Organization

      The English Department of the School of Foreign Languages at Northwest University was founded in 1924. Many Chinese language masters and translation theorists such as Cao Jinghua, Shui Tiantong, and Wu Mi once taught here. The key asset of the English Department is its experienced, internationally educated faculty members who have conducted many research programs commissioned by China's National Social Sciences Plan, the Ministry of Education's Social Sciences Research Project or Social Sciences Research Project of Shaanxi Province; and who have published many monographs, textbooks, translations and academic research papers. Of all the staff, three are professors, two are associate professors, and the rest are lecturers, most of whom with experiences of studying abroad. Each year the department employs three to five foreign teachers to enrich and enhance instruction and students’ learning.

      The department currently confers Bachelor’s degree in one undergraduate program----English Language & Literature, Master’s degrees in two graduate programs--- English Language & Literature, Foreign Language & Literature and Applied Linguistics, and one professional master’s degree in the program of Master of Translation & Interpretation (MTI). The department boasts first-class language labs in China, labs for simultaneous interpretation, multi-media & Internet learning rooms, Satellite Television System, and abundant collection of books, magazines, newspapers and various video materials, providing access to first hand information about peoples and cultures in the world and allowing efficient connections and communication with other countries in many fields.

      The department has always endeavored to improve its curriculum, teaching methods and educational technology to meet the challenges of China's rapid social and economic development. Now it has about 360 undergraduates and 160 MA students. The department prepares its English majors for profound cultural cognition, sturdy translation skills, and excellent oral expressions. Taking its advantage of being a member of a comprehensive university, the department provides its students with opportunities of minoring in other programs in many schools or departments of our university within their four undergraduate years, such as international finance and trade, law, economic management, computer science, etc. Every year through its undergraduate and postgraduate programs, the department graduates large numbers of qualified young men and women who find positions in the fields of foreign affairs, foreign trade, finance, journalism, education and research, tourism, publishing and cultural exchange.

      The department offers many specialized required courses as well as optional ones. They include Comprehensive English, Listening, Oral English, Extensive reading, Writing, Advanced English, Interpretation, Translation, Business English, Cultures of the English-speaking Countries, European Culture, Linguistics, Lexicology, Pragmatics, British Literature, American Literature, Second Foreign Language (options: French, Japanese, German, Russian). Besides, the phase of field practice consists of teaching practice, interpretation practice and graduation thesis writing. The focus of this curriculum is to improve students’ real language competence and foster necessary skills for their future work.

      Our undergraduates have all along outperformed their counterparts in other universities nationwide in their TEM 4 and TEM 8 tests. In 2007, 95.7% of students of grade 2003 passed TEM 8, 45% higher than our counterpart universities in China. The number of graduating students who were accepted by master’s programs has been increasing in recent years. Among them, many were enrolled in the graduate programs of prestigious universities such as Beijing University, Tsinghua University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Nanjing University, and Zhongshan University.