IGNOU sessions to provide 90 French language teachers ‘the extra edge’

A week-long course named BELC Teacher Training Programme, organised from May 25-29, trainees will go through various training modules exposing them to new techniques, technology and current trends in <g data-gr-id="23">pedagogy</g> of French as a foreign language. 

The trainee teachers will also be simultaneously initiated into the IGNOU model of teaching, learning, alternative techniques of material development and delivery through open and distance mode of mass education. 

“Statistically, French attracts maximum number of students in India as early as Standard VI. The programme aims at training French teachers in order to provide better experience and exposure to students in terms of context, pronunciation, grammar and communication in the language and thus enhance our cultural interaction with France,” said Dr Deepanwita Srivastava, Assistant Professor (French) at School of Foreign Languages, IGNOU.

The workshop organised by School of Foreign Languages, (IGNOU), in collaboration with the Embassy of France in India and Centre International d’Études Pédadogiques (CIEP) began on May 25 with dignitaries sharing their hopes and expectations from the event. 

“Language is a gateway to <g data-gr-id="26">understand</g> culture and civilisation of a community and only if we learn it can we understand the community we interact with,” said Sushma Yadav, Pro Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU, while reciting a Hindi proverb to demonstrate one of the recognised national languages of India as a gateway to Indian culture for the French community.

“We deliberately chose to host the inauguration ceremony in Hindi and French to mark the cultural exchange between India and France and at the same time acknowledge Hindi and other nationally recognised languages as our <g data-gr-id="28">mothertongue</g> instead of English,” added Dr Srivastava, also the <g data-gr-id="29">co-ordinator</g> of the programme.

The School of Foreign Languages, IGNOU, has joined hands with French Ministry of Higher Education and the French Embassy in India towards capacity building and resource creation for effective dissemination of the French language teachers’ training all over the country.