The Department of English and Foreign Languages came into existence in May 2005. The Founder-Head of the Department was Prof. M. Solaiyan. Since its inception, the Department has been serving the five-fold objectives of Higher Education -- "PEARL"(Pedagogy, Extension, Application, Research and Learning). It offers Post-Graduate, Master of Philosophy, and Doctoral Research Programmes to cater to the intellectual needs of students belonging to Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram Districts and also to other regions of the country. Further the Department runs Certificate Courses in French and German. It provides opportunities for students interested in acquiring language skills through well-equipped Language Laboratories. This Department has attracted students from China, which is a matter of pride and it functions with highly qualified, competent, and well-trained faculty who have expertise in their respective fields; and they employ modern pedagogical techniques to hone the skills of students.
The English Department has a well-equipped library with latest reference books and a Computer Lab that has been modernized at a cost of rupees fifteen lakhs. Workshops, seminars, conferences, symposia, webinars and training programmes are conducted on a regular basis; and in fact, they all contribute to the knowledge empowerment of students and scholars of the Department which also utilises the erudition and scholarship of Visiting Professors such as Prof. L. Thirunavukkarasu and Prof. A. Antony Samy.
Prof. S. Subbiah, Former Professor and Head, Department of English and Foreign Languages, who later became the Vice-Chancellor of the University, made many accomplishments which took the University to the next level. Currently Prof. P. Madhan, heads the Department.
It is a matter of pride for the Department that during this assessment period it has organized as many as 14 International Webinars on themes of both Conventional and Contemporary relevance by inviting erudite Professors from University of London, Central University of Florida, USA, Seattle University, USA, Bristol University, London, University of Mannheim, Germany, Central Washington University, USA, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh, City University of Dakha, Bangladesh, Wuhang Polytechnic University, China etc.
The Overseas Subject Experts who delivered lectures included:
M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. holders from this Department get placements in schools, colleges, universities, government sector and companies through career opportunity fares organized by the Department. Besides, they are competent enough to serve in executive positions and other functional areas of management.
Opportunities to acquire fellowships from different funding agencies such as the MHRD, the UGC, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund and IGNOU have been provided to Research Scholars. Five scholars are pursuing Doctoral Research under Rajiv Gandhi National Research Fellowship (RGNRF) and one scholar is a recipient of Alagappa University Research Fellowship (AURF).
The department promotes interaction among research scholars, experts and language specialists which is vital for sharing of experience and dissemination of innovations. Hence it organizes Conferences, Workshops, Symposia and seminars at national and international levels. Conferences on themes of significance and relevance like 'Changing Paradigms in the Teaching of English', 'Communication Skills', 'Classical Literature: East and West', 'Emerging Trends in Teaching Language and Literature', 'Trends in Modern Literature: East and West' were organized where delegates and Key Resource Persons from Canada, Bangladesh, Greece, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Oman and professors from various Universities of India shared their expertise and gave a rich literary feast to the participants.
Profile
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor (On deputation from Annamalai University)
Teaching Assistant
Any Graduate Degree Holder
6 Months
Rs. 1500/- (One Thousand Five Hundred Only)
21.09.2024
20.09.2024
Theory Paper : 75 Marks , Internal Assessment : 25 Marks
Week Ends (10.00 am to 05.00 pm)
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The Department of English and Foreign Languages houses TWO Laboratories -- English Language Laboratory and Foreign Language Laboratory, which have been assisting to enhance the communication skills of our students. For successful and effective communication, learners need to possess a high level of language proficiency, which includes clarity of expression and correctness of grammatical usage. The key to attaining language expertise is to perceive the process and methodology employed in learning that language. The Language Lab helps students in practising and evaluating their communication abilities. Therefore, the laboratory provides instruction, training, and assessment in fundamental skills for acquiring language proficiency such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing for our department students as well as the students from other Departments of the University.
