In a world which is becoming more and more connected, education cannot be placed within the boundary of the classroom or nations. From a vision of the future, the concept of smart classrooms has become a reality in today’s rapidly changing higher education environment. Technology-enabled learning spaces across universities around the world are bringing about an almost revolutionary change in the way knowledge is imparted, debated, and absorbed. Perhaps nowhere is this metamorphosis more exciting than in the realm of literature, wherein traditional texts and digital innovation merge into lifetime learning experiences.

The analysis of literature that has long been a product of human thought, culture and emotion has come to be a worldwide conversation. At the Centre of Language Learning (CLL), The NorthCap University (NCU), the BA English (Hons) and MA English students are encouraged to engage in dialogues, where they will learn not only about texts, but also people, attitudes, and opportunities. CLL is unique in its innovative and globalized treatment of the study of English language and literature. The programmes here are not restricted to the conventional readings of canonical texts, but rather explore literature in contemporary, cross-cultural, and interdisciplinary perspectives. The classroom becomes a place of intellectual curiosity and cultural exchange where students explore various themes such as identity, gender, migration, environment, and postcoloniality.

The BA English and MA English courses at NCU are aimed at producing critical thinkers and skilled communicators who will be able to find their ways through the academic and professional landscape. The uniqueness of these courses is their global orientation. Students not only investigate literary traditions of various countries the American, African, Indian, European, and Asian, but also learn to read texts in a comparative way, how culture defines expression and meaning. Students understand how to enjoy the fluidity of language and the diversity of cultural diversity through courses in American English, Indian Literature, World Literatures and more. It is in the classroom that Shakespeare is introduced to Chinua Achebe, where Virginia Woolf is invited to talk to Saadat Hasan Manto, where the poetry of Eliot is recited along with the poetry of David Malouf. This intercultural strategy equips the students at cross-cultural borders to think, analyze, and communicate across settings. It also prepares them to work in fields that require international orientation, in academia, media, publishing, education or in international bodies.

With modern and well-equipped smart classrooms, the experience of engagement has totally new dimensions for students of literature. From being confined to printed pages and classroom discussions, literary studies have now extended to virtual archives, multimedia annotation, understanding through movies, documentaries and indulge in interactive analysis. Labs and classrooms enable students to engage with canonical works in a collaborative manner, linking, in real time, themes, historical contexts, and critical interpretations.

NCU offers a dual-degree option with the University of East Anglia (UEA), United Kingdom, which is currently among the most reputable schools of thought that enjoys success in literature, creative writing, and cultural studies. This collaboration enables students to study a section of their degree course at NCU and finish it at UEA so that they have the opportunity to encounter a global education, research placements and global experience. The joint academic advantages of the two universities, NCU personalized and skill-oriented learning approach, and UEA international research setting and creative writing tradition, are enjoyed by the students. In this partnership, students receive cross-cultural exposure with a variety of literary and academic experience. Global credentials, expanding the career opportunities of international academia and the creative sectors and connections with students and academics all over the world. This program is based on the NCU interest in providing real international learning experience that cannot be confined within the classroom walls, as students will live and study as a part of the worldwide academic community.

The faculty staff of CLL includes well-qualified professors, trainers and scholars. They are specialists in various fields such as postcolonial literature and diaspora studies, cultural theory, English and Foreign Languages teaching and more. In addition, CLL enjoys the added advantage of the Adjunct Faculty panel that consists of highly experienced Professors whose experience brings greater depth to the understanding of the world of literature. The mentorship provided by the faculty ensures that all students not only have a sound academic background but also the necessary life skills such as critical thinking, communication, creativity and empathy. Consequently, CLL graduates turn out to be thinkers, writers, and leaders who know how to deal with the modern world challenges.

At CLL, learning is much more than the given syllabi. The department periodically hosts workshops and lectures with renowned writers and experts in the field of literature. Film screenings are arranged that make the connection between literature and the real-world discourse. Creative projects and research internships are also arranged, assisting students in transferring the skills utilized in journalism, content creation, PR and publishing.

Another significant advantage of studying at CLL is that it is focused on cross-cultural knowledge. Literature, taught in this way, becomes a means of negotiating the globalized world, of learning about the past, breaking stereotypes, and developing empathy. The courses are created to enable the students to recognize the relationship between the language, identity, and power. That way, they are taught to read the world critically and creatively, which is the skill needed by not only scholars and writers, but also citizens of the world. The Centre for Language Learning is not merely a venue where one can learn texts, but it is also a venue where one can reinvent ideas. In this case, words do not live on pages but between cultures, as the means of change, and leadership.

Author

Dr. Shrutimita Mehta
Deputy Dean-Students’ Welfare
Associate Professor
Centre for Language Learning
Research Areas– Gender Studies, Feminist Writing, Diaspora Studies, Post-colonial Studies, Communication Skills.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrutimita-mehta-00992020b