Faculty of Languages and Translation

  On March 2, 2022, the Scientific Research Unit organized a virtual roundtable discussion about translation.   The discussion started by highlighting the significance of translation and translation studies as a field that deals with theory, description, and application of translation. The moderator of the discussion, Dr. Amal Metwally, introduced the field as an interlingual transfer and as intercultural communication. She further pointed out that translation studies can also be described as an interdiscipline, which touches on other diverse fields of knowledge, including cultural studies, comparative literature, linguistics, semiotics, rhetoric, technology in translation, and many other fields.   The moderator then introduced the speakers who are lecturers and promising researchers who achieved great success and accomplished their MA in translation in prominent universities during their scholarships.   Ms. Asma Alahmari, a lecturer at the Faculty of Languages and Translation, talked about her research in translation and her dissertation entitled "Comprehensive Text Analysis of the Arabic Translation of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho". She discussed the discipline of translation versus the professional practice of translation. Ms. Alahmari also referred to the significant methods to measure the quality of translation and raised a question about "the voice of the translator". She also highlighted some examples from her own experience as an MA student and researcher at the University of Birmingham from 2019 to 2020.   The second speaker is Ms. Raghad Alqahtani, a lecturer at the College of Science and Arts, Ahad Rufaidah. Ms. Alqahtani also got her MA in Translation Studies from the University of Birmingham in 2019 and 2020. Her MA thesis is entitled “An investigation into Translation Studies Curricula at Postgraduate Level in Terms of Students’ Needs Market Demand: The Case of Saudi Arabia’s KKU and KSU”. In her research, she examined the status of translator training in Saudi Arabia by choosing two translation postgraduate programs (i.e., KKU & KSU). She asserted that the results of her study showed that the two programs were compatible with some observations. The study indicated that the majority of the students expressed a level of satisfaction with the programs as a whole. She added that students’ satisfaction was coupled with some comments indicating that curricula developers must consider some improvements. When asked about translation and technology, she confirmed that according to her study, students’ responses to translation technologies express a severe weakness in its integration in translator training programs.   Then the discussion went to the third speaker, Ms. Rafif Najmi, a lecturer at the Faculty of Languages and Translation, who got her MA in translation from the University of Leeds. In answering the question, "Why did you go for a project and not a dissertation?" Ms. Rafif indicated that it was one of "the toughest decisions", as she said. She clarified that many universities in the UK that have translation programs provide the options of either a dissertation or a translation project. She stated that she thought about focusing entirely on the project because it is more connected with the field of translation and as a future Ph.D. candidate. She needed to experience the practical side of translation before exploring its theoretical part. She also added that choosing a project won’t affect the Ph.D. approval. A lot of the students back then who went for the project are now Ph.D. students, and that didn’t stop them.   The interesting discussion guided the moderator to ask her about her project topic. Ms. Rafif Najmi indicated that her project involves a long annotated translation. She has to choose a book that has never been translated before and translate 8 to 10 words of the book. Her choice was "Master Your Emotions: The New 5-Step System to End Anxiety, Defuse Anger and Defeat Depression & Negative Thinking". She pointed out that after translation, an introduction that must involve an overview of the book, author and publisher, source text analysis, text genre, type, and function, register, the rationale (i.e., why have you chosen that book in particular), target readership, strategic approach, and a commentary should be written.   Ms. Najmi also referred to many challenges she faced while working on her project, including literary and psychological aspects of the source text genre, the issue of equivalence, religious and ideological backgrounds of TL readership, the cultural differences between cultures, and the view of the ST through the eyes of the TL readers. Another issue was the rendering of idiomatic expressions that are abundantly dispersed around books of this genre.   The discussion, which was mainly designed for translation students, was also attended by staff members who are interested in translation and translation studies. To view the speaker lineup, please click here.   The moderator of the discussion got positive feedback from many students on the roundtable discussion. Some of these views are included here:   "It was a wonderful discussion. It was a supportive discussion that helps us to continue our study in translation and take it as our aim. I think we need more discussions like this to take our plans and chance in a great way". – Khairiya Abdullah Ali   "Ms. Asma Alahmari, Ms. Rafif Najmi, and Ms. Raghad Alqahtani spoke about their experiences and their plans. They talked about some of the difficulties they faced and how they dealt with them. It was a good discussion and helps us so much". – Manar Ayied   "It was a very helpful discussion for us as students of the Faculty of Languages and Translation, and I hope it will be repeated many times with different members". – Shaima Abdullah   "It was such a great discussion which helped me understand more things about what I should do with my journey in translation after graduation. I really appreciate that such discussion took place and was very thankful for Dr. Asmaa, Dr. Rafif & Dr. Raghad’s answers, and Dr. Amal’s questions and lovely presenting. I would love to attend more of these discussions" – Rahaf Mukhtar Date: 3/10/2022 Source: Dr. Amal Mewally, Head of Scientific Research Unit - Women's Section

