Bengaluru: Looking for some comprehensive training to master a foreign language? One can do it easily in two months at the newly launched Centre for Global Languages (CGL) run by the newly formed Bengaluru Central University (BCU). The Conversation Course for Spoken Languages will include 40 hours of intense training and takers will be offered situation-based oral coaching sessions in Hebrew, Polish, Dutch and Thai.
“Candidates will also have oral exams at the conclusion of the course, which is basic, to test their language-speaking capabilities. Though such courses are being offered in some universities in North India, this is the first time in the South. The course will begin from the 2018-19 academic year,” said Dr Jyothi Venkatesh, CGL Chairperson, BCU. More languages will be added as per demand in future and if needed, these languages will be included in the list of languages for which courses are offered at six different levels at the department.
The Centre (formerly Department of Foreign Languages, Bangalore University) was re-launched earlier on Friday evening by BCU Vice-Chancellor Dr S. Japhet. He said that it was essential for the 33-year old department to be enhanced as a centre as the country is making its way to the list of major economies in the world.
“With 40% of the global GDP being generated from Asian countries, this is an era of globalisation and BCU will try to develop maximum talent among youngsters, equipping them to be on par with international standards, including the courses offered by CGL,” he said.
The Centre offers Certificate – I and II, Diploma – I and II (four months each), Higher Diploma, Advanced Diploma (eight months each), Masters and Doctoral programmes in various languages. “The new certification scheme taken up by the varsity will ensure that the candidates are on a par with the international certification level, making the degrees valid across the globe,” Dr Venkatesh said.
A newly introduced five-year integrated MA French programme will also be offered from this year. The varsity will begin similar programmes for German and Spanish next year (2019-20) and is now in talks with experts and various embassy representatives in the city to begin other languages (including Mandarin) also in the coming years.
Last year, 363 students graduated from the department.
