Introduction

Introduction to the School of Foreign Languages of Northwest University

The group photo of faculty members of the School of Foreign Languages

The School of Foreign Languages of Northwest University (Institute of Area Studies) was formerly known as the Department of English Language and Literature of Northwest University. Established in 1924, it is the earliest foreign language discipline founded in the western region of China. Renowned linguists and translators such as Wu Mi, Chu Dagao, Shui Tiantong, Zhong Zuoyou, and Cao Jinghua have taught here successively; broadcaster Qi Yue once studied here. In 1952, during the reorganization of departments, part of the institute merged into Peking University, while another part became the precursor of the School of Foreign Languages of Xi’an International Studies University and the Department of Foreign Languages of Yan’an University. The Department of Foreign Languages of Northwest University ceased to exist. In 1979, it was reestablished. In 1988, the Department of College English was established. In 2000, the School of Foreign Languages of Northwest University was established by integrating the Department of Foreign Languages, the Department of College English, and relevant foreign language teaching units within the university. In 2023, the Institute of Area Studies of Northwest University was established, which has cooperated with the School of Foreign Languages.

The school currently has 125 faculty members, including 110 full-time teachers. Among the full-time teachers, there are 9 professors, 28 associate professors, and 1 specially appointed foreign associate professor. There are 3 doctoral supervisors and 38 master’s supervisors. There are 7 foreign teachers, one of whom has been selected as one of the most influential foreign experts in China’s “40th Anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up”.

The school currently has seven departments: the Department of English, the Department of Japanese, the Department of Russia, College English Teaching and Research Department I, College English Teaching and Research Department II, College English Teaching and Research Department III, and Comprehensive Language Teaching and Research Department. It has one first-level discipline authorized to confer master’s degrees in Foreign Language and Literature, with three master’s degree programs in English Language and Literature, Japanese Language and Literature, and Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics. Additionally, there is one master’s degree program in Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI). The school offers undergraduate programs in English, Japanese, and Russian languages, and provides seven language courses including English, Japanese, Russian, French, German, Arabic, and Italian to the entire university. Currently, there are two research centers: Institute of Area Studies and Translation, and Center for African Studies.

The school currently has one Shaanxi Province Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center, with a total building area of 2,460 square meters across the Chang’an and Taibai campuses. It is equipped with 948 teaching devices and approximately 1000 learning terminals. There are a total of five audio-visual rooms serving skill-oriented foreign language teaching and high-level English competitions, including intra-school selections and regular training. Additionally, there are two translation laboratories dedicated to undergraduate and graduate translation teaching. Two autonomous learning centers, comprising eight computer labs, cater to over 600 students simultaneously for online learning. Furthermore, there are foreign language radio stations and audio-video laboratories available for students to conduct the speech training of foreign languages and showcase language works. These facilities also assist foreign language teachers in creating teaching materials and exam audios for listening comprehension, helping them edit and synthesize teaching audio and video materials.