  On March 2, 2022, the Scientific Research Unit organized a virtual roundtable discussion about translation.   The discussion started by highlighting the significance of translation and translation studies as a field that deals with theory, description, and application of translation. The moderator of the discussion, Dr. Amal Metwally, introduced the field as an interlingual transfer and as intercultural communication. She further pointed out that translation studies can also be described as an interdiscipline, which touches on other diverse fields of knowledge, including cultural studies, comparative literature, linguistics, semiotics, rhetoric, technology in translation, and many other fields.   The moderator then introduced the speakers who are lecturers and promising researchers who achieved great success and accomplished their MA in translation in prominent universities during their scholarships.   Ms. Asma Alahmari, a lecturer at the Faculty of Languages and Translation, talked about her research in translation and her dissertation entitled "Comprehensive Text Analysis of the Arabic Translation of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho". She discussed the discipline of translation versus the professional practice of translation. Ms. Alahmari also referred to the significant methods to measure the quality of translation and raised a question about "the voice of the translator". She also highlighted some examples from her own experience as an MA student and researcher at the University of Birmingham from 2019 to 2020.   The second speaker is Ms. Raghad Alqahtani, a lecturer at the College of Science and Arts, Ahad Rufaidah. Ms. Alqahtani also got her MA in Translation Studies from the University of Birmingham in 2019 and 2020. Her MA thesis is entitled “An investigation into Translation Studies Curricula at Postgraduate Level in Terms of Students’ Needs Market Demand: The Case of Saudi Arabia’s KKU and KSU”. In her research, she examined the status of translator training in Saudi Arabia by choosing two translation postgraduate programs (i.e., KKU & KSU). She asserted that the results of her study showed that the two programs were compatible with some observations. The study indicated that the majority of the students expressed a level of satisfaction with the programs as a whole. She added that students’ satisfaction was coupled with some comments indicating that curricula developers must consider some improvements. When asked about translation and technology, she confirmed that according to her study, students’ responses to translation technologies express a severe weakness in its integration in translator training programs.   Then the discussion went to the third speaker, Ms. Rafif Najmi, a lecturer at the Faculty of Languages and Translation, who got her MA in translation from the University of Leeds. In answering the question, "Why did you go for a project and not a dissertation?" Ms. Rafif indicated that it was one of "the toughest decisions", as she said. She clarified that many universities in the UK that have translation programs provide the options of either a dissertation or a translation project. She stated that she thought about focusing entirely on the project because it is more connected with the field of translation and as a future Ph.D. candidate. She needed to experience the practical side of translation before exploring its theoretical part. She also added that choosing a project won’t affect the Ph.D. approval. A lot of the students back then who went for the project are now Ph.D. students, and that didn’t stop them.   The interesting discussion guided the moderator to ask her about her project topic. Ms. Rafif Najmi indicated that her project involves a long annotated translation. She has to choose a book that has never been translated before and translate 8 to 10 words of the book. Her choice was "Master Your Emotions: The New 5-Step System to End Anxiety, Defuse Anger and Defeat Depression & Negative Thinking". She pointed out that after translation, an introduction that must involve an overview of the book, author and publisher, source text analysis, text genre, type, and function, register, the rationale (i.e., why have you chosen that book in particular), target readership, strategic approach, and a commentary should be written.   Ms. Najmi also referred to many challenges she faced while working on her project, including literary and psychological aspects of the source text genre, the issue of equivalence, religious and ideological backgrounds of TL readership, the cultural differences between cultures, and the view of the ST through the eyes of the TL readers. Another issue was the rendering of idiomatic expressions that are abundantly dispersed around books of this genre.   The discussion, which was mainly designed for translation students, was also attended by staff members who are interested in translation and translation studies. To view the speaker lineup, please click here.   The moderator of the discussion got positive feedback from many students on the roundtable discussion. Some of these views are included here:   "It was a wonderful discussion. It was a supportive discussion that helps us to continue our study in translation and take it as our aim. I think we need more discussions like this to take our plans and chance in a great way". – Khairiya Abdullah Ali   "Ms. Asma Alahmari, Ms. Rafif Najmi, and Ms. Raghad Alqahtani spoke about their experiences and their plans. They talked about some of the difficulties they faced and how they dealt with them. It was a good discussion and helps us so much". – Manar Ayied   "It was a very helpful discussion for us as students of the Faculty of Languages and Translation, and I hope it will be repeated many times with different members". – Shaima Abdullah   "It was such a great discussion which helped me understand more things about what I should do with my journey in translation after graduation. I really appreciate that such discussion took place and was very thankful for Dr. Asmaa, Dr. Rafif & Dr. Raghad’s answers, and Dr. Amal’s questions and lovely presenting. I would love to attend more of these discussions" – Rahaf Mukhtar Date: 3/10/2022 Source: Dr. Amal Mewally, Head of Scientific Research Unit - Women's Section

