Origins
INaWORD was founded in 2000 by Zenobia Irani, a foreign language professional who acutely felt the need for foreign language courses training in Chennai, in which verbal skills, both speaking and listening, are given due emphasis. From a small beginning in rented premises in Besant Nagar, we moved, in 2004, owing to increasing demand for our services, to our current premises (over 3000 sq. ft) at Kasturba Nagar in Adyar, ideally located near the Information Technology Corridor of Chennai.
Anticipating the demand for other foreign languages, we started with French and German but quickly added on Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and English, making it Chennai’s premier multi-lingual Institute. We also brought in foreign languages classes that are aligned to premier certification standards – CEFR for French, German & Chinese, JLPT for Japanese, and HSK for Mandarin Chinese.
In April 2011 , INaWORD was appointed by Instituto Cervantes, representing the Government of Spain, as the official Spanish DELE examination centre for Chennai. In this capacity we have been conducting the DELE exams successfully ever since and have provided the opportunity to several hundred students to earn globally recognized certification of their proficiency in Spanish.
From 2019 onwards, we have broadened the range of course offerings through the introduction of the INaWORD Online suite of courses. Learners now have the flexibility to choose between traditional “in-person” classes and the online options, which can be conducted across multiple platforms – Zoom, Webex, and Microsoft Teams, to name a few.
Our Directors
Zenobia Irani
The founder and Director of the Institute, Zenobia Irani, is a highly experienced teacher, having taught French for more than 16 years, to a diverse set of learner types, ranging from entrepreneurs, working professionals and housewives to school and college students. Her teaching experience includes training for DELF, ICSE, CBSE, Matriculation and State Board programmes as well as international programmes such as IGCSE & the International Baccalaureate (IB). She has developed and regularly conducts a highly innovative and successful “out of interest” programme for children.
Zenobia shares her thoughts about the guiding principles of language learning at INaWORD.
Zenobia is also an accomplished conference interpreter and translator, having obtained her diploma from the Institut de Traducteurs et d’Interprètes de Strasbourg, France. After working for 10 years as a simultaneous interpreter at the prestigious Council of Europe in Strasbourg, she returned to India and set up INaWORD, recognizing the need for quality foreign language courses training in Chennai.
Zenobia has obtained the Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers and Trainers under the aegis of Cambridge University and is personally involved not only in the teaching process but also in devising course content and in teacher training, ensuring that the highest standards are always maintained.
Sandip Dang
Sandip Dang, Director at INaWORD, is a seasoned corporate professional with experience across industry sectors including FMCG, telecom, media and entertainment. A graduate of St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and IIM Calcutta, Sandip has had successful stints at Britannia, Cadbury India, the RPG Group, the India Today Group and the Sterling Infotech Group, in Sales and Marketing and in overall business roles. At INaWORD, he is actively involved with marketing, business and process development.
Our Faculty
The teaching staff at INaWORD are professional and highly qualified, and are well-versed with the methodologies that INaWORD uses to enable a quality learning experience. We have a combination of native speakers and local talent – all of whom have worked and studied in environments at India or abroad that foster their skills as foreign language trainers.
Our Clients
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