CoAE …….. SYMPOSIUM

Teaching ESP in Kurdistan: Reality and Perspectives

Edited and reported by: Ahmed Khalis Al-Shalan

In Kurdistan Hall/Tenahi Quarter Campus, the College of Administration &

Economics (CoAE) conducted, in collaboration with the College of Languages (CoL)

a symposium titled ‘Teaching ESP in Kurdistan: Reality & Perspectives’. The

symposium took place under the auspices of Dr. Ammaad Mohammed Salih Jibra’eel,

President of Nawroz University (NzU), at 10.00 a.m., Dec. 8th 2015.

Performed by Mr. Hewa Zanganah, Assist dean/CoAE, the opening ceremonies

of the event started at 10.00 a.m. Dr. Sameer Ni’mmah Fakhri, Dean of CoAE, as a

representative of Nawroz University President, attended the event accompanied by

high-ranked officials and other academics from Nawroz University and other

universities in Duhok Governorate Area, besides almost all the Heads of Education

Directorates in Duhok Governorate.

While conducting the symposium as a chairman, Dr. Hussein Ali, Dean of the

CoL/NzU called five researchers from three universities to successively present seven

papers on matters related to ESPT to be discussed on the symposium’s table in two

sessions.

In the first session, in a paper, The Experience of South-east Asian Countries

in ESPT & NLET, Mr. Ahmed Khalis A-Shalan/CoAE/Nz Made a survey of the

South-east Experience in ESPT, where the academic institutions were bold enough to

shake the beliefs in the traditional concepts of ELT as step towards creating local and

domestic culture-specific approaches to ESPT, whereas in a second paper, The Global

Experience in ESPT & NLET compared to Its Counterpart in Kurdistan, Mr Al-

Shalan/CoAE/NzU made a survey to the globes experience in respect of ESPT, and at

the same time comparing the said experience to the one undergone in Kurdistan.

Mr. Lazgeen Kh. Barany/College of Arts/University of Duhok made his

presentation on ‘Designing an ESP Program to the Students of Management.’ The

presenter discussed the theoretical and practical approaches to design an ESP program

for the management students. Then, the presenter showed a survey of the ESP

program he made for the students of management.

In his two papers, Teaching English to Non-departmental Students: Confused

Concepts and The Teacher of English as a Non-specialized Subject, Mr. Hussam

Aldeen Sammi/CoL/NzU discussed how the concepts about ESP are confused in our

institution, and then discussed matters related to the teacher who should teaches ESP.

From the School of Languages/Faculty of Humanities/University of Zakho, two

academics participated in the symposium presentation. In her presentation, in a paper

titled Problems in Teaching ESP, Mrs. Ghayda Ali Muhammad Al-Faisal almost

identified serious problems related to ESPT, and at the same time suggested a way-

plan to solve some of the said-problems.

Finally, in his paper, The Importance of Teaching English to Non-Departmental

Students, Mr. San’an Mallo surveyed certain justifications for teaching English

language to the non-departmental students.

Some of the issues and opinions discussed in the symposium raised hot debates,

especially on part of the presenters’ colleagues and the representatives of Education

Directorates in Duhok Governorate Area.