The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Navy have opened a new English Language Lab at the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee. The facility was inaugurated on September 15 by Lieutenant Colonel Matthew House, Senior Defense Official at the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, Rear Admiral Dammika Wijewardana, Director General for Training of the Sri Lanka Navy, and Commodore Dinesh Bandara, Commandant of the academy.
The lab features advanced multimedia technology and training software from the U.S. Defense Language Institute. Its purpose is to help Sri Lanka Navy personnel improve their English skills, which are essential for international naval operations, exercises, and training.
Lt. Col. Matthew House commented during the ceremony: “This project began with a request from the Sri Lanka Navy in 2020, and together we persisted through challenges to make it a reality. Today, we open a state-of-the-art lab equipped with the latest technology and English learning tools from the U.S. Defense Language Institute. The English Language Lab is more than a classroom — it is a symbol of our shared commitment with Sri Lanka to build future capacity and ensure that what we create together today secures the peace of tomorrow. Language is more than communication; it is connection. By speaking the same language, we deepen trust, coordination, and understanding between our forces, building bridges not just between militaries, but between nations.”
The initiative highlights efforts to strengthen defense ties between the United States and Sri Lanka beyond equipment provision by focusing on education and leadership development among naval personnel.
The English Language Lab aims to improve collaboration during joint training exercises with U.S. forces as well as other regional partners in line with broader Indo-Pacific cooperation goals.