Date:23/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/23/stories/2006102300530500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

`Indians can learn any foreign language easily'

The diverse culture in India where multiple languages thrive makes teaching any foreign language easy, says French language professor Jean-Charles Pochard.

THE PIONEER: Prof. Pochard in Hyderabad. — PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

Indians have flair for languages and pick up foreign languages quite easily compared to people from other countries and the flexibility comes because of their innate skills to speak more than one language given the multi-lingual society they grow up.

These views come from a French language professor Jean-Charles Pochard with over 40 years experience in teaching French as a foreign language in several countries across the continents. Prof. Pochard, who was working with Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL) till recently on a project, says, teaching French to Indian students is also easy. The diverse culture where multiple languages thrive makes teaching any foreign language easy.

Prof. Pochard developed programme for training teachers of French online during his four-year stay at CIEFL and this programme is now being seen as an instrument that would bring in remarkable changes in French learning in the country.

Though the programme was designed keeping in mind the sensitivities of Indian students' learning capabilities, learners from across the world can gain from it.

Different courses

"The programme now put online would be of immense help in producing better French teachers," says Prof. Pochard, who works with University of Lumière-Lyon2, Lyon, France. The website has 60 different courses on various aspects of French learning and Prof. Pochard acknowledges the role of CIEFL in grounding the project, particularly the support of the then Head of the French Department and the present Vice Chancellor V.S.S. Sastry.

How difficult is it for Indians to learn French compared to other foreign languages? "It is much easier to pick up for Indian students as they are strong at following syntax," says Prof. Pochard.

Prof. Pochard, who has earlier worked in Tanzania, Jamaica and Australia, says Indian students have a distinctive advantage of learning

Opportunities

French given the rising BPO sector in India. French learners improve their employment opportunities in a scenario where Indian BPO companies are spreading their activities to Europe.