Digital linguistics lab brings unique opportunities to Bhakkar

DC says lab will bring prosperity and development to the local residents

BHAKKAR: The first digital linguistics lab in Punjab, established under a public-private partnership, has opened its doors in the district at Bhakkar Job Bureau on Jhang Road.

The linguistics lab, which boasts of a total of 20 screens, has been set up using modern technology for teaching English language courses. Heads and teachers of government and private schools will be taught English language in different batches over a period of a week. Classes will be conducted during the morning and in the evening.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Bhakkar Deputy Commissioner Waqas Rasheed said that the establishment of the linguistic lab is a key milestone in communication development. “Not only will the lab bring prosperity and development, but it will also open up new avenues and opportunities for the people living in the district,” he maintained.

He said that the heads and teachers of government and private schools will complete their training by the end of this year while students will also have the opportunity to avail these courses.

The deputy commissioner also thanked the lab’s partners for providing screens and other technological support for establishing the facility.



Talking to Express News, Deputy Commissioner Captain Waqas Rasheed said that the first Digital Linguistic Lab of Punjab has been established in Bhakkar.

Speaking to Express News, Digital Linguistics Lab In charge Adnan Jamil said that the facility has around 20 computers which are all equipped with lectures on the English language. These learning modules can be studied by watching and listening to the material, he said.

Initially, the male and females heads of schools will be taught the English language course. After they complete their training, teachers will be taught the course. Finally, the students will be taught the English language course, he explained. The process will be completed in several steps and phases. After this is completed, people from other government departments will also be provided training.

English teachers will be trained over the course of seven days while the instructors of other subjects will be taught over ten days. Around 20 people will be trained in the first phase while the course will be expanded at a later date, he said.

Individuals wishing to study the course do not have to pay any registration fee as they are free-of-charge. In addition, other language courses are also in the pipeline, he said.

Lecturers at the University of Sargodha Bhakkar Campus said that there is no such organisation in the province, let alone the district. This linguistics lab will bring in a new wave of development in the district, they exclaimed.

The linguistics lab will not only encourage others to visit the district but will also provide employment opportunities to the youth residing in Bhakkar. Majority of university students do not know how to speak and write in English. Only a few possess this skill which gives our graduates a major disadvantage in all fields, the explained.

Our students are gifted and talented individuals. They just need a proper platform that can provide them with the necessary skills that can give them a competitive edge, they said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 26^th, 2019.