Traders flock Mak to study languages

Kampala. The Makerere University Institute of Language Studies says it has registered an influx of students’ especially frequent travellers enrolling for short courses to study foreign languages.
Speaking at a launch of a new book on foreign languages last week, Dr Edith Natukunda Togboa, the head of department Oriental and English languages, attributed the spike in numbers to regional integration which has opened borders for tourism, foreign missions, international trade and commerce to sell goods and services.
Many people, especially businessmen, are flocking the institute to study foreign languages.

“We are seeing students registering massively for Arabic and French because of movements in Countries surrounding us such as Congo Central African Republic, Cameroon South Sudan because of UN jobs and the need to sell products there,” she said explaining that learning foreign languages helps people undertaking trade and commerce at international level, to relate well in those communities.
“We have seen the influence of Chinese where students enrolled massively, we have 180 French students, Germany 80, 250 Arabic students; we also have students studying Spanish,” she elaborated, emphasising that lovers of tourism and those developing and selling their products in several countries in Africa are the ones who have learnt the trick to penetrate the markets.

While closing the event, Mr Domenico Fornara the Italian Ambassador to Uganda, said learning other languages is extremely important because language creates a common ground for human interaction as a society and this creates the demand to know better about the new things in the language.
He said this is the reason Italy managed to promote its food, music and cinema which is now increasing interest in the learning of Italian.

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