com
  • Phone : +91 44 2257 4522
  • IIT Madras, Chennai, Professor since Oct 2014
  • Anna University, Chennai, Professor from May 2008 – 28th October 2014
  • Anna University, Chennai: Assistant Professor (Reader), 2000 – 2008
  • Tripura University, Agartala: Lecturer, 1991-1997: Sr Lecturer, 1997- 2000
  • Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai: Lecturer, 1990-1991
  • General English for BA/BSc/BCom
  • Management Communication for MBA
  • American Literature, British Literature, and Indian Literature for MA
  • Literary Criticism and Theory for MA
  • Technical English for BE/BTech
  • Language and Literature Teaching for M.Phil
  • English Language Teaching for M. Phil
  • English for M.Sc. Electronic Media/Computer Science/Information Technology
  • Communication Skills for MBA
  • Communication Skills for MBA and MCA (Distance Mode)
  • World Literature
  • Literature and Values
  Ph.D.   As Supervisor B. Mallika, “The Theme of Alienation in the Selected Novels of Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, and James Baldwin,” Degree awarded by Anna University, Chennai, in September 2014 A Edwin Jeevaraj, “The Auto/Biographies of A P J Abdul Kalam,” Degree awarded by Anna University, Chennai, in October 2014 M. Vijaya, “A Deconstructive Analysis of Art Buchwald’s Essays”. Degree awarded by Anna University Chennai in September 2010 S. Kumaran, “An Ecocritical Analysis of the Select Plays of Chandrasekara Kambar and H S Shivaparakash” Degree awarded by Anna University Chennai in October 2009 M. Renuga, “The Humanistic Vision of David Mamet” Degree awarded by Anna University Chennai in December 2008 L. Saraswathi, “The Plays of Tennessee Williams and Mahesh Dattani: A Comparative Study,” Degree awarded by Anna University Chennai in September 2007 C. N. Eswari, “Diasporic Negotiations: A Study of the Select Novels of Shauna Singh Baldwin, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Indira Ganesan, Kamila Shamsie, Bapsi Sidwa and Sara Suleri” Degree awarded by Anna University Chennai in November 2006   As Joint Supervisor M. Asaithambi, “Teaching Second Language Listening Comprehension: An Experimental Study.” Degree awarded by the University of Madras in October 2011 A. Arun Prakash, “Developing Oral Communication and Other Soft Skills of Sports Coaches”. Degree awarded by the University of Madras in September 2009  M.Phil. A Babu Rajendra Prasad, “The Role of Non-English Teachers in the Teaching of English to Engineering Students,” Degree awarded by Anna University, Chennai in 2002 G Livingston, “Using Tamil Films in Developing Communication Skills of Engineering Students,” Degree awarded by Anna University Chennai in 2007 C Franklin, “Girish Karnad’s The Dreams of Tipu Sultan: A Critical Study,” Degree awarded by the University of Madras, IDE, in 2008 J Jayanthi, “Accent Neutralization Training for Engineering Students,” Degree Awarded by Anna University Chennai, in 2009 V Sindhu, “A Mnemonic Approach to Paragraph Writing,” Degree Awarded by Anna University Chennai, in 2010 P Bharathi, “Developing Creative Writing Skills of Engineering Students,” Degree awarded by Anna University, Chennai, in 2011 K Inbavalli, “Enhancing the Reading Skills of Engineering Students,” Degree Awarded by Anna University, Chennai, in 2012 M P Manibha, “Enhancing Cause and Effect Paragraph Writing Skills of Engineering Students,” Degree Awarded by Anna University, Chennai, 2013

  Books

  • English Language Teaching in India: The Shifting Paradigms (New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill, 2012)
  • English and Soft Skills (Hyderabad: Orient BlackSwan, 2010)
  • English and Communication Skills for Students of Science and Engineering (Chennai: Orient BlackSwan, 2009)
  • Critical Perspectives on American Literature, edited volume. (New Delhi: Sarup and Sons, 2008)
  • Writing for Mass Media (Chidambaram: Directorate of Distance Education, Annamalai University 2005)
  • The Indian Imagination of Girish Karnad: Essays on Hayavadana, (New Delhi: Prestige Books, 2000)
  • Purpose of Life (Calcutta: Poets Foundation, 1998)
  • Muse Time (Maranda: Poetcrit Publications, 1998)
  • Poetry of Life (Ranchi: Writers Forum, 1997)
  • “Review of B S Jadhav’s Teaching English: The Use of Support Materials” Humanising Language Teaching, Vol.13, Issue 5 (October 2011).
