Faculty of Languages and Translation

The Faculty of Languages and Translation's Fall 2018 semester is officially closed. This first half of the school year has been marked with considerable successes and improvements in the college.   The college has made great strides in foundational quality improvements. Several course specifications in the department, syllabi, and student learning outcomes have been updated. Also, course specifications in the English Language Center have been modified in cooperation with the relevant colleges served by the English Language Center. These changes were implemented to improve the student experience and enhance the educational value for their future academic and career endeavors. In addition, measurement and evaluation tools for all courses have been implemented pursuant to the highest standards of leading universities throughout the world. Our international cooperation efforts have been expanded as evidenced by the continuing negotiations for a major joint venture with the University of Swansea led by Vice Dean, Dr. Yahya Asiri. 'The Faculty of Languages and Translation is committed to continuous improvement in all programs', said Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi.   The Faculty of Languages and Translation has realized many process improvements concerning examinations within the department and the English Language Center. The Exam Committee has put a great emphasis on maintaining test integrity and security. There are strict quality control guidelines to ensure that all examinations are consistent, thorough, and fair to the students. An emphasis on test security has greatly reduced incidents of cheating and accidental disclosure of testing material. In addition, the examination process went very smoothly at the end of the semester. Vice Dean Asiri said 'I thank the Exam Committee and all of our faculty for their hard work and emphasis on making the final examinations secure, fair, and an accurate measure of student performance. It is a difficult undertaking, but all of our faculty members are committed and achieved excellent results'. Chairman, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, noted that this semester saw a reduction in cheating cases due to tighter process controls and faculty vigilance.   The Faculty of Languages and Translation is dedicated to continuous improvement in language education and the student experience. We are at the forefront of program and process evaluation and development. Despite these successes, we will not rest on our laurels. We look forward to even more improvements in the semesters to come.   All students, faculty, staff, and administrators have certainly earned and need time to rest. Everybody have a great week off! Date: 1/1/2019 Source: FLT Digital Ambassador

The Faculty of Languages and Translation's Fall 2018 semester is officially closed. This first half of the school year has been marked with considerable successes and improvements in the college.   The college has made great strides in foundational quality improvements. Several course specifications in the department, syllabi, and student learning outcomes have been updated. Also, course specifications in the English Language Center have been modified in cooperation with the relevant colleges served by the English Language Center. These changes were implemented to improve the student experience and enhance the educational value for their future academic and career endeavors. In addition, measurement and evaluation tools for all courses have been implemented pursuant to the highest standards of leading universities throughout the world. Our international cooperation efforts have been expanded as evidenced by the continuing negotiations for a major joint venture with the University of Swansea led by Vice Dean, Dr. Yahya Asiri. 'The Faculty of Languages and Translation is committed to continuous improvement in all programs', said Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi.   The Faculty of Languages and Translation has realized many process improvements concerning examinations within the department and the English Language Center. The Exam Committee has put a great emphasis on maintaining test integrity and security. There are strict quality control guidelines to ensure that all examinations are consistent, thorough, and fair to the students. An emphasis on test security has greatly reduced incidents of cheating and accidental disclosure of testing material. In addition, the examination process went very smoothly at the end of the semester. Vice Dean Asiri said 'I thank the Exam Committee and all of our faculty for their hard work and emphasis on making the final examinations secure, fair, and an accurate measure of student performance. It is a difficult undertaking, but all of our faculty members are committed and achieved excellent results'. Chairman, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, noted that this semester saw a reduction in cheating cases due to tighter process controls and faculty vigilance.   The Faculty of Languages and Translation is dedicated to continuous improvement in language education and the student experience. We are at the forefront of program and process evaluation and development. Despite these successes, we will not rest on our laurels. We look forward to even more improvements in the semesters to come.   All students, faculty, staff, and administrators have certainly earned and need time to rest. Everybody have a great week off! Date: 1/1/2019 Source: FLT Digital Ambassador

