New course helps students enhance their English skills to be more effective in the workplace. Bhavna Purswani reports
With more than 200 nationalities living and working side by side in the same country, inevitably a common language surfaces. In many countries this language is English, and the UAE too seems to be heading in the same direction.
With an ever-evolving workplace, the term 'survival of the fittest' has taken on a whole new meaning. A large part of this survival is communication.
UAE nationals and the private sector
An alarmingly low percentage of UAE nationals work in the private sector. Their biggest barrier is their fluency in English.
In times like these, the Abu Dhabi University's endeavour to bring English to both locals and expatriates to improve their English language skills is greatly appreciated. In spring 2008 the Abu Dhabi University's English Language Institute (ELI) plans to introduce additional courses.
Choices on the programme
The programme being introduced comprises two courses:
- English for specific purposes
"This is a course that is specifically for the UAE community. It aims to meet workplace needs in the region," said Sandra Rene Zaher, director of the ELI. As it is a course that is tailor-made to suit the needs of the student, there is no fixed time duration.
"People come to us with a need in mind and we design a course that fulfils it. For example, we are currently doing a course for Zayed University's Arabic teachers to help strengthen their English," she said.
- Summer camp for high school students
"The camp gives students an opportunity to experience university life while developing their language skills," Zaher said.
"It is an intensive language course but in an unconventional sense. We try to teach them English in ways that involve them intrinsically. We give them community projects and environmental projects - all of which have to be done in English."
Teaching methodologies used for the projects have the advantage of going beyond developing just language skills,
"Even though it is an intensive language course, there is a lot of skill building involved. They have opportunities to build on things like their technological skills, teamwork and environmental skills," said Zaher.
The camp is a six-week programme, with each week having a separate theme. It aims to teach students a sense of giving back to life in the UAE and in the Gulf.
The camp is open to students from grades 8 to 12.
Approach to teaching
On their teaching approach Zaher said, "We have a student-centred methodology. We realise that students can have a plethora of knowledge, but maybe just in a different language.
"We asked ourselves how we could get them to translate their knowledge into another language and get involved. So our aim is to give them projects to create and events to attend," she said.
Zaher added that the day after an event, teachers include students in a debate in class in which they are split into teams.
"They talk about what they liked and what they didn't like. This teaches them social interaction skills and teamwork, while the project deadlines teach them time management skills," she said.
Although the approach sounds workable in theory, does Zaher believe that the programme will be able to provide individuals with the level of English they need to succeed in the UAE's increasingly cutthroat workplace?
"Yes, I do," she said. "We lay the foundations of not just the development of language but skills like teamwork and individual and social responsibility."
Student opinions
"It really is a positive step," said Darwish Ahmad, industrial engineering student at Alhosn University. "Our first language is Arabic and we need support to be good in English."
"If this venture is successful, it will certainly help us locals in the workplace," he said, pointing out the occasions in his daily life when the need to use English arises.
"Whether in the supermarket or at home or even in a restaurant, everything is in English. Menus are in English and product labels are in English. You have to be able to read them to be able to communicate effectively or to know what you are buying."
In a similar vein, Taghrid Belqaizi, marketing student at the American University in Dubai, said, "I think it is a good endeavour as language is a very important thing in life. The more languages you know the more opportunities you have to do things."
Application forms for registration can be obtained online on www.adu.edu.
Existing courses
Those wishing to improve their English have three options:
- Foundation and ELI level 1, 2 and 3: With a duration of 13 weeks, these courses are only available to those students who have enrolled as undergraduates in the university but do not have sufficient knowledge of the English Language (tested by the TOEFL exam) to be able to proceed satisfactorily with their course.
Students taking this course are segregated according to gender.
- The international test preparation course is a course for those who have completed their undergraduate degrees from the university itself or elsewhere, and wish to do their masters but are not equipped with the necessary language skills.
Eight weeks in duration, this course is intensive and can be conducted in the evenings or on the weekends if needed. The course is co-educational, but segregated classes can be arranged if required.
- The Business Online Course is a 10-week course with an on-campus component. It aims to cater to the language needs of those in the corporate world.
