While the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology hasn’t spoken about the possibility of incorporating Albanian language in university curriculum, the students see it essential because, according to them the language in their writings needs to be of an adequate academic level.
Xheneta Salihu, a freshman at the Faculty of Philology, Department of Journalism, where there’s no course of Albanian language, considers this necessary for at least one academic year, “since there’s a lot of writing in our department, and spelling plays an important role in our work.”
Her colleague from the same department Albulena Demaku, shares the same opinion.
“It is essential to incorporate the course of Albanian language in the university curriculum, since in all our writings, spelling arises as a stumbling block .”
AfrimHoti, spokesperson of the University of Prishtina Rectorate, says that in case of the official initiative for the incorporation of Albanian language to the university curriculum, it will need to go through the evaluation procedures, as all other courses in the process of accreditation.
“(However) we consider that the required level of competence of Albanian Language should be achieved in pre-university education,” he says.
FluturaÇitaku, a retired Albanian language professor at the Faculty of Philology, also agrees with the unsatisfactory use of the standard Albanian language by students.
Thus, according to her, an initiative from the University of Prishtina for the inclusion of the course of Albanian language in curriculum in each department, was considered as an important and necessary step.
“I think that incorporation of the Albanian as a course should be mandatory, and be treated more seriously,by engaging the competent individuals, in other words Albanian language experts, because, there were cases when professors of literature with inadequate academic qualifications were hired as lecturers,” she says.
Furthermore, she considers that it would be helpful if special courses were organized for the UP teachers and the management,including those in administration.
“I say this judging by the numerous documents we receive every day from those working in the administration, written in a very low standard Albanian,” Çitaku says.
The first step in incorporating Albanian language as an elective course in the University of Prishtina, according to her, should be in the interest of students, which could serve as a survey to determine whether students are interested to acquire the needed language level.
Adeline Gjergji
