Faculty of Languages and Communication

Submitted by admin on Tue, 02/22/2022 - 11:45

On behalf of all our faculty, staff and students, welcome to the Faculty of Languages and Communication (FoLaC) at American University of Madaba (AUM).


 
As the Acting Dean of the Faculty, I’m immensely proud of the tradition of providing not only theoretical, but also practical, experience-based education since our founding. Our English Literature & Language as well as Translation majors prepare our students to become leaders, empowered not only with valuable competencies and skills, but also with the moral wisdom and intellectual passion necessary to meet the challenges of a time of critical transition in society and the world at large.
 

 

With science and wisdom as pillars of AUM’s vision, mission, philosophy and key working principles, we offer unique opportunities for our students to engage with local, national and international companies and communities. These strengths are evident in our faculty’s graduates, with many going on to graduate schools, while others finding amazing opportunities in entrepreneurial ventures and not-for-profit organizations. Central to the success of our current students and Alumni is our focus on honing their life goals and life skills through student-centered teaching methods that our faculty brings into the classroom.

 

In sum, the knowledge, commitment, hard work and contributions of FoLaC continue to drive change both at the university and across our society and beyond.

 

I would like to affectionately invite all of you who are interested in expanding their knowledge and enriching their careers to further explore our faculty, with its two distinguished departments, either online or through a visit to campus.

 

Yours Sincerely,


Dr. Hanan M. Madanat

Acting Dean of Faculty of Languages & Communication

Dean’s Welcome Image
Vision & Mission

Vision

Through its outstanding graduates, excelling faculty members, and effective community outreach programs, Faculty of Languages and Communication aspires to make a difference in the nation,  the region and the world.

 

 

Mission

The mission of the Faculty of Languages and Communication is to ensure academic excellence for a diverse student body in language proficiency, literature competency, translation efficiency, and communication ease and fluency.   The faculty promotes an exceptional learning environment, characterized by dynamism, collegiality and civility that will enable students to become successful, both personally and professionally, and prepare them to become responsible global citizens.

Faculty Members
Title
Dean of Faculty of Science
Title
Department of English Language and Literature
Title
Department of Translation
Administrative Staff
Departments
Study Plans
/sites/default/files/2022-02/Study%20Plan%20Effective%202015_2.pdf
/sites/default/files/2022-02/Study%20Plan%20Effective%202017_2.pdf
Guidance Plan
/sites/default/files/2022-02/English_Language_and_Literature_Guidance_Plan_2017.pdf
Course Description
/sites/default/files/2022-02/English_Literature_Course_Description.pdf
Intended Learning Outcomes
/sites/default/files/2022-02/ILOsEnglishLiterature.pdf
Name
Department of English Language and Literature
Study Plans
/sites/default/files/2022-02/7Translation.pdf
Guidance Plan
/sites/default/files/2022-02/Translation_Guidance_Plan.pdf
Course Description
/sites/default/files/2022-02/Translation_Course_Description.pdf
Intended Learning Outcomes
/sites/default/files/2022-02/ILOsTranslation.pdf
Name
Translation
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Publications and Activities

Publications (2014 – 2016)

Literature Department 

 

Dr. Wafa’a Al Khadra

“NoamiShihab Nye’s Neo- and Post-Romanticism: The Mystique of Separate and Hybrid Landscapes.”  Dirasat, Human and Social Sciences, Volume 41, Supplement. 2, 2014.

“Anne Bradstreet’s Romantic Precedence”.  Journal of Modern Languages and Literature at Yarmouk University.

"Al-Ghitani’sZayniBarakat: History as Narrative". The European Scientific Journal, ESJ.  October edition vol.11, No.28, No.29 and No.30.

Euro-Med Ministerial Conclusions on Strengthening the Role of Women in Society: Impact in Jordan.  European Union Publication/ http://www.efi-ife.org/publications

 

Dr. Akram Al Deek

Writing Displacement: the Politics of Home and Identity in Contemporary English Fiction (2016) Palgrave Macmillan: London and New York.

 

 

Translation Department

Dr. Taroub Khayat

Political Communication in the Age of Dissemination:  Media Constructions of Hezbollah (2016) London: Peter Lang

 

 

Activities (2014 – 2016)

Dr. Wafaa Al Khadra

Euro-Med Women’s Rights Conference on MINISTERIAL CONCLUSIONS TO GENDER EQUALITY POLICY MAKING IN THE EURO-MED REGION  28-29 November 2016 Beirut, Lebanon.

