Graduate Programs

  The Translation Unit (TU) organized a translation competition titled "Translator of the Nation", coinciding with the faculty's celebration of Saudi Arabia's 'Founding Day' on Tuesday, 22 February 2022. Participants were involved in translating several journalistic texts about this national and remarkable occasion. This competition was received warmly by our MA and BA students on several campuses, thus raising awareness about this occasion and reinforcing the role of TU in transferring local and authentic admirable events through translation from Arabic into English. The improvement of students' translator skills was a goal that TU has sought to achieve from this competition. TU received more than 50 texts from our students.   Some winners expressed their views regarding this competition.   "Being a part of the competition — 'the Translator of the Nation' — was an honor because it was the least that we could do to give back to our country. In addition, I would like to thank the Translation Unit for this wonderful opportunity to translate to enable people to learn more about this cherished event, Founding Day," said Abdulaziz Alalawi.   Abeer Alasmari highlighted that the "Torjoman Al-Watan Competition was an initiative that truly ignited our patriotic sentiment and rekindled that spark of passion inside all of us translators. It's an admirable gesture of the Translation Unit at the Faculty of Languages and Translation at KKU, to which we all are deeply appreciative."   "Participating in such a multi-purpose competition designed to accomplish national educational goals was a really wonderful thing. It isn't winning or losing that matters since success is measured by what we've done to prepare for the competition, and the fruits we've reaped were absolutely inspiring & uplifting," said Jamilah Shah.   Asma Hassan emphasized the importance of this competition in boosting students' skills in translation by saying, "The competition was like a test for my abilities in translation. It also motivated me to practice translation more and more with confidence."   "University life is experiences, and this competition is a beneficial experience that hones our performance in translation. Indeed, it’s closer to motivation than to competition," said Waad Al-Manea.   TU would like to express its gratitude and appreciation to all participants in the translation competition titled "The Translator of the Nation." TU is pleased to announce the winners as follows: 1st place (500 SR): Abdulaziz Alalawi/MA Translation 2nd place (400 SR): Abeer Alasmari/MA Translation 3rd place (300 SR): Jamilah Sanagul/MA Translation 4th place (200 SR): Waad Al-Manea/MA Translation 5th place (shared) (100 SR each): Nujud Aseeri & Asma Alfuraih/both MA Translation   The award ceremony took place in a wonderful event organized by the Guidance and Counselling Unit and English Club at the Faculty of Languages and Translation on Tuesday, 22 March 2022. The winners were awarded cash prizes and certificates of appreciation. As a token of appreciation, all participants were awarded certificates of appreciation, thus motivating them to develop their talents & skills in translation.   Our heartfelt congratulations to the winners and participants on their outstanding achievements. Date: 3/24/2022 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  On 15 November 2021, Dr. Eisa Al-Eisa Asiri, who recently returned from Macquarie University in Australia, delivered a webinar to 107 participants organized by the Alumni Unit of the Faculty of Languages and Translation under the coordination of Mohsin Raza Khan. The webinar — titled "The transition from a classroom to a workplace: professional skills for translation students" — introduced participants to the most important professional skills in translation (henceforth TRN) and interpreting (henceforth INT). The webinar was developed to provide students and alumni with additional activities for their professional development, consistent with the intended learning outcomes and labor market developments.   Dr. Asiri began by inquiring of the student participants how to gain advanced TRN and INT knowledge. There was a wide variety of interesting responses. One student said that the best way is to study for a degree in TRN or INT. Dr. Asiri agreed but explained that one must be an avid consumer of source text and target text materials. He emphasized that one must be a good writer and have in-depth cultural knowledge.   Dr. Asiri highlighted several practical terms as a starting point, explaining that translation memory is parts of or complete sentences that have been translated before that can be consulted while translating. In addition, tapping into one's translation memory is helpful when using technological tools for translators and interpreters. He related that most professional translators work with computer-assisted translation tools, and they test as many programs as they can.   Then, Dr. Asiri admonished the students to have an entrepreneurial spirit while showing the pros and cons of working with agencies, working with direct clients, and using portals. He noted that resumes should be ready and updated regularly. He concluded that networking and attending events, conferences, and expos, whether related to the translation industry or not, can play a significant role in finding clients and continuing one's professional development.   At the end of the webinar, Dr. Asiri thanked all alumni, undergrads, and grads who participated, noting that learning doesn't stop on graduation day. Please click here to view a recording of the event. Date: 11/16/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  On Monday, November 8, 2021, King Khalid University celebrated the seventh anniversary of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Royal Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's ascension to the throne. As a part of the celebration, a talk was held on leadership and achievement in theater 6. His Excellency the President of King Khalid University, Prof. Fallah Al-Solamy, led the discussion, which was open to the public.   