British Council re-launches e-learning centre at Dhanmondi

The largest teaching centre of The British Council in Bangladesh has been reopened with expanded e-learning facilities.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 22 June 2015, 11:18 AM
Updated : 22 June 2015, 11:18 AM

British High Commissioner Robert W Gibson inaugurated the centre, popularly known as Dhanmondi branch of the British Council on Monday.
 
Education Secretary Nazrul Islam Khan and Prof. Abdullah Abu Sayeed were special guests at the programme. British Council Country Director Barbara Wikhham was also present among others.
 
Gibson said in a written statement the British Council was the world’s leading cultural relations organization and the English language was among the UK’s great cultural assets.
 
“I think this teaching centre will showcase the best practice and innovation in ‘English language teaching’. I hope the students will enjoy the cutting-edge classroom learning technology and develop their professional skills through this centre of excellence.”
 
The guests participated in a class with the students of a course named ‘Pre-Intermediate’ before the inaugural ceremony began.
 
Students asked the guests several questions after the class, coordinated by course teacher Tamia Mansur.
 
Tamia used Microsoft surface 3 tablets and LED projector instead of the traditional white board.
 
British Councils IT Manager Masood Anwar told bdnews24.com that instructors would use tablet computers and each student, too, would get separate tablet computer during the course.
 
“Students can use the resources of the central server and participate in the self assessment test, which will be reviewed by the teachers.”
 
“Our IELTS will be computerized at one stage of this modernization process,” he added.
 
Besides the inaugural ceremony, a declaration was made to launch a pre-exam IELTS course styled ‘IELTS Premier’, targeting the students and professionals who want higher scores within short time. 
Shakila Azim, the British Council marketing and promotion manager, told bdnews24.com, the course was new in Bangladesh and not currently available at any other centre of the British Council in the country.
 
“But modern classrooms are available in the organization’s main office at Fuller Road and the Uttara Teaching Centre, which was relocated and reopened at the International Turkish Hope School recently.”
 
The British Council works in more than 100 countries, as the UK’s international charitable organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
 
Besides the three centres in Dhaka, the organization also functions at Chittagong and Sylhet.