Five-days Residential English Camp at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
View(s):Five-days residential English Camp for the second-year undergraduates of the Department of Accountancy and Finance, Faculty of Management Studies, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, was conducted from 9th March to 13th March 2021 at the university premises in Belihuloya with the assistance of the AHEAD Grants provided by the UGC. Five English camp resource persons made the experience remarkable by conducting a variety of sessions throughout the days.
The history of the residential English education camp in Sri Lanka goes back to 1997. This concept began with a core of dedicated Peace Corps education volunteers from the USA over a decade ago in 1996 together with the Ministry of Education with the financial support by Serendib English Camp Foundation, a Sri Lanka based organisation created for English education development in the country with the kind patronage of Mr. Tucker McCravy Jr. The first-ever Sri Lankan planned and executed camp was held at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka in 1997.
The Department of Accountancy and Finance of SUSL conducted this camp for the Second Year Financial Management and Banking and Insurance undergraduates with the support of five language experts specialised in conducting English Language camps for more than twenty four years. The Organizing Committee comprised of the lecturers in the department contributed immensely around the clock on all five days to develop undergraduates’ communication skills while enhancing their confidence and job-related soft skills.
Prof. Udaya Ratnayake, Vice-chancellor of the SUSL, graced the inauguration and pointed out the importance of conducting English camps for the first-year students of each faculty of the university. Addressing the gathering, Dean, Prof. Athula Gnanapala, emphasized the need for maximum utility of the programme by each student with high enthusiasm. Dr. Dunusinghe, Head, Department of Accountancy and Finance, appreciated lecturers’ efforts in organizing such an event. The undergraduates who participated in the camp stated that the camp helped them to learn English with a lot of fun and the activities done tremendously contributed in developing their confidence and communicative competence while stressing the importance of conducting such camps for the undergraduates at the entrance to the university.
The camp covered diversified sessions in which students learn English with lots of fun. There was a zoom session with Mr. Tucker McCravy, Founder of English Camps in Sri Lanka who joined from Cambodia, and Mr. Cambell, a resource person of English camps who joined from New York. Undergraduates interacted with them with high spirits. The closing ceremony with a talent show on 13th March 2021 was a clear witness for undergraduates’ improvement of their communication skills with solid confidence.