The Chair of English Philology has been formed on the basis of the Department of Romance and Germanic Philology founded in 1930s. English, German and French were taught at the Faculty at that time. In 1991 the Chair of English Philology was established along with the foundation of Romance and Germanic Philology Faculty which in its turn was formed on the basis of the Department of Foreign Languages.

In 1993 Seda Gasparyan (Doctor of Philology since 1994, Professor since 2000) was appointed Head of Chair who continued the already established pedagogical traditions by the prominent professors and doctors Jahukyan, Atayan, Toqmajyan and Mkhitaryan.

The Chair staff (over 65 specialists) carries out a variety of scientific and educational activities. The professional lecturers of the Chair provide theoretical knowledge in different scientific fields, Area Studies and Linguoculture, as well as practical English both as major and minor subjects.

English Philology Chair plays a leading role in the Republic training qualified professionals and carrying out research in different scientific spheres. A great number of monographs, textbooks, manuals and dictionaries, as well as scientific articles are annually published. They aim to examine and enlighten various up-to-date problems concerning modern linguistics, methodology and culture. The Chair is also actively engaged in editing and reviewing activities. It has become a tradition for the members of the Chair to take part in scientific meetings, discussions, round-tables and conferences. This is, in fact, a good chance to not only sum up the work done, but also for expanding international contacts and cooperation.

In 2006-2007 the Department of “Linguistics and Cross-cultural Communication” aimed at preparing well-trained specialists for the field of cross-cultural communication was initiated in the Chair of English Philology. The graduates will have the opportunity of working in diverse state and international organizations, advertising companies, as well as in the fields of banking and tourism.

The Chair of English Philology efficiently cooperates with the Armenian Association for the Study of English, in the structure of which great importance is attached to the membership of the Chair of English Philology.

The Chair brings its fruitful participation to the development of education and science in the Republic of Armenia, especially in the sphere of the English language. The Chair has also immense input in the publication process of the academic journal of the Association (Armenian Folia Anglistika) and the informative periodical “AASE News Letter”.

It is already a tradition in English Philology Chair to invite foreign scholars from abroad to give lectures, condact seminars and discussions in which our professors and students take an active part.

With the introduction of the three-level education system the Chair has revised and worked out new educational programs aiming to provide an all-round education for master's and bachelor's degrees respectively. At present the educational programs for both the bachelor's and the master's degrees are being implemented in accordance with the requirements set by the credit system of education.

Today a great many post-graduates of the English Philology Chair work in different firms and offices, ministries, schools and universities in Armenia as well as abroad.

Foreign Languages Chair that had been operating within the Faculty of Philology in 1957 was divided into two Chairs: the Chair of the Romance and Germanic Philology and the Foreign Languages Chair. The latter conducted foreign language teaching to different faculties. The Foreign Language Chair has been headed by honored scientists such as prof. S. Manukyan, prof. D. Sakayan, prof. M. Harutyunyan, associate prof. K. Karapetyan. Due to the efforts of scholars great contribution was made to the foundation and the development of the best traditions at the Chair.

In 1991 the departments of foreign languages separated from the Faculty of Philology, thus forming a new educational scientific subdivision within the University - the Faculty of Romance and Germanic Philology. The Foreign Languages Chair became the integrate part of the faculty, was renamed into English Chair N1 and since then (in 2001) as an ESP Chair (English for Specific Purposes) has been headed by the young professional in the field associate professor, PhD in Linguistics M. Apresyan.

The work conducted by the Chair is full of innovations and professional achievements. Today the Chair actively implements wide and multileveled educational programs for different faculties in YSU (faculty of informatics and applied mathematics, physics, radio-physics, chemistry, biology, geology and geography, philosophy and psychology, sociology, history, theology and law); They are targeted at teaching English for Professional Purposes.

Мethodical and research work constitutes the important part of the professional and educational activities performed by the Chair and is determined by the scientific and technical progress, challenges of international and market relations development and the overall globalization process. In this context, to train personnel mastering English has become one of the major educational goals set up by the ESP Chair.

The Chair conducts its wide range of educational activities thanks to the devotion of its highly qualified teaching staff (more than 50 lecturers) and personal leadership abilities of the Head of the Chair PhD, associate professor M. Apresyan, her devotion to innovative educational reforms. The Chair has set up a goal of modernizing the English teaching methods permanently
( English for Special Purposes methodology), based on the current findings of Applied Linguistics.

