On April 28, 2025, Bolashaq Academy hosted an open curatorial hour on the theme “A World without Borders: Opportunities for learning foreign languages”, organized by teachers and second-year students of the Department of Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication.
The purpose of the event was to increase students’ motivation to learn foreign languages, as well as to understand the importance of language competence in the context of rapidly developing globalization. Learning foreign languages is seen not only as a means of professional development, but also as a way to expand personal horizons, foster respect for other cultures, and strengthen international cooperation.
The curatorial hour was opened by the senior advisor of the department, M.K. Abdresheva, welcoming the students and emphasizing the importance of learning foreign languages in the modern world. In her introduction, she noted that speaking foreign languages allows a person to feel like a citizen of the world, break down barriers of misunderstanding and find new friends, partners and like-minded people.
The participants were asked to think about the following questions:
What does “a world without borders” mean to you?
What language do you dream of learning and why?
Then the students worked in the format of a group assignment “My world without borders”. Having divided into small teams, they created posters illustrating the role of knowledge of foreign languages in their personal and professional lives. The posters reflected topics such as educational opportunities abroad, career growth, broadening horizons, intercultural communication and participation in international projects. Representatives of each group briefly presented their work, focusing on the identified advantages of foreign language proficiency.
The information block of the event was devoted to an overview of effective digital educational platforms for self-study of foreign languages. Students were presented with popular applications such as LingoDeer and Memrise, which allow them to quickly and excitingly master new knowledge thanks to modern methods and a convenient format.
Of particular interest was the game demonstration prepared by the 2nd year students of the In-23-1 and In-23-2 groups. Through the game elements, alternative language learning methods were clearly shown, contributing to deeper learning of the material in an informal setting.
The final stage was an interactive discussion where participants shared their stories and reflections on the role of foreign languages in their lives.
The students were asked questions for discussion:
Have you had any experience communicating in a foreign language?
How does learning languages help you to look at the world in a new way?
Does knowledge of languages contribute to the destruction of stereotypes about other cultures?
How does switching to another language affect a person?
In the final part, practical recommendations on effective learning of foreign languages were given.:
Integrating languages into everyday hobbies and pursuits;
Active use of digital resources and social networks;
Getting to know the culture of the countries of the language being studied through attending events, exhibitions, and cultural centers (for example, the American Corner at the N. V. Gogol Library).
At the end of the meeting, an inspiring quote from Nelson Mandela was heard.:
“Language is not just a way of communicating, it’s a way of seeing the world in a new way.”
The curatorial hour became a vivid example of how creativity, teamwork and sincere motivation can unite students on the way to new knowledge and opportunities.
