Six foreign language courses for students aged 5-15 years are now on offer at the Translation and Interpreting Institute (TII), part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). The classes will run for 15 weeks and are set to commence in September 2019.
The fall courses, offered through the Language Center at TII, include Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. A specially designed Arabic course for non-native students aged 8-11 will aim to strengthen the reading skills of students and develop their communication abilities. The course will utilise simple dialogue exercises and help students read and understand short passages that address daily life.
All courses will be held at Penrose House in Education City. To enrol for one of TII’s language courses, visit http://tii.qa/language-center and www.tii.qa/kids-courses. Registration ends on September 3 for children and September 10 for adults.
Students can look forward to an enriching and culturally rewarding experience where they will be taught the history of the language through carefully planned lessons that use up-to-date methodologies and activities such as songs, games, crafts, music, drama and art.
Dr Nima Nazari, director of the Language Center, TII, said, “Research shows that children have a stronger innate ability to learn languages and gain proficiency when compared to adults. Therefore, our courses focus on developing the cognitive skills and creativity of the students by encouraging them to learn in a supportive environment. In a multicultural country like Qatar, where several foreign languages and cultures are intertwined, being able to speak another language is a valuable asset for children because it strengthens their cross-cultural understanding and boosts their critical thinking skills.”
Students are taught entirely in the foreign language as part of a fully immersive experience, and will be encouraged to think creatively and collaborate with other students. The classes are taught by qualified instructors with prior experience and will be held every Saturday from September 7 until December 14.
The fall courses offered by TII’s Language Center further the institute’s mission to provide world-class foreign language education that enables learners to acquire a new language in a natural setting.
HBKU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences and its Translation and Interpreting Institute encourage multidisciplinary learning. The college is home to five innovative programmes at the master’s and PhD levels, addressing the fields of translation; audiovisual translation; women, society, and development; and digital humanities and societies.
Source:gulf-times.com
