World literature encompasses contemporary knowledge about humanity-our beliefs, our self-perception, our philosophies, our assumptions and our interactions with the world as a whole. The most important lessons of our life are magnificently articulated in our art. We absorb these lessons only if we intend to stop for a while on the myriad of pages from literature around us. Keeping this view in mind, the KKU Literature Club organized the first ever presentation series on World Literature. It was held on November 18, 2014, at the KKU main campus. Dr. Ali Alamir, Chair of the English Department, graced the program with his presence as chief guest. Faculty members and students from different departments made their presence felt by their active participation. Mr. Matthew Paul’s confident anchoring further enhanced the attraction of the program. This presentation series was supported and promoted conjointly by the Event Management Committee and the English Club. The main attraction of the program was two presentations by Mr. Eyhab Bader Eddin on the topic “Syria in Poets’ Eyes Across Ages” and by Dr. Mahmoud Redwan on the topic “The Modern Arabic Novel.” Their discussion which based itself on cross-cultural, historical and political perspectives fascinated the audience with numerous facts and ideas. Something fresh came out of their comparative studies which certainly will make the audience ponder over those for some time.      Club coordinator, Mr. Shahrear Talukder said in his inaugural speech, “World literature is a symbiosis of national and international literature which inevitably enables us to gain a better sense of the world around us. In today’s world of conflict and misunderstanding, it can be a harbinger of peace and unity.”  This philosophy of world literature reverberated in both of the presentations by Dr. Eyhab and Dr. Mahmoud. The program ended with the vote of thanks from Dr. Ali Alamir.    Date: Fall 2014 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation Multimedia Contribution: MD Sirajul Islam and Gaus Ul Azam

The Language Research Center seminar by Erich Beer on November 17, 2014, kicked off with the following quote: “This presentation is ultimately about the students – not about me, or even you, for that matter.” Erich further quoted Margaret Elizabeth Sangster, who said: ‘No one should teach who is not in love with teaching.’ Building on this, he added: “If we are not in love with teaching, how can we expect our students to be in love with learning?” The results of three investigations were discussed: (1) The findings of readability tests conducted on 16 texts in the Well Read series, four each from four consecutive chapters in each book. (2) The results of a survey of Reading Comprehension 1 students’ reported levels of enjoyment of reading English and Arabic texts. (3) The results of an investigation into the question: is there a correlation between the time students take to complete a Reading Comprehension test, on the one hand, and the test result, on the other? The complete data and the interpretation thereof can be found on a blog specially created for the presentation, the address of which is: https://rcspresentation.blogspot.com/2014/11/readability-texts-well-read-... Here is a summary of the results. (1) Each level (book) of Well Read covers a range of levels of difficulty regarding reading comprehension. There is considerable overlap in these levels between books 1 and 2 and books 2 and 3, but hardly any between books 3 and 4. There, therefore, seems to be a sudden jump from book 3 to 4. (2) Most students surveyed (anonymously) reported an increase in their enjoyment of reading English texts. Overall there was a 17% increase in the satisfaction levels from when the course started to midway during the course. Interestingly, the level of enjoyment of reading English texts halfway during the course is very close to the reported level of enjoyment of reading texts in Arabic. (3) In observation of the test sample, there was a consistent overall drop in grades the longer students took to complete the objective Reading Comprehension test. These results were compared with those for a productive skill test (Writing). The pattern in the latter was different: after an initial drop in grades, they rose. Besides full coverage of the above investigations, reported during the presentation, the blog contains the following documents: Introduction and continuity commentary PowerPoint presentation (in PDF) 16 texts from Well Read 1-4, downloadable and editable Readability statistics for Well Read 1-4, based on the above 16 texts Three experimental texts for the lower levels Two additional texts for readability tests (J.K. Rowling, Steve Jobs) The presenter concluded his presentation by saying: “Teaching Reading Comprehension offers immense and unparalleled and too-good-to-miss opportunities. Every moment counts. Every word counts. Seize them. I challenge you. Be challenged.” Reading Techniques Information File  (please use zip or RAR file opener) Date: Fall 2014 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation Multimedia Contribution: MD Sirajul Islam