One of the important achievements of the Chair is the foundation of the international scientific journal “FLSP” (Foreign Language for Special Purposes) with M. Apresyan as the editor-in-chief, published once a year, which is a collection of scientific articles presented by FLSP practitioners inside and out Armenia targeting at professional experience exchange and concurrent development of FLSP methodologies.

The Chair has established contacts with a number of foreign universities in USA, Great Britain and Europe. With the aim of professional experience exchange the Chair receives many featured speakers from Western Universities, who conduct workshops, seminars and discussions in the field of new methodologies and current scientific achievements. The staff members of the Chair are authors of a number of textbooks, educational manuals and technical dictionaries, compiled for the students of both humanities, natural and exact sciences,.

Today ESP Chair, due to M. Apresyan’s contribution to work and big efforts, has become an official international testing center, which successfully conducts TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) ibt and pbt test, iTEP (International Test of English Proficiency)and other international tests with the further certification.

The Chair successfully holds trainings for YSU administrative and teaching staff (Professional English).

English Chair N1 views its mission in fully satisfying the needs for the development of the Professional English in the RA and in training a big army of specialists and scientists who would freely function in English and most prominently represent the enormous scientific potential of the country on the international stage in future.

English Chair N 2 was established in 1993. The Chair headed by Doctor of Philology, Professor Yelena Yerznkyan is a well-organized and active division in the system of Yerevan State University, which specializes in both educational and academic fields.

The teaching staff of more than 40 instructors including 1 Doctor of Philology, 13 PhDs, 1 Professor, 7 Associate Professors, 6 Assistant Professors, translators and highly-qualified teachers provide the teaching of English at the Faculties of Armenian Philology, Journalism, Russian Philology, Oriental Studies, International Relations, Economics and the Department of Actuarial and Financial Mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics. The teaching is based on ESL/EFL (English as a Second/Foreign Language) and ESP/EAP (English for Specific/Academic Purposes) courses that are quite efficient and widespread approaches applied throughout the world nowadays.

In compliance with the transition to the three-cycle system of education, the Chair have designed and developed new teaching courses targeted at the comprehensive study of English at the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. These courses have served as a basis for the design of various textbooks, manuals, readers, learner’s dictionaries, reference books, teacher’s guides and other teaching materials.

The aim of foreign language teaching is to develop all the fours skills of language – listening, reading, writing and speaking, i.e. to develop student’s abilty to use language (both spoken and written) in a certain speech situation and context. The adopted highly individual approach in the teaching process allows the instructors to find out the needs of the students and to help them overcome difficulties and get involved in the learning process to the best. This is enhanced by the Edusoft – English Discoveries computer-based course and by the steps taken towards the development of theoretical bases for the English teaching through a computer-based programme. The course consists of 12 levels from basic to executive including Business English.

Within the scope of Chair’s academic interests are semantics and pragmatics, text linguistics and discourse analysis, contrastive study of languages and theory of translation. The interrelation of language and culture is studied through the analysis of the semantic structure of the word, which is aimed at revealing the equivalent word-stocks of English and Armenian, English and other foreign languages. The study of semantic categories is carried out in the light of interrelation and interdependence of word-meaning and context of its realization. Theoretical seminars on the topical issues in linguistics are regularly held during which the teachers’ scientific observations, studies and publications are being discussed.

The following researches carried out by the staff members under the supervision of Ye. Yerznkyan “The Peculiarities of the Language Transfer from Armenian in the English Language Classroom” (2005-2007), “Dialogue: Intercultural Approach” (2008-2010) are worth mentioning.

The design and improvement of the principles and issues of testing systems with the intention of developing requirements for language proficiency at different levels of both general and academic English have always been in the focus of our interest.

The main results of the above mentioned works are presented in a number of monographs and academic papers published in local as well as foreign periodicals.

The Chair issues the annual journal of academic research papers “Foreign Languages in Higher Education” on different issues in linguistics, methods of teaching foreign languages as well as foreign literature.