As part of the international cooperation initiative at King Khalid University, His Excellency King Khalid University Rector, Pro. Falleh R.M. Al-Solamy, was pleased to welcome a delegation from Swansea University in the United Kingdom. Swansea University is a world recognized top-400 educational institution and is Welsh in origin. In fact, in Wales, the university is also known as 'Prifysgol Abertawe' in the Welsh language.   Dr. Parfitt is the Head of the English Language Training Services. She, along with her entourage, visited the Faculty of Languages and Translation. Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi, Vice Dean Yahya Asiri, Chairman Munassir Alhamami, and ELC Director Musa Al-Ahmari led them on a tour of the labs, the LEP, the IELTS Center, and other related facilities.   In addition to touring the facilities, there was a roundtable discussion on international cooperation led by Dean Al-Melhi. 'We welcome our honored guests to Abha. Cooperation among universities from around the world is a worthy objective. We all have much to learn and to teach one another. In the spirit of international cooperation, we are most pleased to collaborate with Dr. Parfitt and Swansea University. We are most grateful to His Excellency Rector Al-Solamy for organizing and supporting this worthwhile endeavor. It is worth noting that other representatives from Swansea visited and toured other colleges within the university. These efforts are of mutual benefit to everyone at both universities', said Dean Al-Melhi.   Dr. Parfitt said 'We are privileged to be welcomed to King Khalid University. We plan to establish a mutually beneficial and on-going educational cooperation initiative with the Faculty of Languages and Translation. We hope to implement such useful projects like internship programs, faculty and student exchanges, and joint degree programs. Everyone we met at King Khalid University and in Abha were most gracious and inviting. We look forward to a long and productive relationship with King Khalid University'.   The Faculty of Languages and Translation is committed to developing our university, students, and faculty through international cooperation and bilateral agreements with top universities throughout the world.   If you are a representative of a foreign educational institution, organization, or enterprise and interested in establishing a memorandum of cooperation, please send an email to amalmelhi@kku.edu.sa. Date: 12/15/2018 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

As part of the international cooperation initiative at King Khalid University, His Excellency King Khalid University Rector, Pro. Falleh R.M. Al-Solamy, was pleased to welcome a delegation from Swansea University in the United Kingdom. Swansea University is a world recognized top-400 educational institution and is Welsh in origin. In fact, in Wales, the university is also known as 'Prifysgol Abertawe' in the Welsh language.   Dr. Parfitt is the Head of the English Language Training Services. She, along with her entourage, visited the Faculty of Languages and Translation. Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi, Vice Dean Yahya Asiri, Chairman Munassir Alhamami, and ELC Director Musa Al-Ahmari led them on a tour of the labs, the LEP, the IELTS Center, and other related facilities.   In addition to touring the facilities, there was a roundtable discussion on international cooperation led by Dean Al-Melhi. 'We welcome our honored guests to Abha. Cooperation among universities from around the world is a worthy objective. We all have much to learn and to teach one another. In the spirit of international cooperation, we are most pleased to collaborate with Dr. Parfitt and Swansea University. We are most grateful to His Excellency Rector Al-Solamy for organizing and supporting this worthwhile endeavor. It is worth noting that other representatives from Swansea visited and toured other colleges within the university. These efforts are of mutual benefit to everyone at both universities', said Dean Al-Melhi.   Dr. Parfitt said 'We are privileged to be welcomed to King Khalid University. We plan to establish a mutually beneficial and on-going educational cooperation initiative with the Faculty of Languages and Translation. We hope to implement such useful projects like internship programs, faculty and student exchanges, and joint degree programs. Everyone we met at King Khalid University and in Abha were most gracious and inviting. We look forward to a long and productive relationship with King Khalid University'.   The Faculty of Languages and Translation is committed to developing our university, students, and faculty through international cooperation and bilateral agreements with top universities throughout the world.   If you are a representative of a foreign educational institution, organization, or enterprise and interested in establishing a memorandum of cooperation, please send an email to amalmelhi@kku.edu.sa. Date: 12/15/2018 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

