 The Department of European Languages was established in 2005 in response to the university’s profound commitment to meeting the needs of the Jordanian community within a wide geographic region by supplying it with qualified individuals proficient in reading, writing, and speaking both French and English simultaneously.
The department’s curriculum includes a major specialization in the French language alongside a minor specialization in English, which we consider an advantage in mastering two globally demanded languages at both the local and regional levels, and even globally. Additionally, the department provides an opportunity for university students to learn the fundamentals of the French language through an elective course, however, the Basic French Language Skills course is a mandatory course in the Faculty of Arts.
The department aspires, within a near-term framework, to adopt an ambitious plan by establishing the French language and its literature as a separate specialization. This aims, through a broader and more comprehensive effort with a larger faculty, to supply the community and job market with competent individuals proficient in communication skills in the fields of culture, literature, and business. Additionally, the department aims to establish other complementary specializations such as Spanish and German languages, with the objective of facilitating communication in multiple foreign languages.
In order to prepare students for various fields in the job market after acquiring proficiency in the French language, the department has ensured offering specialized courses in the fields of business, tourism, and culture. Through these courses, students can acquire skills in handling correspondence and transactions in administration, between institutions, companies, and banks. In the field of tourism, the department provides an intensive course to enable students to acquire multiple skills in mastering the language of tourism, starting from the initial steps in welcoming tourist groups until their departure. Additionally, students gain extensive knowledge about tourist sites in Jordan, the Arab region, and even internationally.
The department intensifies its efforts in organizing numerous scientific, cultural, and artistic activities, annually dedicating a special day to celebrate the International French Language Day. This celebration includes various cultural and artistic segments such as plays, competitions, and exhibitions of painting, photography, Arabic and French calligraphy. During this occasion, the department honors its outstanding and talented students.
The department also prioritizes organizing and hosting meetings, forums, seminars, workshops. At the beginning of each academic semester, new students accepted into the department are welcomed, the department head conducts a comprehensive overview to introduce students to the department’s history, faculty, courses, and the academic guidance plan. The department has created a Facebook page aimed at maintaining communication with students, where various posts, images, texts, and videos are shared containing materials in linguistics, literature, phonetics, conversation, and grammar.
Additionally, the department has organized several developmental courses, including a course on enhancing the skills of teaching and learning the French language, targeted towards graduating students of the department to qualify them for the job market in their respective fields. Furthermore, the department has organized a workshop on how to use modern technologies in learning the French language. The department also conducted an intensive two-day workshop titled “Market Yourself in the Job Market,” where students acquired skills in writing resumes, cover letters, and utilizing professional networks and online platforms.
Moreover, several department members participated in courses and workshops organized by the French Institute and the Francophone University Agency (AUF) in Amman, aimed at developing the teaching faculty’s abilities to deliver quality teaching materials in the fields of economics, commerce, tourism, and diplomacy. The department also supports its students in applying for the Arabic Language Assistant Program to work in educational institutions in France for seven months, fully covered by the French Ministry of National Education.
Additionally, the department supports students’ entrepreneurial projects, providing them with the opportunity to participate in the “Lab Citoyen” program in France for two weeks, representing Jordan in Paris by presenting youth entrepreneurial ideas to serve the community and the environment.
The Department of European Languages takes pride in achieving first place among all departments of universities in the kingdom in the University Proficiency Exam during the academic year 2017-2018.
With confidence and concerted efforts from the esteemed faculty members and the dedication of our dear students, we are committed to achieving the goals for which the Department of European Languages was established.
Dr. Ahmad Al-Btoush
Head of the Department of European Languages |