Some 70 English language students representing more than 11 nationalities have met at the Charles Darwin University (CDU) campus at Casuarina for a special cultural-exchange language workshop.
Around 35 students from CDU’s Adult Migrant English Program were joined by another 35 students from the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.
The students are all studying towards the Certificate in Spoken and Written English.
The day’s activities were intended to promote an understanding and appreciation of diversity, all in the name of promoting cultural harmony.
One of the main aims is for the students to improve their spoken English by participating in small group discussions about their lives and cultural backgrounds.
The CDU Migrant Education students were from Burma, Thailand, Somalia, Sudan, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Europe and the Congo.
Batchelor Institute students were from remote Top End communities including Milingimbi, Maningrida, Elcho Island, Ramingining, Groote Eylandt, Lajamanu, Palumpa and Kalkaringi.
CDU and Batchelor Institute have been working together on four collaborative projects funded by the NT Department of Employment, Education and Training as part of a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enriching Indigenous tertiary education in the Northern Territory.
Initiatives include an academic pathways project aimed at improving education outcomes for mature-aged Indigenous students, and maximising the use of shared facilities throughout the Territory for teaching and training purposes.