The major objective of The Faculty of Language Studies (FLS) is twofold:

1. To upgrade students' proficiency in both English and Arabic communication skills as FLS believes that effective language communication contributes to their success in their course work and gives them a competitive advantage thus improving their future career prospects locally and worldwide.

2. To provide its students with new ideas to discuss, analyze, understand, internalize, and, more importantly, use in their on-going quest for experience and expertise in their area of specialization (linguistics and literature in this case) and for success in their future careers. This is done, with specific reference to providing students with quality education in English language and literature in the context of distance learning, which encompasses learning from written text, classroom discussions and tutorials, talks and lectures, TV programs and broadcasts, audio and video cassettes, the students' own experience, group discussions, residential schools, case studies and project work in an environment that is conducive to learning with a student-tutor ratio of 20:1.

The Faculty of Language Studies is responsible for |

· The University Requirement in English
· Writing and administering the English Placement Test (EPT)
· The B.A. Program in English
· Preparing study guides, websites, and supplementary materials to accompany coursework.
· Staff development, on-going program and course evaluation, materials production, and tutor training.

The University Requirement in English

The University Requirement in English (URE) is obligatory for all incoming students. Students are expected to finish this program during their first year of study. Students who pass the English Placement Test (EPT) are not required to take English 111 and will thus be credited three hours.

For practical purposes, URE is divided into two parts which will be covered in one semester each:
1. EL111: English Communication Skills (I).
2. EL112: English Communication Skills (II).

The rationale underlying URE is twofold:

· Upgrading the student's proficiency level to the extent that he/she can communicate in English with ease and confidence on everyday matters as well as on matters that relate to his/her university education.
· Training students to utilize English in pursuing their university education and to make maximal use of it by looking for and obtaining knowledge relevant to their academic specializations as well as to their current / prospective careers.

URE is a theme-based integrated skills program for intermediate and advanced learners. All four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) are developed systematically and integrated through relevant tasks. Language functions, grammar points and new vocabulary are fully integrated in both oral and written skills.

The reading and listening texts explore high-interest universal topics and, together with the accompanying tasks/activities, are meant to develop the reading, writing, listening and study skills which students need to meet the demands of distance learning university courses.

Each of the two courses in EFP has six components together with supplementary material to be mailed to students as they embark on the courses:

· Student's Book
· Workbook
· Audiocassettes
· Audio CDs
· Course Guide
· Study guide(s)
· TMAs
· Specimen examination paper

The BA Degree in English Language and Literature investigates a broad spectrum of language and literature studies. When a student is awarded this degree, he/she will have acquired a basic understanding of the structure of language, language variation, and language use. In addition, he/she will have developed the skills of analysis and critical evaluation through studying a good number of both classical and modern literary works in prose, poetry, and drama.
The program comprises 480 credit points (128 credit hours) with each point equal to ten hours of study. Although there is no limit to the time required for completing this program, it can be finished over a four-year period of full-time study.

The breakdown of credit hours and courses required for completing the BA program is as follows:

General University Requirement (32 credit hours)

The following six courses comprising the mandatory University Requirement (18 credit hours)

Fourteen credit hours from the following list of University electives:

Core Program Courses (96 credit hours):

Prerequisites

Description of the Courses |

Course Description of University General Requirements:

GR101- Independent Study Skills - 10 points / 3 credit hours
This course aims at helping students develop a wide range of effective study techniques and strategies necessary to help them succeed in their university studies. It focuses on note-taking and making use of different study media, writing reports, using study resource materials and references and preparing for examinations.

GR111 - Arab Islamic Civilization - 10 points / 3 credit hours
This course introduces the Islamic culture, civilization and its history. It deals with the beginning of Islamic civilization and its development. How did the Islamic civilization grow with the time? What is importance of education in Islam? How does Islam stress on thinking and research? How does Islam encourage learning from nature and wandering on the land of Allah and looking into the nature. How does Islam encourage and support academic research and development in all fields of life? What is political system of Islam? What are the fundamental principles to run and manage a state in Islam? How is the concept of religion and religious life in Islam different from other thoughts? What are outstanding features of social life in an Islamic country and Muslim society? What are the economic philosophy and guidelines of Islam? How was Islamic art considered as the best in medieval period?

GR131 - General Branch Requirement - 10 points / 3 credit hours
This course consists of major two parts. The first part deals with the brief history of establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Then it elaborates its legislative, administrative and judicial systems. Establishment of various governmental organizations along with their goals and functioning systems also has been included. The Second part of the course deals with the educational systems of the Kingdom starting from the previous educational history. It focuses on the main features and goals of primary, secondary and higher educations in the Kingdom. Different educational methods have been included. The role of private sector and private organizations has been discussed. It also includes all related important features and characteristics of modern education.

AR111 - Arabic Communication Skills I - 10 points / 3 credit hours
This course aims at consolidating the students' skills and competence in listening comprehension, reading comprehension and writing Arabic. It also aims at introducing the students to the basics of Arabic syntax, and literary appreciation.

AR112 - Arabic Communication Skills II - 10 points / 3 credit hours
This course builds on and extends the knowledge and skills developed in AR111, and introduces the students to different aspects of Arab culture as reflected in the writings of leading figures both old and new. It also trains the students in research methodology, and report writing.

