It has only been seven years since the BA (Hons) courses in French,German,Spanish and Italian were started at the Department of Germanic and Romance Studies,Delhi University,but the courses have gained popularity rapidly and become a favourite with people aiming for an edge over others in their career. The Department has been selling and receiving forms since June 1 and has so far sold 2,200 forms for the 136 seats in the BA (Hons) courses. According to an official,most aspirants have been asking for French because of its popularity in many countries though the other languages are also very popular. Mostly MNC executives,language enthusiasts and airhostesses take up these courses. They are also beneficial for people wanting to be translators and interpreters, he said. The department also offers Certificate,Diploma and Advance Diploma courses in these languages and classes are held in 20 colleges,10 in each campus. Anyone enthusiastic about learning a new language can take up the courses. The department also offers MA course in French Studies,German Studies,Hispanic Studies and Italian Studies and the entrance test for these courses will be held on July 7. M M Chhabra,the section officer of the department,said though they have not introduced any new course this year,last year they had introduced a Diploma in Foreign Language Education,which offers a methodology and holistic perspective on teaching foreign languages in a general as well as specifically Indian context. For the BA (Hons) programmes,MPhil and PhD courses,students get teachers in the form of visiting faculty as well as faculty recruited by the department. People from foreign countries come to teach through cultural exchange and faculty exchange programmes, Chhabra said.
