Workshop

FLT Alumni Unit Hosts Webinar on Constructing ATS-Optimized Résumés

  On 25 November 2020, Hassan Costello delivered a webinar to 48 participants organized by the Alumni Unit of the Faculty of Languages and Translation that addressed the importance of having a highly optimized résumé entitled "Constructing a Resume That Will Get Noticed". The workshop, under the supervision of Vice Dean for Academic Development & Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, and planning of Alumni Unit Coordinator, Mohsin Khan, 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. Prior to the webinar, research was conducted to gather input and experiences of alumni who successfully obtained employment using the strategies delivered in prior résumé training sessions.   After introductions by Vice Dean Almosa and Mohsin Khan, Costello began the webinar by discussing the need for English majors to educate potential employers about what they can do and how what they've learned is transferable to work situations. He pointed out that many employers will be eager to talk with someone who has skills in writing, editing, communication, critical analysis, research, problem-solving, collaboration, and managing information, just to name a few. Costello noted that the average employer will only spend 20 seconds in the initial review of the résumé, explaining that is the reason why it's critical to write an ATS-optimized resume. Costello then steered the discussion to center on the applicant tracking system (ATS), which is a system — used by recruiters — that uses algorithms to rank resumes based on how well they match the position. He then explained that in order to construct a resume that will get noticed, one must pay attention to keyword optimization, which is the most important element of an ATS-optimized resume. In order to do that, he mentioned that résumés should be tailored to the job description with any and all applicable titles, skills, and keywords found in the actual job description to ensure a high match rate. A lively discussion ensued in which several participants wanted to know how to convey their skills and abilities with no professional experience. Costello then said, "I gave the example of one of our more successful alumni, Hasan AlQahtany, who is now working at BAE Systems in Dhahran as an English teacher. He volunteered, was in the English Club, and served as a student leader in the Language Enhancement Program. Those are some of the things you can put on your resume, and when you do, make sure you use nouns. Those keywords should also match applicable keywords in the job description." He then highlighted that volunteer work or internships show that you have real-world experience and demonstrates abilities.   At the end of the webinar, all comments or questions raised during the event were answered. All participants — who maintained attendance throughout the webinar — were offered an opportunity to have their résumé reviewed by the presenter via email.   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. Date: 11/27/2020 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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Usefulness and Learnability in Teaching Vocabulary to ESL/EFL Students

  With the commitment to advancing the practice of quality teaching, the Women's Academic Development and Quality Committee organized the "Usefulness and Learnability in Teaching Vocabulary to ESL/EFL Students" workshop on Monday, 24 February 2020. The workshop was conducted by Ms. Shanjida Halim, Ms.Tanzina Halim and Dr. Rizwana Wahid. The workshop was tailored to new teachers, graduate students, and teachers of the Bachelor of Arts in English program who have not taught ENG 214 Vocabulary Building 1 or ENG 219 Vocabulary Building 2. The objectives of the workshop were as follows:   Importance of vocabulary as ''the building blocks of a language ''and some basic principles; Types of Vocabulary; Incidental vs. Intentional Acquisition/Learning of Vocabulary; What to teach while teaching vocabulary; Different/Various ways of presenting and Teaching Vocabulary; Selection of Vocabulary: Two Criteria: Usefulness and Learnability in teaching vocabulary; Tips/Suggestions on promoting long-term retention.   The workshop mainly focused on the selection of vocabulary, which is very important for teachers to have awareness of. The two criteria: 'Usefulness' and 'Learnability' in teaching vocabulary were discussed in detail. Apart from this, the trainers emphasized on active vocabulary of the target language, which every learner needs to have to be a fluent speaker and an effective writer. The workshop was concluded by recommending some useful strategies of teaching and learning vocabulary, and the presenters urged all practicing teachers of vocabulary to promote long-term retention of vocabulary in ESL/EFL students.   The workshop proved to be very informative. Dr. Salma Musleh, Dean's Assistant, Dr. Mona Al Shihry, Vice Dean, Dr. Nada Alqarni, Head of the Department, esteemed colleagues, and graduate students attended this workshop. Date: 3/11/2020 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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Alumni Unit Helps Guide Students' Futures

