Language learning: 163 students complete free English programme

US State Department funded programme is designed for 14 to 18 year olds.

LAHORE:

As many as 163 students, enrolled in the two-year Access English Micro-Scholarship Programme, graduated on Wednesday. The programme was a US funded after-school English language programme for underprivileged children.

Acting US Consul General at the US Consulate Jeffrey N Bakken addressed the graduation ceremony on Wednesday.

He said, “Through this programme we not only hope to offer better job opportunities to young students but also work on the enduring friendship between the people of Pakistan and the United States.”

Bakken, who is also the Punjab director for the USAID, said the students’ efforts were a source of inspiration for all.

He said the purpose of the programme was to provide young students with better professional and educational opportunities by improving their English language skills.

“Learning a new language is no small feat,” he said as he appreciated the students’ keenness and hard work in learning English.

He said he could converse in a few languages besides English, and now hoped to learn Urdu, too.

Funded by the US State Department, the Access English Micro-scholarship Programme aims at providing a foundation of English skills to children between the ages of 14 and 18. It was initiated in 2010 in two schools in Lahore – the City District Government Girls High School in Garhi Shahu and St John’s High School in Youhannabad.

Initially, the programme was implemented by the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP), an organisation that works for the welfare of the Christian community. Out of the 200 students who had enrolled in the program, 163 received their certificates and awards in a ceremony held at the Arooj-i-Maryam Renewal Centre in Youhannabad.

SLMP founder and Access Programme implementer Sohail Johnson said that with English becoming the language of worldwide communication, it was necessary for Pakistani students to benefit from such programmes.

Towards the end of the ceremony, students performed local dances followed by mimes and tableau performances and highlighted the significance of tackling social challenges that adversely affected the education system.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Mahnoor Sarfaraz, one of the graduates, said there was a greater need for such courses on a large scale

“I knew how to speak English before, but I wasn’t as fluent in the language as I am now”, she said.

A resident of Garhi Shahu, 15-year-old Sarfaraz said she was happy that the timing of the classes under the programme did not overlap with her school timings.

The public affairs officer at the US Consulate, Brinille Elaine Ellis, congratulated the students on completing the programme. After introducing herself in Urdu, Ellis said she hoped the programme would help the students develop their self confidence through co-curricular activities, which were also part of the programme.

Brian Givel, cultural affairs officer at the US Embassy in Islamabad, said the Access Programme in Lahore was one of the best programmes currently being run in Pakistan.

According to the US Consulate officials, over 6,000 students have participated in the programme with 2,000 hailing from Punjab.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2012.