Feature

Overview of an enchanting international ELT seminar at AIUB

Debasish Biswas

The Department of English of American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), in collaboration with Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association (BELTA), organized 3-day seminar from 23 to 25 July titled 'BELTA-AIUB-THT English Language Teaching Seminar 2009'. The theme of the seminar was: Alternative Methodologies in ELT. Nine members of the Teachers Helping Teachers (THT) forum of Japan came to AIUB to conduct an ELT seminar on teacher development. This THT delegation was headed by Dr. Patrick Dougherty, a prolific ELT-expert and poet from USA. The other members were: Carla Wilson (USA), Michael Stout (Canada), Dr. Cecilia Silva (Argentina), Stephen Wolfe (USA), Cherie Brown (New Zealand), Patrick McCoy (USA), Anne McLellan Howard (UK), and Jill Bruellman (USA).

It was a combination of 30 intensive workshops incorporating multidimensional features on classroom teaching and management where 50 English teachers from renowned schools, colleges and universities of the country participated with tremendous enthusiasm. The THT members later on said how impressed they had been by the quality of the participants, which was significantly better than all the previous THT seminars in this country.

It all started with a colorful inauguration ceremony on 23 July at the AIUB auditorium with Prof. Nazrul Islam, honorable Chairman of the University Grants Commission, attending as the Chief Guest. Presided over by AIUB's Vice Chancellor Dr. Carmen Z Lamagna, the event witnessed the attendance and goodwill speeches of the top level AIUB management including Dr. Anwarul Abedin, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Prof. Dr. Tafazzal Hossain, Vice President of Academics; Prof. Dr. Anwar Hossain, Pro Vice Chancellor; and Prof. Dr. Tazul Islam, Associate Dean of Arts & Social Sciences. Speaking on the reasons for organizing such an event, THT Team Leader Dr. Patrick Dougherty and BELTA's President Dr. Rubina Khan thanked AIUB in general and its English Department in particular, for extending all out assistance towards THT and BELTA. Dr. Faheem Hasan Shahed, Head of the English Department thanked all the concerned persons in and out of AIUB for their contribution in making this event a reality. A specially designed 'Cake of Learning' was jointly cut by the UGC Chairman, AIUB Chairman, BELTA President and THT Leader amid fanfare.

The workshops and presentations were on diverse and interesting in their nature. While some presenters dealt with task-based classroom activities with specific references to language games, others focused on dramatic and innovative classroom techniques top make students speak.

AIUB provided all the state-of-the-art logistic support to both BELTA and THT-team which was further glorified by a wonderful tour arranged for the BELTA-THT delegates to AIUB's grand farm house at Sreepur on 24 July, Friday. Gleeful photo-sessions in the gorgeously designed arena, warm hospitality and of the VC madam Dr. Carmen Lamagna and the Vice President of HR & Treasury Mr. Hasanul A Hasan with organic fruits-vegetables with delicious dishes, lively adda-sessions with Rabindrasangeet & modern Bangla songs rendered by Syeda Farzna Sultana, Dr. Arifa Rahman & her BELTA team, and English hits of yesteryears by Dr. Faheem along with Carla, Dr. Cecilia, Cherie, Anne and Jill made everyone's day. THT delegates said how they had a wonderful feel of the Bangladeshi countryside by this tour.

The final session of the last day witnessed an interactive round table titled 'Education in Bangladesh: The path followed and the highways ahead' where experts and the participants engaged in a lively argumentative discussions.

At the end, it was destined for a Certificate-awarding ceremony at the 17th floor of Campus-7. Finally, it would be almost a sin if I don't mention at least the names of some individuals: Dr. Carmen Z Lamagna (VC, AIUB), Mr. Hasanul A Hasan (VP of HR & Treasury, AIUB), Mr. Ishtiaque Abedin (VP of International Affairs), M Hamidul Haque, Syeda Farzana Sultana, Qumrul Hasan Chowdhury (faculty members of English Department, AIUB), Mr. Mazur H Khan (Coordinator of Student Affairs, AIUB), Dr. Arifa Rahman (Secretary General of BELTA) and Dr. Sayeedur Rahman (faculty of IML, Dhaka University). And of course, Dr. Charles Villanueva (Dean of Arts & Social Science), Dr. Tazul Islam (Associate Dean Arts & Social Science) and Dr. Faheem Shahed (Head of English department) for their overall combined monitoring. Without their efforts in their unique capacities, this BELTA-AIUB-THT Seminar 2009 would never have witnessed such gigantic success.

(The writer is a faculty member of English deparment in AIUB)