AMRITSAR: The Department of English, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, organized a one-day workshop on English Language Teaching and Assessment in collaboration with Cambridge University Press & Assessment India Private Ltd. The event, held on 22 April 2025, brought together faculty from GNDU and its affiliated colleges to explore the latest insights, methods, and tools in ELT. More than 120 teachers and students from G.N.D.U. and its affiliated colleges attended the workshop, demonstrating strong engagement and interest in advancing ELT practices.
The workshop opened with a green welcome by presenting a planter to the guest of honour of the day, Prof. (Dr.)Palwinder Singh, Dean, Academic Affairs, G.N.D.U., Ms. Meera Singh, the Trainer, Cambridge University Press and Assessment and Mr. Sanjay Ratan, the Sales Manager, Cambridge. In his inaugural address, Dr. Palwinder Singh, underscored the transformative impact of new tools and technologies in language learning, observing that “the role of a professor must evolve continuously to keep pace with new technology and resources like artificial intelligence.”
The resource person for the workshop, Ms. Meera Singh, guided participants through a range of classroom strategies designed to maintain learner interest.
She demonstrated practical techniques such as icebreakers, warmers, lead-ins, sign-posting, and feedback/error-correction exercises. These sample activities drew enthusiastic participation from both students and faculty. Shealso facilitated conversations on measuring language proficiency and adapting teaching methods to diverse learner backgrounds. Emphasizing the importance of context, she remarked, “The most important thing is to recognize the learner’s background—only then can we teach effectively.” She also addressed common classroom challenges such as maintaining attention span and sustaining engagement, and advocated for a methodical, experiential approach responsive to contemporary realities.
The workshop concluded with a warm vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Ujjal Jeet, who expressed gratitude to Prof. Karamjeet Singh, Vice-Chancellor, G.N.D.U., Dr. Palwinder Singh, Dean, Academic Affairs, G.N.D.U., Ms. Meera Singh, the resource person from Cambridge. She also thanked participants and her team in the Department of English, G.N.D.U., for making the event successful.
The workshop empowered faculty and students with hands-on ELT strategies and resources, equipping them to deliver more engaging, learner-centered English language instruction.