Two books related to English language teaching by Gratiaen Award winning writer Madhubhashini Disanayaka Ratnayake, Grammar through Literature and a memoir A Thousand Voiced Choir published by Godage International Publishers will be launched on the 23rd of September 2017, at the National Museum Auditorium from 2 to 5 p.m., with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Professor Sampath Amaratunge, as Chief Guest. Ms. Parvathi Nagasundaram, former Head of the Department of English, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, will be the Guest of Honour.
Introduced as an ‘experiment’ that ‘is fascinating’ and suggestive of ‘the commitment of the writer to a holistic view of life and learning’ by Professor Rajiva Wijesinha, Grammar through Literature is a non-traditional grammar book that uses a novella written by the author and classic poems of English literature to take students through the basic points of grammar and fundamentals of writing while giving them a chance to appreciate English literature. A Thousand Voiced Choir is a memoir by the author of the first two years as Head and Senior Lecturer of the English Language Teaching Unit of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, in which many issues dealing with teaching English to undergraduates are discussed and the solutions arrived at in one faculty of one university, leading to a burst of interest in English by the students, is carefully documented.
Speaking at the event will be distinguished writer in Sinhala and Professor of the Sinhala Department at Peradeniya University, Liyanage Amarakeerthi and Dr. Kennedy Jeevaretnam, Head of the Languages Department and the ELTU at Eastern University, who will touch upon issues faced by Sinhala and Tamil speakers related to learning and teaching English as a second language. Commenting on the memoir will be Vishaka Nanayakkara, Head of the Decision Science Department of Moratuwa University, who as the Director of the HETC Project at that time, had followed the progress made by the ELTU, USJP with great interest. Dr. Chitra Jayathilaka, Senior Lecturer of the English Department of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura will be speaking on the grammar book.
The event is open to the public and all are welcome…