NEW DELHI: If Doordarshan has the knack to be in the news, it is the turn of the low profile All India Radio to hog some limelight. AIR has got the mandate to train Indian Airlines air hostesses in the ways of effective speaking.

According to Prasar Bharati sources, the Staff Training Institute of All India Radio, located at Kingsway Camp, New Delhi, will conduct a five-day workshop on "Voice Culture Training" for the airhostesses of the Indian Airlines.

Fifteen mid-career airhostesses will participate in the programme. 

The training programme will be inaugurated by KS Sarma, the chief executive of Prasar Bharati on 18 November. The course shall continue up to 22 November.

The course will have intensive sessions covering: presenter as a communicator, phonetics and diction, effective speaking, musicality of speech, so that the announcement sounds pleasing and melodious rather than putting off the passengers, stress management (yoga, etc) and communication management during crisis

The course will have practical exercises and games, lecture demonstrations, audio recording and evaluation and group exercises.

Prof Aruna Broota, professor of psychology, Delhi University and Prof Vaishna Narang, professor of linguistics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, will be the two outside experts. The home faculty comprises HC Verma and VK Banerjee. 

This is the first time that the Staff Training Institute of AIR is offering training programmes to outside agencies. So far it had restricted itself to conducting induction and refresher training for the programme staff of All India Radio. 

Depending upon the success of the venture, STI may undertake more such training for other organizations.