  On March 3, 2020, Hassan Costello delivered a workshop titled 'Résumé and Cover Letter Basics'. The workshop, under the supervision of Vice Dean for Academic Development & Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, was developed to help Bachelor of Arts in English program upperclassmen and alumni effectively communicate their qualifications to prospective employers. Many of our upperclassmen or alumni often say that building a résumé or cover letter mystifies them. To address this, Mr. Costello explained that the first step is not to treat the résumé or cover letter as a formality. Rather, he related, job seekers should understand how an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) tailored résumé and cover letter can help them land their first interview. Guidance and Counselling Unit Supervisor, Dr. Dawood Mahdi, Alumni Unit Coordinator, Mohsin Khan, and 25 students attended the workshop.   As ATS software is the standard recruitment tool for HR departments, Mr. Costello framed the workshop on how students can build their 'no experience' résumé or cover letter to get past the wall of bots and onto the desk of a recruiter.   In his presentation, Mr. Costello introduced participants to their challenge as an English major – transferable skills. "Think about how what you've learned as an English major is transferable to work situations. All companies need employees with skills in writing, editing, critical analysis, and managing information," he said. He then explained how literature, and specifically our ENG 431 Novel Course, offer stimulating examples of complex material that will develop critical thinking skills of evaluation, description, and comparison.   Mr. Costello then distributed curated handouts that provided an introduction to and the best practices of the following:   Conveying skills and abilities to a potential employer with no professional experience; Writing a functional format ATS-friendly resume; Writing an ATS-friendly cover letter; Using targeted keywords.   While acknowledging that writing an ATS-friendly resume and cover letter with little to no experience is a challenge, participants were encouraged that the skills most employers report they are after can be obtained from the Bachelor of Arts in English Program at the Faculty of Languages and Translation. "Using targeted keywords matching the job description will get you to an interview. In the interview, show that you have the ability to see things through other contexts. Show them that you are flexible and adaptable, "Mr. Costello said.   At the end of the workshop, Mr. Khan announced, along with Dr. Mahdi, that eligible students will be able to put themselves up for nomination to the new LinkedIn Learning program. They both explained that 50 Students will be selected, noting that enrollment is on a first-come, first-serve basis. With over 13,000 courses to enroll in, LinkedIn Learning represents an exciting new development to hone the top three 'soft skills' wanted by employers: creativity, persuasion, and collaboration. Date: 3/6/2020 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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ترجمة ورشة تقييم ومراجعة لمشروعات المشهد الحضري

حت رعاية صاحب السمو الملكي الأمير تركي بن طلال بن عبدالعزيز أمير منطقة عسير شاركت كلية اللغات والترجمة بالقيام بأعمال الترجمة في ورشة تقييم ومراجعة لمشروعات المشهد الحضري (الحدائق والطرق النموذجية) من قبل خبراء محليين ودوليين يومي  3 إلى 4 رجب الجاري الموافق ٢٦-٢٧ فبراير والتي نظمتها أمانة عسير وتآتي هذه الورشة ضمن مبادرة تحسين المشهد الحضري للمنطقة. حيث شارك في  الورشة خبراء ومتخصصين من مختلف دول العالم وقامت الكلية بعملية الترجمة للقاءات والمشاركات خلال الورشة وتم تكريم أعضاء الكلية الذين شاركوا في اعمال الترجمة علي ما قاموا به من عمل خلال أيام الورشة سعادة الدكتور: عبدالله ال ملهي سعادة الدكتور: خالد أبو ملحة سعادة الدكتور: إيهاب بدر الدين سعادة الدكتورة: منى الشهري سعادة الدكتورة: نوف الذيب سعادة الدكتورة: رانية مفرح Date: 2/29/2020
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Unit of Advising and Counseling Visits Cosmoline Clinics

