The Hindu Business Line : Say it with style!

LIBRARIES have always been storehouses of knowledge. The digital era is simply helping them package their content more effectively to spread the light of learning.

eWorld looked up initiatives under way at a familiar landmark in Chennai - the British Council library, which is frequented by school and college students, and scholars. Here's a run-up of some projects on offer that help you learn English and go places and go up the ladder.

The British Council online (http://www.britishcouncilonline.org) has a host of online materials, as part of the Library package, which is a combination of services specially put together for library members.

It includes access to thousands of UK magazines and journals, resources to help users improve their English language skills, and online learning modules to help with personal and professional development.

The online learning modules are not linked to a certificate at the moment. The library membership ID functions as the login ID.

It is presented as a `personalised learning area' and users can subscribe to online learning modules and browse journals.

Meant for graduates, undergrads, management professionals, law and IT students, the site has comprehensive matter on the arts, business strategies, consumer research, economics, engineering information technology, journalism, law, marketing, literature and a module on interactive `Learn English' lessons.

Learn English

The `Learn English' lessons at http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/whatislearnenglish.html are an easy way to learn the language and are specifically aimed at the college student wanting to brush up on pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.

The module is user-friendly and guides the learner through various interactive games and word-building exercises.

As the Web site says, "LearnEnglish is not a `course.' It does not have Unit 1 followed by Unit 2, etc. Instead, it is like a restaurant with a long menu of learning activities.

Today you might want to practise some grammar. Tomorrow you might want to play one of our games or read a story. Soup, meat or fish — you'll find them all here." This sums up concisely the spirit of the site which has been developed for individual learners learning without a teacher.

It has free materials to practise English in three main sections: LearnEnglish Central is English for everybody. LearnEnglish Kids has English for children, their parents and teachers.

LearnEnglish are zones for working people who need English for business and other professional purposes.

The first of these is LearnEnglish Military, which is for the armed forces, police and border guards, and facilitates their participation in international peacekeeping operations.

It also includes tips on presentation skills, interview techniques and access to subject dictionaries and reference databases such as Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Oxford English Dictionary.

Learning tools such as English for journalists: a 14-topic, 20-hour, written and recorded mini-course, English for Finance, and an examinations section with a wide range of practice materials are in the pipeline.

Teachers can use the material too. Free teaching ideas and materials can be accessed from the Language Assistant which has tips, lesson plans and links for new and inexperienced teachers.

The Teaching English link has articles and lesson plans for more experienced teachers.

The site also has information on learning English where you live now, learning English in the UK, or taking an internationally recognised exam.

British Council members can access LearnEnglish Professionals, with multimedia materials for those learning English for studies or a career, and Global Village, a community platform that enables communication across the globe.

E-mail learnenglish@britishcouncil.org for queries. To register, you'll have to go to http://www.online-english.britishcouncil.org

Management studies

The busy management professional who is on his toes all the time but is keen to pick up some learning can tune right in.

For him there's the British Council Online course on business basics to brush up on the fundamentals, understanding management roles in addition to accessing online reference databases such as emerald, Ashridge learning resources and Ebsco host databases.

Journals such as Management Today and the British Journal of Management are also available.

For software and the law students, the link `library catalogue' has a detailed list of books, magazines and videos available at the British Council libraries. The minimum system requirements for accessing this portal include Microsoft Windows 95/98/NT/2000, Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0+ or Netscape Navigator 4.7+, Pentium II or Faster, with 64 MB Ram (128 MB for Optimal Playback), Screen resolution of 800 x 600 with 256 colours or more, 56 KBPS Baud modem and a Macromedia Flash Player 5+.

Discounts and special offers are also given to subscribers.

The lessons are provided in a standard Web-based HTML format. The study material cannot be downloaded onto a local machine. But printouts can be taken.

The tests are available online for the registered subscribers all the time. They can be taken any number of times and it is a one-time payment. For details, you can look up http://library.britishcouncil.

org.in/aild.asp.

For budding scholars

The Scholar programme is a Web-based support system teachers and students (classes 11 and 12) studying for a career in Science and Engineering. The subjects offered include Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

These programmes are designed to complement the existing senior secondary school curriculum without burdening students with additional study loads.

Teachers might find it an effective and interactive tool to teach difficult concepts.

Scholar is a true Internet product and can be accessed via any Net connection from school, homes or Internet cafes.

The only way to access information within this is via an authorised username and password, issued by the scholar administration team once the necessary permissions are granted.

Access to the programme will allow students and teachers to assess the benefits of Scholar as a classroom and homework support, doing away with the need for remedial evening or tuition classes.

It offers a bank of 150,000 Web pages and fosters learning communities within school groups. Credits earned can win students exemptions from certain university or college courses, meaning faster progress towards a higher education degree.

Heriot-Watt University welcomes applications from students with good Higher, Advanced Higher, HN and A-level credits. Visit http://scholar.hw.ac.uk/ for more details.

Picture by G.R.N. Somashekar

paromita@thehindu.co.in

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