CHENNAI: If your 12-year-old is too hung up on The Hunger Games to be bothered with Romeo and Juliet, here’s an introduction to Shakespeare he won’t forget. With 2016 commemorating 400 years since the death of the Bard, the British Council of India has planned three weeks of summer school themed around the great playwright.
Pairing English lessons with a dose of theatre, Neil Sarkar, head of the English Language Centre, said, “Our English classes will use plots and characters from Shakespeare’s plays to improve language and pronunciation. He clarified with a laugh, “We’re not expecting kids to start talking Shakespearean English. The focus is not on the literature but rather on using the vibrancy of his language and stories to teach modern English.”
The announcement was made alongside the launch of the British Council’s revamped Young Learners Zone with expanded online collections, as well as two new classrooms. State-of-the-art with interactive white boards and plush interiors, those present at the launch even got a taste of a sample class. Mei-kwei Barker, Director, British Council South India said, “Since we launched the English Language Centre in 2009, we have seen a growing demand from our Chennai audience. The new classrooms will help us accommodate a more diverse group and we hope the extended timings will help them find flexible slots.