Top Students Honed Language Skills in First Online Summer Program
On August 19, 2021, the 2021 Online Summer Language Program (OSLP) titled "English Across Cultures and Intercultural Awareness" drew to a successful close under the auspices of Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi. The four-week intensive language study was specially crafted to align with the applied linguistics curriculum, focusing on fostering intercultural awareness and exploring varied models of teaching and learning English. Initially conceived as an in-person initiative akin to the 2019 summer language program at Swansea University, OSLP had to transition to an online format due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The task of developing a comprehensive online summer language program fell to the OSLP team, led by Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, Vice Dean for Academic Development & Quality, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, Chairman, and Mohsin Raza Khan, E-Learning Supervisor. Collaborating with their counterparts at Monash University, the team managed to co-develop a full-fledged online program catering to 63 of the brightest students from the Bachelor of Arts in English program.
Reflecting on the innovative endeavor, Dr. Almosa said, "Despite the technological and pedagogical challenges involved in replicating the social and cultural immersion experience our students would typically enjoy in person, we successfully developed modules centered around language and culture concepts and instructional design. These concepts are fundamental to the latest advancements in applied linguistics and related fields. This program is a pioneering effort in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our partners at Monash University for their unwavering support and diligent collaboration."
In his concluding remarks, Dean Al-Melhi lauded the students' involvement in the joint program and extended his gratitude to all participating faculty members from both Monash University and the Faculty of Languages and Translation at King Khalid University. He reiterated the commitment of the Bachelor of Arts in English program to continually offer students additional avenues for their professional development, aligning with intended learning outcomes and labor market trends.