The English Club directed by the Chair staff is a ground for students to raise questions they are interested in. The students take part in different discussions and come up with their own ideas and suggestions. All these activities enhance close relationship and establish common values between teachers and students. The teachers also assist students in their participation in conferences and competitions. It is worth mentioning that students of the Faculty of International Relations, Political Science, Economics and Journalism have been awarded the first prize in the competitions organized by the English Speaking Union for about ten years running. The students’ active participation in various events and competitions held by the UN Office in Armenia has proved to be a success.

The Chair of French Philology has passed a short but effective path – from being a sub-department in philology faculty to one of the important chairs in the YSU. It was founded in 2009-2010 academic year after being disunited from romance philology chair. Being a newly formed chair, and having great achievements in the past, the chair of French philology continues its traditional activities in preparing skillful specialists who work in the government of the Armenian Republic, in Ministries, in public and commercial sectors, and in public education.

The chairman of the newly founded chair of French philology is candidate of pedagogical sciences, Assistant professor, Zaven Harutyunyan.

The chair is provided with studies, with a rich specialized and fiction literature which is being completed with up-to-date literature and textbooks thanks to French Embassy and other organizations.

The chair of French Philology has a great scientific potential. The proof is the numerous amount of monographies, textbooks, manuals and dictionaries (authorized) by our professors.

Z. Harutyunyan “Wordbuilding of Speech and Inflectional Meaning”, S. Khachatryan “Human Rights in International Documents”, A. Kharibyan and M. Gulhakyan “Reading in French”, “On French History and Area Studies”, T. Blbulyan “Conduct on French Phonetics”, G. Sargsyan “Translation and Translation Studies”, “Textbook in French Language”, are worth mentioning.

In 2009 unprecedented “French-Armenian” dictionary was published and edited by A. Muradyan.

One of the important spheres of the chair is translation and translation studies. Many classic and modern works in linguistics and fiction have been translated by the lecturers of the chair.

The chair is firstly busy with French language teaching methods and organization, with renewing and reediting academic plans, with developing young specialist’s professional mastership.

Teaching and methodological activities are conducted in Ijevan branch of YSU as well.
At present seven professors and five applicants from Gyumri and Yerevan are working on their thesis.

The chair of French Philology is in close collaboration with Montpelier University after Paul Valerie and Ex-an-Provance University in France.

On the enterprise of the chair the YSU participated in international organization of Francophonia, which enables to develop teaching training and scientific activities on European level.

Chair of Romance Philology was established in 1991. Instruction of French, Spanish and Italian was carried out by the staff from the very beginning, and since 2007 Portuguese was initiated at the Master’s level. Spanish and Italian are taught as major and second foreign languages.

The lectures are given with the help of the specialists having a long-term pedagogical experience, as well as young and skillful professors. While teaching foreign languages the contemporary approaches to language instruction are obvious, thus, communicative and traditional methods of instruction are successfully combined. The Chair promotes its activities in several main directions: educational, methodological and scientific, as well as courses in translation. The Chair carries out a range of research works, which include a broad spectrum of scientific interests and are related to different issues of Romance philology: semasiology, phraseology, pragmatics, foreign language teaching, translation, etc.

The Chair professors have published a number of manuals, textbooks, dictionaries and other education promoting materials. A number of specialists invited from Spain, Italy and Brazil contribute greatly to the work of the Chair bringing about a serious pedagogical work. “Spanish as a foreign language” diploma qualification international exams in collaboration with Cervantes Institute and professors from Spain and in collaboration with Sienna University the Italian language qualification examination are organized according to the European criteria of language mastering.

One of the main links of the Chair activities is the analysis of theoretical and practical issues of translation, as well as a number of Spanish-Armenian and Armenian - Spanish translations. The publication of series of students’ translations “Tsaghik targmanutyants” has become a tradition. The Chair also publishes an annual collection of scientific works - “Contemporary Issues on Romance Philology” - which comprises various scientific articles on both modern linguistics and foreign language teaching methods.

YSU chair of German philology provides German language teaching in all the humanities and sciences departments of the university, as well as trains germanologists at the department of Romance and Germanic philology. Studies are conducted for both bachelor and master degree students.

Experienced and skillful specialists as well as young lecturers of the chair have received high qualifications at various universities of Germany and Austria.

During the teaching process worldwide accepted methods are implemented. Theoretical knowledge is based on the achievements of modern linguistics.

The course “German as a second language” at YSU Romance and Germanic philology department is of particular importance. Special teaching methods are used for this course.

