- Department of English
Acting head of the English Department is Ms. Mary O'Brien.
Goal Statement
English is the language of instruction at the
German-Jordanian University.
Therefore all new students are required to use and develop their
language skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking, purposefully and
articulately. The English Department at GJU uniquely aims for well-educated and
informed students who are equipped to take responsibility for their own
learning while at the same time having a sense of pride in their identity and
appreciation of their own and others worth.
Summary of Objectives:
It is important for the English Department to educate students
beyond the academic, and to provide experiences through other activities to
promote a broader understanding of what it takes to function as a human being
in the world today.
As well as developing their ability to spell, punctuate and
use grammar correctly, writing helps students to transmit information and
communicate ideas for academic, personal, occupational, and public uses. Therefore students are required to
complete frequent writing assignments which enable them to refine and expand both
their knowledge base and their thinking skills.
In our advanced English classes, literature provides a ready
means for students to understand the world in which they live. It provides students with the
opportunity to gain an appreciation of the universality of human experience and
a better understanding of themselves and others.
Placement Test
In order to provide students with the best academic
environment, all new students are required to take a placement test in order to
enroll in the most appropriate level. We provide six levels: Engl 098 / Engl 099 / Engl 101 / Engl 102 / Engl 201 and
Engl 202. Classes are given
by native speakers or near-native speakers of English whenever possible to
ensure that students achieve maximum benefit.
Unlike other universities, it is the intention of the
English Department at GJU to foster a love of the English language, not only
through instruction, but also through extra-curricular activities. The following activities are designed to
help broaden the scope of analysis already available within the classroom as
part of a flexible and continuously evolving syllabus.
These activities, in the future, will include a chat room
where students can ‘hang out’ and speak only in English while having access to
English language newspapers and magazines together with a small library. A reading club invites students to read
and critically comment on books in a relaxed atmosphere.
A debating club
encourages students to appreciate different points of view, because the process
of argumentation enables clarity and development of responses to important
issues. A drama club helps
students to express themselves through the medium of drama. A ‘viewing’ room is
also essential for students to have the opportunity to watch news broadcasts
and movies in English with the view to generating discussion and debate both
inside and outside the classroom. A creative writing club aims to help students
to express themselves creatively.
These are all plans for the future of the English Department so some of
them will not be implemented immediately but are planned for the permanent
campus in Madaba.
The policy of the English Department is to foster graduates
of the future, who will remain proud of their university.