by Shahril
The English lounge portrays a space of leisurely activities in relation to the learning of the English language. The activities proposed may not convey an academic perspective, but to furnish the English learner’s experience of the language usage by providing suitable events and activities. Related features commonly offered in English lounges are accessibilities to facilities such as computers with English enhancement programs, reading materials, watching movies, and additional workshops on developing English skills. The English Lounge does not only provide in-campus activities and events to the students, but it also manages many activities and events for the students outside of the campus area. With the available conveniences, it is clearly important for a learning institution, especially those of higher learning, to have a provided space where the students are able to make use of their leisure time to develop greater skills in their English practice.
A high number of schools and institutes frequently depend on the practice of the English language in class times. However, it does not provide an adequate amount of learning to the students because they are less exposed to the application of the language inside and outside of the campus, which is usually the case to the growing numbers of weak English as second language students. Therefore, the recommended solution is to provide an English lounge for the educative establishments where the students are able to leisurely use the English language, which also allow them to apply what has been learnt in class.
It is noticeable that a high percentage of the students are unwilling to create a space in their schedule for extra classes. In comparison, the English lounge awards the accessibilities and choices of activities and events to the students. Such example of this concept would be to organize trips or parties where the students are able to communicate with other English as second language speakers, which in return endows the application of the materials learnt in the classrooms. Another method commonly used in English lounges is the activities related to entertainment. Some examples of these methods are those using English songs or English movies which attract interest among the students to enhance their language skills. The common practice of language acquisition is also received through personal experience, which in relation to these methods is that it provides a chance for the students to use their understandings of the language received from class activities and put it into application and further practice, whereas practice is also one of the highly recommended approaches in learning a language proficiently.
Hence, the use of offering students the accessibilities of English lounges in schools and other institutes has shown greater advancements in the development of language skills among English learners. Based on learning through the different concepts of entertainments and joyful activities, these students are able to perceive the language study at a whole different level. The English Lounge provides a mixture of methods and convenience of availabilities in allowing the English students to learn the language differently from an academic perspective. Therefore, it is advisable to have a language center such as the English lounge where the students may obtain a different side of the language acquisition.
