Program Mission Statement
To produce competent graduates dedicated to language and cultural awareness, and to train students who are well-prepared to move towards the international professional standards.
Students will additionally be able to master and utilize the new innovations for personal growth and professional development, as well as helping their communities to move towards international standards of excellence.
Program Philosophy
The EIC English program provides the necessary language and cultural skills for students to enter, participate, and thrive in a number of English related fields of study and work where communicative competency in English is the key to academic and professional success. The program emphasizes effective communication skills, cultural awareness, and academic excellence.
Our courses are developmental and focus on the application of the English language skills to real life situations through awareness and learning of the cultural aspects of the language.
Success in learning English depends on a student's willingness to be immersed in English both in terms of the language as well as learning about the corresponding cultures.
Our mission is to introduce students to the importance of the English language in the upcoming 2015 ASEAN unification. EIC program helps students realize their potential and develop skills for life.
We aim to fully prepare students for successful participation in AEC community of professionals in the work place, and help to create and develop future business leaders in the ASEAN community.
We believe that a deep understanding of English language and culture is essential for success and prosperity for all Asian People in this century.
We strive to teach students to become conscientious and responsible students, both in university and beyond. We want our students to be equipped with the most relevant key skills to give them the best employment and development opportunities in the years to come.
EIC program will help students to develop skills that will enable them to play active and creative roles in the upcoming ASEAN AEC community and ensure their future career success.
The central mission of Western Languages Department’s new EIC English program is to provide the highest quality English as a foreign language (EFL) courses and additional orientation in the corresponding cultures of the English speaking countries by means of a comprehensive English language and culture program.
English is the language of international business and understanding the cultural aspects of the language is an integral part of achieving success in an English speaking work environment.
Ability to communicate effectively in English is mandatory for success in today’s competitive global business markets and official national dialogues and other social interactions.
Why is EIC so Important ?
Cross-Cultural Awareness
In teaching, foreign language teachers need to be sensitive to the fragility of students by using techniques that promote cultural understanding.
It is important that the students learn to develop cultural awareness and cultural sensitiveness. Teachers’ task is to make students aware of cultural differences. Therefore the reasons for familiarizing learners with the cultural components of the language should be to:
1- Have a wide perspective.
2- Be aware of the communicative skills.
3- Develop intercultural understanding.
4- Be aware of potential mistakes.
5- Understand the aspects of both the target and the native culture.
Learning to understand a foreign culture should help students of another language to use words and expressions more skillfully.
What Makes Our Program So Unique ?
1- Treating culture as a 5th language skill
2- The study of cultural awareness or cultural competence
3- Teaching of cultural awareness as a skill as opposed to teaching cultural information
4- Learning about contemporary cultures in the English speaking countries around the world
5- Culture has an important place in English language teaching and learning studies
6- There is a strong relationship between culture and language. Language is the soul of country and
Thanks to the teaching of the target culture, cross-cultural communication develops.
All in all, both language and culture should not be taught separately. Language and culture complete each others. Teachers and students should be conscious about this fact and have such a philosophy:
“think globally, act locally”.
So, English and Culture are the tools you need to succeed in today’s competitive career markets.
4 Reasons Why You Need More Than Just English:
1. Language is a reflection of culture:
2. Language is not just verbal
3. Understanding cultural adjustment is key to learning English
4. Cultural competence is a valuable and marketable skill
Learning Objectives:
1- To improve student’s competency, be able to converse in English, read and understand English as used in current business settings.
2- To recognize pronunciation and conversational structure, develop acceptable pronunciation, master oral communication skills, and increase clarity and precision in their speech.
3- To have greater insight of ASEAN’s economic history, its integration and rapid economic development over the past 10 years
Some Important Points About Language And Culture
1- Developing students’ competence in the cultures and languages of ASEAN countries and English is considered vitally important for all member countries leading up to and after the formation of the Asian Economic Community – AEC.
2- English is also the language of globalization
3- As well as being the common language of global commerce and international tourism, English is the language of more specialized forms of globalization, including aviation, information technology and diplomacy, to name just a few examples.
4- Culture describes the many ways in which human beings express themselves for the purposes of uniting with others, forming a group, defining an identity, and even for distinguishing themselves as unique.