On December 8, 2018, the 4th Annual Forum was held which was titled Modern Methods in Teaching English as a Second Language in collaboration with Oxford University Press at Saudi German Hospital. The event was conducted under the supervision of the Faculty of Languages and Translation Dean, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, and Dr. Mowafiq Al-Momani. The purpose of the forum was to raise awareness of modern concepts of English language teaching. Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi began the program with a welcome speech. In his speech, he explained how teaching methods could be improved through such a forum. He reiterated that it would help share innovative ideas about modern pedagogy. He suggested that we make greater use of such events. Faculty development through forums and the like are an integral aspect of our goal of continuous improvement in delivering a world-class language education, he added. The participants included both male and female faculty members working at King Khalid University. The morning session included a presentation by Mr. Zaid Ben Hamad from Oxford University Press titled Teaching ESP highlighting practical teaching with reference to English for Specific Purposes. He showed how to model a warm-up task, the importance of having proper knowledge of the specialism before designing an ESP course, and how to design a fact-sheet. The session included some activities with questions that actively involved the participants. The afternoon session included six presentations. Dr. Eman Alzaanin gave a presentation titled EFL Writing Instruction from a Cognitive Ecological Perspective. She highlighted pedagogical practices in L2 writing classrooms and L2 writing teacher cognition. She also explained the contribution of the cognitive-ecological model that gives insights into cognition networks, broader understanding types of knowledge, context, and stimulus for teacher cognition. The bottom line was the fact that in EFL writing instruction, a teacher must have a clear idea about ecology impact on the class. Dr. Munassir Alhamami spoke on the subject of Digital Presentations in EFL Classrooms that focused on various ways to use digital presentations in class. He emphasized the need of appropriateness of material we choose, and understanding copyright issues before applying them in class. He showed how digital presentations facilitate the learning process by making difficult ideas easy, playing the role of ice-breakers. Later he showed the steps of creating such presentations by understanding rubrics. Mr. Chris Harris spoke about Classroom Management in the context of Saudi Arabia that emphasized creating a rapport with students. Dressing appropriately may create a good impression, he added. Classroom management is successful, he said, if the lesson gives proper satisfaction and enjoyment in teaching. He also focused on how to address other related issues such as disruption, coming late, and not bringing books and pens. Some culturally sensitive topics, he said, must be avoided. He concluded that a happy teacher makes happy students. Mr. Stephen Sampliner’s presentation focused on giving accurate instructions. It was titled How do You Measure a Successful Day of Teaching?  The role of instructions might play an important role in determining how successful a lesson is, he said. He then highlighted some key aspects of giving instructions. He emphasized making use of visual demonstrations in giving instructions. He reiterated that instructions should be easy, direct and short. Mr. Michael Maschmeier's presentation was about Writing in the Classroom. He began by the benefits of writing in class – observing and replicating real-world text. He emphasized involving students in writing a complete unified piece of writing instead of just getting them involved in language-related tasks. He explained the process of writing – pre-writing, making the first draft, revising and editing, and publishing and feedback. He also focused on self-editing, practicing writing long essays, academic essays, articles, cover letters, and emails. Dr. Sara Sevinj Huseynova spoke about the Key Concepts in Language Assessment. She particularly highlighted the types of assessment and assessment principles. While talking about assessment principles, she explained reliability, validity, practicality, and washback. Teachers should have a clear idea about why, what, and how the assessment is done. She also focused on how feedback should be given to learners in a non-judgmental and unbiased way. The attendees greatly benefitted from all the presentations. Then there was a Q&A session after each session in which many participants raised important issues, and all benefitted from the discussion. Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi gave a concluding speech in which he emphasized sharing experience through such a forum. He thanked all of the participants, attendees and those working behind the scenes. The Faculty of Languages and Translation, he added, is committed to a culture of on-going improvement in language education and professional development in teaching. The dean, vice dean, and chairman are committed to holding forums such as this in support of this worthy objective. The event was worthwhile and well-attended. Date: 12-10-18 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique and Mahmudul Haque Multimedia Source: Mohammad Taisir Albukaai

