Background and Objective

In its 53-year history, the Department of English, Andhra Loyola College, has pioneered significant curriculum renewal innovations in ELT. If the silver jubilee of the Department was marked by a curriculum development initiative of the Department culminating in the introduction of three different General English syllabuses for the three undergraduate streams (viz. BA, BSc, and BCom) in the entire university, in its golden jubilee year, the Department introduced streaming by diversifying the General English curriculum, enhancing thereby its sensitivity to learner differences. Since the introduction of autonomy in 1988, the Department has undertaken a variety of ELT activities, such as course design, materials development, examination reform, and projects / experiments, including a UGC-funded one, designed to develop materials and methodologies catering to low achievers in English. Besides, the Department has an ELT consultant in Dr P Ramanujam who has conducted over 70 workshops on different aspects of ELT in schools and colleges, acted as a resource person at national and international ELT seminars / conferences, produced ELT materials, and rendered service as an External Faculty Member of English and Foreign Languages University (formerly CIEFL), Hyderabad.

In the recent past, the Department’s sphere of influence has expanded, and the Department intends to widen it further and be of greater service to the ELT profession. It is with this intention that The ELT Resource and Research Centre has been established. The Loyola ELT Resource and Research Centre will serve the cause of ELT beyond the needs and requirements of Andhra Loyola College, and, in doing so, it will strive to function as a centre of excellence, thereby living up to the name it has made for itself as a college with potential for excellence (CPE).
Functions of the Centre
§ Organizing professional development programmes for teachers of English.
§ Providing ELT consultancy.
§ Organizing academic programmes, such as seminars and workshops on areas of special interest (e.g. soft skills, English for career development) for students.
§ Lending the expertise of the Centre to institutions which seek the help / guidance of the Centre in organizing academic programmes, such as seminars and workshops, for their own students.
§ Developing materials for teaching English at different levels.
§ Publishing ELT materials.
§ Publishing an ELT journal.
§ Conducting research in ELT – both scholastic / academic research and action research with emphasis on the latter.
§ Undertaking, guiding and supporting projects in ELT.
20 August 2008