Continuing its initiative to engage the community with different languages and cultures, the Translation and Interpreting Institute (TII), part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), will be offering a range of popular community language classes at its facilities in the Education City.

Designed to target both children and adults, TII’s Language Center courses are delivered by experienced instructors, who actively support language learning for students with diverse cultural backgrounds, irrespective of their current proficiency level. After a round of initial placement tests, all registered students will be allotted an appropriate language command level. 

Describing the importance of learning new languages in an increasingly multicultural and global environment, TII’s Spanish Language Coordinator Inmaculada Villasuso, said: “At the TII Language Center, we work to offer the best quality of Spanish courses in Qatar. Led by a team of qualified and experienced native Spanish teachers, our program prepares students to communicate in Spanish from day one in a friendly environment. Furthermore, during each of the cultural activities and events that we regularly ‎organize –including film screenings and workshops – students get a chance to engage with the Spanish-speaking community in Qatar, helping them to boost their confidence when in conversation with native speakers and allowing them to immerse themselves more fully in the new culture.”

TII applies the same level of curricular quality, class environment, and student engagement efforts across all other language programs as well.

Adults may register for Arabic, French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish language courses. Each course utilizes a blended learning approach, building on classic textbook learning with audiovisual and multimedia resources as well as structured classroom discussions. To be held during the University’s Spring semester, all seven language courses at TII are presently open for enrollment until January 10. The program of classes, beginning January 16, is conveniently timed to accommodate those interested in learning or developing their chosen language. 

For children between the ages of 5 to 12, the list of languages at TII’s Language Center this coming semester includes Arabic, French, German, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish. During two-hour classes every Saturday, children will gain an opportunity to practice the language of their choice through well-structured lessons that integrate diverse activities, such as art and crafts, drama, games, and music. Registration is open until January 15 and classes are scheduled to begin on January 20.

The launch of the Spring semester public courses comes as the latest in a series of initiatives undertaken by TII to promote a culture of learning and celebrate languages in the wider community. Recently, TII commemorated UN Arabic Language Day to promote the integral role of the Arabic language in the history of human advancement. Furthermore, the institute is currently in preparation to mark the importance of Mandarin Chinese on the forthcoming occasion of the Chinese New Year in February.

To register for the language courses online, interested community members may log on to http://tii.qa/language-center and www.tii.qa/kids-courses.