It’s 4:55 pm on a sweltering evening of May. With the ‘new normal’ of online classes, I briskly connect my laptop to the scheduled CLC class at 5 pm with a concomitant thought playing at the back of my mind—“The day is almost over…will they turn up?” Tomy Surprise and utter delight, I see the screen filled up with bright faces, all set to enjoy (according to them) the most coveted time, not only of the day, but of the entire week! Seeing them exploring their speaking, debating and presenting skills fills me with contentment—the greatest reward we can ever expect as facilitators. This is the joy and vivacity of learning that NSHM Centre of Language and Communication (NCLC) promises to brighten and contour the lives of our students with.

With young, talented faculty members who bring in innovative ways of teaching Language Proficiency, Essential Communication Skills, Personality Development, Public Speaking and full-fledged Foreign Language Courses into their classes, NSHM Centre of Language and Communication (NCLC) has made a substantive mark for itself among students, who have immensely acknowledged its contribution towards enriching their language proficiency and preparing them for the industry. Lisa Roy, my student from BBA First Year, Durgapur campus, writes to me—“In those two hours of weekly CLC classes, we have literally learnt so many things like how to be confident, how to present yourself in front of the interviewer and so on. The GD and case studies made us more confident and knowledgeable. We have tried to acquire as much as we can this semester. I hope you will teach us more tips and tricks next semester”. Isha Kumari from the same batch writes: “The CLC classes enabled me to improve my communication skills. They were really interactive sessions. We got a chance to put our opinions in front of all by which we gained a lot of information about our current surroundings. Every week we had 2 hours of conversation. CLC classes also helped me to improve my English language proficiency as well as my body language. Regular classes can definitely enrich your vocabulary and you can communicate frankly with others. From my experience I would say, CLC classes were really amazing”. Arpan Dey, who is currently pursuing his BBA in Hospital Management and is in his second semester, writes:“I’ve really enjoyed each CLC class and learnt very informative lessons including presentation skills, interview skills, telephone etiquettes, group discussion skills and many more which are absolutely necessary for us to be professional and efficient to get our target jobs.”The centre has been helping our students realise their true penchant for self-development which have also assisted them abundantly in coping with the psychological adversities posed by the pandemic.

Amidst the stifling conditions of lockdown, contagion and closed campuses, students have been incarcerated within the four walls of their homes for the past 16 months! A part of life that was meant to be lived and enjoyed in exhilarated classrooms, bustling corridors and mirthful hostel rooms are being mundanely spent in front of Smartphones and laptop screens. Enthusiastic conversations that were to take place in the college coffee-shop or in the canteen, on the lush green lawn or by the lake—are being conducted over voice or video calls, gradually drifting them far away from each other. With CLC classes which are dedicated to conversational skills and debating skills, students get to interact with each other, which not only enhance their professional communication skills but also let them suspend their worries for the time being. Group discussion sessions at times enable them to go beyond the virtual plane and actually imagine themselves to be in a tangible class! This is particularly applicable to the students whose college life started online and might possibly remain so unless the pandemic withdraws its shadow from our lives. They have only met their classmates and teachers online and are awaiting the day when they get to see each other in person. These students look at the CLC classes as a gateway to each other’s lives, as ceaseless interactions let them know their friends a little better. Online elocution competitions, inter-college essay writing and debate competitions organized by CLC have not only kept the mengaged but have also encouraged them to go that extra mile in exploring their talents.

Besides the language proficiency classes, communication classes and other events organised by the centre, a major attraction of the students have undoubtedly been the Foreign Language courses offered by CLC. Many students, including final year students, have taken up Foreign Language courses of their choice to broaden their scope of employability. Laboni Maji of BCA Durgapur (Batch of 2018) who took up a course on German language says: “The foreign language classes are very informative and interactive. This class has increased myinterestinlearningnewlanguages.Weareconstantlyencouragedtoparticipateintheclassand are asked for our feedback. Classes are planned and modified according to our requirements. While taking the basic course, I was facing some problem in speaking.

However, it has improved now and I am still working on it to enhance it further. Overall it's a nice experience; I am really enjoying the classes.” Shubhanjan Sinha, a student of BCA Durgapur (Batchof2018) says: “I have completed the basic language proficiency course in Spanish language and I must say that it has been one of the highlights of my 3 years in NSHM. Our teachers are very nice and supportive. The way they explain grammar and non-grammatical sections are very interesting. Currently I'm in the intermediate level of the Spanish language course. If I get the opportunity in the future I would be definitely going for the advance level course.”

Such heart-warming, honest feedbacks from our students give us hope. The hope to strive further in making a positive change in their lives so that the tenure they spend with us becomes a treasure for a lifetime for them. As an institute, we never let the pandemic take at all on our teaching-learning process and as a centre, CLC has ensured that the online platform is used to the optimum level in enhancing the language skills and employability skills of our students. However, it is worth admitting that nothing can replace the experience and thrill of an actual class. The classrooms are the little worlds which the students create with their teachers a space where they learn, explore and make memories. We dearly wait to get back to our classes and bear witnesses to our students living their dreams. Until then, we hope to make the most of our virtual interactions and ensure that the journey towards language learning and self-discovery continues with the same dynamism and alacrity.

This article is authored by Dr. Debapriya Goswami. She is an Assistant Professor at NSHM Knowledge Campus, West Bengal, India and can be reached by email at mail to: debapriya.goswami@nshm.com.