DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT:

This Department is one of the two departments that presently make up the School of General Studies. As at the inception of the Polytechnic, the Department was a unit under the Department of General Studies. By 1994, Department of General Studies metamorphosed to the School of General Studies and the English Unit became a Department with the name; Department of English and Communication Studies. The name of the department changed from “English and Communication Studies” to “Languages” in 2004. This was done with the intention of making the department to teach Communication skills in English Language, French Language and perhaps offer certificate courses in French Language, Yoruba Language and other Nigerian Languages. However, the department has been teaching only Communication Skills, English Language and Literature in English until 2018 when the French Unit was moved out of the Department of Office Technology and Management (OTM) to join the Department of Languages.  The department has had eight Heads since the inception. The pioneer Head of Department was Mr. J. A. Fabule (rtd). Others are Dr. (Mrs.) F. A. Olatunji (rtd), Dr. O. A. Afolabi, Dr. Mrs. A. K. Olaosebikan, Mr. E. O. Aleminu, Rev. S. A. Adeyemo, Mrs. M. M. Adeyinka; Dr. S. A. Ojeniyi and the current Head, Mrs. Kemi Olatinwo.  

COURSES OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT:

The department teaches Use of English, Communication Skills and Literature-in-English to all categories of students at National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) levels. The courses are labelled as:

GNS 101 and 102 for ND I students (3 units for OTM department and 2 units for other departments)

GNS 201 and 202 for ND II students (3 units for OTM department and 2 units for other departments)

GNS 301 and 302 (HND I students) (3 units for OTM department and 2 units for other departments)

GNS 401 and 402 for HNDII students (3 units for OTM department and 2 units for other departments)

MAC 112 – French Language I (2 units for ND I Mass Communication Students)

MAC 121 – French Language II (2 units for ND I Mass Communication Students)

OTM 116 – Introduction to French Language (2 units for ND I OTM Students)

OTM 127 – Business French (units for NDI OTM students)

OTM 316 and OTM 327 (2 units for HND I OTM students)

 Some of these courses are labelled differently in many departments such, STA 315 for HND I Statistics student and they are variously labelled as OTM in School of Business and Management Studies and in School of Information and Communication.

The department also offers the following courses:

GST 110 for   degree students; in conjunction with Library & Information Science dept. (3 units)

GST 121 for   degree students (2 units)

GNS 011 for Certificate courses in Catering and Hotel Management (1 unit)

GST 012 – Introduction to French Language (for Certificate course in Catering and Hotel Management (1 unit)

All the courses are Compulsory

FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE DEPARTMENT

1. The department has offices on both the Mini and Main Campuses.
2. It also has a well-equipped Language Laboratory on the Mini Campus

UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT

1. The department has no fewer that fourteen Chief Lecturer
2. No fewer than five PhD holders and many on different levels of completion of their PhD Programmes
3. One of the PhD holders – Dr. S. A. Ojeniyi won the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC)’s award for the best Ph.D. Thesis in Nigeria, 2012 (in the category of Arts)
4. The department has used her Language Laboratory to train both the students and staff of Federal Polytechnic Offa in Oral Speech production and presentation
5. The department also organized a workshop for Teachers of English in Offa and Oyun Local Government Areas of Kwara State on the Techniques for Teaching ‘Oral English’
6. Workshops and Seminar are organized regularly for the Academic Staff for the purpose of training the trainers
7. The 2^nd National Conference of Nigerian Polytechnic French Teachers Association (NIPOFTA) was also hosted successfully by the department between 20th and 22^nd November, 2018.
8. The department Coordinates the Federal Polytechnic Offa Drama Group and presents Convocation, Matriculation and Orientation plays to the Polytechnic Community as occasions demand.
9. Like many others, the 2019/2020’s Orientation Play won the department a Letter of Commendation from the Polytechnic Management and Approval to train students in Dramatic Performance, Poetry and Script Writing as part of EED programmes.

LIST OF STAFF IN THE DEPARTMENT

NAME                                   QUALIFICATIN   CADRE                                  SPECIALISATION

Olaosebikan, A. K.           Ph.D.                     Chief Lecturer                   (English and Communication Skills) 

Afolabi, O. A.                     Ph.D.                     Chief Lecturer                   (Literature and Comm. Skills)

Adeyemo, S. A.                 MA                         Chief Lecturer                   (English and Communication Skills)

Adeyinka, M. M.              MA                         Chief Lecturer                   (English and Communication Skills)

Ojeniyi, S. A.                      Ph.D.                     Chief Lecturer                   (English and Communication Skills)

Aleminu, E. O.                   MA                         Chief Lecturer                   (English and Communication Skills) Olowe, M. T.                               Ph.D.                     Chief Lecturer                   (English and Communication Skills)

Dahunsi, J. O.                     MA                         Chief Lecturer                   (Literature and Comm. Skills)

Agboola, M. A.                  MA                         Chief Lecturer                   (English and Communication Skills)

Oni, N. B.                             MA                         Chief Lecturer                   (English and Communication Skills)

Olatinwo, K. R.                  MA                         Chief Lecturer                   (Literature and Comm. Skills)

Oladiran, T. L.                     MA                         Chief Lecturer                   (English and Communication Skills)

Mustapha, A. A.                               MA                         Chief Lecturer                   (French and Communication Skills)

Afolayan, V.                       MA                         Chief Lecturer                   (French and Communication Skills)

Akanbi, S. O.                      MA                         Principal Lecturer             (English and Communication Skills)

Alege, M. A.                       MA                         Senior Lecturer                 (English and Communication Skills)

Adekeye, R. O.                  MA                         LI                                             (Literature and Comm. Skills)

Mustapha, K                      MA                         LI                                             (Literature and Comm. Skills)

Ejiwumi, T. C.                     MA                         LI                                             (English and Communication Skills)

Awoyemi, L.                       BA                          LII                                           (English and Communication Skills)

Ismael, F.                             BA                          LII                                           (English and Communication Skills)

Egbuta, O.                           MA                         LII                                           (Literature and Comm. Skills)

Omale, S. A.                       BA                          LII                                           (English and Communication Skills)

Okolocha, M.                     BA                          LII                                           (English and Communication Skills)

Okoye, E.                             MA                         Assist Lect.                          (English and Communication Skills)

Usman,                                                BA                          Assist, Lect.                        (English and Communication Skills)