The Nihal European University in Sudan

The Language Learning Institute of the Nihal European University in Sudan is a general language-services institute for teachers and students.

The primary task of the Language Learning Institute consists in the teaching of English and one additional European language in the linguistic preparatory programme. In addition the improvement and maintenance of existing foreign-language skills will be guaranteed by means of relevant course offerings. The institute will also make sure to provide courses in the acquisition of Arabic as a Foreign Language for members of the university from outside Sudan.

An additional central role of the Language Learning Institute is to be found in the teaching of introductory foreign-language courses in European languages in the framework of the degree programmes in the Humanities Faculty.

Furthermore a special service function will be fulfilled by the Language Learning Institute in the form of special courses that train students in writing scientific papers (also in foreign languages) and in communication skills (also in foreign languages).

The course offerings in the Language Learning Institute can be divided into three areas:

• Courses in language acquisition for the preparatory year of studies
• Language practice courses that accompany degree programmes
• Courses in Language for Special Purposes

In addition to the language services in the framework of the degree programmes of the Nihal European University in Sudan the Language Learning Institute will serve as a language school for external students in exchange for fees once it is fully operational.

Foreign language instruction in the Language Learning Institute should be realistic and practice-oriented. It should also have area studies and cultural studies components as well as offering courses on present-day cultural, political and social problems of the language area involved. The courses should stimulate students to make comparisons between different cultures. This would consist as well of comparisons with the relevant aspects of Sudanese culture.

The study of foreign languages, especially English, should teach students not only in the standard language but also in its scientific and disciplinary varieties.

The language of instruction at the Nihal European University in Sudan is English. Sufficient skills in English are a prerequisite for admission to a degree programme and are to be demonstrated from the beginning of a student’s studies. The skills can be demonstrated in tests that will be offered by the Language Learning Institute each semester. In addition to sufficient skills in standard English test requirements include skills in its scientific and disciplinary varieties to the extent that these are requirement for admission to the specific concentrations.

In the framework of preparatory studies the Language Learning Institute offers language courses to prepare students in the concentration which they choose. The preparatory programme is targeted to last for one year. For reasons of efficiency the applicants should demonstrate existing language skills in placement tests, allowing themselves to be placed in the appropriate level of course.

Participation in the preparatory programme is not mandatory. If a student has sufficient language skills and has passed the language admissions test, he or she can immediately begin with the regular degree programme. It is the same test that students have to pass who have to participate in the preparatory programme.

In addition to English skills sufficient skills are required in an additional European language. Whoever does not have these skills will have to acquire them in a planned programme in preparatory language studies.

Successful participation in scientific courses in the Section for Contemporary European Languages in the Humanities Faculty assumes that students have a good working knowledge of the respective language. Whoever has deficiencies will have to plan on compensating for them in the preparatory programme. Such proficiency tests also are offered through the Language Learning Institute.

Advanced language courses accompanying the degree programmes are planned in English and an additional European language and are intended for all students.

For the degree programmes in the Section for Contemporary European Languages the practical language training will take place in the Language Learning Institute. As a rule the acquisition of practical language skills should extend over the entire period of studies. In particular students will focus on speaking, listening and reading comprehension as well as translation and the production of foreign language texts.

Courses in Business English and Business Chinese will be offered especially for students in the Department of Economics and students with a minor concentration in “Business Chinese”.

A central task of the Language Learning Institute is to insure that special courses are offered for learning scientific methods and communication. In foreign languages these courses should also enable students to acquire efficient writing and communication skills. Examples of such courses would be: (international) presentation and negotiations, public speaking and the preparation of scientific papers such as theses and dissertations.

On the basis of data for similar departments and degree programmes we can assume that teaching and research in this Institute will require approximately 120 instructors. The requirements for space ought to be approximately 4000 m², while equipment should also provided for establishing several language labs.

In addition to working together with the Humanities Faculty the exchange programmes of the Nihal European University in Sudan should also bear in mind the Language Learning Institute. For enhancing practice and for continuing their education the faculty of the Language Learning Institute should participate in exchanges with other faculty based as similar institutions in Europe.