Background
Recognizing the need for secondary school students to learn foreign languages, the Ministry of Education established a Cambodian English Language Training Program (CELT) along with an Australian non-governmental organization, Quaker Service Australia (QSA), in 1985. CELT was designed primarily to provide English language training to government officials and to improve secondary school teachers' language abilities. The project developed significantly between 1985 and 1993, with class intakes expanding from 15 to almost 150 students.
The Department of English was established as part of CELT, with financial and academic assistance from QSA, who managed it until 1993. It was then handed over to a joint project between the International Development Program (IDP), Education Australia and the University of Canberra. This project was funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) until the end of 1996.
In 1993, the four-year B.Ed. (TEFL) degree curriculum was developed in consultation with the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). In 1997, the four-year B.A. (English for Work Skills) course was introduced to enhance English knowledge and skills for current and future employment. Today, the IFL's Department of English is regarded as one of Cambodia's leading language institutions, offering two full-time undergraduate degree programs and one full-time Master’s program.
Regarded as Cambodia’s leading English language institution, today, IFL’s Department of English has graduated over 7,000 students.
The Department of English co-hosted the Fifth International Conference on Language and Development in 2001 and the 1st CamTESOL Conference in 2005, in association with IDP Australia. The Department played a key role in the organization of the event, presentation of papers and participation in workshops.
Since 2019, the Department of English has organised the annual CAMBODIAN ELT Conference to showcase English language learning, teaching, and research in contemporary Cambodian society. It is a one-and-a-half-day conference, preferably held in November of the year. This conference comprises different streams such as research-based presentations, concept-based presentations, workshops, and poster presentations and covers a variety of areas relevant to English language teaching and learning. This conference is a combined conference and non-conference (discussion forum) model. Experienced expatriates and Cambodian English professionals will be involved in sharing and learning from each other their best practices of English language teaching, learning and researching in their own context. The conference aims to reach around 400 members of the English Language Teaching Community from across the country.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
The Department of English curriculum emphasizes the acquisition of the English language and cultures with the ability to communicate clearly and freely in multicultural contexts. To achieve this, our teaching approaches encourage students to construct knowledge actively with our faculty members’ support.
The Department of English aims to develop proficient communicators who thrive in evolving workplaces in twenty-first-century contexts. Our educational philosophies emphasize creating human capital with well-rounded and inquiring minds, moral and ethical principles, and socially responsible and integrity-driven actions. The graduates will readily embrace Asian and multicultural viewpoints while preserving Khmer culture, heritage, and identities.
Contact Info
Head of Department:
- Prof. Keuk Chan Narith
- Phone: (855) 23-885-419
- Email: info.doe@rupp.edu.kh
- Office: IFL Campus
Student Life
Foreign students who are interested in studying in Cambodia should first approach their national government. read more...