Representing the Faculty of Languages and Translation — and all programs within — were Vice Dean for Academic Development & Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, and Dr. Mona Al-Shehri, who is now the General Supervisor of the Student Training Unit. Of note, Dr. Almosa moderated the event and began by recalling the remarkable development and unprecedented achievements we have witnessed at all economic and social levels. Dr. Al-Shehri echoed Dr. Almosa's sentiments by explaining how the exceptional women empowerment reforms have led to an inclusive approach in their participation in national development.   Also participating in the event were Dean of Graduate Studies, Dr. Ahmed Al-Faya, General Director of the Human Resources Operations Department, Muhammad bin Shaya Al-Nahari, and student Reham Al-Shawal. They all highlighted the substantial improvements made in local governance, urban policy, and youth empowerment stemming from Vision 2030.   All programs in the Faculty of Languages and Translation are committed to implementing its role in the community partnership plan of King Khalid University. Please click here to view a recording of the event. Date: 11/15/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  During the week of November 7, 2021, 3 faculty members participated in a series of webinars — supervised by the Vice Presidency of Graduate Studies and Academic Research and organized by the Scholarship Department — designed to prepare teaching assistants and lecturers for the intense responsibilities and schedule of a doctoral program. On a daily basis, nearly 150 participants engaged in robust and engaging conversations with a team of leading researchers and experienced faculty from King Khalid University.   Representing the Faculty of Languages and Translation were Dr. Munassir Alhamami, Dr. Abdul Wahed Q. Al Zumor, and Dr. Fakieh Alrabai. Dr. Alhamami led off Monday's session with a presentation on research methods, and he highlighted the importance of forming a coherent picture of the research techniques used. Following closely after, Dr. Al Zumor complemented Dr. Alhamami's session by introducing participants to the specific rules, flow, and structure of academic research writing. Concluding the Faculty of Languages and Translation's participation on Wednesday was Dr. Alrabai. He led participants through research methodology and the process of visualizing the implementation of a research project.   Faculty members in all college programs are committed to regularly participating in research-based academic activities to improve our programs' and institutional performance. Date: 11/13/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  On October 12, 2021, the Scientific Research Unit - Women’s section- organized a webinar titled How to Prepare an Oral Research Presentation by Dr. Nada Alqarni.   Dr. Alqarni started her presentation by guiding her audience to think about their target. “Think about what you want to achieve and think about how you are going to involve your audience in the presentation”, said Dr. Alqarni. She then illustrated the significance of brainstorming the main ideas, organizing the topics of discussion, getting ready for the presentation and rehearsal.   Dr. Alqarni indicated that it is important to capture the listener’s attention in the beginning. Then the presenter should state the purpose of the topic of discussion and present an outline of his/her work. Dr. Alqarni highlighted the importance of presenting the main points one by one in a logical order and making it clear when moving to another point. She indicated that using clear examples to illustrate the key findings is helpful to keep the audience involved in the discussion. In addition, she referred to the use of visual aids to make the presentation more interesting.   The webinar focused on five main points. These are: preparing an oral presentation, organizing the content, typical presentation format for research projects, delivering a presentation, and a summary of all the main ideas of discussion. In the end, Dr. Alqarni presented a video where an oral research presentation is delivered, and she explained its points of strengths and weaknesses. The presentation was followed by a discussion on presenting research projects that were nicely and neatly wrapped.   The webinar, which was mainly delivered to MA and Ph.D. students and attended by staff members from different faculties at the university, was really informative. Date: 10/18/2021 Source: Dr. Amal Metwally - Head of Scientific Research Committee

  Dr. Eyhab Bader Eddin has undertaken a fresh initiative for bringing "Annotated Translation" to light. Annotated Translation is a fascinating yet complex subject that has increasingly come to prominence and gained currency for being adopted as a major assessment method for Translation students in both undergraduate and graduate programs. Although a firm dividing line could be drawn between 'annotated translation' and 'translation commentary', they both have been used interchangeably in his session open to the public during the Spring 2021 semester. Dr. Bader Eddin delivered a 2-hour-long session — titled "Annotated Translation: Showing students the ropes — on the fundamentals of the subject", drawing attendees' attention to the seminal book, which was the first of its kind, fully devoted in a book-size work to this subject. Viz. Sewell's 2002 (Translation Commentary: The Art revisited). The session tackled such points as definition, How should an annotated translation look like? What should it include and exclude, desirable and undesirable features, marking criteria for translation commentary, steps to initiate a translation annotation project, and some illustrative practical examples. Some tangible examples have been offered to link theory to practice, as a rarely distinguished feature in translation. The session was followed by some assignments to ensure the attendees had grasped the content of the session.   