Teaching of the German language at the humanities and science departments aims at fluent communication and proper use of literature in German.

Highly successful students for Both bachelor and master’s degree are given an opportunity to improve their knowledge of the language at leading universities of Germany and Austria. Some master’s degree students have a chance to take their prediploma practice there.

The staff of the chair publish various textbooks, dictionaries and teaching materials. Highly qualified specialists from Germany and Austria are invited to carry out pedagogical and scientific work every year.

The lecturers of the chair actively participate in different international and local conferences and seminars. They have gained considerable achievements in their professional field.

The Department of Translation Studies was founded in April 2009 at the decision of the Scientific Council of Yerevan State University, although its history goes back to 1992 when a group of students from the English Philology Department expressed their desire to specialize in translation studies.

The Department was set up to carry out a certain task: to prepare professionally skilled and highly qualified translators and interpreters, who are in great demand in our country under its new social and economic conditions. This involves improving the efficiency of foreign language teaching, to increase the function of language in all spheres of human activities. Karo Karapetyan, Associate Professor, Ph. D was elected head of the department.

English, French, German and Spanish are the major foreign languages and on the basis of the mother tongue, Armenian, the future specialists are trained. The educational curriculum is successfully realized by experienced and highly qualified staff including Professor Sona Seferian, Associate Professors Lyudmila Hovhannisyan, Gourgen Gevorkyan, Nvard Vardanyan, Anna Hakobyan and others.

The department curriculum consists of different sets of disciplines which provide a fundamental university education for our students. It also includes studying functional language styles such as general scientific, business, economy, culture, everyday speech, etc. Future translators study the works by world-famous authors in the original and in translation. Problems of adequacy, translation of stylistic devices, imagery, wordplay and versification are studied in term papers, final papers, diploma papers and theses.
Courses on translation are structured in the following way: theory of translation, which analyses the principles of translation, followed by practical courses on different types of translation. Our students are offered consecutive and simultaneous interpreting for their specialized studies.
Teaching process is accomplished by putting to practical use all the contemporary methods of language teaching. Due attention is paid to the teaching and mastering of interpretation skills by an active use of modern technologies such as computers, TV, DVD, audio and visual materials.
Scientific interests of our staff are also diverse. Our gifted graduate students can continue their education for a master’s degree as well as taking post-graduate courses by doing research and studies of problems connected with different types of translation under our skilled lecturers, professors and associate professors.

In 2011 the first conference devoted to the problems of translation theory and practice was held to encourage the endeavors of scholars.

Foreign languages have been learned and taught at Yerevan State University since its establishment, but for the first time in the Armenian history of translation in 1988 the publication of the translator’s journal “Astghik” (named after the pagan goddess of Love and Fertility) was initiated, where not only translations from different languages into Armenian and from Armenian into other languages are published but also articles on the Theory and Art of Translation.

Translation as an Art and as an activity is also of special attention in the studies of Shakespeare and Byron heritage.

You are welcome to our World of translators and interpreters!

Brief outline of the Chair of Foreign Literature (or as it was formerly referred to

History of West-European Literature) has been included in the curriculum of the historic-philological faculty since its foundation and in the 1920s this discipline was taught by such prominent literary critics and philologists as Simon Hakobyan, Sargis Manukyan and Zapel Yesayan, a well-known writer, an expert at European culture and languages. Some years later teaching of a new discipline, theoretical principles of literary criticism, was initiated by Tsolak Khanzadyan, a famous literary critic.

In 1929, to meet the requirements of promoting university education in Armenia, separate chairs of literature were set up at the University, among them the chair of foreign literature. For 10 years the chair was headed by Professor Simon Hakobyan. During that period a number of textbooks were published – Glimpses of European Literature, the well-known manuals by A. Lunacharsky, P. Kazan, F. Shiller, translated into Armenian. In the 1930s young scholars H. Mamikonyan and S. Soghomonyan began working in the chair. Both had successfully completed the post-graduate fellowship of Leningrad Accademy of Fine Arts and later headed the chair (Mamikonyan in 1957-1970 and Soghomonyan in 1970-1978).

They did researches and wrote textbooks and monographs such as H. Mamikonyan’s History of Foreign Literature Renaissance Period, S. Soghomonyan’s Outlines of European Literature, from the History of European Realism.