On December 8, 2018, the 4th Annual Forum was held which was titled Modern Methods in Teaching English as a Second Language in collaboration with Oxford University Press at Saudi German Hospital. The event was conducted under the supervision of the Faculty of Languages and Translation Dean, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, and Dr. Mowafiq Al-Momani. The purpose of the forum was to raise awareness of modern concepts of English language teaching. Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi began the program with a welcome speech. In his speech, he explained how teaching methods could be improved through such a forum. He reiterated that it would help share innovative ideas about modern pedagogy. He suggested that we make greater use of such events. Faculty development through forums and the like are an integral aspect of our goal of continuous improvement in delivering a world-class language education, he added. The participants included both male and female faculty members working at King Khalid University. The morning session included a presentation by Mr. Zaid Ben Hamad from Oxford University Press titled Teaching ESP highlighting practical teaching with reference to English for Specific Purposes. He showed how to model a warm-up task, the importance of having proper knowledge of the specialism before designing an ESP course, and how to design a fact-sheet. The session included some activities with questions that actively involved the participants. The afternoon session included six presentations. Dr. Eman Alzaanin gave a presentation titled EFL Writing Instruction from a Cognitive Ecological Perspective. She highlighted pedagogical practices in L2 writing classrooms and L2 writing teacher cognition. She also explained the contribution of the cognitive-ecological model that gives insights into cognition networks, broader understanding types of knowledge, context, and stimulus for teacher cognition. The bottom line was the fact that in EFL writing instruction, a teacher must have a clear idea about ecology impact on the class. Dr. Munassir Alhamami spoke on the subject of Digital Presentations in EFL Classrooms that focused on various ways to use digital presentations in class. He emphasized the need of appropriateness of material we choose, and understanding copyright issues before applying them in class. He showed how digital presentations facilitate the learning process by making difficult ideas easy, playing the role of ice-breakers. Later he showed the steps of creating such presentations by understanding rubrics. Mr. Chris Harris spoke about Classroom Management in the context of Saudi Arabia that emphasized creating a rapport with students. Dressing appropriately may create a good impression, he added. Classroom management is successful, he said, if the lesson gives proper satisfaction and enjoyment in teaching. He also focused on how to address other related issues such as disruption, coming late, and not bringing books and pens. Some culturally sensitive topics, he said, must be avoided. He concluded that a happy teacher makes happy students. Mr. Stephen Sampliner’s presentation focused on giving accurate instructions. It was titled How do You Measure a Successful Day of Teaching?  The role of instructions might play an important role in determining how successful a lesson is, he said. He then highlighted some key aspects of giving instructions. He emphasized making use of visual demonstrations in giving instructions. He reiterated that instructions should be easy, direct and short. Mr. Michael Maschmeier's presentation was about Writing in the Classroom. He began by the benefits of writing in class – observing and replicating real-world text. He emphasized involving students in writing a complete unified piece of writing instead of just getting them involved in language-related tasks. He explained the process of writing – pre-writing, making the first draft, revising and editing, and publishing and feedback. He also focused on self-editing, practicing writing long essays, academic essays, articles, cover letters, and emails. Dr. Sara Sevinj Huseynova spoke about the Key Concepts in Language Assessment. She particularly highlighted the types of assessment and assessment principles. While talking about assessment principles, she explained reliability, validity, practicality, and washback. Teachers should have a clear idea about why, what, and how the assessment is done. She also focused on how feedback should be given to learners in a non-judgmental and unbiased way. The attendees greatly benefitted from all the presentations. Then there was a Q&A session after each session in which many participants raised important issues, and all benefitted from the discussion. Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi gave a concluding speech in which he emphasized sharing experience through such a forum. He thanked all of the participants, attendees and those working behind the scenes. The Faculty of Languages and Translation, he added, is committed to a culture of on-going improvement in language education and professional development in teaching. The dean, vice dean, and chairman are committed to holding forums such as this in support of this worthy objective. The event was worthwhile and well-attended. Date: 12-10-18 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique and Mahmudul Haque Multimedia Source: Mohammad Taisir Albukaai

