ITANAGAR, 28 Mar: The English department of Dera Natung Govt College (DNGC) here conducted a workshop on ‘Importance of language lab in higher education’ on Thursday.
During the workshop, RGU Assistant Professor Dr DS Gupta delivered a lecture on ‘The relevance of language lab in higher education in the present-day context,’ and said that “the objective of English language lab is to develop the language skills of the students with the help of the computer to teach language.”
“The students get exposure to e-learning environment to practice English in an entertaining way. It can help the students to acquire the main language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
“Effective use of the lab will enhance their active vocabulary and improve their proficiency in speaking the language. But, most importantly, inculcating practice, listening, and reading habits can bring turning point in the lives of language learners,” he said.
DNGC Principal Dr MQ Khan said that English will remain the most important language in the world. “English is the instrumental language of academic and is culturally transmitted,” he said, adding that “self-practice and individual assessment can play a pivotal role in the enhancement of the language.”
“In Arunachal Pradesh, English is the medium of instruction as well as the official language,” he added.
NIT Yupia Assistant Professor Dr K Vijayakumar highlighted “the role of language lab in development of LSRW skill,” and said that “the modern language labs are known by many names, such as language media centre, multimedia language lab, multimedia learning centre, digital language lab, etc.”
“Language laboratory is an audiovisual installation used in modern teaching methods. It is an interactive course which provides a very different experience from the traditional system of teaching and learning English. It offers more advanced features and functionalities,” he said.
Assistant Professors Nending Ommo and Yitu Murtem explicated the subject ‘Language lab: Orientation on language learning software’.
“The benefits of using language lab software are substantial. It offers an immersive learning environment, combining audiovisual materials and interactive activities that make language learning engaging and effective.
“The software’s speech recognition and analysis features provide students with real-time feedback on pronunciation and fluency, enhancing their speaking skills.
“Additionally, language lab software often includes collaborative tools, fostering communication and teamwork among students,” they said.
The workshop, sponsored by the higher & technical education directorate, saw the participation of more than 60 students.