An orientation session was held on 11/12/2014 for new faculty members that have joined the College this semester. This event, held each academic year at the beginning of each semester, provides our new colleagues with an overview of the various divisions and offices of the College and University, as well as making clear the rights and responsibilities that apply to every faculty member. A PDF file of the PowerPoint presentation is available. ***Click Here*** In his introduction to the event, Dr. Abdullah Al Melhi, Dean,  gave a heartfelt welcome to the new faculty and spoke about the central role that they will play in the functioning of the College.  He went on to express his vision of the faculty as like a family of trusted colleagues that value each other as both competent professionals and as friends, who help and support each other every day. Dr. Abdulkhalek Al Qahtani, Vice Dean of Academic Development & Quality, explained the goals and activities of the Unit for Development and Quality, putting particular emphasis on elucidating the fundamental processes of internal and external evaluation that are ongoing in the College. Also, Hassan Costello presented an overview of the reporting responsibilities of all faculty members, regarding the Course File contents and the elaboration of end-of-semester Course Reports. Dr. Ali Alamir, Chair of the English Department, introduced himself and stressed the importance of maintaining an atmosphere of openness and trust among colleagues.  Further presentations were made on the following topics: The Language Research Center The E-Learning Deanship How to access and use the University online system for staff information How to change your KKU password A slide show of suggestions on how students can best resolve problems and achieve success in their studies, including an introduction to the Language Enhancement Program (LEP) Use of the Blackboard online educational platform Dr. Ahmed Al Faifi spoke about the mission and work of the Islamic Center in Khamis Mushayt and presented the new faculty members with copies of several publications from the Center. After the close of the orientation, all the participants were invited to enjoy refreshments (including Pizza !) and lively conversation, as an example of the atmosphere of collegial friendship and conviviality that the Dean and all faculty members truly enjoy and admire. A final word of thanks goes to: Mr. Weatherford Thomson, Master of Ceremonies. Date: Fall 2014 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

Under the patronage of Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, Dean, the E-Learning Unit of the College organized a workshop with new faculty members on Wednesday, October 29, 2014, in E-Learning Lab A/3/86. Mr. Mohsin Raza Khan, Supervisor of the E-Learning Unit, introduced the new teachers to the basic concepts of the E-Learning system at King Khalid University. He elaborated upon strategic goal no. 5- “Activating the utilization of technology to build a knowledge-based society.” He familiarized the new faculty members with the rules of the Deanship of E-Learning and the core tools of the Blackboard with a focus on Start Here, Home Page, Announcement, Lectures, Assignment & Test, Discussion Board, and Course Messages. Mr. Khan discussed both the supportive level and blended levels in detail. He stated, “Supportive E-Learning is obligatory for all the University courses with no exception.” He also mentioned that mere implementation and access to Blackboard does not fulfill the academic purposes and the objectives of teaching/ learning processes entirely. The Deanship of E-Learning has subscribed to the Quality Matters Program to make the E-Learning system capable and efficient. The instructors should refer to eight general standards and forty-three specific standards of the QM program to assure the quality of e-learning courses. Mr. Rizwan Ghani and Mr. Jawed Ahmed discussed the practical issues of Blackboard and pointed out the problems and remedies of online assessment. Dr. Khalid Mohanna, E-Learning Team Manager, highlighted major options of Blackboard 9.1 and how it can be used. Mr. Abdullah Al-Zubain, E-Learning Specialist, proposed a vote of thanks and extended all levels of support. At the beginning of the meet, Mr. Farooque Hajji, Registrar of the College, welcomed all the new faculty members and discussed the issues of username and password, access to the registration website of the University and Blackboard.  Date: Fall 2014 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