Translator's Message is an initiative organized by Master degree students in Translation at the FLT female campus. It is an all-volunteer group, which is dedicated to providing in-demand translation services to the community. The participants' motivation is based on their deep passion for translation and commitment to civic improvement. They utilized this program to raise awareness of the importance of translation while simultaneously sharpening their translation skills in furtherance of their career aspirations. This program began under the tutelage of Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi, the first supporter and advocate for the initiative. The volunteer translators go to both public and private schools to support education and language translation. They are also planning to provide services to a variety of civic organizations such as public ministries, and those projects are currently in the planning stages. The team is working on standardization procedures. This will allow the volunteers to deliver translation services in a highly efficient manner. The aim is to utilize increased efficiency to expand into advanced assistive techniques such as videos, podcasts, electronic Q&A competitions, spelling bees, and bilingual referendums. The team is currently comprised of 11 valued members and growing as follows: Hanan Al-Shahrani (Founding Member); Afnan Yahya (Founding Member); Afrah Al-Jaber; Fayza Al-Ahmari; Ghada Asiri; Maryam Al-Shomrani; Noura Al-Hajla; Noura Al-Shehri; Rahma Al-Ahmari; Shyma'a Hassan; Wasayf Al-Qahtani. Since its founding, Translator's Message has engaged with the public in a variety of events and capacities such as the community service activity on October 18, 2018. Hanan Al- Shahrani, Maryam Al-Shomrani, and Fayza Al-Ahmari delivered a presentation on languages and translation at the Eltamiz Alebday Private School in Khamis Mushait. Al-Shahrani started the presentation by identifying the objectives and the vision of Translator's Message. Then, Al-Shomrani explained why the English language is both relevant and important in Saudi society. Al-Ahmari discussed common mistakes and misconceptions in translation. The team has engaged with the community on other occasions including: On the 30th of October, Noura Al-Shehri and Afrah Al-Jaber visited Zoabaan School for girls in Mohayil; On the 14th November, Rahma Al-Ahmari, Noura Al-Shehri, and Fayza Al-Ahmari visited Al-Abna School at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait; On the 15th of November, Hanan Al-Shahrani, Maryam Al-Shomrani, and Wasayf Al-Qahtani visited Al-Oula High School in Khamis Mushait; On the 15th of November, Afnan Yahya, Shyma'a Hassan, and Ghada Asiri visited Al-Thamna High School; On the 22nd of November, Shayma'a Hasan visited Al-Thanya High School in Abha. Date: 11-27-2018 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

Dr. Eyhab Bader Eddin delivered a presentation titled 'Multiplicity of Different English Functional Semantic Realizations of the Translation of the Arabic Preposition ب' at a seminar organized by the Language Research Center of King Khalid University held on October 10, 2018. His presentation was about his research on a particular Arabic preposition, namely ب and its diversity of meaning when translated into English. The seminar, originally a published paper in a refereed specialized journal, throws a spotlight at an uncharted territory in the field of translation and grammatical analysis, taking the fact that the semantic functions of the preposition ب in Arabic have been the cynosure of all linguists’ and translators’ eyes for decades as the point of departure. The different realizations in English of the same preposition in Arabic are meant to enrich translators’ and linguists’ appreciation and critical understanding of the different semantic functions of the preposition ب. Failure to correctly understand the semantic functions inherent in the preposition ب in different contexts definitely washes away meaning, and causes translators to bog down in unanswered questions pertaining to the exact meaning intended. Dr. Bader Eddin first compared Arabic parts of speech with English ones. The English word class of ‘nouns’ covers in Arabic the word classes of nouns, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs, he exemplified. Particles in Arabic, referred to as حروف, can be further divided into two types of particles, namely حروف مبنى (alphabetical letters) and حروف معنى (prepositions), he added. He went further to say that the tri-classification of Arabic parts of speech does not mean that English has more parts of speech than Arabic does. It is noticed that the semantic behavior, expressed by بـ in Arabic is richer than that in English, and thus cannot always be transferred through a one-to-one correspondence into English. The seemingly same ب in Arabic can be said to be an overloaded preposition in Arabic that no one particular preposition can be predicted in English. This linguistic phenomenon is context-bound in that the same preposition ب behaves semantically different, and thus cannot be dealt with according to watertight criteria predictably. In Arabic, particles are divided into ‘effective or operative’ and ‘passive’ عامل وعاطل. By the former, we mean that their occurrence before the noun it accompanies brings about what is grammatically known as ‘declension’ الإعراب. This means the last morpheme or inflection of the word carries a marker (diacritic mark) showing its grammatical case and category. Such particles, depending on what particles are used, may make the word they precede in the nominative, accusative, dative or