NEWS
The UOB English Language Centre Did It Again
Two weeks after the successful Drama Festival which hit the headlines, the English Language Centre of the University of Bahrain did it again with the organization of a two-day symposium titled “Innovative Strategies in English Language Teaching”. This important event, which took place on June 1 and 2, was attended by his Excellency Professor Riyad Yousif Hamzah, the President of the University of Bahrain. It falls in line with the University’s Strategic Plan including its vision, mission and objective, and takes place within “the wider context of the University’s renewed efforts to raise its academic standards nationally and internationally. And the ELC aims at continuing to play a vital and active role in this development”, said Dr Abdulaziz Bulaila, the Director of the ELC in his opening address.
The symposium, which gathered an appreciable crowd of language practitioners from different colleges and organizations, as well as students, provided participants with platforms for sharing ideas, experiences and practices. As mentioned by Dr Bulaila, “the Symposium provided a unique setting for professional collaboration and aimed to be a catalyst to initiatives that encourage student achievement and a forum for the generation of ideas to transform the classroom experience”.
The Presentations, which targeted teaching strategies and the use of technology, aimed mainly at:
- identifying the obstacles and challenges facing the ELC
- addressing these challenges and enhance the culture of research in the ELC
- encouraging its instructors to be active in research, mainly active research
- developing a consensus among English Language instructors inside and outside the ELC,
- sharing or exchanging expertise to foster knowledge and prepare students for university programs.
Participants shared experiences and research findings to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field of ELT. The Symposium was designed to engage the participants in highly interactive discussions through thought-provoking presentations featuring innovative topics on strategies involving technology to improve instruction and student performance and success, concluded Dr Abdulaziz Bulaila.
