Department of Western Languages And Literatures

English language has been a standard means of communication across the world for some time, and it seems that it will continue to be in the recent future unless there is a radical shift and development as to its use. As a language of communication, English has gained international prominence, which may be explained in several ways. First, it is a fact that English is the most widely used and spoken language by various groups of people and nations all over the world, so that they communicate with each other and get to know each other through English language. Secondly, many scientific, educational, social and literary books and articles have been written and read in English, and this situation enables researchers, writers and scholars to be in touch with the wider world, exchange ideas with each other, learn different cultures and bridge the gap and brings nations much closer to each other in the world which is globalising further every day. Thirdly, having a command of English and speaking fluent English help people find better and highly paid jobs in different parts of the world. In his recent article in Financial Times, Michael Skapinker draws the readers' attention to the status of English as a lingua franca by stating that today over one billion people speak English, and this number may reach 2 billion within 10-15 years’ time. Thus, English Language and Literature Department, which runs under the Faculty of Letters of Karabuk University, aims at to teach its students English language at an advanced level, together with English literature.

The department, which first received 41 students during 2009-2010 Academic Year, consists of two undergraduate programs:

The period of the study in the department is 5 years, including the Preparatory Class. Due to the importance of English today, the courses in the department are designed to endow the students with advanced English language skills and the ability to make critical and sophisticated interpretations of texts and to produce written texts of high quality, to develop their critical thinking and analysis abilities, to provide experience in research, to enhance their aesthetic and artistic horizons, and to endow them with a variety of skills that will help their success in their future careers and lives. In so doing, the department first provides the students with a general knowledge each period of English literature with its important authors and their works in detail, together with the historical, cultural, political, financial, and religious background which paves way for the creation of literature. Moreover, the department also teaches literary movements and recent literary theories with the sole intention to develop their critical thinking skills and train them to be creative individuals when they read and write. In addition, the students who want to pursue a career teaching English can attend the Teacher Training Program offered by Karabuk University and obtain their “English Language Teaching Certificate” which enables them to teach English at the Primary and High Schools run by the Ministry of Education or by private entrepreneurs.
Those students, who complete the undergraduate degree programs successfully, earn the degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English language and Literature. If they wish, these alumni can also continue to study Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the field.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
As well-known, English as a language has become a standard global means of communication across the world. Thus, every day the number of people who want to communicate with the global world and take their place in the global network of communication increases, causing a mounting demand for those people who could teach English all over the world. Graduates of English Language and Literature program have a wide range of career opportunities before them as follows:

·                They can choose to be academicians, professors at universities
·                English Language School instructors at universities
·                English teachers at the primary and secondary schools across the world
·                They can become translators in the private and public sectors, including international companies, embassies, government offices, banks and so on.
·                They can work in the media, newspaper or television networks, cinema sector, journalism and advertising.
·                They can also find jobs in the areas of tourism, public relations, international relations, and human

NUMBER OF ACADEMIC STAFF

TITLE	NUMBER
Professor	2
Associate Professor	3
Assistant Professors	6
Research Assistant and Lecturer	3

NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

DUTY	NUMBER
Department Secretary	1

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

PROGRAM	NUMBER
Bachelor's degree	948
Master's Degree	61
PhD	68