In 1956 the disciplines of Theory of Literature were given to otrher chairs. This was a circumstance that greatly hindered the effective development of theoretical studies at the University.

In 1972 a new chair was founded, which included the lecturers of Theory of Literature and Aesthetics. The chair was headed by Ed. Djirbashyan, an eminent literary critic, theorist, academician, whose textbook “Theory of Literature” was reprinted five times within 20 years, being honored with a state award.

In 1982 the Chair of Foreign Literature and the Chair of Theory of Literature were united in one chair headed by Academician Ed. Djirbashyan. From 1986 to 2007 the head of the chair was H. Edoyan, PhD, Professor. In 2007 the two chairs were separated. The Chair of “Theory of Literature” was headed by Ph D, Professor Zh. Kalantaryan while the Chair of Foreign Literature was headed by H. Edoyan.

The united chair consisted of experienced lectures – PhD, Professors A. Harutiunyan, K. Matinyan, PhD Assistant-professors N. Santrosyan, V. Navasardyan, A. Bekmezyan, A. Djirbashyan, S. Harutiunyan, Y. Khachatryan, PhD Assistants A. Sedrakyan, N. Gonchar-Khanjyan, Assistant A. Martirosyan and others.

The chair does a lot compiling textbooks and manuals, such as Reader of Introduction to the Theory of Literature (compiled by A. Bekmezyan, V. Navasardyan), History of the 17th and 18th Century Foreign Literature (S. Artamonov’s textbook translation into Armenian). History of the 20th Century Foreign Literature (compiled by the chair staff). The series “Student’s Library” includes renowned books of world literature, such as “Poetry and Truth” by Goethe, “poetry of the Ancient Orient”, “German Short Story”, “French Classicism”, “French Poetry”, “Armenian Short Story”, “Contemporary American Drama” (in two volumes), etc. Significant researches testifying to the chair’s scientific potential are “Yeghisché Charents’ Poetics” by H. Edoyan, “The Austrian Drama of the 2nd half of the 20th Century” by K. Matinyan, “Post-War American Poetry” by A. Harutunyan, “Ezra Pound’s Aesthetics” by A, Sedrakyan, “The Genre of Novelette in the Armenian Literature of the Early 20th Century” by A. Bekmezyan.

The staff of the chair has been publishing “Hamatext”, a yearly journal, for about 5 years. In the pages of the journal you can find articles written not only by the teaching staff of the chair, but by other scholars of Armenia as well. Five books have already been published.

In the past 10 years 13 theses for PhD and one post-doctoral thesis were defended.

In order to prepare highly qualified specialists in the field of cross-cultural communication, a new specialty - “Linguistics and Cross-cultural Communication (English)”, was formed in the department of English Philology in 2006-2007.

At present, due to the constantly developing economic, international, educational, cultural relations between Armenia and different countries of the world, specialists of cross-cultural communication are in great demand.

There is no doubt that as a result of universal processes, that is, globalization which spread all over the world, a special importance is given to English as a means of communication bridging different linguocultures. Therefore, in September 2012, a new department - “English for Cross-Cultural Communication” was founded on the basis of the department of English Philology. Doctor of Philological Sciences, Associate professor Shoushanik Paronyan took the responsibilities of the head of the newly-founded department.

The department of Linguistics and Cross-cultural Communication (English) aims at preparing qualified professionals who will be able to communicate efficiently with the representatives of different linguocultures applying the mechanism of language adaptation.

At present the department of English for Cross-cultural Communication carries out extensive educational and scientific activities aimed at solving problems related to various fields of language and culture, cognitive linguistics, cross-cultural pragmatics.

The chair staff consists of 14 leading and skillful specialists including two Doctors of Philological sciences, Associate Professors (Sh. Paronyan, N. Harutyunyan), five Candidates of Philological Sciences, Assistant Professors (M. Yaghubyan, A. Ayunts, A. Khachatryan, M. Ohanyan, A. Rostomyan), young lecturers most of whom are occupied with scientific research and are going to defend their candidate theses which cover various philological disciplines.

In 2012-2013 academic year the first Masters graduated from the department, who will have the opportunity to work in different international organizations, advertising agencies, as well as in the fields of tourism and banking.

The three-level educational system also allows the Masters to continue their study at the level of postgraduate education, undertaking research work on issues related to cross-cultural communication.