In a significant move to equip students with global skills, National University (NU) has taken a landmark step to establish language clubs across all its affiliated colleges and educational institutions nationwide.
The initiative is designed to prepare students for the international labour market and the modern era of information technology.
Through these clubs, students will have the opportunity to enhance their proficiency in their mother tongue as well as international languages, specifically English, Mandarin, and Japanese, with a high priority placed on third language learning.
According to university sources, the clubs will host regular language practice and speaking sessions, alongside public speaking, debates, presentations, book reading, literary and cultural activities, seminars, workshops, and various language-based competitions.
Beyond direct instruction, students will have access to modern technology-driven language learning materials.
The university authorities decided to launch this integrated platform after recognising the need for linguistic development among students to improve their prospects in employment, higher education, and international communication.
Regarding his vision for the project, Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor ASM Amanullah said, “In today’s competitive world, obtaining an institutional degree alone is not enough; one must also acquire communication skills to keep pace with the outside world.”
“Despite being talented, our students often lag behind in the international arena simply due to a lack of language proficiency,” he added.
The VC further said that primary objective of establishing these clubs at the college level is to eliminate students’ hesitation and fear, enabling them to speak and express thoughts fluently in English or another third language.
He expressed his desire to build a generation from every college who can present themselves confidently and successfully in any global environment.
Teachers, parents, and educationists have welcomed the initiative as timely and commendable.
They said these clubs would be particularly effective for students in remote areas who typically lack adequate opportunities for language practice. In the era of Fourth Industrial Revolution and global competition, linguistic proficiency is considered an essential qualification for research, entrepreneurship, and employment.
National University is set to organise a workshop involving colleges within Dhaka metropolitan area soon. The university confirmed that the process of drafting specific guidelines to be sent to the respective colleges has already commenced.
The information was shared by Tayeba Tasnim Siraj, acting director of Public Relations Department at National University.