EL111 - English Communication Skills I - 10 points /3 credit hours
This is a theme-based integrated skills course which aims to upgrade the student's proficiency level to the extent that he/she can communicate with ease and confidence and utilize English in pursuing his/her university education.

EL112 - English Communication Skills II - 10 points /3 credit hours
This course complements and builds upon English 111. It particularly seeks to develop the reading, writing, listening, and study skills which students need in order to meet the demands of distance learning university education.

MU120 - Open Mathematics - 30 points / 8 credit hours
This course builds students' confidence and helps them to incorporate mathematical thinking into their everyday life. It looks mathematically at matters of general interest including prices, earnings, health, music, art, maps, motion and rainbows. It develops the key skills of communication as well as students' own learning and performance. Students will cover statistical, graphical, algebraic and numerical concepts and techniques. In addition, they will be introduced to iteration and mathematical modeling, as well as being able to interpret slopes of graphs. Students will also learn how to use a graphing calculator. Formal calculus is not included.

MST121- Using Mathematics - 30 points / 8 credit hours
It covers a broad introduction to the nature of mathematics and its uses in the modern world. This course shows how mathematics can be used to investigate and answer questions from science, technology and everyday life using a range of fundamental techniques, in particular, discrete mathematics (including matrices), calculus and statistics. Use of computer software (MathCAD) is an essential part of the course. The skills of communicating results and defining problems are also developed. This course will give students a complete foundation for higher-level mathematics and physics.

TU170 - Learning On-line: Computing with Confidence – 10 points / 3 credit hours
This is a 12-week course that provides an introduction to computing and the on-line world. Students learn about software applications such as word processing, databases and electronic mail. They take part in on-line discussions, search the web and author simple web pages using HTML. This course is taught entirely on-line. The total teaching and assessment material is published on the course web site, to which only registered students have access. Students work both individually and in groups with fellow students on collaborative projects, supported by a personal tutor.

T172 - Working with Our Environment: Technology for a Sustainable Future - 30 points / 8 credit hours
This course is an introduction to environmental issues and the role of technology in today's fast paced computer world. It will suit the needs of students whether they intend to study technology or if they have a general interest in learning how to shape a sustainable future. It takes students progressively from environmental impacts of their lifestyle to the global issues of technological and economic development. They will also learn general skills such as basic numeracy, critical reading, report and essay writing. This course introduces more specific skills and knowledge required for higher-level environment or technology courses. The themes are: You and the Environment, Travelling Light, Food Chains, and Thinking Globally; supported by files on Energy, Resources, and Human and Ecosystem Health. The course also includes computer-based activities.

T173 - Engineering the Future - 30 points / 8 credit hours
From design concepts to the manufacturing of products, this course examines the range of human activity that is 'engineering'. It introduces the context of how engineers operate, including issues such as risk assessment and patented law. It looks at current engineering practice and at some of the developments in engineering methods and applications that will shape the future. It offers a general introduction both for those who simply have an interest in what engineering is and how it is practiced in modern society, and for those who are considering engineering at higher level of study.

DD121 - An Introduction to the Social Sciences (Part I) - 30 points / 8 credit hours
This course is about people and how they act individually and collectively. It deals with three major topics: questioning identity, interaction between the worlds of the natural and the social, and the ordering of lives.

Description of Core Program Courses

A123 - An Introduction to Humanities - 60 points / 16 credit hours
This course provides students with a lively and varied grounding in the disciplines of art history, literature, philosophy, classical studies, history. It will help students to express themselves more clearly and to develop the skills of reading, analysis and interpretation they will need before they move on to more specialized courses at Level 2.

A210 - Approaching Literature - 60 points / 16 credit hours
This course is a literary study and analysis of the realist novel, romantic writings, as well as Shakespeare and the Canon. It introduces students to a wide range of literary texts from the second half of the sixteenth century through the mid twentieth century, and also prepares them to study literature at a more advanced level.

U210A - The English Language: Past, Present and Future (Part I) 30 points / 8 credit hours
This course is about the history of English, structural differences between varieties of English in current use and the use of English in everyday speech and writing, and in a range of specific contexts from the workplace to literature.

U210B - The English Language: Past, Present and Future (Part II) 30 points / 8 credit
This course investigates the acquisition of English in monolingual and bilingual contexts, English in the education system as a first language or a foreign language, English in relation to new communications technology, and English as a global language.

E300 - English Language and Literacy - 60 points /16 credit hours
This course provides a conceptual framework for understanding the nature of oral and written English, and the social, cultural, and political processes behind its use. It also introduces research into language and literacy.

A319 - Literature in the Modern World - 60 points / 16 credit hours
The course focuses on the study of aspects of cultural change through which 'English Literature' has become "literature in English", and includes sections on Modernism, Englishness, literature and ideology, language and gender and literature and history.

E303 - English Grammar in Context - 60 points / 16 credit hours
This course provides a broad understanding of the major characteristics of English grammar and introduces students to a range of theoretical models including Universal Grammar without trying to turn them into theoretical grammarians. It also fosters a concern for understanding the nature of different forms of English.

BA in English Language and Literature

Year / Semester Schedule

NOTES:

· Enrollment in AR111 and AR112 is determined by the student’s grade on the Arabic Placement Test.

· Enrollment in EL111 and EL112 is determined by the student’s grade on the English as well as by the rules governing enrollment in the English Orientation Program