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Dubai:
Public schools in Dubai have taken up the challenge of improving
the English language skills of their students after surveys last
year found them lacking, a media report said today.
According to Gulf News, several schools have hired private consultants to enrich their
curriculum and there have been signs of progress.
One of the schools that has taken the lead is Jumeirah Model
School for Girls, which hired the iEnglish Institute in November
last year to initiate a turnaround.
Teachers and students in the schools claim it has been really
helpful.
The progress became evident when the students, who were unable to
write correct sentences in English just a few months ago, hosted a
show in English fluently on Wednesday.
"It's impressive the way they have improved over the last five
months. The programme implemented by iEnglish has really helped in
turning things around. We are planning to initiate similar
programmes in more public schools," Gulf News quoted Mubarak Ali Humaidi, a
representative of the Ministry of Environment, who attended the
concluding ceremony of the programme at the school.
He added that following the success of the programme at Jumeirah
Model School, several schools including Mohammad Bin Rashid Model
School, Otba Bin Ghezwan Public School, Al Ibda School and Al
Sufouh School have initiated the project.
The programmes involve making learning English more fun and
lively, with workshops, outdoor visits, teamwork and fun games.
Hydar Abu Shaqra, head of training and operations at iEnglish
Institute, said: "We believe in engaging the students rather than
teaching them. It is the process that decides the end and not the
other way round. We do the survey first to see the level of the
students and design the programmes accordingly. So it differs from
school to school and student to student."
The training involves all aspects of communication as well as
table manners, cultural awareness, etc.
"Most of our activities are conducted by native speakers who not
only impart the theory but immerse the students in different
situations, where they experience firsthand how to behave and
interact in a particular situation," Abu Shaqra added.
The programme also makes use of
multimedia, information technology and movies to convey the idea.
Shaikha Saleh Al Ali, the coordinator of the English department at
Jumeirah Model School, said the programme has been very helpful in
shaping the way students handle English.
"More than anything else, the students are very confident now when
it comes to communicating in English," Gulf News quoted Shaikha Saleh
as saying.
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