  Ms. Sharmin Siddiqui presented a paper titled "Enhancing Communicative Competence in English: Some Needs to Be Addressed" at a webinar organized by the Language Research Center on March 02, 2022. She highlighted the notion, components, strategies, and issues related to communicative competence.   The presenter referenced different scholarly views (Widowson, Brown, etc.) on communicative competence. Based on the scholarly opinions, she explained the fact that proper knowledge of a language is beyond the learners' ability to understand, read, write and speak. The proper competence is not fulfilled unless the learners' knowledge has its communicative effect. She also emphasized the real-world application of the target language, which is something closely associated with communicative competence. She added the intriguing phenomenon that communicative competence among students in a foreign or second language is more complex than we like to think.   Siddiqui highlighted the controversy over the notion of communicative competence mentioning the fact that Chomsky was the first proponent to distinguish between the lexical items – performance and competence. Chomsky, she added, clearly termed the former as the knowledge of various grammatical rules and the latter as successful communication. Hymes added socio-cultural factors to this concept, said Siddiqui.   Siddiqui explained in detail the four components of communicative competence (Sauvignon 1997) – discourse competence, strategic competence, grammatical competence, and sociolinguistic competence. These four can be the basis for curriculum design as well as classroom practice. There is a need for special hours to provide students with facilities and guidance for their proper improvement.   When it comes to issues associated with communicative competence, she added lack of linguistic and background knowledge, inability to organize ideas and express oneself, foreign language inhibition and anxiety, shyness, interlanguage errors, overgeneralization, excessive use of the native tongue, and limited teaching time are some of the main problems impeding the development of communicative competency among English language learners.   Siddiqui concluded that having the proper communication skills would equip learners with confidence and the ability to express themselves effectively. Constant and systematic research is needed to understand how to help students achieve communicative competence fully.   The webinar was very interactive and a great success with both male and female faculty members' active participation. Date: 3/5/2022 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique

أقام نادي The English Club بكلية اللغات والترجمة بأبها بالتعاون مع عمادة شؤون الطلاب لشؤون الطالبات  تمثيل مسرحية لكاتب مشهور من التسعينات بعنوان Pygmalion. وذلك في يوم الخميس الموافق ١٤٤٣/٧/٣٠ هـ من ١١-١٢.  حيث تضمنت المسرحية ٩ مشاهد ولكل مشهد ديكور وازياء مختلفة. صممت طالبات النادي أزياء وديكور كل مشهد وتنقلت الطالبات بين المشاهد بكل سلاسة.  تقسمت المهام بين عضوات النادي كالتالي: (مخرجة وهي الطالبة التي حرصت على تدريب الممثلات مع مشرفة النشاط، ممثلات، خلف الكواليس،  مصممات ازياء وديكور، مسؤولات عن الميك أب، مسؤولات التنظيم والضيافة خلال المسرحية، و راوي المسرحية التي تتحدث بين المشاهد حتى يتم تغيير ديكور المشهد التالي، ومسؤولات عن الدعوات والإعلان للمسرحية. )  تم الاعلان والترويج للمسرحية وتصميم بطاقات دعوة، كما تم الاجتماع بالطالبات الممثلات عدة أيام للتدريب والمناقشة.  حضر المسرحية ١١ عضو هيئة تدريس وقرابة ١١٢ طالبة وموظفة.  مشرفة النشاط: أ. مرام المالكي رائدة النشاط: هند أبو داسر Video Link 1 Video Link 2 Video Link 3