apocope case, that is حالة الرفع أو النصب أو الجر أو الجزم respectively. Prepositions are considered one type of ‘effective or operative particles’ as they transform the noun following them into the dative case. Dr. Bader Eddin also explained in detail the various types of Arabic preposition ب their semantic functions and possible English realization. He particularly adduced evidence from the Holy Qur'an for this research out of the firm belief that the Holy Qur'an is the model of linguistic excellence whose style is described as ‘sui generis’. He highlighted the fact that one preposition in Arabic can be realized differently in English. His research, he believed, would enrich translators’ and linguists’ critical understanding of different semantic functions of the preposition. Some of the semantic functions carried by the preposition ب are ‘physical contact, instrument, transitivity, causal, substitution, oath administering, etc. A volley of questions were posed at the end, and answers were provided. You may have a look at the PowerPoint presentation by clicking here. It is worth mentioning that the King Abdullah Road campus attended the seminar online. The seminar was very informative and overall successful. Date: 10/10/2018 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique Multimedia Source: Mohammed Jabir

Dr. Eyhab Bader Eddin delivered a presentation titled 'Multiplicity of Different English Functional Semantic Realizations of the Translation of the Arabic Preposition ب' at a seminar organized by the Language Research Center of King Khalid University held on October 10, 2018. His presentation was about his research on a particular Arabic preposition, namely ب and its diversity of meaning when translated into English. The seminar, originally a published paper in a refereed specialized journal, throws a spotlight at an uncharted territory in the field of translation and grammatical analysis, taking the fact that the semantic functions of the preposition ب in Arabic have been the cynosure of all linguists’ and translators’ eyes for decades as the point of departure. The different realizations in English of the same preposition in Arabic are meant to enrich translators’ and linguists’ appreciation and critical understanding of the different semantic functions of the preposition ب. Failure to correctly understand the semantic functions inherent in the preposition ب in different contexts definitely washes away meaning, and causes translators to bog down in unanswered questions pertaining to the exact meaning intended. Dr. Bader Eddin first compared Arabic parts of speech with English ones. The English word class of ‘nouns’ covers in Arabic the word classes of nouns, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs, he exemplified. Particles in Arabic, referred to as حروف, can be further divided into two types of particles, namely حروف مبنى (alphabetical letters) and حروف معنى (prepositions), he added. He went further to say that the tri-classification of Arabic parts of speech does not mean that English has more parts of speech than Arabic does. It is noticed that the semantic behavior, expressed by بـ in Arabic is richer than that in English, and thus cannot always be transferred through a one-to-one correspondence into English. The seemingly same ب in Arabic can be said to be an overloaded preposition in Arabic that no one particular preposition can be predicted in English. This linguistic phenomenon is context-bound in that the same preposition ب behaves semantically different, and thus cannot be dealt with according to watertight criteria predictably. In Arabic, particles are divided into ‘effective or operative’ and ‘passive’ عامل وعاطل. By the former, we mean that their occurrence before the noun it accompanies brings about what is grammatically known as ‘declension’ الإعراب. This means the last morpheme or inflection of the word carries a marker (diacritic mark) showing its grammatical case and category. Such particles, depending on what particles are used, may make the word they precede in the nominative, accusative, dative or apocope case, that is حالة الرفع أو النصب أو الجر أو الجزم respectively. Prepositions are considered one type of ‘effective or operative particles’ as they transform the noun following them into the dative case. Dr. Bader Eddin also explained in detail the various types of Arabic preposition ب their semantic functions and possible English realization. He particularly adduced evidence from the Holy Qur'an for this research out of the firm belief that the Holy Qur'an is the model of linguistic excellence whose style is described as ‘sui generis’. He highlighted the fact that one preposition in Arabic can be realized differently in English. His research, he believed, would enrich translators’ and linguists’ critical understanding of different semantic functions of the preposition. Some of the semantic functions carried by the preposition ب are ‘physical contact, instrument, transitivity, causal, substitution, oath administering, etc. A volley of questions were posed at the end, and answers were provided. You may have a look at the PowerPoint presentation by clicking here. It is worth mentioning that the King Abdullah Road campus attended the seminar online. The seminar was very informative and overall successful. Date: 10/10/2018 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique Multimedia Source: Mohammed Jabir