The Unit of Advising and Counseling of the Bachelor of Arts in English program cooperated with Cosmoline Clinics in Abha and conducted a workshop on 25 February 2020 titled "Students' Anxiety and its Treatments". Students had a great time trying out different anxiety management strategies and learning about the causes and symptoms of anxiety disorder. The workshop was conducted by the psychologist Reham Asiri, a cognitive-behavioral therapist. Date: 2-27-2020 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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LinkedIn Learning: Helping Students Land a Job or Internship

  On February 26, 2020, Alumni Unit Coordinator, Mohsin Khan, delivered a workshop titled 'LinkedIn Learning'. The workshop, under the supervision of Vice Dean for Academic Development & Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, was developed to address the main problem – lack of knowledge. Not enough students know about the availability of LinkedIn Learning, and it could be advertised to the student population more. To combat this, Mr. Khan explained that the first step is increasing awareness of how to create a LinkedIn account and how to use LinkedIn learning. Members of the FLT staff and a group of students attended the workshop.   As LinkedIn Learning now offers 13,000 online courses, Mr. Khan framed the workshop on courses of interest to our students and faculty. He started off by explaining that LinkedIn Learning is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) provider similar to KKUx or Coursera and that there is an option to create and save lists of courses. After showing workshop participants how to register, navigate, and access from any desktop or mobile device, Mr. Khan provided the key pointers of LinkedIn Learning as follows:   Unlimited access to video tutorials; Personalized recommendations on the most in-demand skills based on preferences; Helpful resources like quizzes and exercises.   Vice Dean Almosa said that both faculty and staff should take advantage of all resources available to them, explaining that the Alumni Unit at the Faculty of Languages and Translation aims to drive adoption of LinkedIn Learning as a tool for professional development, which is free of charge to Bachelor of Arts in English program students.   Mr. Khan closed out the workshop by explaining the "badging" feature. "LinkedIn Learning is connected to your LinkedIn account. I encourage you to open an account today and register for a course. Badges will be added to your profile when you complete a course. Think of the badges as credentials for your skills, which will help you find a job or internship," he concluded. Date: 2/26/2020 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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LinkedIn Learning Workshop

نظمت وحدة الخريجات بكلية اللغات والترجمة ورشة عمل بعنوان LinkedIn Learning يوم الخميس الموافق 26/6/1441. قدمتها  منسقة اللينكد ان بكلية اللغات و الترجمة د. أمل متولي بحضور و مشاركة منسقة اللينكد ان بالجامعة أ. فاطمة عسيري. وقد بدأت الدكتورة امل متولي باستعراض معلومات عن لينكندان ومبادرة الدورات التدريبية المتاحة على الموقع وتناولت بعض المزايا التي يقدمها الموقع للمستخدمين ومنها احتواء الموقع على دورات تدريبية ذات مستويات مختلفة  تتعدى ٩٠٠٠ دورة تدريبية  وتشمل مهارات متعددة منها اللغة والمهارات الشخصية وإدارة الأعمال والتكنولوجيا  كما قامت  باستعراض بعض الأسئلة الأكثر شيوعا عن الموقع وقدمت إجابات عنها وفي الجزء الثاني من ورشة العمل قامت الأستاذة فاطمة العسيري  منسقة البرنامج على مستوى جامعة الملك خالد باستعراض المبادرة التي تقدمها الجامعة للطلاب والطالبات وأعضاء وعضوات هيئة التدريس حيث توفر الجامعة هذه الدورات التدريبية المتاحة على موقع لينكد ان عن بعد خلال عام ٢٠٢٠ وكيفية  تسجيل الطالبات والعضوات وتفعيل الحسابات للاستفادة من المحتوى الذي تقدمه هذه الدورات التدريبية.  كما استعرضت كيفية أنشاء حساب بالبريد الإلكتروني الجامعي وحفظ الدورات التدريبية على صفحة الموقع للرجوع اليها والاستفادة منها.  وقد تفاعلت المشاركات خلال ورشة العمل واستقبلت منسقة كلية اللغات والترجمة المزيد من الرغبات في المشاركة في المبادرة بمجرد انتهاء ورشة العمل مما يعكس اهتمام الطالبات بتطوير مهاراتهم والاستعداد لسوق العمل.
English

