Sri Lankan universities look to Cambridge for language learning tips

The University of Colombo in Sri Lanka is sending one of its scholars to Cambridge to find out more about how computers are enhancing learning in the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages (MML).

Dulani Suraweera will spend a week in Cambridge, before returning to share her experiences with colleagues from universities throughout Sri Lanka, many of which are continuing to rebuild their teaching facilities following the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004.

Silke Mentchen, Computer-Assited Language Learning (CALL) Director for MML, said: “Cambridge was the only university to respond to Dulani's request to carry out a fact-finding visit at a Higher Education Institution in the UK. We're really glad to be able to help our Sri Lankan colleagues as their country continues to recover from the tsunami.”

The Faculty has recently refurbished its Computer-Assisted Language Learning centre, which contains a suite of more than 25 PCs equipped with the latest in language teaching software. It also runs a Certificate in Humanities Computing for Languages, designed to help students and staff develop their use of technology, providing them with skills that can also be used in a variety of other jobs.

MML is also helping to encourage the teaching of languages beyond Cambridge itself. In collaboration with colleagues in the University's Language Centre, an online language academy, called Multikultur@, has also been introduced to encourage key stage three (11-14 year olds) to carry on their language learning to University level. The Cambridge University Language Centre was also awarded the 2006 European Award for Languages for innovation in teaching and learning for its junior language teaching project.

For more information about language teaching at the University of Cambridge and some of the latest developments in computer-aided learning, follow the links to the right of this page.