The Translation and Interpreting Institute (TII) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), has begun offering community classes to children and adults, an array of popular foreign-language classes for students of different aptitude levels. The courses are open to the public. 

The early summer programmes fall into two categories: for children, aged five to 12, and adults. TII Portuguese language coordinator Paula Carrajana said that by fostering an environment led by experienced instructors, the centre helps students immerse in the language of their choosing.

Learning a new medium of communication is a tool of empowerment for all ages, and I am proud of all the progress we can accomplish with our course participants at TII and with each offering we provide.’

The language courses at TII are prepared and taught by experienced instructors, who actively support students with diverse cultural backgrounds, irrespective of their current skill level. All registered students are subject to a round of initial placement tests before being allotted an appropriate language command level. This standard of curricular quality, class environment, and student engagement efforts can be seen reflected in all other language programmes, including translation and interpretation.

Classes for both sets have Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, and Spanish, with Italian and Portuguese for adults.

For the older group, sessions utilise a blended learning approach, building on traditional textbook learning with audio-visual and multimedia resources as well as structured classroom discussions. The two-hour weekly session for children meanwhile, allows participants the opportunity to practice the language of their choice through well-structured lessons that integrate diverse activities, such as art and crafts, drama, games, and music.

The launch of the summer public courses comes as the latest in a series of TII initiatives to promote a culture of learning and celebrate languages in the broader community.

To know more about what TII has to offer, visit http://tii.qa/language-center  and www.tii.qa/kids-courses.