ANGREJI KENDRA

     The C.N.Angreji Kendra (CNAK) was established by the Sarabhai Maganbhai Trust in 1999, exclusively for the students of C.N.Vidyavihar. The CNAK was born with the vision of creating a generation of students who are equally fluent in both the languages - in other words, students who are good at Gujarati, in which they learn,and can also handle English with ease in real-life situations. More than 5000 students have been trained at the Kendra since then. So far, only the existing students and their parents and the C N staff were eligible for admission to the Kendra, but not any more. Former students (Alumni) of any of the institutes run by C N Vidyavihar, and the family members of the former students are eligible for the admission

> To train the members of Sheth C N Vidyavihar in English communication skills through a variety of innovative methods and a learner friendly curriculum
> To impart training in other Indian and foreign languages such as Sanskrit, French, German & Spanish
> To lead students to exercising their potential to the fullest
> To provide students with a microcosmic experience and opportunities to develop emotionally, socially and intellectually
> To inculcate a habit of reading in students by encouraging them to explore the world portrayed in books
> To build the Kendra as a Teacher-Training Institute and a Language Research Centre.

The basic features of the Kendra are:
Need-based curriculum
Activity-based teaching
Child-centered classes
Ideal teacher-students ratio
English through English
Emphasis on language usage
Use of technology to learn language
Minimum home-assignments and Continuous assessment

The Advisory Committee of the Kendra consists of the following members:
Shri Tridip Suhrud - Head of the Committee
Shri Saguna Ramanathan - Member
Shri Saubhagyachandra Shah - Managing Trustee, Sheth C N Vidyavihar
Shri T J Purani - Director, Sheth C N Vidyavihar
Shri Manisha Dak - Director, Sheth C. N. Angreji Kendra

The Kendra runs following courses for the Students of Sheth C N Vidhyavihar

* The child should have cleared the beginners course or should have the level equal to that of beginners to beeligible for the direct admission to the intermediate course and that of intermediate for the direct admission to the advanced level course as mentioned.

@ On Saturdays, both the morning and evening batches are held after the school hours i.e. from 11/11.30 am to 12/12.30 pm.

# Subject to change

+ Time can be changed between 11 and 5 keeping the majority of students in mind.

Courses for Alumni
We have launched the following short-term-courses from the month of November, for the alumni of C N and their family members:

>Minimum 15 candidates are required to start a batch.
>Any course material that is required will be provided by the Kendra.
>The change in timings and days may be offered keeping in mind the convenience of
   the majority, availability of faculty and smooth functioning of the Kendra.
>Each batch will be for the duration of two months and there will be four batches a
  year per course i.e. June-July, August-September, November-December, and January-
  February. You are free to choose the batch convenient to you.

Teacher Training
The improvement in the terms of quality in the field of English Language Teaching and Learning has been the main trust area of C. N. Angreji Kendra since its inception in 1999. Believing in the need to share new ideas in education, the Kendra conducts seminars and workshops on ELT on its own as well as in collaboration with the British Council. It also goes to various schools in Ahmedabad and other cities to conduct exclusive training programmes.

Theater Workshop
A ten-day theatre workshop has been a successful experiment in helping students learn English through the medium of theatre. The unique feature of this workshop is that the students are not given the script in advance. They frame and practice the dialogues while they rehearse. Apart from training students in language skills, students are also trained in theatrical skills like voice modulation and tone, interpersonal skills, team building and so on. The workshop culminates in a one-hour play in English presented by the students. It is conducted in the month of June once the school has reopened. The entries are called for during the month of May. Maximum 25 students are given a chance.

Workshops For Students & Parents
Life is not all about English Language Learning and hence the Kendra conducts workshops for students and parents that deal with various aspects of life such as handling examinations, preparing for success, team building, self motivation, strengthening relations and so on. These workshops are conducted throughout the year.

Material Production
Instead of packing language teaching into the covers of a prescribed textbook, a variety of materials such as audio materials, picture-based activities, interesting worksheets, charts etc. are prepared by the teachers of the Kendra.

Training for International Examinations
The Kendra trains students for the Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) examinations i.e YLE-Young Learners English tests, KET-Key English Test, PET-Preliminary English Test & FCE-First Certificate in English, conducted by the University of Cambridge. These examinations not only help students judge their level of English against the international level of standard English but also boosts their confidence. Students are also exempted from TOFEL and IELTS if they pass the last level (CPE) of these examinations. About 250 students take these examinations every year.

Interaction
Well-known people from different walks of life are invited to the Kendra to interact with students. It not only exposes students to a wide range of vocabulary, expressions and knowledge related to various fields such as science, math, arts, music etc. but also gives students confidence in terms of interacting appropriately with people in real life situations.

