SQU celebrates French Language Day

MUSCAT: The Department of Tourism, College of Arts and Social Sciences, SQU, organised Francophone Day last week. The event was attended by Roland Dubertrand, Ambassador of France to the Sultanate of Oman, Dr Abdulla al Kindi, Dean of the College of Arts and Social Sciences, and the Department of Tourism staff members and students.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Dr Galal Afifi, the Head of Tourism Department highlighted the long-term, continuous cooperation between SQU and the French Embassy.

“The embassy provides the Department of Tourism with a French Language lecturer annually, which facilitates offering three elective courses every semester for about 100 students from the different colleges of SQU. The embassy helps the department to organise the ‘Department summer internship’ in France, and the embassy officials participate in most of the events organised by the Department of Tourism,” he said.

Dr Afifi referred also to the Department’s academic plan where six levels of French Language courses are offered which enable students to acquire a significant level of mastering the language.

Stating that the number of French speakers in the world has exceeded 284 million, Dubertrand expressed pleasure to the incremental increase in the number of French language students at SQU and Nizwa University, believing that they will surely be a significant focal point between Oman and France.

“Teaching French language will also help the students knowing about France and its culture which should facilitate communication with French society, institutions, and companies and contribute to more cooperation in the future”, he said.

Jamila Ghabrit, Head of the French Department in Nizwa University, said that students specialized in French language are qualified to work as translators or teachers, and they are currently working in places such as private schools, the French School, the French Omani Centre and museums; hoping that teaching French Language will be extended to governmental schools in the Sultanate.

Christan Adam, Director of the French Omani Centre, said the centre provides intensive French language courses, organises workshops and events throughout the year. He then invited the audience to visit the centre to have better understanding of its activities.

Tourism Department Students gave numbers of interactive shows and sketches in French, supervised by French teachers that shed light on their proficiency in French. The event also included an exhibition about the history of Omani French Culture which was praised by the visitors.