Mr. Kazi Abu Bakar Siddique, Lecturer at BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL), conducted two workshops at the Residential Campus, Savar, to help develop students’ creative writing and critical reading skills. Held on October 10 and 16, 2018, these interactive workshops shed light on students' existing skills on critical reading and creative writing and introduced some newer approaches to help them become better at reading and writing.
The first workshop, Remembering the Future, was designed for creative writers. This hour-long lively session tested the power of imagination of the students and touched upon the idea of reconstructing the past and pre-remembering the future. From Einstein’s linear time concept to how memory functions, from depictions of future in science fiction and films to day-to-day conversations where certain future plan dominates, the discussion meandered on and off through various possible incidents and dialogues that were worth planning for and remembering. After the discussion was over, the students remembered the future and wrote pieces covering different genres, from poems to stories, travel memoirs and reflective essays.
The second workshop, The Art of Reading, revolved around reading experiences and ideas, such as ‘successful reading’, ‘active reading’, and ‘reading for understanding’ vs. ‘reading for information’. Along the way, the brief discussion touched upon the benefits of reading, critical reading skills and four different levels of reading, as discussed by Mortimer J. Adler in his book, How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading. After the discussion, students read Ernest Hemingway’s “Cat in the Rain” and answered critical questions on the story to check their understanding and determine the level of their reading proficiency.
Students who attended the workshops found the sessions to be helpful, stating that they received some useful insights to develop reading and writing skills. However, like any learning workshop/activity, the majority of the students felt that continuous practice needs to be ensured for significant improvement.
BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL) conducted the 24th session of Journal Club on October 11, 2018. Ms. Fariah Amin and Mr. Yusha Alam, Lecturers at BIL, facilitated a discussion on the article “Will Students Actually Believe They Can Do This Assignment?” by David Gooblar.
The article discusses different kinds of motivation experienced by students, including intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and how they are cultivated in the classroom. The article also highlighted the three main variables that influence student motivation, including value/outcome expectancies, efficacy expectations, and environment. The participants discussed the different strategies they employ in the classroom to ensure that these variables are in a condition conducive to learning. The main objective of choosing these articles was to understand the basics of students’ motivation in language teaching and learning.
The presenters also discussed the steps that can ensure students’ success. These include setting the course at the appropriate level, convincing the students of their capability through positive feedback, giving students low-stakes assignments early on in the course to become familiar with their writing level, responding to students throughout the semester, and providing different opportunities to the students throughout the semester for self-correction and reflection.
Upon reflection, the participant teachers found that all the courses offered by BIL follow the steps outlined by the author to increase student’s self-belief and motivation. Towards the end of the interactive session, a question-answer segment ensued where a number of related issues were brought to attention and addressed.
A workshop titled 'Effective Time Management: Challenges and Solutions' was held on October 25, 2018, in the Listening Lab of BRAC University. The event was facilitated by Mr. Shami Suhrid and Ms. Tasnuva Huque, Counselors and Lecturers at the Counseling Unit of BRAC University. The workshop was attended by lecturers from BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL), who shared their experiences and opinions in a discussion regarding bad time management. They were also provided with materials to help them identify and categorize their challenges in dealing with time management and to gain a better understanding of how to utilize it more effectively.