Expert group meeting on "Beyond Parliamentary Representation: Women Participation" held in the UN House on 15 - 16 December.

Conference and retreat on Gender Equality in the Arab World Post the Arab Uprisings, scheduled  March 3 and 4, 2017 at AUB.

Participation in an international delegation to the sixty-first session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW61). UNCSW61 held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 13 to 24 March 2017.

http://www.jordantimes.com/opinion/wafa-alkhadra/jordan-can-lead-change

http://jordantimes.com/reforming-curricula-a-must-yet-again

http://jordantimes.com/activists-discuss-gender--stereotypes-in-school-textbooks

http://jordantimes.com/the-need-for-a-paradigm-shift-in-gender-perception

http://www.jordantimes.com/opinion/wafa-khadra-and-nermeen-murad/sixth-discussion-paper-gender-perspective

http://alrai.com/article/787709.html

 

 

Dr. Akram Al Deek

Feb. 2017 – present: Judge and Master of Ceremony for Readers’ Writing Competition for Youths in Amman.

Oct. 2015 – present: Co-curator of Writers in Amman, a group of writers who meet on monthly basis.

September, 2014 –Feb, 2015: Life is Elsewhere (a series of workshops on the politics of home and identity, combined with film screenings and discussions) at Darat Al Funun; Amman, Jordan.

Editor-in-Chief of the AUM Magazine, Oct. 2015 – present.

Working on a book that studies the impact of graffiti and street art in Amman: March,       2017 : ongoing.

Looking for a publication for my semi-autobiographical memoir, The Eucalyptus Tree: episodes of displersals (2016).

http://jordantimes.com/news/local/book-says-displacement-opportunity-creativity-growth%E2%80%99

http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/longing-lost-homelands-young-writers-tackle-themes-place-memory-and-nostalgia

http://aum.edu.jo/main/aum-announcements/447-book-publication-dr-akram-al-deek

http://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9781137580917

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Displacement-Identity-Contemporary-Post-Colonial/dp/1137580917/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1489434300&sr=1-3-catcorr&keywords=writing+displacement

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/06/travel/arab-ink-project/index.html

 

 

Dr. Celine Kamheye

My review of Alan Jacobs’ book, The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction, was published in The Reading Matrix, Vol. 15 / 1, April 2015, pp. 293-295, http://www.readingmatrix.com/files/12-393a6o0a.pdf

I peer reviewed an article which was later published in Arab World English Journal Vol. 6/1,  pp. 378-396. The article is titled: The Effect of Vocabulary learning Strategies on Academic Achievements of Pre-University Libyan EFL Learners, by Salma HM Khalifa.

Learning Resources

The University is aware of the significance of facilitating the way knowledge is developed, acquired and delivered.  Therefore, the Department of English has responded positively to the AUM initiative by launching and integrating the e-learningfacilties in its premises and classes.

Extensive use of data shows and computer resources is implemented in class learning.  The students have easy access to a rich library replete with the latest publications in the various fields of humanities as well as literary works from all periods.

Conference, Multi-Purpose rooms and the auditorium allow students the space and opportunity to have debates, discussions, open days, plays, presentations  and other English activities. The variety of learning resources enables all students of different levels and learning needs, be it audio-visual or tactile, to gain knowledge, analyze and investigate throughout their University studies. 

In order to attain the highest academic standards, the University is always working on improving learning resources. Where the English Department is concerned, there are the following teaching facilities:

 

 

  1. Laboratories:

The faculty maintains two equipped labs, i.e. the audio-visual lab and the multimedia internet-based lab to help students master English as well as prepare them to understand, comprehend and use the language for their specialized needs. The audio – visual lab is provided with headsets, microphones, DVD, VCD, TV set, a cassette recorder together with the materials that accompany assigned textbooks as well as material recorded for the purposes of translation classes. For the multimedia internet- based lab, the conception that e-Learning allows information to be delivered in a more user-centric, user-friendly format than traditional training and education, is applied. Two technicians are responsible for keeping the labs ready to receive students at all times.

 

 

  1. Classrooms, Multi –purpose Rooms and Lecture Support Facilities:

The faculty provides its students with many resources for learning and interaction with the environments around them. The Department has a number of classrooms, each with a capacity of 40 students.

It maintains some classrooms with movable seats and a multi-purpose room that provide the flexible types of study required for today’s world. The multimedia equipment like data show sets, overhead projectors, large white boards and lap-tops aid teachers in presenting their material in the best way possible and provide a good ground for hosting seminars and workshops on a variety of topics.

