Dubai Women's College course shortlisted for international award

The Vocabulary Course was created by Emma Pathare, an English teacher at DWC, for the purpose of strengthening Arabic speakers' English vocabulary.

The Vocabulary Course is grounded in extensive academic research, and targeted directly at elementary English-language learners who speak Arabic as their first language. It enables learners to increase their vocabulary both whilst using the course and also throughout their language-learning life, as the students not only learn the target vocabulary, but also learn how to use effective learning strategies independently. The internet-based course with 4000+ questions, more than 150 quizzes, and over 30 learning modules gives students extensive independent study opportunities to build their English vocabulary, develop strategies and evaluate their own learning. The course also includes a mathematics component which builds the vocabulary required to learn basic numeracy in English, an essential requirement for Emiratis entering the job market in the UAE.

The award is the British Council Innovation Awards for English Language Teaching, an annual award for the development of first-class language learning resources produced by teaching professionals and publishing companies involved in English language teaching. The international category for which 'The Vocabulary Course' has been nominated is open to entries from all around the world. Previous winners include products from the University of Birmingham, Macmillan Press and the Cambridge University Press.

Emma has worked as an English instructor, materials developer and teacher trainer at Dubai Women's College for the past 6 years. Her current work involves the development of students' basic English literacy, and using music and sound to develop learning potential. "The course has been a great success for our students, and it is fantastic now to have this success recognized at an international level," she noted.

Over 1500 HCT Diploma Foundations students around the UAE have already benefitted from using the course. Diagnostic testing shows that using the course results in significant gains in core English vocabulary skills, skills which are invaluable in both the learners' college and future professional lives.