Under the patronage of Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, Dean, the E-Learning Unit at the Faculty of Languages and Translation organized a presentation on “The Concept of Blended Learning in English Language Teaching.” Dr. Mohamed Amin Mekheimer delivered a detailed presentation on the topic. Describing the term ‘Blended Learning,' Dr. Mohamed Amin Mekheimer said:  “The term blended learning originated in the business world in connection with corporate training, then it was used in higher education, and lastly, it appeared in language teaching and learning.” He further added that blended learning in English Language Teaching combines a face-to-face (F2F) classroom component with an appropriate use of technology.  On the question of the need for the adaptation of blended learning approach, Dr. Mohamed Amin Mekheimer said that learners nowadays expect technology to be integrated into their language classes.  Towards that end, blended learning can meet the learners’ expectations since it provides the ability to match learning styles and individually tailored solutions. It improves the learning rate, and it increases access/flexibility and cost effectiveness. To make blended learning useful in ELT, Dr. Mohamed Amin Mekheimer suggested that the instructor should keep into considerations the following five tenets that build up a principled learning model: the role of live interaction; the role of learner choice and self-regulation; models for support and training; balance between innovation and production and cultural adaptation. He also said that educators should separate the role of the teacher from that of technology, as these functions are not interchangeable, but they are complementary. Teachers should adopt a principled approach that best suits the learners’ needs. Technology should be used to complement and enhance F2F teaching. In his closing remarks, Dr. Abdulkhaleq Al Qahtani, Vice Dean of Academic Development & Quality, applauded the presentation and stressed the need for the proper use of the technology. He also said that technology is a useful tool for enhancing the quality of education. Mr. Mohsin Raza Khan, Supervisor of the E-Learning Unit, related that the purpose of the presentation was to discuss the actual concept of blended learning in English language teaching and best practices around the world. Mr. Abdullah Al-Zubain, E-Learning Specialist, Dr. Khaled Mohanna, E-Learning Team Manager, Mr. Jabir Al-Thebi, Dr. Mohammad Asif, Mr. Faisal, Mr. Jawed Ahmed and Mr. Salahuddin Abdulrab provided holistic support to make the function a success. Date: Fall 2014 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation Multimedia Contribution: MD Sirajul Islam

Do you ever wish that you could spend more time engaged in lively conversation with your colleagues, about new and exciting ways to do your job in a better way? This is exactly the opportunity that our faculty and students were able to enjoy recently when the Faculty of Languages and Translation held a symposium titled “Present and Future of English in Saudi Arabia: Research Concerns.” A total of 24 presentations took place, over two days, covering a broad and fascinating range of topics in the field of English language teaching, as well considering the role of English in contemporary Saudi Arabia. The list of presentations can be found at  Present and Future of English in Saudi Arabia: Research Concerns Copies of the papers presented will be published in the Proceedings of the Symposium and made available for download from conferences.kku.edu.sa  shortly. The symposium enjoyed the keen interest and active participation of several hundred attendees. These included academic professionals from many Saudi institutions, along with several visiting university researchers from abroad, and a significant number of KKU faculty members and students. In particular, the opening ceremony was honored by the presence of, His Excellency, President, Abdulrahman Bin Hamad Al Dawood While the event itself took place in the main male campus of the University, a video and audio link with the main female campus was maintained throughout the event.  This enabled the faculty members as well as the students of both campuses to participate in and profit from the high-quality presentations and enthusiasm of the event. A particularly lively and engaging aspect of the symposium was the participation of the listeners in the question-answer and discussion sessions that followed up each of the presentations.  This opportunity for dialogue and debate among the presenters and the audience delivered some of the most exciting moments and useful insights of the event. After the closing comments were offered by the Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Abdullah Al Melhi, there was an atmosphere of excitement and satisfaction, as the participants continued sharing observations and ideas regarding how best to pursue the work of applying the lessons of the research, as part of improving the English learning process in their daily professional activities. Date: Fall 2014 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation Event Hosted by Hassan Costello  Multimedia Contribution: MD Sirajul Islam

The Faculty of Languages & Translation arranges presentations for staff members on a regular basis. The topics of discussion on Wednesday (10-15-2014) were varied and full of information that enlightened us all. Dr. Ahmed Ismail Asiri, Vice Dean, presided over the event. He introduced the TAs to the staff members and moderated the session. The following topics were covered: Dr. Munassir Alhamami, Rationale for Increased Studies in Vocabulary Mr. Ahmed Sharif, Syntactic Code Switching Mr. Ali Alamri, Studying Abroad and the Enhancement of Cultural Awareness in Saudi EFL Programs Mr. Omar Basendwah, Linguistic Word Games in Arabic Date: Fall 2014 Source:  Faculty of Languages & Translation

