JEDDAH — Dar Al-Hekma University hosted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Association of Language Teachers (KSAALT), Jeddah Chapter, Professional Development Event in Prince Bandar Bin Sultan Auditorium here recently. The training provides the needs of the English language teachers in Jeddah whether it is at school level or university level through a training day and high quality workshops. These efforts are without any doubt, a sign of high quality education, professionalism and care for the needs of English language teachers in Saudi Arabia. Dar Al-Hekma is becoming more and more involved in the field of teacher training and professional development. Dar Al-Hekma University joined efforts with KSAALT Jeddah's Chapter in an effort to improve the quality of teacher education in Saudi Arabia. "We believe that teachers continue to evolve as they remain in the teaching profession. A significant professional development for teachers is central to their role. At Dar Al-Hekma University we believe in the importance of lifelong professional learning for teachers in all fields," said Dr. Suhair Hassan Al Qurashi, the president of Dar Al-Hekma University. She added, "Dar Al-Hekma University tries to provide avenues of high quality professional development to address the needs of the teachers. The Model Teacher Program that has been organized by the university for the past ten years targets school-level teachers from different backgrounds. The success of this program and the feedback received, gave Dar Al-Hekma University the motivation to work further to serve the community. This collaboration with KSAALT in organizing this outstanding event epitomizes Dar Al-Hekma's vision in creating partnerships with the national and international organizations to maximize the benefits such events can generate." The event had three main lectures, the first workshop presented in the event was "Student Engagement in the EFL Classroom: Techniques in Application." The presenter and trainer, Abdulrahman Sindi from Dar Al-Hekma University summarized the aim of the workshop saying, "This workshop presents and applies Communicative Language Teaching methods to engage students and create a student-centered classroom. Participants get to learn how to utilize existing activities to cater to their student population based on Multiple Intelligences and Content Based Instruction." Another well-received workshop was entitled, "Gamification for English Language Learning," by Siham Bokhari from Umm Al-Qura University. "Gamification has proven to be an effective approach of learning English skills. It ensures students' engagement and their reflection, which is considered a tool for learning," said Ms. Bokhari. Finally, "Are You in Kahoots with Technology?" was the third workshop that was hugely appreciated by the audience as it put them in touch with modern technology especially using mobile phones which have become an integral part of young learners' lives. "Teachers always look for methods to gain rich insights about their classroom, through formative assessment or evaluations. In this hands-on workshop on a game-based platform, participants were able to take hold of some alternative ways to engage students through mobile," said Pir Suhail A. Sarhandi from the University of Free State. The event was a success at all levels. "Dar Al-Hekma University has truly exceeded our expectations in the professionalism, hospitality and the efficiency of its faculty and staff," said Hussam Rajab, KSAALT Jeddah Chapter Representative. "Professional development is a critical link to improved teaching. Unfortunately, there are few opportunities for professional development for both experienced and novice English language teachers in the Kingdom," said Dr. Khawla Zahran, the director of the Research Center and the coordinator of the English language courses at Dar Al-Hekma University. She added, "Experienced and novice English language teachers certainly benefit from contact opportunities with specialists in the field and colleagues from other institutions to reflect on their best practices, enhance their knowledge and refresh their enthusiasm for teaching." "KSAALT professional development event is a forum of empowering teachers who are passionate about their profession with more knowledge that would allow their students to progress, and consequently, find their careers' path to shoulder their society. This prestigious assembly of teachers from different educational institutions is a portrayal of KSAALT and Dar Al-Hekma University concern about learning and imparting knowledge. It is a true image of the toiling soldiers behind the scenes," said Mariam Ghalayini, director of the University Academic Preparation Program. The chapter aims to guide teaching and administration, connect theory to practice, align teaching philosophies with best practices, promote institutional collaboration and inspire teachers to conduct research. Through its international affiliation with TESOL, the KSAALT Jeddah Chapter aims to provide inspiration and professional development opportunities to language educators, and to generate awareness and interest in language education. "KSAALT is a non-profit professional development and service association for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) educators in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In December 2007, just over a year after it was founded, KSAALT became the 100th affiliate of TESOL International and, in 2010, KSAALT became an associate of IATEFL and in 2015, an affiliate of TESOL Arabia. The purpose of the association is to serve, educate, and connect English language teachers in Saudi Arabia through professional development with interactive and engaging general meetings, workshops, and mini and annual conferences," said Rajab.