Rbrul Statistics Workshop

  On Wednesday, February 19, 2020, the Women's Scientific Research Committee of the Bachelor of Arts in English program organized a practical workshop on Rbrul by Dr. Khairia Ali Abu Dady, assistant professor of sociolinguistics.   Dr. Abu Dady started her presentation by reviewing the various uses of Rbrul in conducting different scientific studies. She specifically focused on the significance of the software in sociolinguistics and reviewed some valuable examples.   She then started the practical section of the workshop. First, she guided the participants to the installation steps of the software. Then she worked with them on data files. The workshop was very informative and introduced the participants to the use of Rbrul in conducting scientific research. It was attended by staff members and members of the scientific research committee.   Of noteworthy mention, Dr. Abu Dady conducted a Rbrul workshop during the first semester which was organized by the Language Research Center, where she provided an introduction to the software. Date: 2/21/2020 Source: Dr. Amal Metwally – Scientific Research Committee Coordinator
English

EndNote Workshop

  The Women's Scientific Research Committee of the Bachelor of Arts in English program organized an 'EndNote Workshop' on Wednesday, November 27, 2019. Ms. Jalila Alghamdi tailored the workshop and its objectives to both faculty members and graduate students. Ms. Alghamdi started her discussion by defining EndNote, saying that it is "software for managing bibliographies and references." Ms. Alghamdi explained that "EndNote management software does not only free a researcher from the tedious work of manually collecting and formatting research materials and curating bibliographies, but also gives a researcher greater ease and control in managing references in research groups through providing coordination for the researchers' who are sharing a research paper."   Ms. Alghamdi explained that "EndNote is a tool that allows researchers to organize and keep track of their references." She highlighted the steps for easily inserting references into research documents as in-text citations, or a bibliography in any of a large number of citation styles (i.e. APA, MLA, etc).   The workshop was an orientation to the software's latest X9 version. Ms. Alghamdi provided screenshots of different processes that could be accomplished using EndNote X9. Some of these tasks are inserting references manually into EndNote, inserting author names according to the rules of EndNote, sorting and arrange references in easily searchable groups, activating the EndNote toolbar in Word, and changing the citation style of a research document with a few clicks.   During the interactive Q&A session, Ms. Alghamdi noted that this session will be followed by another practical session in cooperation with the Scientific Research Committee. For the practical session, attendees will need to download EndNote on their laptops to be able to work on the software following her guidance.   Of noteworthy mention, the workshop was attended by faculty members from the College of Science who showed their appreciation to the invitation sent by the Women's Scientific Research Committee to all university faculty members. The workshop was a big success and really made a difference by familiarizing researchers with the use and manipulation of such a significant tool for writing scientific research papers.   Date: 12/3/2019 Source: Dr. Amal Metwally, Scientific Research Committee
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English Club Sponsors E-Reading Workshop

  On November 18, 2019, E-Learning Unit Supervisor Mohsin Khan held a workshop on 'E-Reading'. The workshop, organized by E-Learning Unit of the Bachelor of Arts in English program in collaboration with English Club at the Faculty of Languages and Translation, was for all English language majors. The purpose was to help students improve their understanding of ‘E-Reading’ using a variety of free services available on the internet.   The focus was on reading strategy, and Mr. Khan guided participants through iPad-based interactive exercises. The exercises, composed of e-worksheets, targeted knowledge of reading strategies. More than 20 students ranging from incoming freshmen to juniors participated, and this enabled them to collaborate and enhance their understanding of the topics learned during the presentation.   This workshop was important for all of those majoring in English. Unquestionably, reading is one of the best ways students can increase their vocabulary and consolidate their understanding of grammar. It expedites the normal language learning process, turning passive comprehension into active knowledge. Also, many studies have shown that reading strengthens cognitive abilities. These are some of the reasons that reading is one of the most valuable language skills.   "E-Reading can turn receptive lessons into interactive lessons. With interactive tasks, built-in dictionaries, and audio, students can develop their critical reading skills more effectively," said Mr. Khan. Date: 11/18/2019 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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