The computer-aided language study in the lab facilitates the students’ acquisition of language skills for their personal and professional development and helps them gain knowledge under the supervision of trained teachers. The pedagogy fosters an understanding of various aspects of language, including the diverse combinations of meanings in different contexts, social variations in language, specialized vocabularies, and general language proficiency.
The Language Lab enables the learners
There are 41 computers in the two labs, in which 41 students could be accommodated. Both the laboratories operate in an air-conditioned atmosphere. The language course materials have been installed into the computer that could be used by the learners. All the computers in the Language Lab are equipped with internet connectivity, allowing it to function as a Web Assisted Language Laboratory which aims at supporting the learners to develop their listening comprehension, speaking and writing skills. It is highly beneficial for evaluating pupils' oral communication. It equips students with the necessary technical resources to learn accurate language pronunciation.
The following software applications are utilized in the pedagogy of language learning:
Our Department library has a good collection of books, abridged and original literary works, reference books and periodicals related to British Literature, American Literature, Indian English Literature, Commonwealth Literature, English Language Teaching and Teaching of French.
The establishment of Alumni Association has been greatly useful in taking the department to the next higher level. It is really very appreciable that the Alumni totally involve themselves in the department activities like conduct of seminar, conference, workshop, invited lecture, and so on. Their important contribution to their alma mater is that they serve as resource persons for special lectures and make their juniors, the current students very resourceful. Students remember their institution with a sense of gratitude after their studies are completed. Though they come forward to make monetary contributions to the further progress of the department, the Alumni are exhorted to knowledgeably and intellectually contribute to their alma-mater. Alumni Association's role in the performance of the department is very much admirable. They not only serve as resource persons and volunteers for the literary events organized by the department but also function as subject experts at the Board of Studies. Many of them who serve as faculty members at other state universities like Madurai Kamaraj University, Thiruvalluvar University, Mother Teresa University, Kodaikanal, and so on have built constructive academic and research associations with our English department. They sponsor electronic gadgets, audio equipment, and books to the department. The effective functioning of Alumni Association helps students, both past and present, to remain connected and united.
The department, which feels proud of Alumni's achievements, acknowledges the contributions of the Alumni and does everything possible for their career development as well. The dictum that is discussed at every alumni meeting is this: Let our Institution elevate me, and Let me elevate my institution in turn. It is a matter of pride that there exists a cordial relationship among the stakeholders of the department. It results in the development of all of them.
Student Council serves as a valuable forum for honing the leadership qualities of students. It organizes a number of events like quiz programmes, department seminars and looks after the over-all cleanliness of the department. When notifications for NET and SET examinations come, it disseminates the information among students. Furthermore, the employment notifications of various colleges and universities are also shared among students. It brings to the knowledge of faculty the needs and necessities of students. It collaborates with the student councils of other departments and develops bonhomie and inter-departmental student associations.
Placement Programme is crucial for the students to find suitable jobs and it becomes equally important for employers to find candidates to fulfill their requirements. The Department of English and Foreign Languages at Alagappa University, in collaboration with the Placement Cell of the University, has been conducting placement programmes since its establishment. Students are helped to find suitable placements in Universities, Engineering, Arts & Science, Polytechnic Colleges, and Matriculation Schools. The demand for competent English Teaching professionals is increasing year by year. The widespread shortage of high-quality English teachers has prompted educational institutions to recruit well-qualified language faculty from among the graduating PG students, M.Phil. and Ph.D. scholars especially from the Universities.
The Department sees to it that the curriculum offered to students is very pertinent to meet both the local and national needs for competent English Teachers. Monitoring new and changing requirements for employment has become essential for boosting career opportunities of students who have completed their studies for the present and upcoming job markets. Cultivating strong partnership with employers can facilitate students' experiential learning and help the Department access valuable information regarding employers' need for the specific skills of the employees. Employers can evaluate our department's curriculum and get acquainted with how it is implemented to cater to their needs. The curriculum is suitably modified once in three years to cater to the needs of employers.
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