أقام نادي The English Club بكلية اللغات والترجمة بأبها بالتعاون مع عمادة شؤون الطلاب لشؤون الطالبات  تمثيل مسرحية لكاتب مشهور من التسعينات بعنوان Pygmalion. وذلك في يوم الخميس الموافق ١٤٤٣/٧/٣٠ هـ من ١١-١٢.  حيث تضمنت المسرحية ٩ مشاهد ولكل مشهد ديكور وازياء مختلفة. صممت طالبات النادي أزياء وديكور كل مشهد وتنقلت الطالبات بين المشاهد بكل سلاسة.  تقسمت المهام بين عضوات النادي كالتالي: (مخرجة وهي الطالبة التي حرصت على تدريب الممثلات مع مشرفة النشاط، ممثلات، خلف الكواليس،  مصممات ازياء وديكور، مسؤولات عن الميك أب، مسؤولات التنظيم والضيافة خلال المسرحية، و راوي المسرحية التي تتحدث بين المشاهد حتى يتم تغيير ديكور المشهد التالي، ومسؤولات عن الدعوات والإعلان للمسرحية. )  تم الاعلان والترويج للمسرحية وتصميم بطاقات دعوة، كما تم الاجتماع بالطالبات الممثلات عدة أيام للتدريب والمناقشة.  حضر المسرحية ١١ عضو هيئة تدريس وقرابة ١١٢ طالبة وموظفة.  مشرفة النشاط: أ. مرام المالكي رائدة النشاط: هند أبو داسر Video Link 1 Video Link 2 Video Link 3

أقام نادي The English Club بكلية اللغات والترجمة بأبها بالتعاون مع عمادة شؤون الطلاب لشؤون الطالبات  فعالية "رحلة حول العالم”  ‏“Tour Around The World”  وذلك في يوم الأربعاء ١٥/٧/١٤٤٣ هـ من ٩-١٢.  تضمنت الفعالية أركان عدة بثقافات مختلفة مبتدأة محليًا بركن عسير (قمم وشيم) إلى اسكتلندا و إيطاليا واليابان و كندا و أمريكا. عرضت الطالبات الدول وثقافاتها المتنوعة بطريقة جاذبة لتأخذ الجميع بجولة حول العالم تحت سقف كلية اللغات والترجمة، حيث تضمن كل من الأركان الأطباق الرئيسية للدولة و عرض كلمات من اللغة الرسمية وترجمتها و أهم معالم وجامعات الدولة وماذا تشتهر به ونبذه عن تاريخها. كما كان في كل ركن طالبات متحدثات باللغة الانجليزية يتحدثن عن سبب اختيارهن للدولة وأهم المعلومات عنها. من ضمنها ركن عسير.  حضر بحدود ٣٤٠ طالبة وأعضاء هيئة تدريس وموظفات.  مشرفة النشاط: أ. مرام المالكي  رائدة النشاط: هند أبو داسر

أقام نادي The English Club بكلية اللغات والترجمة بأبها بالتعاون مع عمادة شؤون الطلاب لشؤون الطالبات  فعالية "رحلة حول العالم”  ‏“Tour Around The World”  وذلك في يوم الأربعاء ١٥/٧/١٤٤٣ هـ من ٩-١٢.  تضمنت الفعالية أركان عدة بثقافات مختلفة مبتدأة محليًا بركن عسير (قمم وشيم) إلى اسكتلندا و إيطاليا واليابان و كندا و أمريكا. عرضت الطالبات الدول وثقافاتها المتنوعة بطريقة جاذبة لتأخذ الجميع بجولة حول العالم تحت سقف كلية اللغات والترجمة، حيث تضمن كل من الأركان الأطباق الرئيسية للدولة و عرض كلمات من اللغة الرسمية وترجمتها و أهم معالم وجامعات الدولة وماذا تشتهر به ونبذه عن تاريخها. كما كان في كل ركن طالبات متحدثات باللغة الانجليزية يتحدثن عن سبب اختيارهن للدولة وأهم المعلومات عنها. من ضمنها ركن عسير.  حضر بحدود ٣٤٠ طالبة وأعضاء هيئة تدريس وموظفات.  مشرفة النشاط: أ. مرام المالكي  رائدة النشاط: هند أبو داسر