 

 

  1. Newsletter:

The interactive role of the teachers as moderators and catalysts has encouraged students to be more positive elements in the process of learning and to be prepared for practical life.  The outcomes of this strategy were specialized bulletins, a newsletter and fantastic drawings for prominent figures or places hanging all over the Department which created a fertile atmosphere for learning. The editorial board of the newsletter consists of the chairperson and six other students who work with other students to make the newsletter something that is both worth reading, informative and entertaining. It covers up-to-date news, tackles subjects of public interest like fighting smoking and keeping the environment friendly to all and also publishes creative writings of students from inside and outside the Department.

 

The development of the main learning resources (computing laboratories, libraries, and others) is the responsibility of the heads of departments accompanied by the designated committees with the consent of the Dean. Learning resources made available by the University are in general adequate to acquire the basic skills outlined in both degree programs. The Faculties, in association with library personnel, updates the list of books, journals, magazines and other written resources to meet the main requirements of both degree programs.

Meanwhile, all Faculties maintain a well-planned organization structure that assists it in running all daily operations at ease and ensures high level of communication between the various sectors of its community. Moreover, the Faculties, through its departments, in addition to the various support committees, provide effective and efficient administrative support to both the Faculty members and the students.

 

 

Staff

Each University student is provided with a secured login, given access to network printers, allocated e-mail account with sufficient storage capacity, and connected to the Internet.

  1. Staff-student ratio is excellent in specialist courses (1: 30), reasonable in English 1, 2 and Remedial (1:40).
  2. Students enjoy open access to staff.
  3. Staff members interact with students in guidance in academic work as well as registration.
  4. Members of staff promulgate procedures for assessing student achievements and addressing their academic concerns.
  5. The faculty system is being carefully reviewed to accommodate students’ grievances, especially with respect to student representation in the Department Council.

 

 

Program

  • Program offers a comprehensive coverage of the two main branches of literature, linguistics, formal and variationist; it deals with a wide range of literary issues, old and modern; translation program includes instruction in theory and hand-on training.
  • Students focusing on literature find such topics as sociolinguistics and discourse analysis within their quest. Translation majors are motivated to think of literature as one possible translation domain.
  • The program includes most up-to-date syntactic theory (minimalism); feminist issues; different types of translation, in addition to applied linguistics for students planning to take up teaching.
  • Two labs help train students in various areas.
  • Staff meetings are held to ensure the planning and continued development of courses to be taught, reviewing all relevant rules and policies of the department, assigning academic supervisors, and distributing workloads in consistence with the Department’s rules.
  • Students are informed about the details of the courses through what is called the tutor’s syllabus, handed to them at the beginning of each semester. The syllabus contains course description, objectives, intended learning outcomes, textbooks, references and the main topics to be covered, assessment requirements and methods. Goals of the courses are framed in terms of expected learning outcomes i.e. what students should be able to know, do or transfer.
  • The focus of academic work is on the generic or transferable skills like critical thinking, written and oral expression, research skills and team-working skills.
  • The department provides adequate resources for the development, delivery and completion of all offered courses. Textbooks and up to date references are supplied to the students in collaboration with the library. The internet connection is made available till late in the afternoon to avoid difficulties relating to the limited number of seats in the computer lab.
  • Students have weekly access (three hours/week) to relevant teaching staff to seek advice on individual courses. Courses containing diagnostic tools to enable early identification of students who are in need of additional support or assistance are given in a preparatory semester.
  • Tutorials, presentations, group work and projects are given to create interactive learning environment. New technologies are used (like Data Show) to ensure more engagement for the students. Best practice in education will not be achieved unless the students share in the construction of educational activities energetically and wholeheartedly.
  • Training, as work-experience learning, is part of the study in the department. The students are given (30) days training opportunities at different locales relevant to their studies.
  • Seminars are held to enhance the skills of staff members.
  • Assessments of the quality of student services are conducted on a regular basis.
  • The faculty supplies the staff with information regarding continuous improvement in the programs offered, services provided and activities undertaken.
  • The Program ensures that all staff and representative student associations are informed of and encouraged to participate in quality management processes.
  • The faculty reviews its courses to ascertain how sufficiently flexible they are to accommodate the needs of students.
  • The faculty is developing a more competitive and streamlined course and subject profile.
Faculty ID
languages_communication