RAYS Club
Rays club is a club for school children between 12 and 16 years of age where Rays stands for Rendezvous of Activities by Young Students. It is dedicated to promote activities that aim at adding value to one’s and others’ lives by developing the humanitarian aspect of the child. Most of the activities carried out by the club are handled by children themselves and facilitated by the founder of the club.
Among the numerous activities undertaken by the club, the prominent activities are listed below:
Service to mankind is serving God – Seva Café: Earn and Learn
Seva Café, an established eatery feeding rich and poor people alike and running on donations and man hours provided by volunteers is a perfect place where kids are taken on regular basis. Children perform simple tasks of the kitchen voluntarily and interact with people from different walks of life and the immediate reward of the service is the food shared together at the end of the day.
Sewa Café is an ongoing activity wherein a group of students go as volunteers on regular basis.
Mobile Library: Share and Care
Children are encouraged to pool in their books and the members of the club are encouraged to borrow the books they would like to read from the common pool. The best part of such a mobile library is that it is managed by children with overall responsibility lying on different team leaders. Each child gets an opportunity to be a leader at a regular time interval.
Open forums: Speak Your Mind and Heart
Open forum is a platform for children facilitated by the club where children talk their hearts out expressing their feelings, emotions and things that they feel strongly about. Children learn the healthy ways of confronting their questions, sharing their opinions and giving a patient ear to others’ tales.
In addition, there is a regular stream of visitors from the society, who act as volunteers and interact with students. Such talks are informative as well as inspiring and help in broadening the outlook of the children.
Life Skills: Face to Face with Life
The club aims at identifying the potential among children and training them in various skills that turn out to be quite handy in the course of their lives.
The range of activities planned under this header expose children to the art of cookery, importance of hygiene, how to provide first aid during any emergency, sewing, value adding craft work, gardening etc.
Study groups: Promote Peer Learning
Most of the development of the child during school days hovers around the academics and to assist children in various subjects that they find difficult to grasp, the club seeks honorary services from grown up adults as well as students to help peers and/or younger students.
You made a difference: Appreciate and Acknowledge
As a part of this activity, children are taught how important it is to express their gratitude towards their parents, teachers, friends, relatives and unknown people who have helped them, inspired them or assisted them in learning valuable lessons of life in an obvious or subtle form. Children are encouraged to learn ways to express their gratefulness, help the needy in whatever capacity they can, spread happiness among one and all, be friendly towards others, appreciate the kind deeds of one and all and thus add value to one’s and others’ lives.
Let’s Contribute: Drop by Drop
Ours is a club that has neither building nor infra-structure. All it has are the members of the club and their willingness to make a difference. However, we realize the need of raising funds to carry out some of the activities and meet the small expenses. Hence, we have come up with a unique concept of ‘Let’s Contribute- Drop by Drop’ wherein each member of the club contributes one rupee a week and if possible, asks one’s five friends to contribute a rupee each.
Radio Programmes
Students at the Kendra are encouraged and trained to participate in radio programmes as RJs. This not only boosts their confidence and enable them to be more efficient in using multiple languages but also gives them sense of achievement. Interaction with RJs are also organized to expose students the intricacies of the profession

Movie Club
The Kendra runs a Junior Movie Club for the students of classes 5 to 7 and a Senior Movie Club for the students of classes 8 to 12 & teacher training colleges. The aim is to give them a good ear-training in comprehending English language, provide entertainment, develop interest in English language and expose them to different genres of films. This activity also caters to the aim of inculcating values among students and encouraging discussions post movie.

Faculty
Teachers are carefully selected at the Kendra. Though a background in English is considered desirable, neither is it a necessity nor is a B.A./M.A. or B.Ed. accepted as proof of quality and ability. Shortlisted candidates are met ‘informally’ to get a general idea of their suitability to the position. Following this, they are required to appear for a written test that comprises (i) a test of English and (b) a task-based test in Creative teaching. Candidates, who are successful, are interviewed by a panel comprising the Advisory Committee, the Managing Trustee and the Director.
Further, teachers are constantly assessed on (a) the quality of their teaching and (b) the quantum and standard of the materials they produce at the Kendra. Though most teachers have a background in English, the Kendra does have one or two exceptional teachers who are from other fields. ALL TEACHERS ARE URGED TO TAKE A POSTGRADUATE QUALIFICATION IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING.
To ensure that teachers keep abreast of the latest trends in Language Teaching, the Kendra encourages and sponsors participation in ELT seminars and workshops. The Kendra also procures ELT Resource books and materials for the use of teachers.

Photo Gallery
www.cnangrejikendra.blogspot.com

Contact us:

Sheth C. N. Angreji Kendra
C/o Sheth C. N. Vidhyavihar
Ambawadi
Ahmedabad-380006

Phone: 79-26463696, Ext. 145
Mail: cnangrejikendra@gmail.com