  • “English for All Purposes,” In English for Specific Purposes: Teaching and Learning Strategies, ed. N Usha and J Mythili, pp.33-38. New Delhi: Prestige Books, 2011.
  • “The Pro-verbial Teaching of English” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Language Development and Computing Methods. Eds. J Sundar Singh et al. Karunya University, Coimbatore, 2-3 December, 2010, pp. 374-376.
  • “Technical Speaking,” In Indian Voices in ELT. Edited by Francis Peter, pp. 200-206. New Delhi: Viva Books Pvt Ltd, 2010.
  • “The DELTA Approach to English Language Teaching” The IUP Journal of English Studies, Vol.6, Nos. 3&4, September-December 2009, pp. 96-99
  • “English, Communication Skills, and Soft Skills,” Akshara: An International Annual Research Journal of Critical and Creative Writing in English, Vol.5, No.5 March 2009, pp.50-54.
  • Vairavan C., and Dhanavel S P. “Power, Position and Agony in Harold Pinter’s One for the Road,” The IUP Journal of English Studies, Vol.9, No.3, (September, 2014), pp. 37-47.
  • Edwin Jeevaraj, A., and Dhanavel, S. P., “Autobiographical Narrative in Abdul Kalam’s Wings of Fire and Turning Points, Man in India, Vol. 94, No.1-2 (January-June 2014), pp. 245-265.
  • Ramaraju, S., and Dhanavel, S. P., “Developing Interpersonal Communication Skills of Engineering Students through Poetry,” International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol.2, No.1, (February 2013), pp.109-114.
  • Convener of the Two-day National Seminar on Teaching of General and Technical English held at Anna University on 5th and 6th February 2010
  • Coordinator of a seven-day Faculty Development on Technical English II for teachers of English from engineering colleges affiliated to Anna University Chennai in January 2010
  • Convener of the Two-Day National Seminar of English and Communication Skills for Employability held at Anna University Chennai on March 25 and 26, 2009
  • Co-ordinator of a Two-day Workshop on Thesis Writing held at Anna University Chennai on December 3 and 4, 2008
  • Co-ordinator of a Two-day program on Communication Skills for Fisherfolk Students held on April 19 and 20, 2007
  • Delivered a series o four lectures on Indian Imagination, Indian Drama, Literature and Ideology, and Beyond Methods in ELT to the participants of a Refresher Course in English at the Academic Staff College, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, on 17t and 18th October 2014.
  • Delivered a lecture on English for Engineers to the first year students of GRT College of Engineering and Technology on 23rd September 2014.
  • Delivered a motivational lecture on “English for Placement” to the third year students of University College of Engineering, Tindivanam, on 11th September 2014.
  • Delivered a lecture on “Towards a Theory of Indian Literature” to the participants of the Refresher Course in English at the Academic Staff College, University of Madras on 26th August 2014.
  • Delivered a plenary lecture on “Innovative Methods in ELT” at the National Conference on Curriculum Design and Innovative Methods in ELT”, organized by the Department of English, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, on 20th March 2014. Also moderated a Panel Discussion on Realigning English Language Teaching in Engineering Education” at the same conference on 20th March, 2014.
  • Delivered a lecture on “English for Engineers” to the students of S A Engineering College, Chennai, on 4th March 2014.
  • Participated in a five day workshop on “Self-Awareness and Higher Goals in Education (2013), organized by the Centre for Continuing Educatio0n, IIT Madras, Chennai, during 17-21 June 2013.
  • Chaired a session of the International Conference on Language Development and Computing Methods, organized by Karunya University, Coimbatore, on 2 and 3 December 2010.
  • Chaired a session of the 3rd Regional Technical Institutions Conclave on Soft Skills Specifics in Curriculum, organized by Aalim Muhammed Salegh College of Engineering, Chennai, on 12th August 2009.
  • Attended the 4th International and 40th Annual Conference of the English Language Teachers Association of India held at JBAS College for Women, Chennai, during 7-9 August, 2009.
  • Chaired a session at the Annual Advanced Concepts in Cognizance of English Language (ACCEL), organized by Velammal Engineering College, Chennai, on 28th March, 2008.
  • Presented a paper on “Language Behavior: The Need for Training and Practice,” at the National Seminar on Literature, Language and Communication, organized by the Department of English, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, on 27th March, 2008
  • Participated and chaired two technical sessions at the National Seminar on Indian Drama in English, organized by the Faculty of English and Foreign Languages, Gandhigram Rural University, Dindigul, on 7 – 8 February 2008.