Ceremony celebrates language learners

The Language Bridges program concluded its fall semester with a closing ceremony that recognized the service staff learners. Language Bridges is a student-led club that teaches English and basic computing skills to service workers.

Guest speaker, Sheikha Athba Al Thani, adviser to the CEO of Qatar Diar-Vinci Construction, recognized the importance of learning new language skills through programs such as Language Bridges. “We should learn from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and the Language Bridges program. If we are given the opportunity to learn, we are able to better serve society and better serve ourselves.”

Sheikha Athba speaks at Language Bridges

Language Bridges was spearheaded by Silvia Pessoa, associate teaching professor of English, about seven years ago. “We had a productive semester of teaching, learning, and service,” said Pessoa. “I am very proud of our learners for their investment and enthusiasm and our teachers for their commitment to service. And special thanks to our Language Bridges club executives for effectively managing all the hard work that goes behind the scenes.”

The Language Bridges literacy program focuses on functional language relevant to the workers’ jobs and lives. The program is also taught by ROTA’s Adult English Literacy program, targeting workers in Qatar who do not possess any Arabic or English speaking skills.