Facilities
The English Department has 6 halls for classes most of them are equipped with overhead projectors and portable e-learning equipment. Two of the rooms are equipped with round table setting for active learning. The Department also has two computer labs with an 80-user capacity at a time and a small specialized library. The Department has access to different other facilities in the University such as the University auditoria, the University libraries and some other recreational and extracurricular facilities. The American studies minor has access to all the facilities of the English Department.
Industry
The Department is a major provider of teachers of English to Palestinian schools in different parts of Palestine. It has strong relationships with the local schools and the governmental bodies that cater for education. The Department organizes frequent training programs and courses to which school teachers are invited.
In the domain of translation, the Department offers an MA in translation and the graduates of the program are providing the Palestinian job market with professional translators, interpreters and translation researchers.
In the domain of American Studies, the Department has one MoU with Ithaca College in New York. The MoU is based on cooperation in education. One program is titled “Classroom Beyond Borders” in which teachers and students on both sides liaise through videoconferencing to discuss literary works such as autobiography and other forms of narrative.
An-Najah National University has a lifetime membership in the American Studies Association
Teaching and Learning
The English Department adopts student-centered approaches in teaching and learning. The students are continuously engaged in in-class presentations, group discussions and research. One dominant approach is the social constructivism approach in which students collaborate in a social constructivist environment to construct learning experiences. They build on the information they have and share what they know with others.
Most instructors use e-learning techniques and methods. Several courses in language, literature, linguistics and communication skills are on Moodle. Teachers use Moodle as a platform for discussion, dissemination of information and other learning activities.
In the introductory language courses, teachers use an integrated approach in which all four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) are addressed
Coursework and Assessment
Teachers use different assessment tools and techniques such as in-class examinations and presentations, research papers and student portfolios. At the end of each course, students are expected to submit a portfolio that includes their achievements and their progress which have been monitored, with notes, by their teachers.
Teachers are also asked to submit a progress report about their own students in each course. The report includes aspects of self-assessment and other insights about their successes, difficulties and suggestions for improvement.