FLT Holds Freshman Orientation

  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

  Mr. Mohammad Adil conducted a very effective workshop focusing on stress management which was titled A Professional Approach to Reducing Stress Involved in Course Report Writing, on November 10, 2021. The workshop was organized by the Language Research Center. The trainer, along with some basics of course report writing, particularly emphasized how to lessen stress many teachers experience before course report submission. He also emphasized that a professional approach to handling this course report task can easily reduce stress to a great extent.   The session included some brainstorming tasks for the participants. The tasks were based on the relationship between a course coordinator and instructors and how a wrong approach to designing an examination or a quiz could lead to unnecessary stress. In response to the tasks, the participants shared some thought-provoking ideas that every teacher must think of. For example, changing our mentality helps a great deal. We all should avoid downplaying the course report writing job and therefore consider it as an important one.   The trainer emphasized being proactive and working on the report ahead of time, preferably during the semester, not after the final examination. He also showed some examples of how tests, quizzes, and tasks could be aligned with the course learning outcomes in advance and how it could help design tests in a more effective way, eventually reducing stress most teachers experience at the end of every semester.   As regards Course Learning Outcomes (CLO) measurement, the trainer primarily emphasized the "Values" domain, which many instructors have experienced difficulties with. He showed a sample of a survey form that could be used in class to measure the CLOs under "Values".   Adil concluded that we, the instructors, especially the coordinators, work ahead of time by being proactive by designing and aligning. The coordinators should avoid burdening the instructors with tasks they can do easily alone. Also, the instructors should cooperate as well by being available to the coordinator.   The workshop was very engaging and a great success. Please click here to view the workshop booklet. Date: 11/12/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  As part of the Bachelor of Arts in English program's Community Service Partnership Plan under the supervision of Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi and in cooperation with the university Media Center, a portion of the Arabian Highland Theme in the Aseer Region Strategic Plan, supervised by the Aseer Development Authority (ASDA), was translated into seven languages. The short videos were widely distributed on YouTube and Twitter and made viewers aware that His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, launched the Arabian Highland development strategy in the Aseer region. In Afrikaans, Bengali, French, Hindi, Pashto, Romanian, and Urdu, the strategy's primary objective of turning the region into an all-year-round world destination through an investment of $50 billion SAR was explained. Dean Abdullah Melhi explained that this community service activity delivered in October 2021 is part of the Bachelor of Arts in English program at the Faculty of Languages and Translation's commitment to serving the community in the fields of languages and translation.   Of note, the Community Service Partnership Plan (CSPP) and Employer Advisory Board (EAB) were recently revised and approved in a Department Council meeting on November 2, 2021. The new CSPP calls for increased alignment with: the Mission Statement and the recently revised and approved EAB. It also references the Aseer Development Authority and Vision 2030 as the basis for broadening the scope of our community service partnership activities.   Particular thanks are due to our Bachelor of Arts in English program colleagues who provided accurate translations of information designed to instruct residents on the Aseer Strategic Plan. The translations were made available in the following languages: Afrikaans, Mr. Azaad Hayat; Bangla, Mr. Mohammad Fuad; French, Dr. Abdelhamid Bessaid; Hindi, Mr. Javed Ahmed; Pashto, Mr. Salahud Din Abdul Rab; Romanian, Dr. Justin Sfariac; Urdu, Mr. Mohsin Khan. Date: 11/6/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  On 27 October 2021, Vice Dean for Academic Development & Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, delivered a webinar to 60 participants organized by the Alumni Unit of the Faculty of Languages and Translation under the coordination of Mohsin Raza Khan. The webinar — titled "Future Job Prospects for English Graduates" — addressed the importance of durable skills. The webinar was developed to provide Bachelor of Arts in English program students and alumni with additional activities for their professional development, consistent with the intended learning outcomes and labor market developments.   "There are ten major competencies also known as durable skills that will ensure a successful career. They are leadership, character, collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, metacognition, mindfulness, growth mindset, and fortitude. A great way to build those durable skills is volunteering. Volunteering will introduce you to both private industry and non-profit organizations. For example, you can learn more about project management by organizing events, which will also develop your leadership abilities and sales skills because you will recruit other volunteers to help you," began Dr. Almosa. He then pointed out that the new economy is skills-based, highlighting that we have entered the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Although having strong technical skills will always help, Dr. Almosa continued to reinforce that soft skills mean a lot. "You will need to be able to solve problems and work in teams. Actually, you will have to solve problems that do not exist yet, and you need to be comfortable continually learning new skills to solve problems," he said.   "I want to draw your attention to the Aseer Region Development Strategy. The strategy was launched by HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and aims to create the conditions necessary for sustainable growth. Our region will be an all-year-round world destination, and students from the Bachelor of Arts in English program will have many job opportunities," said Dr. Almosa.   Of noteworthy mention, Dr. Almosa is well-positioned to guide our students on how their skills match the region's workforce needs, as he was the recipient of an award in October 2021 from His Royal Highness Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Aseer, for his outstanding contribution to the region's strategic planning.   The Bachelor of Arts in English program at the Faculty of Languages and Translation is committed to communicating with its alumni and involving them in events and activities. Please click here to view a recording of the event. Date: 10/27/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation