Eastern students now have a new window to the world in the form of live news broadcast from foreign countries.

SCOLA, a non-profit educational group that receives and re-transmits foreign television news programs in their original languages, is available to students.

“Students are able to watch actual live TV broadcasts to find out what’s going on in the part of the world where the language they are studying is spoken,” said Foreign Language Department Chair Stephen Canfield.

Broadcasting on channel 14 of the Eastern cable system, SCOLA has been available since March 1 though a partnership between the foreign language department and international programs.

Canfield said he hopes to use SCOLA in the classroom so students are able to receive up to the minute information on what is happening in foreign countries rather than just reading from a textbook.

“It provides different perspectives on what’s going on in the world,” Canfield said. “It’s interesting to see what things are important to other countries that we (in the United States) don’t even think about.”

Canfield also added that instructors could use SCOLA as a way of helping to keep their own language skills up to date.

SCOLA programming currently rotates its foreign broadcasts every half-hour with different broadcasts from over 50 different countries.

“Our goal is to provide a voice from home (to students from other countries),” said Sue Songer, international student advisor. “We are also able to prep study abroad students and keep those returning from abroad apprised of the countries they visited.”

The majority of broadcasts are live via satellite from their native countries. All programs are in their native languages; however, some are offered with English sub-titles.

Printed copies of the complete broadcast schedule are available in the foreign language lab located in Room 104 of Coleman Hall and on the international programs web site.

SCOLA is not available to students who are not on the campus cable provider.