NERLC imparts Bodo language training to teachers

KOKRAJHAR, Feb 9: The North Eastern Regional Language Centre (NERLC), Guwahati, under the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore has been imparting language training in Bodo, Assamese, Nepali and Manipuri to the teachers, research scholars and fresh graduates deputed by various states of India.

According to the statement released by the resource persons Nijwm Narzary and SK Boro, Department of Bodo, the NERLC has been teaching Bodo language to 13 non-Bodo teachers and graduate trainees deputed from Asom, Manipur, West Bengal and Orissa. The teacher trainees are now in the two weeks language environment study tour to Bodo speaking areas for exposure to Bodo culture, historical background as well as cultural importance. The tour also includes meetings with different socio-cultural organizations in the locality of the camp. The 13 teacher trainees including three ladies are visiting Kokrajhar and Udalguri from February 4 and will continue till February 18.

The teacher trainees from Asom for the Bodo Department are Ditul Chetia, Bipul Das, Barnali Hazarika, Tapan Kalita, Manaranjan Kalita, Uday Bwisya and Bharat Chandra Maitra while T Ajit Singh is from Manipur. Similarly, the teacher trainees from Orissa for Bodo department are Basudev Chatria, Kashirad Kr Das and Pratima Mahapatra wheareas Nilanjan Nanda is from West Bengal.

The main objective of the five CIIL centres in Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Mysore, Patila and Pune which is imparting instructions in 22 Indian languages, is to provide support to all the States and Union territories of the country in implementing the three language formula in order to promote national integration through multi-lingual education.

The functions of the centres are to train the teachers and research scholars and other graduates for language education scheme deputed by different State Governments in an Indian language other than their mother tongue and to further train the teachers to enable them to teach their students in the respective schools.

The other important functions are to collaborate with and extend consultancy to different governmental and non-governmental agencies in activities such as curriculum planning teacher training, preparation and evaluation of text books, translation and language testing and to prepare instructional materials for the learning and teaching of Indian languages at different levels for different cross sections of the society and to undertake researches related to language teaching theories and methods as well as learners performance.

The centres also conduct national and international level seminars and conference on themes related to language education.