Institute of Languages to open more campuses
The Ghana Institute of Languages (GIL) is to establish branches in various parts of the country in order to enable more people to learn some foreign languages.
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In this regard, plans are far advanced to open branches in Takoradi and Ho as soon as possible.
The school currently has branches in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and an off campus in Tema, where courses such as translation, bilingual secretaryship, English, French, Arabic, German, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish are offered.
The Director of the GIL, Dr John Gadzekpo, said this at the graduation ceremony of the Tamale branch of the school on Thursday.
In all, 230 students, made up of mostly foreigners from neighbouring countries, graduated with certificates in English and other foreign languages.
Dr Gadzekpo, who described the GIL as unique, added that “it is the only such centre in sub-Saharan Africa where you can enrol to learn a language from beginner level to that of Diploma or Degree.”
He said the Tamale branch had a lot of potential because of its wide catchment area, as its studentship could be drawn from the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and parts of the Brong Ahafo and Volta regions and from Togo, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
He entreated people to seize the opportunity to acquire knowledge in the programmes offered by the institute as there were enormous opportunities available for such people in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), trade and industry in Ghana, embassies, the UN System, AU, ECOWAS, ACP, African Development Bank and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
The Head of the Tamale branch of the GIL, Mr Benjamin Gbeglo, said his administration had embarked on an ambitious project to equip classrooms and offices in the new building of the institute with equipment to enhance the teaching and learning of languages.
He said plans were also on course to introduce a DBS programme soon “and later courses like TOEFL, GRE and GMAT, which are required by foreign universities for admission purposes, will follow.”
A graduate, Ms Zeba Hawa, from Burkina Faso, who graduated with an intermediate Certificate in English, expressed delight that she was able to speak the language in less than a year of learning at the institute.
Another graduate, Ms Priscilla Atura-Oscar, who also did a certificate course in Spanish, said she would like to use it to pursue a translation course at the Accra branch of the institute.
By Marcelinus Dery
