The alternation of seasons marks the elapse of time. Those that blossom in spring may bear fruit in autumn.

The School of Foreign Languages has come a long way, developed modestly from the teaching and research section of foreign trade English, which then was replaced by the Department of Foreign Languages. Thanks to my predecessors and colleagues in the school, we have made exciting and fruitful achievements. Their perseverance and endeavors over the years have laid solid foundation for the school’s growth, and meanwhile made it possible for us to set up the diligent and pragmatic work style. By following their ideals and innovative thoughts, we have carried out the scheme aimed at the concurrent development of College English teaching and the language-related undergraduate programmes.

We have established several teaching and research groups focused on specific courses and fields in the past few years. In terms of the educational reform as well as the construction of academic disciplines, breakthroughs have been made by way of our efficient use of the best resources in our university. In 2005, our school received the approval of the State Council Academic Degrees Committee (also Department of Postgraduate Education) to grant Master’s degree in English Language and Literature, which then was listed as one of the leading subjects in the provincial “Eleventh Five-Year” plan by Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education in 2007. In the same year, our school was promoted as a demo base for the reform of College English teaching by the Ministry of Education. From 2010 onwards, we are honored with the inauguration of Master’s degree program of Foreign Languages and Literature as the first-grade academic discipline. Just at the same time, Business English programme was launched and we got the approval of enrolling undergraduate students.

With the development of our society and education, we have paid an increasing attention to the exploration of a more adaptable and adequate mode for the cultivation of qualified professional personnel, which has satisfactorily led to the forming of our distinctive features embodied in the mode for the cultivation of personnel with multidisciplinary backgrounds, the design of modules and the management of extracurricular instruction. What is even more gratifying is that we have made remarkable achievements and breakthroughs in College English teaching. Recent years has witnessed the continual winning in the national and provincial College English contests. In 2005 “CCTV Cup” English Public Speaking Contest, our two contestants got through to the grand final, and one of them came out the third with excellent performance, which is also the best result since our participation in the contests. Their perfect command of English has earned our university a good reputation nationwide.

Like a thousand boats setting sail on a long stretch of river, we are faced with both new challenges and development, and our achievements have ushered in a new stage of growth. With our broader vision and soberer minds, we will continue the voyage in high spirits and work even more diligently to make our dream come true.

Sincerely,
Weihua, Ye

Dean

School of Foreign Languages