To view all webinars, please click here. Date: 5/6/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  In a continuous series of sessions aimed at advancing and deepening understanding of graduate students, Dr. Eyhab Bader Eddin started to offer an advanced free intensive course on the Parts of Speech. Students at the graduate or doctoral level who are in the process of writing their thesis, dissertations, or research papers face unique challenges. These papers indicate whether or not they understood the concepts clearly. For this reason, Dr. Bader Eddin held a 3-part webinar series on the 8 parts of speech open to the public during the 2020-2021 academic year. The webinar, tailored to graduate students, attracted hundreds of attendees from different parts of the world. High on the target list came graduate students and English teachers for the purpose of addressing any problems related to parts of speech and to fill any gap in their linguistic knowledge so as to clamber up the rung of their mental ladder aplomb.   "While it may seem that having a detailed understanding of the parts of speech is not needed, it is imperative that graduates of the Faculty of Languages and Translation present their papers in the right manner with proper sentence structure," said Dr. Bader Eddin. He then explained that Dean, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, and Vice Dean of Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, were highly supportive of his 3-part webinar series, which was launched to engage the community, alumni, and currently enrolled students at the undergraduate and graduate levels.   The topics discussed included, but were not limited to the following: Language components Detailed Overview of the parts of speech Grammatical hierarchy Sentence types according to A) structure and B) communicative function Syntactic theory Language universals Semantic classes Typology of parts of speech systems Language components Overview of parts of speech Grammatical hierarchy Sentence types according to A) structure and B) communicative function Nouns as a part of speech Noun types and characteristics Noun plural formation Noun plurals Noun gender Noun Case Noun genitive and -of phrase Meanings of genitive and –of phrase   These sessions were followed by assignments handed out to ensure the attendees' thorough understanding of the topics covered. Questions were always welcomed to clear away any fog of misunderstanding during the course of the sessions. It is worth mentioning that we have come to know that new sessions are to be held soon in a bid to complete the series.   To view all webinars, please click here. Date: 5/6/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  Supervised by Dr. Fahad Otaif, Assistant Professor of Critical Discourse Analysis and Translation, a team of postgraduate female students from the Faculty of Languages and Translation (FLT) participated in the "WikiDowen" project during the Spring 2021 semester. The WikiDowen Project, under the administration of the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah), aims to enrich and increase the Arabic content on Wikipedia; although Arabic is the fourth most popular language in the world, the Arabic content on Wikipedia still ranks 25th in terms of volume.   Dr. Otaif praised the postgraduate students who worked hard, saying that: "the students were really motivated to take part in this initiative, they worked hard to translate more scientific content. The initiative resulted in 50 articles translated from English into Arabic. The translated topics ranged from medical topics, to psychology, Artificial Intelligence as well as engineering. The translated articles were compiled in a digital booklet to document the scientific outcomes of the initiative".   Dr. Otaif added, "the WikiDowen's Project manager, Dr. Zuhair Al-Shehri, and his deputy Ms. Reem Al-Mutairi also played a vital role in helping the new Wikipedians (translators) to post and edit their translations on the Arabic Wikipedia; this cooperation lasted for two months and was really fruitful for both parties."   Vice Dean for Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, added, "we are excited to be a part of this national volunteer initiative for the second year in a row; it provides our FLT students the opportunity to participate in a field experience activity that is aligned with the learning outcomes we target in our language and translation programs."   Dr. Otaif added, "such initiatives and projects will grant our students valuable experience and help them in mastering the translation profession through which they will improve their professional background and job readiness; I do thank our Dean Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi and the vice dean for postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Language and Translation for their endless support in this initiative and will continue to encourage similar initiatives at the FLT in the near future en shaa' Allah." Date: 5/4/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  On 29 March 2021, Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi received a plaque of appreciation from His Excellency Falleh Al-Solamy, President of King Khalid University, in recognition of his efforts and contributions to the Saudi Journal of Language Studies as editor-in-chief. Vice President of Higher Studies & Scientific Research, Dr. Hamad Al-Garni, Scientific Journals & Societies Unit (SJSU) Supervisor, Dr. Abdullah Asiri, and SJSU Consultant, Dr. Amir Kessentini, supported all honorees in the meeting, expressing their deepest gratitude for the unfailing support and contributions made to ensuring the large body of scholarship produced at King Khalid University will be utilized.   