The Status of English Departments in Lebanon: Enrolment and Suggestions for Enhancement

Abstract

Although English has grown to be the dominant language of the century, recent studies reveal that the percentage of students in the English department has declined. This paper gives an overview of the situation of the English departments in general and in Lebanon in particular.It examines some of the problems they face. It also shows whether college students are interested in studying English as a major or not. The paper also highlights the importance of English graduates in a globalized world. Several heads of English departments of different Lebanese universities are interviewed for the purpose of finding out more about their departments-percentage of enrolment, problems and solutions. The paper also tackles the issue of career possibilities after graduation. More importantly, it puts forward a list of suggestions and some enhancements that could help attract more students in the future without bringing in any serious changes in the material taught.