“Be yourself! Everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde
The Department of English conducted a ten-day Bridge Course titled The Hitchhiker’s Guide to English to help first-year students strengthen their English skills in a creative and engaging way. The course combined grammar, vocabulary, listening, reading, and speaking through stories, songs, comics, and films. Each activity was designed to build confidence and improve communication step by step.
Day 1 – Don’t Panic! It’s Showtime!
The course began with a fun Google Form story called The Alarm Clock Circus, where grammar was taught in context. The activity moved smoothly from articles and prepositions to clauses, subject–verb agreement, adjectives, comparisons, idioms, and error spotting, helping students understand grammar through humour and story.
Day 2 – Fill in the Stars
A cloze test based on The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry helped students learn how to choose the right word in the right place. It encouraged them to think carefully about grammar, vocabulary, and meaning in context.
Day 3 – English Unplugged! 🎧
Students learned English through music by completing eleven song-based Google Forms featuring artists such as Queen, ABBA, BTS, and Shakira. The activity improved listening skills, pronunciation, vocabulary, and reading fluency, showing how songs make learning both joyful and memorable.
Day 4 – Calvin and Hobbes: Vocabulary and Values
Through Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes comics, students explored word meanings, tone, idioms, and humour. The questions also made them think about values, accountability, and self-awareness, turning everyday humour into a tool for critical thinking.
Day 5 & Day 6 – Idioms
These two days focused on idioms through quizzes, story writing, and conversation building. Students learned to recognise and use idiomatic expressions naturally. The activities encouraged creativity and improved both writing and speaking fluency.
Day 7
Famous film scenes from Batman, Sherlock Holmes, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and V for Vendetta were used to teach vocabulary in context. Students watched videos, answered questions, and discussed meaning, tone, and expression. The activity improved their ability to understand language through visual and emotional cues.
Day 8
Students analysed movie trailers to learn how filmmakers grab attention from the very first line. They studied tone, language, and style to prepare for their own self-introductions and presentations. This was the first step toward becoming confident speakers.
Day 9
Through Asterix and the Roman Agent, The Godfather, and The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman, students explored persuasion, propaganda, and moral choice. The questions connected comics, cinema, and philosophy, helping learners understand how language can influence thought and behaviour.
Day 10
The final session guided students in writing and delivering effective self-introductions and presentations. They learned how to organise ideas, use clear language, and speak with confidence and purpose.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to English combined learning and creativity to make English both practical and enjoyable. It served as an effective transition for students moving from school to college, helping them adjust to a new academic environment with greater confidence. By the end of the ten days, learners displayed stronger grammar, better fluency, and improved self-expression. The course truly built a bridge between school-level learning and the communication skills needed for college life.