Published by Emerald on behalf of King Khalid University, the Saudi Journal of Language Studies is an academic, open access, double-blind peer-reviewed journal focused on the diffusion of articles on all aspects of language studies. The Saudi Journal of Language Studies (SJLS) is an open forum for interdisciplinary research grounded in sound theory, practice of language research, and translation studies of interest to scholars and language educators. SJLS seeks cutting-edge interdisciplinary research from around the world that reflects diverse theoretical and methodological frameworks and topical areas, including but not limited to:   Foreign and/or second language learning, teaching, and use Language assessment and testing Language for Special Purposes (e.g., ESP) Language for Academic Purposes (LAP) Multimodal communication and Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) Teacher/learner identity studies Foreign/second language classroom-centred research Translation studies Literature studies Culture studies Bilingualism and Multilingualism Lexicographical research, Literacies, Rhetoric and stylistics Sociolinguistics Pragmatics Semiotics Discourse Analysis Psycholinguistics Deaf Linguistics Forensic Linguistics Historical Linguistics Theoretical Linguistics   Of note, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Tanuma, Prof. Abdulaziz Fageeh, received a plaque of appreciation from His Excellency President Al-Solamy in recognition of his efforts and contributions to the KKU Journal of Humanities as editor-in-chief. Both Dean Al-Melhi and Dean Fageeh extended a very warm welcome to thank authors, editors, and anonymous reviewers for contributing to the success of the journals, noting that Dr. Ismail Alrefaai has made significant contributions as a coordinator of both journals.   The website of the journal can be accessed through https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/sjls. Submit your research article today, and the SJLS Editorial Advisory Board will assess your submission based on the policy and scope of SJLS. Prof. Habib Abdesslem, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, Dr. Fakieh Alrabai, Dr. Ismail Alrefaai, and Prof. Abdulaziz Fageeh all serve as SJLS Editorial Advisory Board members and look forward to your submissions. Date: 3/30/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  The Scientific Research Committee organized a webinar titled "Your Guide for MA Studying" on 24 March 2021. The speakers of this webinar were three post-graduate students Ms. Warda Saad, Ms. Fatemah Abdulaziz, and Ms. Alaa Salem. The 1st speaker Ms. Warda Saad started the program by posing a question to the undergraduate students: What is your goal? Next, she explained the four goals listed by her, which are as follows:   Expand your knowledge of fields related to your field. Gain recognition. Start making connections. Take advantage of academic support.   After elaborating on the goals of the students, the speaker stated the students' and teachers' expectations in the MA program. In a nutshell, she urged the students to be prepared for more work, be more focused and motivated, cite every word they say or use in their work, and develop their habits. Towards the end of her speech, Ms. Warda advised the students to ask a lot of questions to their supervisors and professors. She also explained that any remarks from the professors/supervisors/teachers are never personal, and they should be aware of that.   The 2nd speaker Ms. Fatemah started her speech by explaining the meaning of scientific research. Next, she elaborated on the reading skill of researchers, which is essential. She focused on the skimming and scanning techniques used in reading, and she imparted the message to the students that to expand the knowledge of the researchers, there is no alternative to reading. She has urged the students to think critically and objectively and develop the skill of discussion as well.   In the next part of her speech, Ms. Fatemah highlighted the magic of the Internet. She has discussed how students can view YouTube as a Tutor and use Grammarly for checking Plagiarism. She concluded her speech on a motivating note by saying, "Celebrate small achievements on the way to your goal."   The 3rd speaker, Ms. Alaa Salem, started her speech by talking about Applied Linguistics research areas or where to go in research. She referred to a book titled Contemporary Applied Linguistics. She has pointed out various aspects such as globalization of language, the death of languages, language and economy, poverty and languages, religion, family and language, language and culture, translation and language, language and the brain, etc. While discussing language and economy, the speaker gave an example of a story of a Phillipino worker and showed how people are judged by how they speak a language. She pointed out that language becomes an indicator of the intelligence of a person.   Last of all, the speaker discussed language and the brain, and she said how Neurolinguistics, Speech Disorder, and Sign language could be sources for researchers.   All three speakers of the webinar were successful in enlightening the undergraduate students about the MA program. Date: 3/25/2021 Source: Ms. Shanjida Halim, Scientific Research Committee Member