On February 16, 2022, Mr. Mohammad Adil led a dynamic workshop titled "A Practical Approach to Aligning Course Learning Outcomes with Tests and Other Assessment Tools." This timely workshop, organized by the Language Research Center, provided a deep dive into methods for effectively measuring course learning outcomes, stressing the significance of advance planning for outcome alignment. Initiating the session with an engaging brainstorming exercise, Adil presented participants with a sample course report emphasizing learning outcome measurement. Participants were then tasked with identifying potential issues with the demonstrated measurement in the report, sparking a lively exchange of ideas. Adil highlighted the necessity for instructors to measure each learning outcome based on distinct tasks. He explained that when a comprehensive test, such as a final exam, aligns with multiple learning outcomes, the measurement should be based on points achieved per task rather than the total exam score. He meticulously demonstrated how final exam tasks could be precisely aligned with specific learning outcomes and how these could be effectively and accurately measured. In addition, Adil briefly discussed potential approaches to crafting assignments based on specific learning outcomes. Emphasizing a proactive strategy, he advised coordinators to develop and share alignment plans with instructors at the beginning of a course to prevent confusion and misalignment. The practical and insightful workshop was well-received and deemed a great success. A recording of the event, titled "CLO Alignment Webinar," is available for further reference and revisiting the rich discussions of the workshop. In a seamless continuation of the training session explained above, the Development and Quality Unit later in the day further highlighted the dedication to enhancing educational standards. This session, pivotal in strengthening our assessment process, emphasized: Effective Use of Moderation Checklist: Reinforcing its role in ensuring fair, valid, and reliable assessments, aligned with learning outcomes. Review of Past Exams: Analyzing previous results to refine assessment strategies, ensuring alignment with educational goals. Phases of Assessment Moderation: From pre-assessment checks to post-assessment evaluations, ensuring thoroughness and fairness in line with Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. Application of Bloom's Taxonomy: This ensures a diverse range of cognitive skill assessments, from basic understanding to complex analysis. This comprehensive approach, anchored by past assessments and the moderation checklist, significantly elevates the consistency, fairness, and educational alignment of our courses and program assessments.

On February 16, 2022, Mr. Mohammad Adil led a dynamic workshop titled "A Practical Approach to Aligning Course Learning Outcomes with Tests and Other Assessment Tools." This timely workshop, organized by the Language Research Center, provided a deep dive into methods for effectively measuring course learning outcomes, stressing the significance of advance planning for outcome alignment. Initiating the session with an engaging brainstorming exercise, Adil presented participants with a sample course report emphasizing learning outcome measurement. Participants were then tasked with identifying potential issues with the demonstrated measurement in the report, sparking a lively exchange of ideas. Adil highlighted the necessity for instructors to measure each learning outcome based on distinct tasks. He explained that when a comprehensive test, such as a final exam, aligns with multiple learning outcomes, the measurement should be based on points achieved per task rather than the total exam score. He meticulously demonstrated how final exam tasks could be precisely aligned with specific learning outcomes and how these could be effectively and accurately measured. In addition, Adil briefly discussed potential approaches to crafting assignments based on specific learning outcomes. Emphasizing a proactive strategy, he advised coordinators to develop and share alignment plans with instructors at the beginning of a course to prevent confusion and misalignment. The practical and insightful workshop was well-received and deemed a great success. A recording of the event, titled "CLO Alignment Webinar," is available for further reference and revisiting the rich discussions of the workshop. In a seamless continuation of the training session explained above, the Development and Quality Unit later in the day further highlighted the dedication to enhancing educational standards. This session, pivotal in strengthening our assessment process, emphasized: Effective Use of Moderation Checklist: Reinforcing its role in ensuring fair, valid, and reliable assessments, aligned with learning outcomes. Review of Past Exams: Analyzing previous results to refine assessment strategies, ensuring alignment with educational goals. Phases of Assessment Moderation: From pre-assessment checks to post-assessment evaluations, ensuring thoroughness and fairness in line with Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. Application of Bloom's Taxonomy: This ensures a diverse range of cognitive skill assessments, from basic understanding to complex analysis. This comprehensive approach, anchored by past assessments and the moderation checklist, significantly elevates the consistency, fairness, and educational alignment of our courses and program assessments.

Translation Unit at FLT has subtitled into English three YouTube videos about recent national topics (the Saudi Founding Day, the difference between the Saudi Founding Day and National Day, and Aseer Strategic Development Plan), aiming to provide much-needed information for non-Arabic audience locally and globally and familiarize them with the remarkable national developments in Saudi Arabia. Enjoy watching!  قامت وحدة الترجمة في كلية اللغات والترجمة بترجمة ثلاثة مقاطع من اليوتيوب إلى اللغة الإنجليزية حول مواضيع وطنية حديثة (يوم التأسيس السعودي، والفرق بين يوم التأسيس السعودي واليوم الوطني، وخطة التنمية الاستراتيجية لمنطقة عسير). وتهدف الترجمة إلى توفير المعلومات اللازمة للناطقين بغير العربية محليًا وعالمياً واطلاعهم على التطورات الوطنية الرائعة في المملكة العربية السعودية. مشاهدة ممتعة نرجوها لكم! Click the links below to view the videos. Founding Day Founding Day vs. National Day Aseer Strategic Plan Date: 2/15/2022 Source: Translation Unit Director, Dr. Eisa Asiri