Department of Foreign Languages

HISTORY AND MODERNITY

The Department of Foreign Languages was established in 1934 at the Mining and Metallurgical Institute and is one of the oldest divisions of the university. In 2016, it was renamed to “English Language Department.” Currently, the department is a structural division of Satbayev University Akzhan Mashani Institute of General Education.

Until 2016, the department provided training in three foreign languages: English, French and German. Over the years, the department has developed more than 500 educational and methodological literature and published more than 20 monographs, dozens of textbooks, tutorials and dictionaries in 2-3 languages for technical universities.

At the beginning of its activity, the department was not as numerous, but today it is one of the largest departments of the university. Currently the English Language Department contains 62 teachers, 58 of them are full-time and 4 are part-time.

The department staff includes experienced and competent employees, many of whom speak two foreign languages. ELD has 2 professors, 3 associate professors, 7 candidates of science and 44 masters. Many teachers of the department have international certificates such as CELTA, TEFL, TKT or IELTS. Foreign teachers also work in the department.

Fifteen teachers were trained in Scotland (University of Aberdeen), Англии ( University of Reading, University of Bristol, Queen Mary University of London, University of Southampton, University of Warwick, University of Glasgow ), Germany (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz), France (Strasbourg, ITIRI) and the Netherlands (The Johan Cryff Institute, Amsterdam) and America. 

ELD Head is A.O.Turlybekova.

THE GOAL OF THE DEPARTMENT:

Training of competitive specialists of the XXI century who speak English sufficiently to carry out effective professional communication (level 6.0 and higher in IELTS format).

 MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT:

• implementation of multi-level English language training for students in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages competence (CEFR);
• training in all types of speech activity (listening, reading, speaking, writing) in accordance with international educational standards;
• ensuring students' mastery of the English-language conceptual apparatus in the disciplines of their specialty;
• creating elective courses to diversify the educational trajectory of students;
• developing students' skills of independent work, critical thinking, evaluation and self-assessment, creative abilities, and educating academic integrity;
• professional development of the department’s less experienced specialists through trainings and master classes to improve the content and methods of teaching by the experienced teachers.

MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT:

• Increasing the students’ competitiveness in the modern global labor market by developing a sufficient level of English language communicative competence;
• Improving the educational process effectiveness through a multi-aspect structure and content of the English language program, including innovative learning technologies.

  STRATEGY OF THE DEPARTMENT:

• development of curricula and programs that will focus on advancing professional competencies and thus contribute to the development of academic mobility and demand for students and graduates of University;
• consistency and continuity of the department’s educational programs;
• a diversity of educational activity forms;
• formation of student streams and groups based on common European standards for determining General communicative foreign language competence.

DISCIPLINES OF THE DEPARTMENT

Since 2016-2017 academic year, ELD has implemented a multi-level English language training in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages competence (CEFR); based on the results of diagnostic testing and oral interviews, the students’ level of language competence is determined and training groups are created according to levels. To determine the level of English proficiency at the beginning of the academic year, students pass free online testing at University's website and an oral interview in ELD offices. As a result, the department forms the following levels:

• Beginner (А)
• Elementary English (А1)
• General English 1 (A2)
• General English 2 (A2)
• Academic English (B1)
• Business English (B2)
• Professional English (В2+)

Additionally, five elective courses were developed for students with a high level of English-language competence to diversify the educational trajectory:

• IELTS
• Productivity Skills
• Intercultural communication
• Public Speaking
• Technical Writing

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY

English Language Department carries out research work in the following areas:

• Conducting and participating in research conferences of the faculty;
• Publication of articles in journals. Currently, the department actively publishes articles in international scientific journals in England, Norway, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Thailand, Brazil, Russia, with an impact factor (Scopus - Maracaibo-Venezuela);
• SRW (competitions, conferences, Olympiads, English Week);
• Clubs’ work for the faculty (Research club and Reading club for young teachers);
• conducting and participating in seminars, trainings and master classes;
• Peer review.

According to the department’s project, in order to improve the quality and progress in groups, students are given the opportunity to enhance their English-language skills due to free classes of the “English Clinic" as well as the spoken "English Club" with native speakers.

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

One of the important areas of the department's activity is international cooperation with international educational organizations such as Macmillan Education, British Council, InterPress International House Kazakhstan, Oxford University Press, edWeb.net, Association for Applied Linguistics of Kazakhstan (AALK), "Advance" language center, Association for Applied Linguistics of Kazakhstan (AALK), Center for Multilingual Education, City Business School, E-Learning for Business Accreditation, JSC "National center for advanced training "Orleu", partner universities AlmaU, KazNUWL, Al-Farabi KazNU, Suleiman Demirel University, Nazarbayev University, Warsaw University, as well as universities from the UK, USA and Russia. Within the framework of such agreements, international scientific and practical seminars and conferences on foreign language training of students at technical universities are conducted. Online competitions related to professional English are held as well.

eld@satbayev.university