By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Painting a promising career in languages, the Vice Chancellor of English and Language University (EFLU), E. Suresh Kumar, highlighted the programmes offered by the university and urged people to divert their attention from conventional courses of engineering and medicine to a career in languages.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday on the EFLU campus here, Kumar said, “Indians have been focusing more on engineering and medicine. We don’t need those many engineers and doctors. Language is a very useful career.”
He appealed to the youths to think big and plan their career in English and foreign languages. “There are various opportunities for those who choose language as their career. I urge the youth to think of languages as their career,” he added.
EFLU established its regional campus in Shillong in 1973 as Central Institute of English And Foreign Languages, North East campus. However, there are only 42 students in the university.
“Sufficient students are not making use of this opportunity from the seven states. I appeal to the youth of the seven (northeastern) states to understand the value of English and Foreign languages and make their career accordingly,” Kumar said.
Asked on the cause of low enrolment, he said, “People may be unaware of the presence of the university in Mawlai, which may be the reason for the low enrollment of students.”
Urging the students to grab the opportunity to learn foreign languages in Shillong, the vice chancellor said, “It is not a private university but is a government one. EFLU is one among the five universities which will have full autonomy. “
He added that courses will be designed depending upon the skill development and requirements of the society. “We can appoint faculty from other countries,” he added.
Urging students to venture outside their home states, Kumar said, “The world is wide. We should think in terms of Global Village. You should be in a position to be in any part of the world and settle down and for that proficiency in English and one particular foreign will be useful along with core studies, be it chemistry.”
Japanese and Mandarin courses
As for the Japanese and Mandarin classes, Kumar said, “We will try to start within three months. We have a department in Hyderabad but not in Shillong.”
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma recently met the VC to discuss on starting Japanese and Mandarin classes which, according to Kumar, will be an opportunity for youths from the North East as Japanese companies will come up in a big way.
He added that the Shillong campus already has French, German, Spanish and Russian and will include Mandarin Chinese and Japanese.
As for the technology used in teaching, Kumar said that the University will procure software for World class laboratory in which English and foreign languages will be taught.
The VC added that the professional and certificate courses will start in a month while the undergraduate courses will be from the next academic session.
Different programmes
Kumar informed that the schools and colleges will have tester session to make students understand about foreign languages, there will also be language proficiency programmes in German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese Mandarin and Russian.
The university will soon start undergraduate programmes in foreign languages from the next academic session.
The university will also start a music club in a month and it will procure musical instruments and appoint a music teacher.
Informing about his meeting with the vice chancellor of NEHU, Kumar said that the two Central universities will have exchange of facilities officially and conduct collaborative research with NEHU which is the first of done for the first time.
Training of teachers
EFLU will also train school teachers in the state in a scientific and systematic manner.
Stating that school teaching is crucial in anyone’s life, Kumar said, “If school teaching is taken care of, we can expect very good and successful nation.”
He added that training of school teachers is only an idea which needs to be formulized.
Mobile apps
Working in the lines of Corporate Social Responsibility, EFLU will start a University Social Responsibility (USR) programme.
“As part of that, the university is going to come up with mobile apps on English pronunciation and spoken English,” Kumar said.
Under USR, the EFLU Shillong campus will adopt a village and help locals in different aspects of language, literacy and education.
“We would focus on one village and on the success of the first one, we will later try to adopt many more villages,” he said.
Kumar also informed that the University will soon start “open educational resources” through online in English, Hindi, Sanskrit and 10 foreign languages which will be on the University’s website www.efluniversity.ac.in.