The Community College of Qatar (CCQ) has held the first annual English Language Centre (ELC) symposium under the theme, ‘Bridging the Divide between Secondary and Postsecondary Education in Teaching English and Academic Skills’.
In its inaugural edition, the symposium featured contributions by educators, researchers, policy makers, and stakeholders who combined their expertise to investigate the causes of disconnect for students going on to higher education.
The discussions were aimed at identifying ways to develop a seamless transition between school and college or university and ultimately graduating high school students that are fully equipped to embark on the next chapter of their academic journey. Dr Khalid al-Abdulqader, vice-president of CCQ, said: “One of the often-overlooked ways to improve the outcome of education in Qatar is to inspire educators and stakeholders in the secondary and tertiary stages to step out of their silos and work together to enhance students’ learning experience with a deeper understanding of the continuative aspect of their journey. The first edition of this symposium is bringing this crucial issue to the surface of our consciousness as educators.”
“It has been refreshing to see participants from various elements of the educational sector in Qatar come together and discuss this theme, which is so relevant for the lives of all our students. Views shared by both presenters and delegates have aided us all in understanding the possibilities as well as the challenges we all face in realising a smooth transition between school and the higher education sector,” said Dr Michael King, chair of the English Language Centre at CCQ.
The event started with a plenary session titled, ‘Building a Coherent System for English Language Education’, where teaching professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Dr Dudley Reynolds, shed light on significant disjunctions that lead to academic struggle, and how adopting a system perspective of language education can help cushion students’ transition to tertiary education.
Ensuing breakout sessions collaboratively addressed several important subthemes, such as preparing students for Project-Based Learning by Qatar University’s College of Education Professor Dr Xiangyun Du, and college and career readiness by Early Childhood Programme co-ordinator at CCQ, Dr Merfat Fayez.
Dr King moderated a panel discussion that summarised important points raised and conclusions reached during the breakout sessions as well as from the audience’s interaction with those topics via the symposium’s dedicated online platform.
The ELC symposium is organised by CCQ’s English Language Centre with the goal of helping faculty in providing the best education possible by exploring opportunities to analyse the current state of education affairs in Qatar through discussions, panels and seminars.
A panel discussion during the symposium.
