Department of English and Modern Languages

Departmental Programmes

Apart from the two main degree programmes: BSc in Business Communication (offered by University of Plymouth – United Kingdom) and BA in Business Communication (UGC approved and offered by NSBM), the Department of English and Modern Languages offers short courses and modules that focus on developing undergraduates’ language and communication skills. The department is currently offering the following short courses:

• Short course – French
• Short course – Chinese
• English for Academic Excellence (EAE)
• Conversational Skills for Career Readiness
• Short course on Presentation Skills

The short course on French focuses on providing students with the basic foundation to study French as a foreign language by covering the subject areas of basic vocabulary, basic grammar, and pronunciation. The French short course is conducted for beginner-level students who are interested in studying the language. Despite the massive demand for the course, a total of 30 students are selected in order to maintain the quality of the programme.

The Department of English and Modern Languages also offers the option of studying Chinese as a foreign language. The course entertains around 25 students per batch and consists of 16 sessions in total. Taught by a native Chinese speaker, the short course does not limit itself to textbook-based lessons but instead goes beyond to provide students with details of China’s unique cultural background. Each lesson is structured to focus on both speaking and writing skills while covering a particular cultural theme.

English for Academic Excellence provides students with basic and intermediate grammar, speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in English. The course adopts a student-centred learning approach by incorporating diverse exercises and activities that develop the speaking, listening, writing, reading and comprehension skills of students in addition to the basic and intermediate lessons on grammar. The purpose of this special course is to provide additional assistance to fresh undergraduates by encouraging them to familiarise themselves with the English language.

Conversational Skills for Career Readiness is a new course aimed at improving students’ public speaking and communication skills. The course specifically focuses on building the personality and confidence of NSBM undergraduates by creating a competitive yet safe space within the classroom to engage in group discussions and public speaking. Students of all faculties who are interested in developing their oratory skills are encouraged to participate in this short course spanning three months.

The short course on Presentation Skills has been newly introduced to aid students of each department to improve in their individual academic presentations and group assignments. Participants for the course will be decided by the Heads of the Department with the assistance of all lecturers based on students’ performance. Undergraduates are encouraged to build their confidence through rigorous practice within the classroom throughout this course.

News and Info

Telecollaboration Project with the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain

Department of English and Modern Languages was recently able to successfully complete a telecollaboration project with Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain. Such a telecollaboration project happened in a Sri Lankan university for the first time. The project brought the students of the two universities together to share their cultural values with each other. The purpose of the project was to improve students’ communication skills, especially speaking and listening skills, while helping them to be exposed to diverse cultures. The final-year students of the English degree programme of the Spanish university and first-year students who were following the Business Communication module participated in the project. This project required students to engage in mainly two tasks. They had to attend two Zoom meetings with their foreign friends, where they had discussions on various topics on culture. They were also required to make videos about various aspects of their culture and to upload them to a new language learning tool, “Soqqle” where they could watch each other’s videos and comment on them. In the end, the students were required to share their experiences in a presentation in the class. Their presentations revealed that the students were highly satisfied with the project, and they recommend the same for future batches as well. However, since this is the first project of this kind, data was collected to measure the effectiveness of the project, and the results will be presented at the EuroCall Conference 2022 at the University of Iceland.

The Opening of ICML Centre

NSBM Green University recently took a new step forward in creating a new path for its undergraduates to reach opportunities in the global market with the opening of the International Centre for Modern Languages (ICML). The ICML was ceremoniously opened on 11 March 2021 by the Vice Chancellor of NSBM, Prof. E A Weerasinghe, with the presence of Head – Academic Development and Quality Assurance, Prof Baratha Dodankotuwa, Ms Thilini de Silva, Dean of Faculty of Business, Deans of other faculties, Heads of departments, academics and students. The Chief Guest of the event was Senior Prof Niroshini Gunasekera from the Department of Modern Languages, University of Kelaniya, and the Keynote Speaker was Ms Kumudu Munasinghe, the Head-Corporate Communications at John Keells Holdings PLC. The centre was opened with the vision of providing NSBM undergraduates with global opportunities to integrate easily with the world. A wide range of language courses, including Chinese, German, French, and English is planned to be offered through the ICML, providing a unique and valuable learning experience to the students.

Book Club Sessions by English Literary Association

The Book Club sessions are regularly held by the English Literary Association (ELA) of the Department of English and Modern Languages, where the participants share their thoughts on the books that have left an impact on them. These sessions inculcate the participants to be engaged in meaningful discussions on books and literature. This is a common platform for all the book lovers in the university to come together and share their passion for books and literature.

Departmental Publications

Business Communication Textbook
The department developed a textbook for undergraduates following the Business Communication common module in their first year, first semester. The textbook guides the students to keep on track with academic content in a convenient manner. At the same time, it helps them widen their intellectual capacities by providing insights into further reading in addition to the typical academic content.

Evergreen – ELA
The English Literary Association, which is established under the Department of English and Modern Languages published “Evergreen” in October 2021, commemorating the 5th anniversary of NSBM Green University. The magazine was enriched with articles presented by NSBM undergraduates and Alumni. It encompassed milestones of the university over the past five years.

Newsletter
The Department of English and Modern Languages also contributes to issuing Newsletters to share information and keep the subscribers updated periodically. It is a biannual publication issued, highlighting the milestones of the university. The newsletter summarizes the highlights of the university in terms of academic and extra-curricular activities in a nutshell.