The Faculty of Languages & Translation once more proved their efficiency in celebrating 'Saudi National Day'  on Monday.  It was the result of the continuous efforts of Mr. Ali Alamri, Director of the Student Activities, and the students involved in students' activities. The whole college took a festive look.  This happy occasion brought the faculty members of different nationalities, guests, and students in one line as if they were of the same nationality. It was splendid indeed. The program started with the playback of the national anthem of Saudi Arabia which was followed by a power point presentation on the cultural and historical richness of Saudi Arabia. There was a recitation of a poem 'The Single Plane' by  Mr. Shahrear Talukdar, Lecturer. After that Dr. Abdullah Al Melhi, the Honorable Dean of the College and the chief guest, welcomed the respected faculty members and the students to celebrate the National Day. First, he expressed his gratitude to the Almighty Allah for having such a vast country which was unified by the Great King Abdul Aziz. It was built stone by stone. Till today it is unified and developing. He encourages the young generation to read the history of the kingdom. It is the duty of every citizen of the country to preserve what has been established. He also advised the students and the young generation to adhere to the teaching of Islam and the traffic laws while celebrating this day so that a positive image of celebrating the national day can be established. He prayed for the peace all over the world.  He thanked the members of the Students' Activities Centre and the event management committee for organizing such a beautiful program. Dr. Abdulkhaleq Al Qahtani, Vice Dean of Academic Development & Quality also delivered a poignant speech. The new logo of the English Club of the college was also launched after celebrating Saudi National Day 2014. The Dean of the College cut the giant cake with the new logo of the English Club. There was also an arrangement for traditional drinks along with other types of refreshments. Date: Fall 2014 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

Dr. Mohammed Ali Al Hassoun, Vice Rector for Academic & Educational Affairs, paid a visit to the Faculty of Languages and Translation on the 2nd week of Fall 2014 academic semester to see the current state of affairs. Dr. Abdallah Al Melhi, Dean, met several students where he listened to them regarding their schedule change and their view of the college's preparation. He also visited the offices of the Vice Dean, the Vice Dean for Academic Development & Quality, the Registrar, and the LEP (Language Enhancement Program) where Mr. Abdur Rouf Khan, the coordinator for the LEP, explained to him the different activities for the enhancement program.  He was quite happy with the progress and preparation of the college. Date: Fall 2014 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation Multimedia Contribution: MD Sirajul Islam

The Faculty of Languages and Translation arranged a Student Orientation Program for new students on September 16, 2014. Mr. Ali Alamri, Director of Student Activities, along with his team worked hard to make it a successful event.  Dr. Abdullah Al Melhi, Dean, graced the position of the chief guest. The program started with a welcoming speech by Dr. Abdullah Al Melhi. He welcomed and congratulated new students for joining the faculty. He emphasized the importance of joining an orientation program as it benefits the new students with lots of information. He also advised them to be serious with their studies right from the beginning. He hopes that the new students will enjoy studying here and graduate with excellent results.  Also, the Vice Deans, the Registrar, and the Student Advisor delivered valuable speeches and wished a bright future for them. Also, Mr. Hassan Costello presented a very informative power point presentation. Date: Fall 2014 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

Under the patronage of Dr. Abdullah Al Melhi, Dean, the E-Learning Unit organized an “E-Learning Orientation Week” for new students from Sunday, September 7, 2014, to Thursday, September 11, 2014.  Dr. Ahmed Ismail Asiri, Vice Dean, Dr. Abdul Khaleq Al Qahtany, Vice Dean of Academic Development & Quality, and Mr. Abdullah Al Rezgi, Director of the English Language Center, appreciated the efforts of the E-Learning Unit. They extended their full support and guidance for making the orientation week a great success. Mr. Mohsin Raza Khan, the E-Learning Unit Supervisor, said that the aim of the orientation week was to make new students aware of the necessity and practical use of Blackboard. “The students were contacted in their respective classrooms on a one-on-one basis and introduced to the E-Learning system,” said Mr. Khan. Mr. Ali Alamry, Director of Students Activities, said that contacting the new students in their respective classrooms was a unique experience for him. He emphasized the need for E-Learning. He further added that E-Learning is necessary in today’s world for a better teaching and learning environment. Mr. Abdullah Al-Zubain, E-Learning Specialist, Dr. Khaled Mohanna, E-Learning Team Manager, Mr. Jabir Al-Thebi, Dr. Mohammad Asif, Mr. Salahuddin Abdurrab, Mr. Eric Beer, Mr. Hassan Costello, Mr. Jawed Ahmed and Mr. Rizwan Ghani, provided holistic support to make the week a success. Date: Fall 2014 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation