English Club

On the 6th of December, members of the English Club presented various certificates of appreciation and awards to numerous faculty members and students. Teachers were honored for their extraordinary efforts in helping to develop the students' mastery of the English language. Many students were recognized for their efforts in creating and executing the programs. The English Club thanked Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi, Vice Dean Yahya Asiri, and Chairman Munassir Alhamami for making the extracurricular programs and the awards ceremony possible. Student Activities Director, Khalid Al-Qasemi, explained that English language immersion events sharpens student language skills and strengthen the bonds among students, teachers, and staff. English Club President, upper-level student Abdulaziz Al-Shahrani, closed the event by thanking and congratulating all of the participants and supporters. Date: 12/6/2018 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

On November 25, 2018, the English Club in collaboration with the Reading Club held the Annual Spelling Bee Competition. More than 20 students representing various levels, colleges, and countries participated. The event required an intense amount of preparation by both the organizers and the participants. The vocabulary was derived from a rather lengthy fictional story that was provided in advance. The event was highly competitive and this was reflected by the charged atmosphere in the room. The spelling bee involved three full rounds of elimination, all of which came down to 1 or 2 points between and among competitors. The event lasted nearly 3 hours and involved hundreds of vocabulary words. Event Judge, Mahmudul Haque, managed to keep order in often spirited and contentious competition. Director of the English Club, Khalid Al-Qasemi, said: “I’m so pleased with the large turn out and the seriousness with which the participants approached this event.” The event featured cash prizes. First place went to Mohammed Al-Yami, a level 1 FLT student. Second place went to Firas Al-Hajj, an engineering student. Third place went to Mohammed Ahmed, a university student. Event Wordsmith, Dr. Charles Forman, congratulated all of the competitors, noting 'While we all appreciate the competitive spirit of this competition, the participants achieved an even greater objective than bragging rights and monetary prizes – they all learned a great deal from the experience'. Date: 11-29-18 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

On November 12th, there was a gathering of the English Club in the Language Enhancement Program (LEP) room at the main campus. The purpose of the meeting was to conduct another installment of the “Linguistics Hour”. The Linguistics Hour is a continuing project to identify issues in English language learning, discuss methods for improving English language education, and to identify practical applications for the usage of English in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At the commencement of the Linguistics Hour, there were two roundtable discussions each led by LEP staff members. First, Dr. Hasan Jaashan discussed a variety of topics related to applied linguistics and language acquisition. Then, Saqub Aftab shared information about a language study. This study concluded inter alia that young children possess the ability to learn multiple languages at a near-native level proficiency. The featured speaker at the Linguistics Hour was Prof. Abdallah Hady Al-Kahtany. Prof. Al-Kahtany is a highly-respected educator of the English language. He also served as the Dean of Faculty Affairs. This gives him a broad and deep understanding of the issues surrounding foreign language education. Prof. Al-Kahtany began by inquiring of the student participants how they were drawn to studying English at the university level. There was a wide variety of interesting responses. One student said he became interested in the language when he rode with his father who was a driver for foreigners who spoke English. Prof. Al-Kahtany cautioned the students that their studies should revolve around more than future employment prospects. He emphasized that studying language should be an effort driven by internal curiosity and desire. Prof. Al-Kahtany noted the potential benefits of being multilingual. He explained that knowing several languages expands ones worldview and gives a deeper understanding of cultures and international issues. In addition, being able to communicate in the native languages of other countries is an ideal way of spreading the message of Islam throughout the world. Multilingual communication also presents the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a positive light. Then, Prof. Al-Kahtany admonished the students to make learning a lifelong ambition. He noted that the more one reads, the more one learns. Learning, for its own sake, is a noble and valuable cause he concluded. At the end of the Linguistics Hour, Prof. Al-Kahtany thanked all of the students and staff who participated, noting that the LEP is a valuable resource to our students. Director of Student Activities, Khalid Al-Qasemi, thanked on behalf of the English Club, all of the faculty who participated and mentioned he looked forward to more Linguistics Hour Programs. Date: 11/13/2018 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation Multimedia Source: Nasser Ali

On the 7th of November spectators who had braved the cold winter's night to attend the highly anticipated 2018 Football Final of the English Club, were treated to an extremely thrilling battle between two highly energized teams. After leading Juventus for most of the match, Manchester City ceded a goal in the last minute of this, truly exhilarating, encounter. Juventus thus narrowly managed to edge out City 6-5, to win the coveted winner's trophy. It was interesting to note that the majority of the spectators felt that a draw would have been a much fairer reflection of the game. But, in sport, the results are often not an accurate reflection of the entire game. Medals, trophies, and prizes were awarded to the winners by Vice Dean, Dr. Yahya Asiri, and Chairman, Dr. Munassir Alhamami. They expressed their gratefulness to Director of Student Affairs, Khalid Al-Qasemi, and the managing committee of the English Club for their hard work which ensured its success. They also indicated that they were hopeful more of the faculty's staff would support similar future events. Date: 11/8/2018 Source: Azaad Hayat

Under the supervision of FLT Dean, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, and organization of the English Club, first-year students in the Faculty of Languages and Translation arrived bright and early on Wednesday, Sept, 12, for the Academic Year 2018-2019 Freshman Orientation Day. The Class of 2022 assembled for the first official time in the room A/3/60, welcomed by a variety of administrators, teachers and the president of the English Club. Dean Al-Melhi and FLT Chairman, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, were joined by Dr. Basim Kanaan, academic advisor, Naser Al-Hawamdeh, registrar, Mohsin Khan, e-learning supervisor, LEP Administrators Dr. Charles Forman and Hassan Costello, and student Abdulaziz Al-Shahrani, the president of the English Club whose area of responsibility include extra-curricular activities and hosting student events. The FLT holds a variety of extra-curricular activities each semester, including academic and sports competitions, available for students to join, become active, and leave their mark. Freshman Orientation provided students an opportunity to (i) understand the academic and community expectations of a King Khalid University student, (ii) feel more prepared to transition into the University, (iii) become acquainted with the resources available, (iv) meet with the academic advisor and registrar to learn more about academic expectations, and (v) have a better understanding of the Faculty of Languages and Translation student experience. All the speakers encouraged the new students to get involved. They delivered seven important tips: To attend lectures on time; to complete assignments on time; to check announcements; to utilize Tawasol for course and final exam schedule inquiries; to contact the academic advisor if help is needed, to attend academic advising support meetings, and to visit the college website for helpful links. Dean Al-Melhi said he welcomed the Class of 2022 as a fellow graduate of the same college. He is himself a graduate of the FLT, a member of the Class of 1987. “We want you to be successful, and though you will find that the transition from high school to college different, we have plenty of ways to support you along the way,” said Al-Melhi. “There will be challenges, of course, but we are here for you, and our doors are always open." Date: 09-12-2018 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation Multimedia Contribution: Abdulaziz Al-Shahrani and Mohsin Khan

Last week the department celebrated the graduation of the Spring 2018 class. It is with our deep appreciation to the English Club for sponsoring this important event. We marked this auspicious occasion with a wide variety of speakers and activities. The host for the evening, graduating senior Ahmed Eid, was very gracious and made sure that the celebration proceeded very smoothly. Graduating senior Sohail Al-Madkli marked the blessing of this event with a stirring recitation of Sūrat Ibrāhīm. Next, our esteemed Dean, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, delivered a poignant graduation address in which he stressed the importance of educating future generations while imploring our graduates to continue that glorious tradition. The President of the English Club, Ali Saeed Daif Allah, delivered the graduation speech in Arabic thanking the Dean and staff. He then recognized the students' efforts to complete this long and arduous journey. Graduating senior Abdullah Al-Klthmi then gave his speech entirely in English inviting the students and faculty to reflect on the journey they had together and the difficulties they had to overcome. Abdullah advised his fellow students that their life's journey was really just beginning and many opportunities and difficulties lay on the road before them. He encouraged his fellow students to seize those opportunities and not to be overwhelmed by the challenges ahead. Graduating senior and noteworthy poet Abdulaziz Al-Shahrani offered an inspiring spoken word poetry performance thanking all faculty members of the department for helping the students succeed. The evening's festivities included a traditional dinner and social gathering. The Faculty of Languages and Translation is exceptionally proud of our graduates and honored to have participated in their education and development. Our faculty and staff eagerly anticipate stories of widespread success among these new graduates. The Kingdom will greatly benefit from the skills, abilities, and drive of these young men. Date: 4/8/2018 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

New students were embraced at the Level 1 Student Orientation on February 6, 2018, in the auditoriums of Building D. Incoming students were greeted with a warm welcome by the English Club and a presentation highlighting what the FLT would bring into their lives.  Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, delivered a heartfelt welcome telling all students that we are all one family.  He introduced the numerous facilities that the FLT provides to students to bolster their experience, and he encouraged students to take advantage of the expanded opportunities we offer at the FLT by completely immersing themselves into campus life and academic events. Any student who missed this event can contact the English Club for further assistance. Date: 02-11-2018 Source: The Faculty of Languages and Translation

Believing that Gratitude is the greatest of all virtues, the English Club held "The Gratitude Event" to foster and strengthen a heightened sense of thankfulness to the blessings bestowed upon us. The program started with a fascinating lecture by Assistant Dean, Dr.Suad Al-Qahtani, entitled "Do You Know How Much You Are Rich!" Following after, numerous speeches were delivered expressing gratitude to the most prominent blessings in life along with a beautiful operetta on blessings starting with undying gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and our brave soldiers. The program continued with a touching personal dedication to fathers by Activities Coordinator, Mrs.AmatulHafeez, and Website Coordinator, Ms.Aisha Alvi. They included a surprise demonstration in front of all students where they gave a beautiful message of dedication to their father, and subsequently, he delivered a powerful and upbeat speech to the students imploring them to the value and honor their parents. Correspondingly, English Club representative students Hajar Albishri, Mashail Saad and Mashail Ali expressed gratitude to their mothers who attended the event. Haifa Al-Qahtani gave a dedication to her sister and Nora Abdullah to her friends. Towards the conclusion of the event, students of the English Club expressed their gratitude to the Assistant Dean for providing continuous support. Furthermore, Mrs. AmatulHafeez presented a commemorative memento and flowers to Dr.Suad Al-Qahtani for her unmatched guidance. Similarly, a vote of thanks was extended to all teachers by student representatives of the English Club. To conclude, a special dedication from English Club students was presented to their coordinator Mrs.AmatulHafeez for her sustained efforts and sincerity in the promotion of student activities. The program ended with the assistant dean distributing certificates of appreciation to distinguished faculty members, staff members, students, and employees.  Date:7/12/2017 Source: Public Relations & Media Office

Believing in the importance of building strong bonds with government and private educational institutions, the FLT female campus received a delegation from Al-Dhikr High School consisting of 20 grade 12 students and three teachers. The English Club held an orientation which contained informational sessions about the faculty and the English program. Welcoming the delegation, Activities Coordinator, Mrs.AmatulHafeez, expressed her heartfelt gratitude and appreciation of this initiative from the faculty's administration. English Department Supervisor, Dr.Mona Alshihry, also welcomed the delegation and emphasized that they should seize the opportunity to ask questions and have a fruitful visit. Following after, student representatives of the English Club delivered an eye-catching presentation giving the prospective students useful information and first-hand accounts of the English program. Afterwards, the English Club led prospective students on a tour of the building and introduced them to the classrooms, labs, and offices which created excitement among students. To conclude, a certificate of appreciation was presented to the faculty's activities coordinator, and final words of wisdom were imparted to the students.  Date: 12/6/2017 Source: Public Relations & Media Office

The English Club paid a visit to the 14th Book and Information Fair to enhance student reading skills and spread the awareness of books and knowledge. The group consisted of the Dean's Assistant, Dr. Suad Al-Qahtani, the College Coordinator of Activities and Social Services, Mrs. AmatulHafeez Alvi, the College Coordinator of Public Relations and Media, Ms. Aisha Alvi, some faculty staff and 14 students. The group visited many book corners and purchased numerous books in both English and Arabic. After the visit, Dr. Suad Al-Qahtani held a meeting with the students to listen to their opinions about the visit. The students expressed their gratitude to her for availing them to unique opportunities that are beneficial. "The book fair is amazing, the dean's assistant and lecturers are with us, and we really enjoyed and learned, " Amani said. " So beautiful, I found every book I wanted," Sara said.  "Honestly it is wonderful, there are books that suit all ages, there are different and unique books," Taif said. "The books are so amazing! The treatment is nice and quite different from a couple of book fairs I visited before," Enas said. "Had a great time with our students and colleagues, a vote of thanks goes to the Dean's Assistant, Dr. Suad, for supporting such activities, and trips which intend to develop our student's linguistic and social ability and thanks to KKU for arranging this successful fair," Mrs.AmatulHafeez, Activities and Social Services Coordinator said. Date: 19/10/2017 Source: Office of Relations & Media.