Chronicle Editor
Blessed Moyo, Sunday News Reporter
IN a ground-breaking initiative to globalise education, several schools in Bulawayo have integrated foreign languages, specifically French, Spanish, and Mandarin, into their curricula.
This is meant to provide students with essential skills for effective international communication and enhanced competitiveness.
This innovative programme, developed in collaboration with the Foreign Languages Education and Technology Institute (Fletech) and the Activ’ Group of Schools, seeks to promote cultural exchange, broaden career opportunities, and equip students for success in an increasingly interconnected global landscape.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Fun Day event held at Victory College last Friday, the Director and Founder of Fletech Institute Mrs Bevy Tatenda Zinyengene noted how schools in the city were showing interest in having foreign languages being taught saying the move will advance the educational level to greater heights.
“We have noted a significant number of schools that want foreign languages taught at their institutions as per the new curriculum requirements and this is a good innovation because it allows for students to get better opportunities in the future and it caters for globalisation,” said Mrs Zinyengene.
The Fletech institution provides lessons in French, Spanish and Mandarin but they also affiliated with German teachers for both primary and secondary schools.
“As Fletech Institute, we also provide lessons for adults. Our students, after receiving lessons can also be accredited with international diplomas meaning that if they have to go outside the country they are already credited for the language, they won’t have to sit for exams,” said Mrs Zinyengene.
“Students will have to sit for the exams in their respective language such as the Delf exams for French through the Alliance Francaise de Bulawayo, the Dele exams for Spanish through the Spanish Embassy and the HSK exams for the Chinesse Mandarin,” she added.
Bulawayo schools that have collaborated with Fletech for foreign language lessons are Fairview Adventist Primary, Wonderpark College, Fairlands Primary, Amazon Primary and Victory College schools.
The Activ’ Group of Schools which consists of five schools in Bulawayo namely Angels Primary, Cana Primary and Tshebetshebe Elementary, Mhlophe High and Victory College schools also support the foreign languages initiative.
In an interview, Mr Themba Ntwalaza the co-ordinator of the Activ’ Group of Schools spoke on the benefits of teaching the foreign languages.
“A large number of students from our schools managed to register to write at least one foreign language because the registration fees were affordable and the languages are in high demand in many schools so I think this is a very prolific initiative we took as an organisation,” said Mr Ntwalaza.
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