U.S. Embassy Supports English Language Teaching at the University of Ruhuna

The U.S. Embassy, together with the University of Ruhuna, launched a two-week training program for staff of the English Teaching Unit of the University of Ruhana in Matara.

The program aims to introduce American TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) standards which would help to improve the new Bachelor of Arts Special Degree syllabus at the University of Ruhuna.

Dr. Jill Robbins of George Washington University in Washington, D.C. is leading the workshop. The program was opened by Deputy Vice Chancellor Senior Professor Gamini Senanayake, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, Professor R.M. Ranaweera Banda, Head of the ELTU, and Dr E.A. Gamini Fonseka.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Professor Senanayake emphasized the vital importance of English as a tool of communication and its role in enhancing the quality of undergraduate programs in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Robbins, during her remarks, outlined several contemporary approaches to language learning such as cooperative learning, learner-centered teaching, and constructivist education and emphasized how these techniques are instrumental for achieving long-term goals in English Language Teaching.

- Asian Tribune -