2014 Summer Language School Results Discussed

BelSU Rector discussed the results and outcomes of Summer Language School 2014 with its activists.

The University is running the programme “University of the Future”, which includes the BelSU Summer Language School project for students to improve their English language skills.

According to Oleg Polukhin, foreign language skills are essential for professionals willing to gain a more advantageous position in the labour market. The University actively promotes programmes to create and develop foreign language environment within the University and thus provide its students with possibilities of foreign language learning. In several years the graduates will get language certificates together with their diplomas.

The University aspires to prepare over 70% of its graduates as professionals who can fluently speak a foreign language.

To achieve this, the University is to launch five foreign language training programmes for its employees, teachers and students. Besides, BelSU closely cooperates with educational institutions from all over the world. Fromyear to yeargrows the amount of agreements which allow increasing academic mobility of BelSU students, teaching and administrative staff. Along with English-speaking countries, the programmes developed cover French- and German-speaking countries.

According to Rector, the ability to speak a foreign language is also beneficial because English is the working language for 90% of reputable scientific journals.

Speaking of challenges the Summer Language School had to face, its Director Anna Merezhko admitted poor awareness about the Summer School itself among students, general low level of English among students, and insufficient amount of native speakers as issues to work on.

The representatives of Organization Committee suggested founding a permanent headquarters for the Summer School for all its sessions. Besides, the Summer School could be more efficient if it invited native speakers from other than English-speaking partner countries, e.g. France and Germany.

Standing for the development of students’ language competence, Rector suggested organizing events, fully delivered in the English language. Among the events suggested are themed days at the Library or University café for all students and staff to communicate only in the English language. Besides, s ub-departments and Expert Council also should shift to carrying out a certain amount of their meetings exclusively in the English language.