'English as a Life Skill' workshop held in Galle

Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga as the Chair held a workshop to develop 2011 Action Plan for 'English as Life Skill' programme Monday at Education Leadership Development Center auditorium in Meepe in Gall


President Mahinda Rajapaksa launched the National Road Map to promote Spoken/ Communicative English skills in Sri Lanka on July 19, 2009.


During the first phase of the program, a strong new national cadre of 80 master trainers and 320 assistant trainers in Spoken English from all nine Provinces has been developed by training them at the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad.
The master trainers have produced the country's first teacher guide for spoken English, used, and revised it during the first phase.
Additionally, 60 percent of the 22,500 English teachers of the country were trained to teach spoken English through an accelerated programme that was completed by the end of last year.
Secretary to the Education Ministry H. M. Gunasekara, Coordinator and Convener of the Presidential Task Force on English and IT, Sunimal Fernando, Adviser of the Presidential Task Force Shamendra Weerakkody and education officials also participated in the workshop.
(Photos by Nalin Hewapathirana)